One Stage Before

The story behind

Al Stewart wrote One Stage Before as part of his album Year of the Cat, released in 1976. The song was recorded before Stewart had a title for any of his songs. He wrote it in 1966, with a title that he later changed. The lyrics talk about something that happens before going on stage, as if it were a moment of preparation, of waiting. The song lasts four minutes and thirty-nine seconds. On the radio, it was sometimes played, but it didn't become a hit like other songs from the album. Although it wasn't a hit, it remains part of his repertoire, and many people like to play it.