Stay

Live performances

The song was performed throughout the Isolar Tour later that year. A version from 23 March 1976 can be heard on Live Nassau Coliseum ’76.

It was a staple of his setlist during the Isolar II tour in 1978, with recordings available on the 2005 and subsequent editions of Stage, and the 2018 release Welcome To The Blackout (Live London ’78).

David gave me great encouragement and let me do what I wanted to do, within a framework of course! He used to say to me, ‘Just go wild, be as wild as you like. That’s why you’re here, and that’s what I want you to add to the band.’ And when we played ‘Stay’ or ‘Station To Station’ onstage, as I was embarking on these huge guitar solos, he would never do anything but stand there, still, grinning from ear to ear.

‘Stay’ remained in Bowie’s live repertoire during the Serious Moonlight, Sound + Vision, Earthling, Hours, Summer 2000 and Heathen tours. It was the fourth song during his Glastonbury Festival appearance on 25 June 2000.

Two days after his Glastonbury triumph, Bowie again performed ‘Stay’ during a performance at the BBC Radio Theatre in London. The show was issued as a bonus disc with initial CD copies of Bowie At The Beeb in 2000, and in 2021 as part of the box set Brilliant Adventure (1992-2001).

Two of the Brilliant Live Adventures (1995-1999) releases from 2021 included versions of ‘Stay’. Look At The Moon! (Live Phoenix Festival 97) contained Bowie’s set from 20 July 1997, and At The Kit Kat Klub (Live New York 99) featured a performance from 19 November 1999.

Stay ’97

‘Stay’ was the third of six Bowie tracks to be released on streaming services as part of the Is It Any Wonder? campaign in January and February 2020.

Renamed ‘Stay ’97’, it was unveiled on 24 January. The re-recording had been made during the Earthling Tour rehearsals, and featured a heavier industrial rock sound.

DAVID BOWIE IS IT ANY WONDER? STREAMING EP OF UNRELEASED & RARE MATERIAL

‘STAY ’97’ (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED) AVAILABLE FRIDAY 24TH JANUARY THE THIRD OF SIX TRACKS TO BE RELEASED OVER SIX WEEKS

Parlophone Records is proud to announce ‘STAY ’97’ the third instalment of DAVID BOWIE’s IS IT ANY WONDER? EP of six unreleased and rare tracks being released once a week.

‘Stay’ originally appeared on the ‘Station To Station’ album in 1976 and was released as a single in North America and Japan in August of that year.

The previously unreleased 1997 re-recording of ‘STAY’ began at The Factory in the Dublin Docklands during the pre-Earthling tour rehearsals while David, Mark Plati and Reeves Gabrels were preparing the backing/sequencer tracks before the rest of the band arrived, and the rehearsals started in earnest.

David wanted to ‘update’ some of his live show staples so they would sit well sonically with the Outside/Earthling material. The recording was completed later, potentially for use as a ‘B-side’, and mixed at Right Track Recording studios, New York in May/June 1997.

‘STAY ‘97’ is produced by David Bowie, co-produced by Reeves Gabrels and Mark Plati, and mixed by Mark Plati. The track features Gail Ann Dorsey on bass and vocals, Mike Garson on piano/keyboards, Mark Plati on programming/keyboards, Zachary Alford on drums and Reeves Gabrels on guitar/synths

DAVID BOWIE ‘STAY ’97’ IS AVAILABLE TO STREAM FRIDAY 24TH JANUARY ON PARLOPHONE