“If you try to go alone, don’t think I’ll understand”

#33= Stay – Shakespears Sister

[674] Writers: Siobhan Fahey, Marcella Detroit & Guiot. Producers: Chris Thomas, Alan Moulder & Shakespears Sister.
25 Jan 92 – 16 weeks on chart – 8 weeks at #1 from 22 Feb 92

Siobhan Fahey had burst back onto the music scene in 1989; the year after she had left Bananarama. She and her new musical partner Marcella Detroit (real name Marcella Levy) had taken the name of The Smiths’ sixth hit (#26 in 1985), dropped the ‘e’ and made #7 with ‘You’re History’. But by 1992, it had looked as if Shakespear’s Sister had already run out of steam. Despite also having a top ten album with Sacred Heart, the next three Shakespear’s Sister singles had all failed to make the top 50, and Siobhan seemed destined to be remembered as the mad one who left the ‘Nanas and married Dave Stewart. But then ‘Stay’ appeared, as the second single from the upcoming ‘Hormonally Yours’ album, the apostrophe was dropped too, and she did what Bananarama never managed (apart from their two Band Aid contributions) and made #1. And then some. A massive eight week run at the top, in a year of long-running #1s (only twelve #1s all year, compared with 17 each in 1990 and 1991), meant we were all thoroughly fed up of seeing that video every week on TOTP, no matter how good it was. In fact, Whitney’s warbling gave her an even longer ten week run at #1 in December and into 1993, but Shakespears Sister had the most weeks at #1 within 1992. Siobhan and Marcella were the first ‘transatlantic’ female duo to have a UK #1. Their eight weeks was the longest run at the top for any female group or duo, and ‘Stay’ also made #4 in the States. Shakespears Sister weren’t the only act to drop the ‘e’ before having a number one in 1992, as the Shamen did it six months later with (!)

The single itself is a true drama queen classic which was written by the duo and Siobhan’s Eurythmic partner – Dave Stewart is the ‘Guiot’ in the writing credits. Like Band Aid’s hit, it sounds as if it was written as two separate songs which were then spliced together. To me, it always seems really long, although it’s a fairly standard 3 minutes and 50 seconds. Although the slightly scary video implied the song was about death, I’ve never been quite clear whether it’s a bunny boiler song about not accepting the end of a relationship, or if it’s about a suicide pact. But there’s nothing wrong with leaving things open to interpretation. ‘Stay’ was one of five singles lifted from ‘Hormonally Yours’ before Marcella and Siobhan went their separate ways.

Marcella Detroit reappeared in 1994 with three hits, including the duet with Elton John; ‘Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing’.

Siobhan resurrected the Shakepears Sister incarnation again in 1996, without Marcella, but to little public enthusiasm. Although ‘I Can Drive’ made #30, we haven’t heard from either of them since. Meanwhile, the rumours that Bananarama are to reform with their original line-up resurface every few months, even though the duo are still going anyway.

‘Stay’ is the second favourite of Marcus R and also Andrew, who says;

“When I was living in Chicago, I walked along the vast shores of Lake Michigan one very grey and rainy afternoon with my headphones on, listening to a local radio station's 'Future Hits' programme. After a block of adverts, they started up the Shakespear's Sister song with no warning or intro or anything, and I was so stunned by how gorgeous it was that I had to sit down. I ended up sitting on a wet concrete block, staring out at the choppy water, listening to Marcella Detroit hit those impossible high notes as I was soaked through. It is one of my most vivid adult memories.”
Of course, some of us loved Shakespears Sister’s next single even more, just for the line ‘I don’t care if you act like a queen’!

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