Moon Over Naples
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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"Moon Over Naples" is a 1965 instrumental composed and originally performed by German bandleader Bert Kaempfert and was the first track on his album, The Magic Music of Far Away Places for Decca Records.
It would become a hit single in 1966 for Al Martino when lyrics were added by composer Eddie Snyder and songwriter Charlie Singleton, and the title changed to "Spanish Eyes". Released in late 1965 in the United States, this recording reached number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent four weeks atop the Billboard Easy Listening chart in early 1966. This vocal version was also a hit in Europe, where it sold an estimated 800,000 copies in Germany and made the UK Singles Chart twice, peaking at number 49 in 1970 and then reaching number five in August 1973.
In 1968, "Moon Over Naples" earned Kaempfert one of five BMI Awards that year; the other awards were for his compositions "Lady," "Sweet Maria," "Strangers in the Night" and "The World We Knew (Over and Over)" with a posthumous BMI Award given September 16, 2003.
As "Spanish Eyes", the song would go on to be performed by the likes of Elvis Presley, Engelbert Humperdinck, Wayne Newton and Faith No More; it was even sung by Homer Simpson in The Simpsons episode, Homer vs. Dignity.
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