Goodbye Stranger

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"Goodbye Stranger"
Goodbye Stranger.jpg
Single by Supertramp
from the album Breakfast in America
B-side "Even in the Quietest Moments"
ReleasedJuly 1979 (US)
12 October 1979 (UK) [1]
Recorded1978
Studio The Village Recorder, Los Angeles
Genre Progressive pop [2]
Length5:50
Label A&M
Songwriter(s) Rick Davies
Producer(s) Peter Henderson, Supertramp
Supertramp singles chronology
"Breakfast in America"
(1979)
"Goodbye Stranger"
(1979)
"Take the Long Way Home"
(1979)

"Goodbye Stranger" is a song by the English rock band Supertramp; it was written by Rick Davies. [3] The song first appeared on their sixth studio album, Breakfast in America (1979). The lyrics present an "optimistic view from a drifter." [4]

Contents

Reception

Billboard described "Goodbye Stranger" as "a fluid midtempo number highlighted by the band's near falsetto vocals, dominant keyboards and a strong melody line." [5] Cash Box said it has "intriguing, well-paced vocals" from Rick Davies, and the "high backup singing" from Roger Hodgson and "blithe, spirited instrumentation." [6] Record World said that the "keyboard/guitar & chorus hook provide a blithe fairytale effect." [4]

Ultimate Classic Rock critic Nick DeRiso rated it as Supertramp's fourth-best song, calling it a "snarky kiss-off from Davies" that "showcases the band's predilection for the Wurlitzer." [7] Brett Milano of UDiscover Music rated Roger Hodgson's guitar solo at the end of the song as one of the 100 all-time greatest. [8] Gary Graff of Billboard rated "Goodbye Stranger" as Supertramp's ninth best song, saying it's "one of the best executed trade-offs between Davies and Hodgson vocals" and has one of Supertramp's "hottest guitar solos." [9]

Personnel

Charts and certifications

Charts

Despite being met with only limited success in the UK, it was a major hit elsewhere, even a Top 20 hit in the United States and Canada, reaching number 15 and 6 respectively.

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [21] Gold75,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

The song plays in many films and television programs. In the episode "Goodbye, Toby" of The Office, Michael Scott sings a parody of "Goodbye Stranger" entitled "Goodbye, Toby". [22] In the episode "Goodbye Stranger" in the eighth season of Supernatural , the song plays on the Impala's radio after the angel Castiel disappears. [23] The song plays in the trailer of the 2023 film Beau Is Afraid . [24] It is also played in the 1999 film Magnolia , and the 2017 film I, Tonya . It is featured in the second season finale of Hacks . The song is played in the first episode of the second season of the television show Reacher .

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supertramp</span> British rock band

Supertramp were a British rock band that formed in London in 1970. They experienced their greatest global success in 1979 with their sixth album Breakfast in America. Marked by the individual songwriting of founders Roger Hodgson and Rick Davies, the group were distinguished for blending progressive rock and pop styles as well as for a sound that relied heavily on Wurlitzer electric piano. The group's lineup changed numerous times throughout their career, with Rick Davies being the only constant member throughout its history. The classic lineup, which lasted ten years from 1973 to 1983, comprised Davies, Hodgson, Dougie Thomson (bass), Bob Siebenberg (drums) and John Helliwell (saxophone).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rick Davies</span> English singer and songwriter (born 1944)

Richard Davies is an English musician, singer and songwriter best known as founder, vocalist and keyboardist of the rock band Supertramp. Davies was its only constant member, and composed some of the band's best-known songs, including "Rudy", "Bloody Well Right", "Crime of the Century", "From Now On", "Ain't Nobody But Me", "Gone Hollywood", "Goodbye Stranger", "Just Another Nervous Wreck", "Cannonball", and "I'm Beggin' You". He is generally noted for his rhythmic blues piano solos and jazz-tinged progressive rock compositions and cynical lyrics.

<i>Breakfast in America</i> 1979 studio album by Supertramp

Breakfast in America is the sixth studio album by the English rock band Supertramp, released by A&M Records on 16 March 1979. It was recorded in 1978 at The Village Recorder in Los Angeles. It spawned three US Billboard hit singles: "The Logical Song", "Goodbye Stranger", and "Take the Long Way Home". In the UK, "The Logical Song" and the title track were both top 10 hits, the only two the group had in their native country.

<i>Crime of the Century</i> (album) 1974 studio album by Supertramp

Crime of the Century is the third studio album by the English rock band Supertramp, released in October 1974 on A&M Records. Crime of the Century was Supertramp's commercial breakthrough in many countries, most notably in the UK, Canada and Germany where it peaked in the Top 5 while also making the Top 20 in Australia and France. It was an improvement over their previous sales in the US, but still only peaked at No. 38, with the US hit being "Bloody Well Right". "School" was another popular track, particularly on album rock-oriented radio stations. The album was eventually certified Gold in the US in 1977 after the release of Even in the Quietest Moments.... In Canada, it was eventually certified Diamond. The album was Supertramp's first to feature drummer Bob Siebenberg, saxophone and clarinet player and vocalist John Helliwell, bassist Dougie Thomson, and co-producer Ken Scott. The album has received critical acclaim, including its inclusion in Rolling Stone's "50 Greatest Prog Rock Albums of All Time".

<i>Crisis? What Crisis?</i> 1975 studio album by Supertramp

Crisis? What Crisis? is the fourth album by the English rock band Supertramp, released in 1975. It was recorded in Los Angeles and London – Supertramp's first album to have recording done in the US.

