If You Want Me To Stay = Si Quieres Que Me Quede

Released in 1973 as a lead single from the Sly & The Family Stone album Fresh, this track serves as a pivotal moment in the band's evolution toward a more minimalist, funk-oriented sound. Recorded during a period of increasing internal friction and shifting musical trends, the song signaled a departure from the expansive, psychedelic soul of the late 1960s. It was crafted during sessions that reflected Sly Stone’s growing preoccupation with introspective, groove-heavy compositions, distancing the group from the brighter optimism of their Woodstock-era material.

The song is widely regarded for its distinctive, repetitive bassline, which provides the anchor for Stone’s elliptical and somewhat resigned lyrical style. By issuing this as a single with Spanish-language titling on international pressings, Epic Records aimed to leverage the group's global reach, though the recording remains quintessential to the American R&B landscape of the early 1970s. Critics have long praised the production for its sparse, skeletal arrangement, noting that it remains one of the most influential examples of the transition from late-era soul into the foundational structures of modern funk.