Billy Joel – The Stranger

More images

Label:	Columbia – JC 34987, Family Productions – JC 34987, Columbia – 34987, Family Productions – 34987
Format:	Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo, Santa Maria Pressing
Country:	US
Released:	1977
Genre:	Rock
Style:	Pop Rock

Tracklist

A1	Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)	3:30
A2	The Stranger Percussion – Ralph MacDonald	5:08
A3	Just The Way You Are Acoustic Guitar – Hugh McCracken, Steve Burgh Alto Saxophone – Phil Woods Percussion – Ralph MacDonald	4:50
A4	Scenes From An Italian Restaurant Accordion – Dominic Cortese Acoustic Guitar – Hugh McCracken Electric Guitar – Steve Burgh	7:35
B1	Vienna Accordion – Dominic Cortese	3:32
B2	Only The Good Die Young	3:54
B3	She's Always A Woman Acoustic Guitar – Hugh McCracken, Steve Burgh	3:19
B4	Get It Right The First Time Acoustic Guitar – Hugh McCracken Percussion – Ralph MacDonald	3:54
B5	Everybody Has A Dream Acoustic Guitar – Hugh McCracken Backing Vocals – Gwen Guthrie, Lani Groves, Patti Austin, Phoebe Snow Organ – Richard Tee Percussion – Ralph MacDonald	4:35
B6	Untitled	1:57

Companies, etc.

Copyright © – CBS Inc.
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – CBS Inc.
Recorded At – A&R Studios
Mixed At – A&R Studios
Lacquer Cut At – Sterling Sound
Mastered At – Customatrix
Pressed By – Columbia Records Pressing Plant, Santa Maria
Manufactured By – Columbia Records
Record Company – CBS Inc.
Published By – Joelsongs
Published By – Higher Music
Published By – Ripparthur Music
Published By – April Music Inc.

Credits

Bass – Doug Stegmeyer
Drums – Liberty DeVitto
Electric Guitar – Hiram Bullock
Electric Guitar [Six & Twelve String Electric Guitars], Rhythm Guitar [Acoustic Rhythm Guitar], Guitar [High String Guitar] – Mr. Steve Khan*
Engineer – Jim Boyer, Phil Ramone
Lacquer Cut By – TJ*
Management [Produced In Association With] – Home Run (4)
Music By, Lyrics By – Billy Joel
Orchestrated By – Patrick Williams
Photography By – Jim Houghton
Piano [Acoustic PIano], Vocals, Keyboards [Electric Keyboards], Synthesizer – Billy Joel
Producer – Phil Ramone
Supervised By [Production Associate to Mr. Ramone] – Kathy Kurs
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute, Organ – Richie Cannata

Notes

Columbia Records Pressing Plant, Santa Maria pressing denoted by "S" etches in runouts.
Issued with custom photo / lyric / credit inner sleeve.

Recorded and Mixed at A&R Recording, Inc. New York, N.Y.

B6 is unlisted on cover and jacket - it is titled "The Stranger (Reprise)" on reissues, but is present on this pressing.

Ralph MacDonald appears courtesy of Marlin Records.
Patti Austin appears courtesy of CTI Records.
Richard Tee appears courtesy of Warner Bros. Records, Inc.
Phil Woods appears courtesy of Gryphon Productions, Inc.

© 1977 CBS Inc. / ℗ 1977 CBS Inc.
All songs © 1977 Joelsongs (BMI) except "Everybody Has A Dream" © 1971 by Higher Music and Ripparthur Music. All rights administered by April Music Inc. (ASCAP).

Logo on back cover: 100 years of recorded sound 1877-1977

Cataloge numbers:
JC 34987 - spine & labels
34987 - back cover & inner sleeve.

Barcode and Other Identifiers

Rights Society (A1 to B4): BMI
Rights Society (B5): ASCAP
Matrix / Runout (Label A): AL 34987
Matrix / Runout (Label B): BL 34987
Matrix / Runout (Runout A, variant 1): AL 34987 3BB o A12 STERLING TJ S2
Matrix / Runout (Runout B, variant 1): BL 34987 4CA o A8 STERLING TJ S
Matrix / Runout (Runout A, variant 2): AL 34987 3BB o A12 STERLING TJ S2
Matrix / Runout (Runout B, variant 2): BL 34987 4CA o A8 STERLING TJ S

Other Versions (5 of 234)

View All

	Title (Format)	Label	Cat#	Country	Year
Recently Edited	The Stranger (LP, Album)	CBS	SBP 237057	New Zealand	1977
Recently Edited	The Stranger (LP, Album, Stereo)	CBS, CBS, CBS, CBS	CBS 82311, 82311, S CBS 82311, JC 34987	UK	1977
Recently Edited	The Stranger (LP, Album, Reissue)	CBS/Sony	25AP 843	Japan	1977
	The Stranger (LP, Album)	Columbia, Family Productions, Columbia	PC 34987, 34987	Canada	1977
New Submission	The Stranger (8-Track Cartridge, Album)	Columbia, Family Productions, Columbia, Family Productions	JCA 34987, 34987	US	1977

Reviews

HighwireDays Nov 14, 2022
What’s the story behind the person who dropped $250 on this thrift store staple? Was it autographed or something?
zafispan Jun 2, 2021
Bought it in a flea market for 1 Euro, VG+ both sleeve and media, OIS included.The quality of the sound and the music is outstanding! The record literally roars on my turntable every time I put it on. You don't have to give a small fortune to buy a top album.
BrendanCavin Sep 30, 2020
Edited 2 years ago
Incredible album. And while I don't have any other pressing to compare with, this has really high quality sound, especially for a dollar-bin record.
jwhiteker Feb 12, 2018
Picked up my copy for $3 at a record show. Sonically, it's one of the highest quality records I have now. Top notch mastering, great pressing. Great to listen to on vinyl. Would've loved to have been in the studio. Can't believe what the engineers and musicians were able to pull off with analog gear back then.
museflow Jan 5, 2018
This is one of the best albums of that era. Billy Joel captures "real life" in this record at a time when a lot of music was very superficial. Just a great all-aroud listen to lyrically and arrangement of music.
tftdguru Oct 10, 2017
Edited 5 years ago
My copy has slight runout etching variations:
Side 1 - AL-34987-3A
Side 2 - BL-34987-4F
cartercaramel Mar 13, 2014
I had this album and then sold it on a whim. Now I regret it, I loved that album. :/
soundandlight Jun 18, 2012
This album is a monster! The songwriting is in a class far above all mainstream rock / pop of the era. The arrangements are incredible and the musicianship is stellar. Growing up in NYC in the 70's means this album has a powerful, fond memory inducing factor. While a worldwide hit it really hits home if you can relate to the vivid imagery Joel conjures. Billy would have heaps of success but he never came as close to the sublime perfection that is The Stranger.