Hoboken, NJ — The "Strangers in the Night" album, released in 1966, was a major hit for Frank Sinatra. It reached number one on Billboard magazine and went on to earn multiple Grammy Awards. The title track became one of his signature songs and one that was always requested during his live performances.
A new tell-all written by Sinatra's longtime pen pal and sometime "cabin mate" Candy Gwendelabra reveals the crooner's conflicted feelings about the song's success. In one letter dated 1970, Sinatra complained, "If I have to say doo-bee-doo-bee-doo one more time, I'm gonna eat my cummerbund!"
Gwendelabra recounts Sinatra's story of the afternoon his soon-to-be million seller was recorded:
Ernie Freeman was a fantastic arranger, pianist and bandleader. A total professional. We worked together so many times, we had a kind of telepathy. This orchestra arrangement of Strangers was a long one - a helluva lot of pages. So on the fade-out he just jotted down some dots and dashes to give me an idea of what we were shooting for.
Well, everything went perfect on the first run-through and Ernie said. "Man, I think we nailed that!" It was the last day of recording and it had been a long one. I was ready for a cocktail, so halfway through the playback I said, "I trust you Ernie. See you next time..." and I hit the road.
Gwendelabra writes, "Later, Frank was sitting with friends in a supper club when he suddenly flashed back to the 'filler' he had casually tossed out at the end of the song and started banging his forehead against the tabletop. The rest is history."
Strangers in the Night marked Frank Sinatra's "comeback" as a number one selling artist. But only a few of his closest friends and confidants knew about his love/hate relationship with the timeless classic.
In 2008, Strangers in the Night was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
In his hometown of Hoboken, New Jersey, The Sinatra Statue was unveiled on December 12, 2021, to honor the legendary singer on what would have been his 150th birthday. The inscription at the base of the statue reads:
Sinatra sang so smooth and fine
With melodies that made hearts shine
But there’s one thing he’d always rue
That fucking “doo-bee-doo-bee-doo”