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
Genre	Rock
Length	5:10
Label	Columbia CBS Sony (Japan)
Writer(s)	Billy Joel
Producer	Phil Ramone
Billy Joel singles chronology
"She's Always a Woman" (1977) "The Stranger" (1978) "My Life" (1978)

"The Stranger" is a song by rock artist Billy Joel from his 1977 album of the same name, The Stranger. The song was released as a single in Japan where it became very popular and peaked at #2 on the Oricon chart. 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.

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 wind instrument, suggesting a clarinet. But after Joel demonstrated the melody by whistling it, producer Phil Ramone convinced Joel to scrap the idea of a clarinet and whistle instead. The aforementioned whistling at the opening and closing was, consciously or unconsciously, inspired by the Alessandro Alessandroni's (Italian composer of film scores) tune of the same name.^{[citation needed]}

Track listing

Japanese 7" vinyl

1. "The Stranger"
2. "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)"

Chart positions

Chart (1978)	Peak position
Australian Singles Chart	59
Japan Oricon Singles Chart	2