Here We'll Stay

"Here We'll Stay"
Single by Sonia Jones
B-side	"Head Over Heels"
Released	1980
Length	3:19.
Label	Magnet
Songwriter(s)	Tony Colton Jean Roussel
Sonia Jones singles chronology
"Brian" (1979) "Here We'll Stay" (1980) "Now That It's Morning" (1991)

"Here We'll Stay" is a song written by Tony Colton and Jean Roussel and first recorded by Sonia Jones for the UK pre-selection for the 1980 Eurovision Song Contest. The song was then picked up in 1983 by ABBA member Frida and Phil Collins and recorded as a duet from her album Something's Going On and a solo version was released as the final single from the album.

For the 1980 Eurovision Song Contest, the national selection show A Song for Europe was held at the BBC TV Studios in London on 26 March 1980. 12 songs were in the running to represent the UK, including "Here We'll Stay". However, the song finished in 11th place with two songs in joint first place: Prima Donna's "Love Enough for Two" and Maggie Moone's "Happy Everything". Prima Donna's song was selected to represent the UK at Eurovision and finished in third place. Sonia Jones's version of "Here We'll Stay" did not enter the UK Singles Chart.

Frida version

"Here We'll Stay"
Single by Frida
from the album Something's Going On
B-side	"Strangers" "I Got Something" (Canada)
Released	April 1983
Recorded	8–11 March 1983
Studio	Polar Music Studios
Length	4:12
Label	Polar
Songwriter(s)	Tony Colton Jean Roussel
Producer(s)	Phil Collins
Frida singles chronology
"Tell Me It's Over" (1983) "Here We'll Stay" (1983) "Belle" (1983)

There are three versions of "Here We'll Stay" recorded by Frida. A duet with the producer Phil Collins, released as the final track of Something's Going On. An alternate duet mix with missing chorus vocals and an added echo in the verses was mistakenly released on the Swedish cassette tape and the first pressings of the 2005 reissue of the album.^[1] When it was decided to release the song as a single in 1983, Frida re-recorded the song as a solo version.

After the success of "I Know There's Something Going On" in the US, where the single peaked at No. 13, Polar decided "Here We'll Stay" to be the follow-up single for the American market.^[1] Collins resisted this idea, as his solo career was taking off and to protect his image.^[1] With Collins not wanting to be associated with the single, Frida recorded new vocals over two days in March 1983 over a different backing track with added strings and diminished piano parts, as well as a heavier Swedish accent, compared to the album version.^[1] The music video was recorded on 25 April 1983, directed by Lasse Hallström.^[1]

Release and reception

"Here We'll Stay" was released in April 1983 in the US. It did not have the same success as "I Know There's Something Going On" and bubbled under the charts in third place on 7 May 1983^[2] and second place on 14 May 1983.^[3]

The single was released in June 1983 in the UK, with limited success in the charts, peaking at No. 100.^[4] The song was performed in France and Germany, which resulted in some chart success in France at No. 34.^[5]

Charts

Chart performance for "Here We'll Stay" by Frida

Chart (1983)	Peak position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[6]	36
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[7]	34
UK Singles (OCC)[4]	100
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[3]	102

References

1. van Drongelen, Remko (2022). Frida Beyond ABBA. Amsterdam. pp. 289–293. ISBN 978-90-9035304-3.
2. "Billboard Magazine – 7 May 1983" (PDF).
3. "Billboard Magazine – 14 May 1983" (PDF).
4. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
5. "France". abbacharts.com. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
6. "Frida – Here We'll Stay" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
7. "Frida – Here We'll Stay" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 10 October 2023.