The 1997 Oasis track Noel Gallagher never liked: “That’ll be the one I’ll be skipping past”
He might be known as ‘The Chief’, but during the heyday of Oasis during the 1990s, Noel Gallagher didn’t completely rule with the iron fist of a dictator.
As much as he was the songwriter, fulfilling an indispensable role, Noel did listen to what his bandmates had to say and understood that the opinion of his brother, Liam, was also crucial. More importantly, some things, like a B-side, just didn’t warrant getting into a slanging match about.
During his golden period, it seemed like Noel couldn’t write a bad song. Even in the case of ‘Stay Young’, which admittedly isn’t up to the same quality as (What’s The Story) Morning Glory or Definitely Maybe, it’d still be the best song of many bands who briefly had a moment during Britpop.
However, Oasis’ standards were different. For them, their B-sides were typically equally as good, if not better, than the A-sides. As a result, their 1998 rarities and B-sides collection, The Masterplan, is viewed with an almost unprecedented revere for a record of this nature, featuring classics including ‘Half The World Away’, ‘Talk Tonight’, ‘Acquiesce’, ‘Going Nowhere’ and ‘Rockin’ Chair’.
At the time, Noel had no idea that The Masterplan would go on to live the life it has lived. Therefore, he didn’t care too much about letting Liam have his wish and placing ‘Stay Young’ on the tracklist. After all, it wasn’t a proper studio album, so, in his mind, it wasn’t worthy of arguing over.
Initially, the song was made during the sessions for Be Here Now, which was released in 1997. However, when the time arose to choose the final set of songs for the record, ‘Stay Young’ was cast to the side, before eventually serving as the B-side to ‘D’You Know What I Mean?’.
During an interview with Melody Maker in 1998 to promote The Masterplan, Noel provided an honest evaluation of the track: “I don’t like it. I wrote it by mistake for the last album. Why it didn’t go on the album is because when I got back to England I wrote ‘Magic Pie’. Sounds like the Kinks as well I think. I don’t like the guitar solo on it. I don’t like the sound of it either.”
Noel continued with his scathingly criticism, admitting that he’s never liked it, adding, “That’s one of the first ones we recorded for Be Here Now and I think we done that in Abbey Road cos when you start doing an album you usually start with the ones you like the least just so you can get into it really.”
During the same press run for The Masterplan, Noel revealed the only reason why ‘Stay Young’ appeared on the record was to appease his younger brother, Liam, who called him to make the plea, which he claimed only happens if “it’s a problem”.
Noel told NME: “He wanted it on, ‘cos he likes it. But I don’t. I suppose people like it because it says, ‘Hey, stay young and invincible’. And, ‘Come what may my faith’s unshakeable’. I like that line. But it’s a bit happy, it’s a bit of a jolly pop song. And I don’t really like the way it sounds, either. But if other people like it, and if Liam likes it, then it must go on. And on it went. But that’ll be the one I’ll be skipping past.”
While the track was a stalwart of their setlists after its release as the B-side to ‘D’you Know What I Mean?’ in 1997, they never played it live again following the end of the Be Here Now touring cycle. Furthermore, neither Gallagher brother has performed ‘Stay Young’ as a solo effort, and unsurprisingly, it was omitted from their Oasis Live ’25 setlist.
By no stretch of the imagination is ‘Stay Young’ terrible, but it was a sign that Noel’s magic touch had started to fade. It also sounds slightly like an artistic impression of what an Oasis song should be, rather than flooding with originality. Nevertheless, it still makes for a completely fine and serviceable B-side, which is all that it was ever intended to be.
