Stranger in Town is the tenth studio album by American rock singer Bob Seger and his second with the Silver Bullet Band, released by Capitol Records in May 1978. As with its predecessor, the Silver Bullet Band backed Seger on about half of the songs and the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section backed Seger on the other half.
| Stranger in Town | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 5, 1978 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | Rock[1] | |||
| Length | 39:28 | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Producer | Bob Seger, Punch Andrews, Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section | |||
| Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Stranger in Town | ||||
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The album became an instant success in the United States, being certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) less than a month after the album's release, and, like its predecessor Night Moves, it would later go 6× Platinum.[2] It was also his first album to chart in the UK, where limited editions were released on silver vinyl and in picture disc format as well as standard black vinyl.
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [4] |
| The Village Voice | B−[5] |
The New York Times wrote that, "while [the album] reaffirms that Mr. Seger is a fine rock singer and a sometimes sensitive songwriter, it also suggests that his gifts aren't so varied or consistent as they might be."[6]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Bob Seger, except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hollywood Nights" | 4:59 | |
| 2. | "Still the Same" | 3:18 | |
| 3. | "Old Time Rock and Roll" |
| 3:14 |
| 4. | "Till It Shines" | 3:50 | |
| 5. | "Feel Like a Number" | 3:42 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ain't Got No Money" | Frankie Miller | 4:11 |
| 2. | "We've Got Tonite" | 4:38 | |
| 3. | "Brave Strangers" | 6:20 | |
| 4. | "The Famous Final Scene" | 5:09 |
Notes The Silver Bullet Band plays on side one tracks 1, 2, & 5 and on side two track 3
The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section plays on side one tracks 3 & 4 and on side two tracks 1, 2, & 4
Personnel
edit- Bob Seger – vocals, guitar, piano
The Silver Bullet Band
- Drew Abbott – guitar
- Robyn Robbins – organ
- Alto Reed – saxophone
- Chris Campbell – bass
- David Teegarden – drums, percussion
- Barry Beckett – piano, organ
- Pete Carr – guitar
- Jimmy Johnson – guitar
- David Hood – bass
- Roger Hawkins – drums, percussion
Additional musicians
- Ken Bell – guitar on "Old Time Rock & Roll"
- Glenn Frey – guitar solo on "Till It Shines"
- Don Felder – guitar solo on "Ain't Got No Money"
- Bill Payne – piano, organ on "Hollywood Nights"
- Doug Riley – piano on "Feel Like a Number" and "Brave Strangers"
- Randy McCormick – piano on "Old Time Rock & Roll"
- Howie McDonald – guitar solo on "Old Time Rock & Roll"
Background singers
- "We've Got Tonite" and "Still the Same"
- Venetta Fields – vocals, background vocals
- Clydie King – vocals, background vocals
- Sherlie Matthews – vocals, background vocals
- "Hollywood Nights"
- Julia Waters – background vocals
- Luther Waters – vocals, background vocals
- Maxine Waters – background vocals
- Oren Waters – vocals, background vocals
- "Brave Strangers"
- Brandye – vocals, background vocals
- "Old Time Rock & Roll"
- James Lavell Easley – background vocals
- Stanley Carter – background vocals
- George Jackson – vocals, background vocals
Production
edit- Producers: Punch Andrews, Bob Seger
- Engineers: John Arrias, Mark Calice, David Cole, Hugh Davies, Gregg Hamm, Steve Melton, George Tutko
- Mixing: Punch Andrews, John Arrias, Bob Seger
- Mastering: Wally Traugott
- Remastering: Punch Andrews, 1999
- Remastering: Robert Vosgien
- String arrangements: Jim Ed Norman
- Horn arrangements: Alto Reed
- Art direction: Roy Kohara
- Design: Ken Anderson
- Photography: Terrence Bert, Bob Siedemann
Charts
editAlbum
editWeekly charts
edit| Chart (1978) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| French Top Albums[7] | 14 |
| German Albums Chart[8] | 28 |
| Swedish Top 60 Albums[9] | 45 |
| UK Albums Chart[10] | 31 |
| US Billboard 200[11] | 4 |
| Chart (1979) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand Top 40 Albums[12] | 4 |
Year-end charts
edit| Chart (1978) | Position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[13] | 32 |
| Chart (1979) | Position |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[14] | 37 |
Singles
edit| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | "Still the Same" | Billboard Hot 100 | 4 |
| 1978 | "Hollywood Nights" | Billboard Hot 100 | 12 |
| 1978 | "We've Got Tonite" | Billboard Hot 100 | 13 |
| 1979 | "Old Time Rock and Roll" | Billboard Hot 100 | 28 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[15] | 4× Platinum | 400,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[16] | Gold | 100,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[17] | 6× Platinum | 6,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ Larkin, Colin (1999). All-Time Top 1000 Albums. Virgin Books. p. 96. ISBN 0-7535-0354-9. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021.
- ^ "Gold & Platinum Searchable Database" (PHP). Recording Industry Association of America.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band: Stranger in Town > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 4 July 2011.
- ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 627.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (June 26, 1978). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
- ^ Rockwell, John (9 June 1978). "The Pop Life". The New York Times. p. C13.
- ^ "Le Détail des Albums de chaque Artiste (S)". InfoDisc (in French). Archived from the original (PHP) on 2013-05-06. Search for "Bob SEGER & The SILVER BULLET Band" on the drop-down menu to see results.
- ^ "Album – Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band, Stranger in Town" (ASP). Media Control Charts (in German). Retrieved July 5, 2011.[dead link]
- ^ "Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band – Stranger in Town (Album)" (ASP). Swedish Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
- ^ "Chart Archive: Top 40 Official UK Albums Archive – 3rd June 1978". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
- ^ "Bob Seger: Charts & Awards – Billboard Albums". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
- ^ "Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band – Stranger in Town (Album)" (ASP). New Zealand Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
- ^ "Top Selling Albums of 1978 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
- ^ "Top Selling Albums of 1979 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Bob Seger – Stranger in Town". Music Canada.
- ^ "British album certifications – Bob Seger – Stranger in Town". British Phonographic Industry.
- ^ "American album certifications – Bob Seger – Stranger in Town". Recording Industry Association of America.