"Before You Go" is a ballad composed by guitarist Mike Stern. It first appeared on his 1988 album Time in Place, recorded in December 1987 at Skyline Studios in New York City. The composition stands apart from much of the album's electric fusion material by featuring Stern on acoustic guitar, showcasing a gentler, more intimate side of his musicianship. The piece is characterized by its mellow, lyrical melodic quality, emphasizing warmth and harmonic beauty over the high-energy improvisation found elsewhere in Stern's catalog. The original recording features an ensemble including Bob Berg on soprano and tenor saxophone, Jim Beard on keyboards, Jeff Andrews on bass, and Peter Erskine on drums. At approximately five and a half minutes, the composition balances its ballad structure with enough harmonic depth to support improvisation within a restrained framework. The tune reflects Stern's versatility as a composer during his early solo career, which followed influential tenures with Miles Davis and Billy Cobham. While Stern built his reputation largely on his electric guitar work in fusion contexts, "Before You Go" demonstrates his capacity for quieter, more reflective writing. The piece has not been widely covered by other artists and remains a deep cut within Stern's discography, appreciated primarily by listeners and musicians familiar with the Time in Place album.
