The Stranger (song)
| "The Stranger" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Billy Joel | ||||
| from the album The Stranger | ||||
| B-side | "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" | |||
| Released | May 21, 1978 (Japan) | |||
| Format | 7" | |||
| Recorded | A & R Recording Inc., New York City, 1977 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 5:10 | |||
| Label |
Columbia CBS Sony (Japan) | |||
| Writer(s) | Billy Joel | |||
| Producer(s) | Phil Ramone | |||
| Billy Joel singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"The Stranger" is a song by rock artist Billy Joel from his 1977 album of the same name, The Stranger.[1] The song was released as a single in Japan where it became very popular and peaked at #2 on the Oricon chart. It charted in Australia too. It was the last single from the album in Japan, while the US and UK saw "She's Always a Woman", released the previous year, as the last single from the album.
The single is featured on Joel's greatest hits album, Greatest Hits - Volume I & II.[2]
A two-minute instrumental reprise of this song is featured at the end of the The Stranger album, after "Everybody Has a Dream".
Billy Joel originally wanted the melody to be played by some kind of instrument, but after Joel demonstrated the melody by whistling it, producer Phil Ramone convinced Joel to scrap the idea of an instrument and whistle instead.[3]
Track listing
7" vinyl (CBS)
- "The Stranger"
- "Just The Way You Are"
Japanese 7" vinyl
- "The Stranger" [5:10]
- "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" [3:27]
Chart positions
| Chart (1978) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 59 |
| French Singles Chart[4] | 59 |
| Japan Oricon Singles Chart | 2 |
References
- ↑ Useted, Tom (24 July 2008). "Billy Joel: The Stranger". PopMatters.
- ↑ AllMusic
- ↑ Joel, Billy (April 3, 2013). "Billy Joel Pays Tribute to Phil Ramone: 'He Was the King'". Rolling Stone.
- ↑ http://www.infodisc.fr/Artistes.php
