By the middle of the 1980s, Amii Stewart was no longer simply the disco singer associated with her spectacular 1979 version of Knock on Wood. After several years of experimenting with different sounds and working extensively in Europe, she returned with *Friends*, a song that revealed a considerably more melodic side of her artistry.
Released as a single in 1984, Friends was written and composed by Italian singer-songwriter Mike Francis, who also contributed backing vocals. The production was handled by Paul Micioni, an important figure in the Italian dance-music scene. Stewart's recording was issued by RCA, with Picture on the B-side.
The change in direction was intentional. Stewart herself described Friends as very different from the material that had made her famous, emphasizing its stronger melodic character. The song still had enough rhythmic momentum for the dance floor, but it wasn't built around the relentless disco formula of Knock on Wood.
That evolution made particular sense given Stewart's career at the time. Although she was American, Italy had become an important base for her work, and Friends was very much part of that European phase. Mike Francis, who wrote the song, was himself an Italian musician whose sophisticated blend of pop, soul and electronic music fitted naturally with Stewart's voice.
The record found a particularly enthusiastic audience in Italy, where it climbed all the way to No. 1, position it reached on September 15, 1984 and remained for 4 weeks. Its success wasn't confined to Italy: in France it reached No. 7, while in the United Kingdom it became one of Stewart's strongest later hits, peaking at No. 12 on January 26, 1985.
The British chart run is especially noteworthy because it arrived several years after Stewart's biggest American success. Knock on Wood had taken her to No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1979, but Friends showed that she could remain commercially relevant without simply recreating the sound that had made her famous.
In the United States, the song found its audience primarily through R&B radio. It reached No. 46 on Billboard's Hot Black Singles chart in 1985, a more modest showing than its European performance but another indication of Stewart's ability to move between pop, soul and dance markets.
There is also a small discographical curiosity surrounding the song. Although Friends is associated with Stewart's 1984 album Try Love, it was not included on the original Italian edition. It appeared on the Dutch release and was subsequently added to later pressings. An extended version of the track also circulated, reinforcing its connection to the European dance market.
Friends occupies an interesting place in Amii Stewart's catalog. It arrived after her spectacular disco breakthrough, but instead of trying to recreate Knock on Wood, she moved toward a more melodic European sound. The result was a hit that connected particularly strongly with Italy and Britain—and showed that Stewart's career had much more range than her biggest American hit might suggest.
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