16 December 1994
Anyone putting money on the 1994 Christmas number one being a slow ballad by a boyband would surely have had Take That and Gary Barlow’s piano-driven singer-songwriter aspirations in mind. But no: it’s East 17 who take pop’s most coveted prize in the UK as well as here in Ireland, holding off strong competition from what has become a much-loved Christmas classic, Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’. Did they deserve it? Yes, absolutely so.
You may be aware of the tragic circumstances behind ‘Stay Another Day’: Tony Mortimer originally wrote it about the suicide of his brother, before repositioning it as a romantic ballad and Christmas song. That source bleakness still runs through the record; the icy piano and lack of drumbeat create a core of stillness, and Brian Harvey’s limited vocal abilities actually suit its plaintive air. There’s something genuinely touching about certain lines here that you wouldn’t normally hear in a boyband ballad: “I’ve only just begun to know you” and “I touch your face while you are sleeping” quietly shimmer and ache, while little phrases like “don’t understand what’s going on” hint at confusion. Yes, the pealing bells at the end suggest something joyful and triumphant, but this song’s dignified emotional depth is hugely impressive.
Christmas is heartbreakingly lonely for an awful lot of people, especially those trying to process the loss of a loved one. The rest of the year can be pretty tough too. With ‘Stay Another Day’ Mortimer and East 17 successfully square the circle of making a Christmas record that faces this particular sadness – not to wish it away or somehow ‘solve’ it, but maybe just to accommodate it. Plus, without even going into those levels you can simply enjoy this song as a romantic ballad or a seasonal hit. I hope everyone involved in making it feels proud of a job sensitively and thoughtfully done.
