Eddie Snyder

Edward Abraham Snyder (February 22, 1919 – March 10, 2011) was an American composer and songwriter. Snyder is credited with co-writing the English language lyrics and music for Frank Sinatra's 1966 hit, "Strangers in the Night".^[1]

Snyder was born in New York City on February 22, 1919.^[1] He studied piano at the Juilliard School before taking a job as a songwriter at the Brill Building.^[1]

The music for "Strangers in the Night" was originally written by Croatian composer Ivo Robic but when it failed to gain recognition in the song festival for which it had been composed, Robic sold the rights to German bandleader and composer Bert Kaempfert, who used it in the spoof spy film A Man Could Get Killed. Snyder subsequently collaborated with British lyricist Charles Singleton, although Snyder always insisted that he also contributed to the final music form, and the song is now credited to all four.^[1]

The first vocal version was cut by Jack Jones in April 1966, but the best-known is that recorded by Frank Sinatra three days later. At the session an angry Sinatra turned on guitarist Glen Campbell, who had been brought in at the last moment. Campbell did not know the song and busked his way through the first take while listening to the tune. Sinatra was used to recording in a single take, and when told he would have to sing it again, he glared at Campbell and shouted: "Is that guy with us or is he sleeping?". On take two Sinatra himself added the famous "doo-bie-doo-bie-doo" improvisation at the end. In the original 1966 recording, this fades prematurely, but in a recently remastered version, it continues for an additional nine seconds. Despite its popularity, Sinatra is known to have detested the song and often expressed his distaste for it when performing it in concert.^[1]

"Strangers In The Night" has been performed an estimate of four million times since Sinatra recorded his version, and won Snyder a Golden Globe for Best Original Song in a Film in 1966.^[1] Snyder also composed "Spanish Eyes" for Al Martino in 1965, which later became a hit in the United Kingdom in 1973.^[1] In 1966 he also wrote a song for Doris Day "Every Now And Then" with composer Richard Ahlert, which is on the CD 'Doris Day the 1960s Singles' The Singles Collection: 1959 to 1966.

Eddie Snyder died on March 10, 2011 in Lakeland, Florida, at the age of 92. He was survived by his wife, Jessie.^[1]

Selected songs

• "Strangers In The Night"
• "Love Me Again", a 1958 song that was a single for Jodie Sands, covered by Jimmy Young, Eve Boswell, Dickie Valentine, and Petula Clark
• "What Will My Mary Say" (Johnny Mathis).
• "Spanish Eyes" (Al Martino).
• "Talk To Me" (Frank Sinatra)
• "A Time For Us" (Love Theme from Romeo & Juliet)
• "Girl With The Golden Braids", & "One More Mountain" (Perry Como)
• "Bitter & The Sweet" (Billy Eckstein)

References