<i>Even in the Quietest Moments...</i> 1977 studio album by Supertramp

Even in the Quietest Moments... is the fifth album by the English rock band Supertramp, released in April 1977. It was recorded mainly at Caribou Ranch Studios in Colorado with overdubs, vocals, and mixing completed at the Record Plant in Los Angeles. This was Supertramp's first album to use engineer Peter Henderson, who would work with the band for their next three albums as well.

<i>Paris</i> (Supertramp album) 1980 live album by Supertramp

Paris is a live album by the English rock band Supertramp, released in 1980. It was recorded on Supertramp's Breakfast in America tour in Paris, France, with most of the tracks taken from a 29 November 1979 show at the Pavillon de Paris, a venue which was once a slaughterhouse. The album was originally going to be called Roadworks. Paris reached number 8 on the Billboard 200 in late 1980 and went Gold immediately, while the live version of "Dreamer" hit the US Top 20.

<i>...Famous Last Words...</i> 1982 studio album by Supertramp

...Famous Last Words... is the seventh studio album by English rock band Supertramp, released in October 1982. It was the studio follow-up to 1979's Breakfast in America and the last album with vocalist/keyboardist/guitarist Roger Hodgson, who left the group to pursue a solo career. Thus, it was the final album to be released by the classic lineup of the band.

<i>The Autobiography of Supertramp</i> 1986 greatest hits album by Supertramp

The Autobiography of Supertramp is the first compilation album by the English rock band Supertramp, released in 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Logical Song</span> 1979 single by Supertramp

"The Logical Song" is a song by English rock group Supertramp that was released as the lead single from their album Breakfast in America in March 1979. It was written primarily by the band's Roger Hodgson, who based the lyrics on his experiences being sent away to boarding school for ten years. The song became Supertramp's biggest hit, rising to No. 7 in the United Kingdom and No. 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. In 2001, a cover version by the band Scooter returned the song to the top 10 in several European countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Breakfast in America (song)</span> 1979 single by Supertramp

"Breakfast in America" is the title track from English rock band Supertramp's 1979 album of the same name. Credited to Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson, it was a top-ten hit in the UK and a live version of the song reached No. 62 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1981. The lyrics tell about a person, presumably British, who dreams of visiting the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Take the Long Way Home (Supertramp song)</span> 1979 single by Supertramp

"Take the Long Way Home" is the third US single and sixth track of English rock band Supertramp's 1979 album Breakfast in America. It was the last song written for the album, being penned during the nine-month recording cycle. In 1980, the live version from Paris became a minor hit in various European countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dreamer (Supertramp song)</span> 1974 single from Supertramp

"Dreamer" is a hit single from British band Supertramp's 1974 album Crime of the Century. It peaked at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart in February 1975. In 1980, it appeared on the band's live album Paris. This live version was also released as a single and hit number 15 on the US charts, number 36 in the Dutch Top 40, and number one on the Canadian Singles Chart. When "Dreamer" had been released in 1974, its B-side "Bloody Well Right" was more popular in North America leading it to chart instead, at No. 35 in the US and No. 49 in Canada, with "Dreamer" only charting in Canada, that being at No. 75. "Dreamer" also appeared on Roger Hodgson's album, Classics Live, recorded on tour in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Give a Little Bit</span> 1977 single by Supertramp

"Give a Little Bit" is the opening song on Supertramp's 1977 album Even in the Quietest Moments... The song was released as a single that same year and became an international hit for the band, peaking at number 15 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart. It was a chart hit in the band's native UK, reaching number 29 on the UK Singles Chart. The single was re-released in 1992 to raise funds for the ITV Telethon Charity event, but failed to chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It's Raining Again</span> 1982 single by Supertramp

"It's Raining Again" is a song recorded by the English progressive rock band Supertramp and released as a single from their 1982 album …Famous Last Words… with credits given to Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson, although as indicated on the album sleeve, it is a Hodgson composition. The end of the song incorporates the old nursery rhyme "It's Raining, It's Pouring".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Kind of Lady</span> 1983 single by Supertramp

"My Kind of Lady" was the second single from Supertramp's 1982 album …Famous Last Words…. The song is a '50's-style mid-tempo love ballad; it peaked at #16 on the USA Billboard Adult Contemporary and #31 on the USA Billboard pop singles charts. The lead and backing vocals were all sung by Davies, who harmonizes with himself by switching between his natural voice and a falsetto vocal. The echo-treated and natural sounding voice was sung in Davies' baritone. The falsetto passages were double tracked and mixed with a phaser. Despite being released as a single, the track was not performed live.

<i>It Was the Best of Times</i> 1999 live album by Supertramp

It Was the Best of Times is the third live album by the English rock band Supertramp, released in April 1999. The album title makes use of the opening line from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bloody Well Right</span> 1974 single by Supertramp

"Bloody Well Right" is a song by English rock band Supertramp from their 1974 album Crime of the Century. It appeared as the B-side of the single "Dreamer" in 1974. Listeners in the United States preferred it to the A-side, and "Bloody Well Right" became their breakthrough hit in the country, peaking at number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">School (Supertramp song)</span> 1983 single by Supertramp

"School" is a song co-written by Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson of British rock band Supertramp, and included in the band's third and breakthrough 1974 album, Crime of the Century, of which it was the opening track. It was later released as a single in 1983, backed with "Oh Darling", a track from their 1979 album Breakfast in America, and charted at number 27 in Netherlands in 1989. In 2020, the song peaked at number 1 as its highest radio airplay chart in Spain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supertramp discography</span> Cataloging of published recordings by English rock band Supertramp

The following is intended to be the complete discography of the progressive rock British band Supertramp. Over the years they have released 11 studio albums, four live albums, five compilation albums and 28 singles.

References

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