# Sandy Linzer
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{{short description|American songwriter, lyricist, and record producer (born 1941)}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Sandy Linzer
| image =
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| background = non_performing_personnel
| birth_name = Sanford Roy Linzer[[https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Catalog_of_Copyright_Entries/szghAQAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Sanford+Roy+Linzer%22&pg=PA1665&printsec=frontcover Library of Congress, Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series - Page 1665]]
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| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1941}}
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| genre =
| occupation = [Songwriter](/source/Songwriter), lyricist, [record producer](/source/record_producer)
| instrument =
| years_active = 1960s–present
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}}
'''Sanford Roy Linzer''' (born 1941) is an American [songwriter](/source/songwriter), lyricist, and [record producer](/source/record_producer), who is best known for his songwriting collaborations with [Denny Randell](/source/Denny_Randell) and [Bob Crewe](/source/Bob_Crewe) in the 1960s and 1970s. He co-wrote hits including "[A Lover's Concerto](/source/A_Lover's_Concerto)", "[Let's Hang On!](/source/Let's_Hang_On!)", "[Working My Way Back to You](/source/Working_My_Way_Back_to_You)", "[Breakin' Down the Walls of Heartache](/source/Breakin'_Down_the_Walls_of_Heartache)", "[Native New Yorker](/source/Native_New_Yorker_(song))", and "[Use It Up and Wear It Out](/source/Use_It_Up_and_Wear_It_Out)". He was nominated with Randell for induction into the [Songwriters Hall of Fame](/source/Songwriters_Hall_of_Fame) (SHOF) in 2012.[{{cite web |url=http://www.songhall.org/vote/entry/1261 |title=Sandy Linzer/Denny Randell |publisher=Songwriters Hall of Fame |accessdate=12 November 2012}}]
==Life and career==
In the early 1960s, [Al Kasha](/source/Al_Kasha), an associate of singer, songwriter and record producer [Bob Gaudio](/source/Bob_Gaudio), introduced Linzer to Randell. They began writing together in 1963, initially for The Rag Dolls and [Barbara Lewis](/source/Barbara_Lewis).[ The pair wrote several Top 10 songs for [Frankie Valli](/source/Frankie_Valli) and [The Four Seasons](/source/The_Four_Seasons_(band)), including "Working My Way Back to You" (also a hit for [The Spinners](/source/The_Spinners_(American_group)) in 1979, and in [Ireland](/source/Ireland) for [Boyzone](/source/Boyzone) in 1994), "[Opus 17 (Don't You Worry 'Bout Me)](/source/Opus_17_(Don't_You_Worry_'Bout_Me))", and, with Bob Crewe, "Let's Hang On!". Linzer also co-wrote the group's song "[Dawn (Go Away)](/source/Dawn_(Go_Away))".
In 1965, Randell and Linzer wrote and [produced](/source/record_producer) most of the songs for the [R&B](/source/R%26B) [girl group](/source/girl_group) [The Toys](/source/The_Toys), including their singles "A Lover's Concerto" (adapted from ''[Minuet in G major](/source/Minuets_in_G_major_and_G_minor_(Petzold))'', once attributed to [Johann Sebastian Bach](/source/Johann_Sebastian_Bach) but now to [Christian Petzold](/source/Christian_Petzold_(composer))) and "Attack!".][[http://www.feenotes.com/db/composers/l/linzersandy.php Sandy Linzer at Feenotes.com]. Retrieved 15 January 2013] Another Toys recording written by the duo, "[Can't Get Enough Of You Baby](/source/Can't_Get_Enough_Of_You_Baby)", was later covered by the garage band [? and the Mysterians](/source/%3F_and_the_Mysterians) and, in 1998, was a #14 hit when covered by [Smash Mouth](/source/Smash_Mouth). They also had a hit with [Jay and the Techniques](/source/Jay_and_the_Techniques)' "[Keep the Ball Rollin'](/source/Keep_the_Ball_Rollin')".
