Stay the Night (Chicago song)

"Stay the Night" is a song written by Peter Cetera and David Foster for the group Chicago and recorded for their album Chicago 17 (1984), with Cetera singing the lead vocals. The song features noted session Toto drummer Jeff Porcaro taking the place of Chicago drummer Danny Seraphine.^[2]

"Stay the Night"
Single by Chicago
from the album Chicago 17
B-side	"Only You"
Released	April 1984
Genre	Rock[1]
Length	3:48
Label	Full Moon Warner Bros.
Songwriter(s)	Peter Cetera David Foster
Producer(s)	David Foster
Chicago singles chronology
"What You're Missing" (1983) "Stay the Night" (1984) "Hard Habit to Break" (1984)

Reception

Cash Box said that the song is very different from Chicago's "vocal harmonies and horns heyday," having "a hard rocking drum beat, some techno-synth backing and an upper-register lead vocal."^[3]

Upbeat and rock-oriented, it was the first single released from that album, and reached number 16 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Music video

This song is also remembered for its music video, filmed in and around the Los Angeles River.^[4] It shows Peter Cetera chasing a hard-to-get lady, played by Ingrid Anderson^[5] with Debbie Evans as stunt double, and features car-chases, notably featuring a red convertible Oldsmobile 442. It may be that Cetera performed some of his own stunts,^[6][7] but in a 1985 interview, bandmate Robert Lamm said a stuntman was used.^[8] It was directed by Bob Giraldi and Gilbert Bettman Jr.^[4]

Chart history

Chart (1984)	Peak position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[9]	47
US Billboard Hot 100[10][11]	16
US Top Tracks (Billboard)[12]	7