Lorraine Ellison - Stay With Me

About "Stay With Me"

"Stay with Me" (often credited as "Stay with Me Baby") is a soul song co-written by Jerry Ragovoy and George David Weiss. It was first recorded in 1966 by Lorraine Ellison, and produced by Ragovoy.

Ellison recorded "Stay with Me" at a last-minute booking, following a studio cancellation by Frank Sinatra. With a 46-piece orchestra already hired, Warner Bros. Records asked Ragovoy, with two days' notice, to take over the session at no cost. Ragovoy and arranger Garry Sherman worked up an orchestral arrangement of the song, and called Ellison into the studio to record it live with the orchestra. The recording was engineered by Phil Ramone. Described as 'possibly the best female vocal ever', "Stay with Me" is recognized for Ellison's impassioned vocals, which rise to a sonic and emotional crescendo with each chorus.

"Stay with Me" was issued as a single on the Warner record label. It entered the U.S. Billboard R&B chart on October 15, 1966, and reached No. 11; and peaked at No. 64 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It would become her signature song. Her follow-up single was "Heart Be Still", a minor hit in 1967.

The track has appeared on numerous compilation albums over the years, but 2006's Sister Love: The Warner Bros. Recordings contains all Ellison's songs.