Linzer and Randell established their own record label, Oliver, in 1966.[ They wrote two songs recorded by [The Monkees](/source/The_Monkees), "[I'll Be Back Up On My Feet](/source/I'll_Be_Back_Up_On_My_Feet)" and "The Day We Fall in Love", and "Penny Arcade" by [The Cyrkle](/source/The_Cyrkle). They later wrote "Native New Yorker", performed by [Odyssey](/source/Odyssey_(band)) on the soundtrack of the film ''[Eyes of Laura Mars](/source/Eyes_of_Laura_Mars)''; it was later featured in the film ''[The Nanny Diaries](/source/The_Nanny_Diaries_(film))'' and the final year of [HBO](/source/HBO)’s ''[Sex and the City](/source/Sex_and_the_City)''. Other co-writes and co-productions include "[Breakin' Down the Walls of Heartache](/source/Breakin'_Down_the_Walls_of_Heartache)", a major UK hit in 1968 for [Johnny Johnson and the Bandwagon](/source/Johnny_Johnson_and_the_Bandwagon), and [Samantha Sang](/source/Samantha_Sang)'s 1978 chart hit "You Keep Me Dancin'". He also co-produced "You Can Do Magic", a 1973 UK top ten and US Hot 100 hit for [Limmie and the Family Cookin'](/source/Limmie_and_the_Family_Cookin'). He produced the eponymous 1976 album by [Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band](/source/Dr._Buzzard's_Original_Savannah_Band), including the hit single "[Cherchez La Femme](/source/Cherchez_La_Femme)", as well as band leader Cory Daye's first solo album.][
In 1980, he returned to working with Odyssey, co-writing (with [L. Russell Brown](/source/L._Russell_Brown)) and producing the no. 1 UK hit "[Use It Up and Wear It Out](/source/Use_It_Up_and_Wear_It_Out)". He later co-wrote, with David Wolfert, "[I Believe in You and Me](/source/I_Believe_in_You_and_Me)", originally recorded in 1982 by [The Four Tops](/source/The_Four_Tops). The song was covered by [Whitney Houston](/source/Whitney_Houston) for the soundtrack of the 1996 film ''[The Preacher's Wife](/source/The_Preacher's_Wife)'' and became a no. 4 hit single. Linzer also teamed up with [Kool & The Gang](/source/Kool_%26_The_Gang) on ''[Fresh](/source/Fresh_(Kool_%26_the_Gang_song))'', which was a worldwide hit in 1985.][{{cite web |url=https://www.discogs.com/Kool-The-Gang-Fresh-In-The-Heart/release/771996 |title=Kool & The Gang – Fresh / In The Heart |publisher=Discogs |accessdate=21 December 2020}}]
Linzer also wrote the lyrics for the song "Spanish Eyes", recorded by the [Backstreet Boys](/source/Backstreet_Boys) on their 1999 album ''[Millennium](/source/Millennium_(Backstreet_Boys_album))''. In 2001 he produced and co-wrote the songs on [Billy Gilman](/source/Billy_Gilman)'s self-titled album.[{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/sandy-linzer-p98737/credits |title=Sandy Linzer writing credits |publisher=Allmusic |accessdate=12 November 2012}}] By 2007, he was working on joint projects with [Charlie Calello](/source/Charlie_Calello) on TV show proposals, and creating musical greetings cards.[
== Copyright lawsuit ==
A copyright lawsuit against [Dua Lipa](/source/Dua_Lipa) by songwriters [L. Russell Brown](/source/L._Russell_Brown) and Linzer "claimed that ''[Levitating](/source/Levitating_(song))'' infringed on their 1979 disco song ''[Wiggle and Giggle All Night](/source/Dr._Buzzard's_Original_Savannah_Band)''".][{{cite magazine | last=Kreps | first=Daniel | title=Dua Lipa Hit With Second Copyright Lawsuit Over 'Levitating' | magazine=[Rolling Stone](/source/Rolling_Stone) | date=March 6, 2022 | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/dua-lipa-second-levitating-lawsuit-1317471/ | access-date=March 12, 2022}}]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Linzer, Sandy}}
Category:1941 births
Category:Living people
Category:American male songwriters
Category:American record producers
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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Sandy Linzer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandy_Linzer) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandy_Linzer?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.