"The Downeaster 'Alexa'" | ||||
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Single by Billy Joel | ||||
from the album Storm Front | ||||
B-side | "And So It Goes" | |||
Released | May 1990 [1] | |||
Studio | The Hit Factory, Times Square Studio, New York, NY | |||
Genre | Rock | |||
Length | 3:44 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Songwriter(s) | Billy Joel | |||
Producer(s) |
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Billy Joel singles chronology | ||||
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"The Downeaster 'Alexa'" is a song by Billy Joel from his eleventh studio album Storm Front (1989), released as the album's fourth single. It peaked at No. 57 in the Billboard Hot 100 and was included on Joel's Greatest Hits Vol. 3 album in 1997. The song was named for his boat, which in turn was named after his daughter Alexa Ray Joel.
The violin solo is played by virtuoso Itzhak Perlman. [2] The music video for the song was directed by Andy Morahan. [3]
The song is sung in the persona of an impoverished fisherman off Long Island and the surrounding waters who, like many of his fellow fishermen, is finding it increasingly hard to make ends meet and keep ownership of his boat, a type known as a downeaster. [4]
Chart (1990) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Singles Chart [5] | 126 |
Canadian Singles Chart [6] | 25 |
Japanese Singles Chart (Oricon) [7] | 6 |
UK Singles Chart | 76 |
US Billboard Hot 100 | 57 |
US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 18 |
US Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks | 33 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA) [8] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
William Martin Joel is an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Commonly nicknamed the "Piano Man" after his signature 1973 song, Joel has had a successful career as a solo artist since the 1970s. From 1971 to 1993, he released 12 studio albums spanning the genres of pop and rock, and in 2001 released a one-off studio album of classical compositions. Joel is one of the world's best-selling music artists and the fourth-best-selling solo artist in the United States, with over 160 million records sold worldwide. His 1985 compilation album, Greatest Hits – Volume I & Volume II, is one of the best-selling albums in the United States.
Itzhak Perlman is an Israeli-American violinist. He has performed worldwide and throughout the United States, in venues that have included a state dinner for Elizabeth II at the White House in 2007, and at the 2009 inauguration of Barack Obama. He has conducted the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Westchester Philharmonic. In 2015, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Perlman has won 16 Grammy Awards, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and four Emmy Awards.
"We Didn't Start the Fire" is a song written by American musician Billy Joel. The song was released as a single on September 18, 1989, and later released as part of Joel's album Storm Front on October 17, 1989. A list song, its fast-paced lyrics include brief references to 119 significant political, cultural, scientific, and sporting events between 1949 and 1989, in mainly chronological order.
An Innocent Man is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel, released on August 8, 1983. The concept album is a tribute to the American popular music of Joel's adolescent years with Joel paying homage to a number of different and popular American musical styles from the late 1950s and early 1960s, most notably doo-wop and soul music. The album cover artwork was taken on the front steps of 142 Mercer Street, just north of the intersection of Mercer and Prince Street in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City.
Storm Front is the eleventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel, released on October 17, 1989. It was Joel's third album to reach No. 1 in the U.S. and features "We Didn't Start the Fire", a fast-paced song that cataloged a list of historical events, trends, and cultural icons from 1949 until 1989.
Songs in the Attic is the first live album by Billy Joel, released in 1981.
"Piano Man" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel. First released as a single in the US on November 2, 1973, it was included on Joel's 1973 album Piano Man. The song is sung from the point of view of a piano player at a bar, describing the patrons. "Piano Man" is based on Joel's real-life experiences as a lounge musician in Los Angeles from 1972 to 1973, which he had decided to pursue in an effort to escape his contracted New York City–based record company at the time, Family Productions, following the poor commercial performance of his debut album, Cold Spring Harbor (1971).
"Uptown Girl" is a song written and performed by American musician Billy Joel from his ninth studio album An Innocent Man (1983), released in September 1983 as the album's second single. The lyrics describe a working-class "downtown man" attempting to woo a wealthy "uptown girl". The 12" EP has the tracks "My Life", "Just the Way You Are" and "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me", whereas some 7" single versions featured "Careless Talk" as a B-side.
