Tony Cowell chats to Ben Ofoedu
‘I really want this song to be an antidote for the Covid-19 generation’
Singer-songwriter Ben Ofoedu took the pop charts by storm as part of Nineties band Phats & Small. Now he’s back with supergroup Boyz on Block and hoping to grab this year’s Christmas number one with a new version of the East 17 hit Stay AnotherDay. Ben tells best how music kept him going during lockdown, and why his fiancée and best columnist, Vanessa Feltz, is already planning a Christmas party for him to celebrate topping the charts.
Stay Another Day
is such a great idea for a Christmas single.
Yes, it is. It’s been such a weird year, we just thought this song, which everyone loves, could really touch people. Nineties music is huge now and Stay Another Day is one of those songs that people remember, so I’m hoping we can make our new version work for Christmas.
East 17’s Tony Mortimer, who wrote the song, not only approves of your version – he plays piano on it. How did that come about?
I’ve known Tony for years and he’s a big fan of the boys who make up our band, including Shane Lynch from Boyzone, Abz Love and Dane Bowers. When he heard the finished song, he said he wanted to play piano on it. We were so shocked and honoured. We couldn’t believe it. So that was an added bonus. We were blessed to have him involved.
In 1994, the original song beat Mariah Carey to number one – can you do it
again with Boyz on Block? Do you know what? Why not, we are definitely going for it. It’s been a very tough year for everyone, so I think it would be nice to have a song that so many people love to be a success for Christmas. I want this song to be an antidote for the Covid-19 generation. When you are going through a tough time, you are looking for a hug from some friendly faces. We want to be those familiar, friendly faces in people’s lives. The song was never meant to be a Christmas song – it just became synonymous with Christmas. So, we are going to try our best to make it happen.
What would it mean to you personally?
It would mean a lot. This year has really affected me in a big way. If I didn’t have my music to distract me, I’m not sure how I would have coped. I keep thinking back to the Nineties and all that music that people still love. That’s been my focus, and it has helped me. Music has that kind of power and I think a lot of people have found comfort from music this year.
The song has a sad memory attached to it, doesn’t it?
Yes, Tony Mortimer wrote the song about his brother Ollie’s suicide – as well as the final
24 hours of a friend’s life. So, it’s about what
would you do if you had one more day with a loved one. That message, I’m sure, many people can relate to this year. It’s very emotional, I know, but if we can touch people with this song, then I would be very happy.
East 17 had such a huge career – were you always a fan?
A massive fan, yes. I first saw them in 1993 in Hackney. I thought they looked so cool. I loved the way they dressed. They were very inspiring, and they probably sold more records in the Nineties than Take That.
You had your own success in the Nineties with your band Phats & Small – do you miss that?
I do miss it, and I achieved a lot, but it was a different time. The end of the Nineties. We had a big hit with Turn Around (Hey, What’s Wrong With You?) which sold 1.5 million in the UK and 3.5 million worldwide. It got me off being on the dole, so I was very lucky.
Have you played your new track to your fiancée, Vanessa Feltz, yet?
Yes, I have. She absolutely loves it. It’s one of her favourite tracks. She’s been a huge support to me and continues to be. We have a great relationship, and we always talk things through together. We are both really happy and content.
How will you two spend Christmas this year?
Vanessa is a massive fan of Christmas. She loves having all her family around her, so this year, depending on the rules, we want to go to the Cotswolds and rent a cottage so we can have her grandchildren with us.
Who will do the cooking?
It will be the first year I am not doing panto, so I will be the one cooking Christmas dinner. Having Christmas and New Year in the countryside is something I really love. Having that kind of oldfashioned Christmas sitting by a log fire eating mince pies. I know Vanessa is already planning a big party for us
– if we manage to make the Christmas number one. So, I’m not sure how we would handle that with social distancing. Maybe it will have to be outside.
Stay Another Day by Boyz on Block is out now linktr.ee/BoyzOn BlockOfficial