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| The lyrics of "If You Want Me to Stay" feature frontman ] informing his lover that she has to let him be himself, otherwise he feels that he would have to leave. The composition has its origins in an apology Stone wrote to his future wife, Kathleen Silva, after a fight. The message of the song was also pointed commentary from Stone towards detractors who had begun to criticize his then recently public problems of drug abuse and irreliablility when it came to attending his own concerts. Stone recorded the song without much input from the rest of the band; by the early 1970s, he had begun crafting most of his material by himself. An alternate version of "If You Want Me to Stay", as well as most of the rest of the ''Fresh'' album, was completed before Stone decided to scrap the masters and re-record the album; those alternate versions have surfaced in the underground markets. | The lyrics of "If You Want Me to Stay" feature frontman ] informing his lover that she has to let him be himself, otherwise he feels that he would have to leave. The composition has its origins in an apology Stone wrote to his future wife, Kathleen Silva, after a fight. The message of the song was also pointed commentary from Stone towards detractors who had begun to criticize his then recently public problems of drug abuse and irreliablility when it came to attending his own concerts. Stone recorded the song without much input from the rest of the band; by the early 1970s, he had begun crafting most of his material by himself. An alternate version of "If You Want Me to Stay", as well as most of the rest of the ''Fresh'' album, was completed before Stone decided to scrap the masters and re-record the album; those alternate versions have surfaced in the underground markets. | ||
| If You Want Me to Stay" reached number 12 on the ], and number-three on the |
If You Want Me to Stay" reached number 12 on the ], and number-three on the Billboard ]. The song has been covered extensively since its introduction, by artists ranging from the ], to ], to ]. | ||
| ==Credits== | ==Credits== | ||
Revision as of 23:58, 13 April 2006
| "If You Want Me to Stay" | |
|---|---|
| Song |
"If You Want Me to Stay" is a 1973 hit single by Sly & the Family Stone, from their 1973 album Fresh. The single was the band's final Top 20 pop hit, and is the best-known of its post-There's a Riot Goin' On recordings.
The lyrics of "If You Want Me to Stay" feature frontman Sly Stone informing his lover that she has to let him be himself, otherwise he feels that he would have to leave. The composition has its origins in an apology Stone wrote to his future wife, Kathleen Silva, after a fight. The message of the song was also pointed commentary from Stone towards detractors who had begun to criticize his then recently public problems of drug abuse and irreliablility when it came to attending his own concerts. Stone recorded the song without much input from the rest of the band; by the early 1970s, he had begun crafting most of his material by himself. An alternate version of "If You Want Me to Stay", as well as most of the rest of the Fresh album, was completed before Stone decided to scrap the masters and re-record the album; those alternate versions have surfaced in the underground markets.
If You Want Me to Stay" reached number 12 on the Pop Chart, and number-three on the Billboard R&B Singles Chart. The song has been covered extensively since its introduction, by artists ranging from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, to Etta James, to Eric Benet.
Credits
- Vocals, guitar, keyboards, and bass by Sly Stone
- Drums by Andy Newmark
- Trumpet by Cynthia Robinson
- Saxophones by Jerry Martini and Pat Rizzo.