Recording sessions with its producer and orchestral arranger Rupert Holmes started in the summer of 1976 in the United States when Miles was promoting his first album Rebel.

Although the singles did fairly well, the album itself barely cracked the top 40 of the UK chart and reaching No.

A track of the title song had been recorded during the sessions of Rebel and was originally planned to be released as the B-side of "Highfly", but was shelved.

[3] It was orchestrated by Holmes who added percussion in New York performed by recording legend Jimmy Maelen.

[3] In 1977, singer-songwriter Melissa Manchester covered the Miles-Marshall ballad "Time," which on Stranger in the City was performed solely by Miles at the piano, accompanied by strings and brass.