East 17
Stay Another Day
You know what it’s like; you forget to open those doors on
your advent calendar (Or run out of time to write BlogPosts...) and end up
building up a backlog. So you tear open those paper doors in anticipation for
the tiny chocolates that lie beneath, only to find some seemingly random shape
that has nothing to do with the Christmas season! (Always get lanterns; The
most festive of light sources..!?). Christmas music is often the same, and
there are always those tracks that never seem to have any relation to the Christmas
period but always return year upon year.
Take East 17’s Stay Another
Day; there’s not a single mention of holly or bells, mistletoe or wine, yet
every year it is featured on Christmas Compilations and MTV Countdowns. Released
back in 1994, it became East’s first (and only) UK Number one and was supposedly
written in memory of Tony Mortimer’s brother who committed suicide (Given that sentiment,
it seems a strange choice for the latest Doritos advert…). This is a beautiful
ballad that features a very minimalist backing track. There are no drums or
synths, just the simple repeated plucks of a guitar or melancholy piano chords.
This leaves all focus on the bands singers (Who are...?) and the touching, deeply moving lyrics. Cascading
bells herald the final chorus as this song closes leaving a sombre atmosphere
in its place. Truly magical.
As for why it’s a yuletide favourite? Maybe it’s because there’s
snow in the video? But as for those jackets…
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