Alexa Ray Joel is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. She is the only mutual child of singer/songwriter Billy Joel and model Christie Brinkley. Joel released an EP Sketches (2006) and several singles on independent record labels. She has performed at numerous charity events and New York City fashion events.
"Leningrad" is a 1989 song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel from his album Storm Front (1989), released as a single in Europe only. The song title is derived from the contemporary name of St. Petersburg, Russia. It was included on his Greatest Hits Vol. 3 compilation in 1997.
"And So It Goes" is a song written by Billy Joel in 1983, though it was not released until six years later. It appeared as the tenth and final track of his 1989 studio album Storm Front. The original 1983 demo was released on the 2005 box set My Lives. Joel wrote the song about a doomed relationship with model Elle Macpherson. Due to their 15-year age difference, their relationship was dramatic. In 1983, Macpherson was about 19 years old while Joel was around 34. Joel dated Macpherson for only a brief time, and shortly after became involved with model Christie Brinkley. She ultimately became his second wife in 1985.
12 Gardens Live is the fourth live album by American singer/songwriter Billy Joel, recorded during a former record run of 12 sold-out concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York City in early 2006. It was released on June 13, 2006.
Here is the discography of American singer-songwriter Billy Joel. He has released 13 studio albums, seven live albums, 18 compilation albums, 10 video albums, 82 singles, three promotional singles, and 45 music videos. Throughout his career, he has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists in history. According to Recording Industry Association of America, Joel has sold 85 million certified albums in the United States, making him the 4th best-selling solo artist of all time. Billboard ranked him as the 9th Greatest male soloist of all time.
"Honesty" is a song by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel, released by Columbia Records as the third US single from his sixth studio album 52nd Street (1978) in 1979. "Honesty" was solely written by Joel, while production was handled by Phil Ramone. The song appears on the Dutch and Japanese editions of Greatest Hits Volume 2, replacing "Don't Ask Me Why" (1980).
"I Go to Extremes" is a song by American singer Billy Joel from his eleventh studio album, Storm Front (1989), released as the album's second US single in early 1990. It reached the number-six position on the US Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at number three on the Canadian RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart. The song was also a top-10 hit on both the Billboard Adult Contemporary and Album Rock Tracks charts. The song also reached at number 70 on the UK Singles Chart.
"The River of Dreams" is a song by American musician Billy Joel. It is the title track and first single from his twelfth album, River of Dreams (1993). It was released in July 1993 by Columbia Records and became a hit, peaking at number three on the US and UK charts, making it Joel's best-charting single of the decade as well as his final top ten in either country to date. It also hit the top spot in Australia, New Zealand, and on the Canadian and US Adult Contemporary charts. The song was produced by Joe Nicolo and Danny Kortchmar. Its accompanying music video was directed by Andy Morahan and filmed in Connecticut, the US.
"Lullabye " is the seventh track from Billy Joel's 1993 album River of Dreams, released in 1994 as the fourth and final single for the album. It was inspired by Alexa Ray Joel, his daughter by Christie Brinkley. The song is in the key of G major.
"A Matter of Trust" is a song by Billy Joel from his 1986 album The Bridge. It was released as the album's second single and became a top ten hit. The song gained major traction in the Soviet Union as part of a state-sponsored television promotion of Joel's songs in preparation for his 1987 USSR concerts, recorded on Kontsert.
"That's Not Her Style" is a song by Billy Joel released as the fifth single from his album Storm Front, as well as the opening track on the album. It was written for Joel's then-wife Christie Brinkley. The song was the lowest-charting single from the album, failing to crack the top 70 in the United States. The song's music video features a live performance of the song at Yankee Stadium. A 4 track EP was also released.
Billy Joel: Live at Yankee Stadium is the fourth video album by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel. It was recorded during two concerts of the Storm Front Tour at Yankee Stadium in New York City on June 22 and 23, 1990. It was televised on September 2, 1990, released on VHS later that year, and released on DVD in late 2000. The video album was certified Platinum by the RIAA.