Having written some new material for the record, Joel sought a producer who could cultivate his desired style. Joel was likewise set on recording his fifth studio album with this band. During the production of Turnstiles, his fourth album, Joel initially worked with veteran producer Jim Guercio, who had him work with members of Elton John's band dissatisfied with the results, Joel instead opted to self-produce the album and record with his own touring band. Joel had mostly worked with session players for his first three studio albums, which contained only scattered contributions from his own backup musicians, and strongly disliked the polished sound of these albums. Joel grew to appreciate this group of musicians, finding that they had a high-energy, rough-around-the-edges feel that he hoped to capture in his studio recordings. īy 1976, Joel had formed a reliable touring band, consisting of Doug Stegmeyer on bass, Liberty DeVitto on drums and Richie Cannata on saxophone, flute, clarinet and organ. Turnstiles, Joel's 1976 release, had peaked at only number 122 on the Billboard 200 chart. After the unexpected success of Joel's second album, Piano Man, his subsequent albums were commercially disappointing. Rolling Stone later named it one of the 500 greatest albums of all time.īefore The Stranger, Billy Joel was on the verge of being dropped by his record label Columbia Records. It remains his best-selling non-compilation album to date, and surpassed Simon & Garfunkel's Bridge over Troubled Water to become Columbia's best-selling album release, with more than 10 million units sold worldwide. The album won two awards at the 1978 Grammy Awards: Record of the Year and Song of the Year for "Just the Way You Are". Other songs, such as " Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" and " Vienna", have become staples of his career and are frequently performed in his live shows. Four singles were released in the US, all of which became top-40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 charts: " Just the Way You Are" (No. 3), " Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)", " She's Always a Woman" (both No. 17), and " Only the Good Die Young" (No. 24). Spending six weeks at No. 2 on the US Billboard 200, The Stranger is considered Joel's critical and commercial breakthrough. Other studio musicians filled in as guitarists on various songs. Recording took place over three weeks, featuring DeVitto, Stegmeyer and Cannata. Seeking out a new producer, he first turned to veteran Beatles producer George Martin before coming across and settling on Ramone, whose name he had seen on albums by other artists such as Paul Simon. The band consisted of drummer Liberty DeVitto, bassist Doug Stegmeyer, and multi-instrumentalist saxophonist/organist Richie Cannata. Joel wanted the new album to feature his touring band, formed during the production of Turnstiles. Joel's previous studio effort, Turnstiles, had sold modestly and peaked low on the US charts, prompting Columbia to consider dropping him if his next release sold poorly. It was the first of Joel's albums to be produced by Phil Ramone, with whom he would work for five subsequent albums. The Stranger is the fifth studio album by American singer Billy Joel, released in September 1977 by Columbia Records.
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