music.wikisort.org - Composition

"Stay with Me" is a 1995 song by British synthpop duo Erasure, released as the lead single from their self-titled, seventh studio album, Erasure. Written by Vince Clarke and Andy Bell, it is a slow love ballad. Starting with simple synth chords from Clarke and subdued vocal from Bell, the song builds to a mid-tempo gospel-influenced conclusion, complete with vocal contributions from the London Community Gospel Choir. Like the other two singles from this album, it was edited for its release. It was not as successful as prior Erasure singles, reaching number fifteen on the UK Singles Chart, and it did not chart in the United States or Germany. In Denmark, it peaked at number 10 while it reached number 13 in Sweden. In an interview with John Marshall from Lincs FM in 2009, Bell stated that "Stay With Me" was one of his favourite Erasure songs.

"Stay With Me"
Single by Erasure
from the album Erasure
B-side	"True Love Wars"
Released	11 September 1995
Recorded	1995
Genre	Synthpop
Length	4:45 (single edit) 6:43 (album version)
Label	Mute (UK) Elektra (U.S.)
Songwriter(s)	Vince Clarke, Andy Bell
Producer(s)	Thomas Fehlmann, Gareth Jones
Erasure singles chronology
"I Love Saturday" (1994) "Stay With Me" (1995) "Fingers & Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day)" (1995)
Music video
"Stay with Me" on YouTube

The single's B-side, "True Love Wars", is an extension of the Erasure album opener "Intro: Guess I'm Into Feeling". Both tracks use the same instrumental track and share several vocal elements, although they are different songs.

Critical reception

Ned Raggett from AllMusic described the song as "quietly intoxicating".[1] Larry Flick from Billboard said it stands among the duo's "most enchanting and hitworthy recordings to date." He noted that the music "blends delicate music-box-like keyboards with Andy Bell's gorgeous, theatrical vocal performance", and added further that "this ballad soars to a beautiful conclusion, as Bell is surrounded by a gospel choir that adds spiritual depth to the song's sweet, romantic lyrics."[2] Ross Jones from The Guardian stated that it "is one of their best; a salty slowie more beautiful than this world deserves."[3] Chris Gerard from Metro Weekly commented, "If anybody ever doubts that Andy Bell is a first-rate vocalist, play them "Stay With Me" immediately. The layers of sound that he develops, along with Clarke's simple keyboard line, are simply magical."[4] Music & Media said, "The question is which version are you going to air? ACE is best advised to take the Guitar Mix of the sad love song, EHR won't have problems with the electronic Flow Mix, while "dance" can do the rest."[5] Music Week rated it three out of five, declaring it as "a delicate but powerful electronic ballad, produced by The Orb's Thomas Fehlmann."[6] They added that the "slow-burning" song "is heard best in context, where Clarke's churchy keyboard patterns are played against a classic, impassioned performance by Bell."[7] People Magazine wrote, "Thanks to an emphasis on gorgeous torch tunes like "Rock Me Gently" and "Stay with Me", lead singer Andy Bell's always operatic vocals take on a newfound luster".[8] Darren Lee from The Quietus said that it "remain [a] serviceable enough" ballad, "but lack the pizzazz and charm of earlier releases."[9]

Music video

A music video was made to accompany the song. It was published on YouTube in September 2014, and as of November 2020, it has got more than 310 000 views.[10]

Track listings

Charts

Chart (1995)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA Charts)[11]	170
Czech Republic (Rádio – Top 100 (Czech Republic))[12]	18
Denmark (IFPI)[13]	10
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[14]	71
Scotland (Official Charts Company)[15]	16
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[16]	13
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[17]	15
US Hot Dance Music Sales (Billboard)[18]	35

References

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