"Stay the Night" by Chicago

Song#:  1895
Date:  05/05/1984
Debut:  49
Peak:  16
Weeks:  17
Genre:  Soft Rock



Pop Bits:  With the band fading and on the verge of becoming outdated, Peter Cetera brought in producer David Foster to help make the band relevant again. The ploy worked with their Chicago 16 album spawning the #1 hit "Hard to Say I'm Sorry." To follow-up that double-platinum LP, the band retained the services of Foster for Chicago 17. That album would be the band's biggest selling of their career going 6x platinum. It didn't seem like that would be the case when this first single was issued. While the song did well at Rock getting to #7, it stalled inside the Top 20 at Pop. Usually the first single will set the tone on how well the album performs and the middling results of this tune signaled that the LP may be in trouble. However, this song would get way overshadowed by two big ballads that in turn would make the LP a huge seller.

ReduxReview:  I kind of understand why this rock-leaning tune was released as the first single. After two hit ballads from Chicago 16, they needed a change of pace. Unfortunately, it just wasn't that good of a song. The staccato keyboards of the verse made it very robotic and clunky while the chorus almost sounded like something Styx left on the cutting room floor after the Kilroy Was Here sessions. Foster was a bit overzealous here with the production, but it is probably the best thing about the song. I didn't like it at all and promptly ignored it. I don't mind is too much now, but I still don't think it was a very good single.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  With Chicago back on the map and Foster at the helm, it opened the door for some guest appearances on the album. On this song, drums were done by Toto's Jeff Porcaro. On another track, background vocals were done by Donny Osmond and a pre-stardom Richard Marx. Ambrosia leader David Pack supplied the duet vocals for one song. Perhaps the most high-profile credit was one for Lionel Richie who was riding high at the time with his Can't Slow Down album. Richie co-wrote the song "Please Hold On" with Foster and Chicago member Bill Champlin.

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