A gorgeous adaptation of classical genius, where finding love transforms the mundane world into an instant, breathtaking paradise.
For those of us who came of age during the heyday of the great American Songbook, the name Johnny Mathis is synonymous with a certain kind of luxurious, silken romance. His voice, a pristine instrument that could float effortlessly into the stratosphere, defined the very sound of a beautiful ballad. While his signature hits like “Chances Are” and “The Twelfth of Never” remain etched in our hearts, it is his breathtaking 1959 recording of “Stranger in Paradise” that truly showcases his unparalleled vocal artistry and his ability to make a song sound both sweeping and intensely intimate.
The journey of “Stranger in Paradise” to Johnny Mathis’s Columbia Records session in 1959 is a fascinating tale that crisscrossed continents and centuries. Far from being a contemporary creation, the hauntingly beautiful melody was actually “borrowed” from the 19th-century Russian composer Alexander Borodin. The tune is directly adapted from the renowned “Gliding Dance of the Maidens” from Borodin’s opera, Prince Igor. In the 1950s, the songwriting team of Robert Wright and George Forrest adapted many of Borodin’s gorgeous themes to create the score for the 1953 Broadway musical, Kismet. The result was a stunning fusion of classical grandeur and Broadway romance.
In the context of Kismet, “Stranger in Paradise” is a duet sung by the Caliph (in disguise) and Marsinah, who meet in a beautiful garden. The meaning of the song is one of sudden, transformative love. The lyricist captured that moment when a person—a seemingly “stranger”—walks into your life and instantly changes everything. The ordinary garden suddenly becomes “a wonderland,” a genuine “paradise,” simply because they are standing next to an “angel like you.” It is the moment when the world shifts on its axis, and you are left “starry-eyed,” wondering if this bliss is too good for a mere mortal.
Johnny Mathis recorded his famous version for his 1959 album, Heavenly. Although the song was a huge hit for others, notably Tony Bennett who took it to No. 2 on the Billboard charts in 1953, Mathis’s rendition found its own place in the music firmament. While not charting as a major pop single for Mathis—as his albums themselves were the blockbuster hits of the era, remaining on the charts for years—it became one of the essential tracks for which he is remembered. It perfectly showcased the vulnerability and soaring emotional reach of his voice, proving why he was the Showbiz Millionaire who gave romance its ultimate soundtrack.
Listening to Mathis’s version today, with its rich orchestral backing and his flawless, emotive phrasing, one is transported back to a time of formal dances and dimly lit living rooms where his albums spun endlessly on the turntable. It reminds us that true romance isn’t always a fiery burst, but often a hushed, sacred recognition of destiny—kismet—wrapped in the most magnificent melody one could imagine.