On the Record for 8-2
By Jon Busdeker on Aug. 06, 2007
Q: I have been trying to find a song to download for my wife called “Stay Awhile” by a group called The Bells. Can you help me?
A: The song, “Stay Awhile,” was a Top Ten hit for The Bells in 1971, selling more than 1 million copies worldwide. It was written by Ken Tobias, a Canadian singer/songwriter who got his own start on the Canadian TV series, “Music Hop and Singalong Jubilee.” The Bells, a soft rock group from Montreal, variously consisted of Cliff Edwards, his wife, Anne, Jackie Ralph, Frank Mills, Charlie Clark, Michael Waye, Dennis Wills, Mickey Ottier and Doug Gravelle. Between 1971 and 1973, the band released three albums, “Fly Little White Dove,” “Luck ‘N Lollipops” and “Studio ‘A.’” In 1973, the band broke up with several of its members seeking solo careers.
The song The Bells sing is not to be confused with an earlier song of the same name, written by Ivor Raymonde and Michael Hawker, which British pop diva Dusty Springfield popularized in 1964. We’ve not been able to find a site where you can download just The Bells’ song, but we have found compilation albums, most notably, “Super Hits Of The ’70s: Have A Nice Day, Vol. 4” (Rhino Records, catalog #70924), that feature the track. Who knows, perhaps you’ll find some other gem you had forgotten!
Q: I am one of those fans who can recognize that a sample is being used in a song but can never identify it. In Rihanna’s new song, “Shut Up and Drive,” I hear a song from the ’80s but I cannot think of what it is. Can you tell me?
A: “Shut Up and Drive,” the second single from Rihanna’s “Good Girl Gone Bad” album, uses a sample from “Blue Monday” by New Order. Three of the four band members first played in Joy Division in 1976 but after singer Ian Curtis’ death in 1980, they added a keyboardist and changed their name to New Order. “Blue Monday” was first released in 1983 and became the biggest selling 12-inch single of all time, selling more than 3 million copies. It was remixed and released again in 1988 and reached No. 1 on the U.S. dance charts. The song was remixed a second time and released in 1995 and became a hit in the U.K.
Q: I love the song “Rehab” by Amy Winehouse, but I must admit that I’m a little confused by it. What is it about? Who are Ray and Mr. Hathaway?
A: Amy Winehouse’s debut American hit, “Rehab,” is a song about her management company’s request to check into a rehabilitation center for her excessive drinking and her refusal to do so. Winehouse has said that she actually went to a center, explained to them that she drinks because of a failed relationship, and turned around and left. As for the lyrics “I’d rather be at home with Ray, I ain’t got 70 days, Cause there’s nothing, nothing you can teach me, That I can’t learn from Mr. Hathaway,” they refer to Ray Charles and Donny Hathaway. While everyone should be familiar with Ray Charles, Donny Hathaway is less known. He was famous for his smooth voice and his duets with Roberta Flack which resulted in two big hits, 1972’s “Where Is The Love?” and 1978’s “The Closer I Get To You.”
By Bradford Brady and John Maron. Send your questions about songs, albums, and the musicians who make them to
or visit http://www.musicontherecord.com. Brady and Maron are freelance music writers based in Raleigh, N.C.
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