Stranger on the Shore
"Stranger on the Shore" is a piece for clarinet written by Acker Bilk for his young daughter and originally named "Jenny" after her.[2] The tune was written on a single scrap of paper by Bilk and handed over to Leon Young (1916-1991) who crafted the string arrangement, including the characteristic harmonic shifts at the very end.[3]
This article is about the musical piece. For the BBC television series, see Stranger on the Shore (TV serial)."Stranger on the Shore"
"Take My Lips" (UK)
"Cielito Lindo" (US)
2:52
The recording was subsequently used as the theme tune of a BBC TV drama serial for young people, Stranger on the Shore.[4] It was first released in 1961 in the UK, and then in the US, and reached number 1 in the US and number 1 in the UK.[5]
In May 1969, the crew of Apollo 10 took "Stranger on the Shore" on their mission to the moon. Gene Cernan, a member of the crew, included the tune on a cassette tape used in the command module of the Apollo spacecraft.
Cover versions[edit]
The composition has been covered by many other artists, most prominently a vocal 1962 version by Andy Williams, which reached #9 on the adult contemporary chart, #30 in the UK, and #38 on the Billboard Hot 100,[12] and a group vocal version by the Drifters, which reached #19 on the adult contemporary chart and #73 on the Billboard Hot 100.[13] Herb Alpert did his instrumental cover on his 1987 album Keep Your Eye on Me. Kenny G covered it in 1999 on his album, Classics in the Key of G. A version in French, Savoir Aimer, was sung by Nana Mouskouri.
In popular culture[edit]
The song is used as the theme music for the BBC Radio 4 sketch show That Mitchell and Webb Sound.[14]
Album[edit]
Released in 1961, the original Stranger on the Shore album also featured the string arrangements of Leon Young and the performances of his Chorale string players. It primarily consists of melodies from classical, traditional and show music sources, but there is one more original: Is This the Blues, also assembled by Young from a Bilk melody.[21]