Jason Sniderman
Encyclopedia
Jason Sniderman is a Canadian
musician and businessman. He was one of the chief executives of Sam the Record Man
, which was established by his father, Sam Sniderman
.
band Blue Peter
, joining towards the end of their run in 1983, in time for the recording and release of their final album, Falling
. He has appeared as a guest musician on albums by other Canadian artists, including contributing keyboards on Randy Bachman
's album Any Road, as well as Chalk Circle
's recording of 20th Century Boy
, recordings both produced by fellow Blue Peter member Chris Wardman
. He has also played keyboards on Presto
by Rush
and Don't Cry Too Hard
by Leslie Spit Treeo
, and playing piano
on 6 Blocks by Meryn Cadell
. Currently, Sniderman is an Advisory Board Member of the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame
and plays shows with Blue Peter a few times a year.
, with a flagship
store on Yonge St in Toronto
. Sam himself retired in 2000, and the majority of the chain was closed in 2001 after declaring bankruptcy
. Jason Sniderman, along with his brother Bobby, were able to save the store's iconic neon signs, and re-opened the Yonge St location in 2002. An attempt at building the Sam's brand with online sales was not enough, however, with the rise of mp3
downloads and competition from chains such as HMV
down the street, Sam's was forced to close in 2007.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
musician and businessman. He was one of the chief executives of Sam the Record Man
Sam the Record Man
Sam the Record Man was a Canadian record store chain that, at one time, was Canada's largest music recording retailer. In 1982, their ads proclaimed they had "140 locations, coast to coast"....
, which was established by his father, Sam Sniderman
Sam Sniderman
Sam Sniderman, is a Canadian entrepreneur best known as the founder of Sam the Record Man, the Canadian record store chain...
.
Music career
Jason Sniderman was most notably a member of the new waveNew Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
band Blue Peter
Blue Peter (band)
Blue Peter was a Canadian new wave synthpop founded in 1978 in Markham, Ontario by Chris Wardman and Paul Humphrey. In their heyday, Blue Peter opened for major international acts such as The Police and Simple Minds...
, joining towards the end of their run in 1983, in time for the recording and release of their final album, Falling
Falling (Blue Peter album)
Falling was the second full-length album by the Toronto-based new wave band Blue Peter. Coming on the heels of Up To You, their successful 1982 EP, Steve Nye was selected to produce their next album, which included the hit song, "Don't Walk Past"...
. He has appeared as a guest musician on albums by other Canadian artists, including contributing keyboards on Randy Bachman
Randy Bachman
Randolph Charles "Randy" Bachman, OC, OM is a Canadian musician best known as lead guitarist, songwriter and a founding member for both the 1960s–70s rock band The Guess Who, and the 1970s rock band Bachman–Turner Overdrive...
's album Any Road, as well as Chalk Circle
Chalk Circle
Chalk Circle was a Canadian college rock band in the 1980s. The band consisted of lead singer and guitarist Chris Tait, bassist Brad Hopkins, keyboardist Tad Winklarz and drummer Derrick Murphy.-History:...
's recording of 20th Century Boy
20th Century Boy
"20th Century Boy" is a song by T. Rex, written by Marc Bolan. It was released as a single in 1973 and reached #3 in the UK Singles Chart. The song did not feature on an original studio album but was included as a bonus track on a reissue of 1973 album Tanx.It later returned to the UK Top 20 in...
, recordings both produced by fellow Blue Peter member Chris Wardman
Chris Wardman
Chris Wardman is a Canadian music producer, musician and songwriter. Wardman was a founding member of Blue Peter, and was their lead guitarist and main contributing songwriter. Wardman was also a member of Breeding Ground in the late 1980s. Wardman has been actively producing albums for many...
. He has also played keyboards on Presto
Presto (album)
-Personnel:* Geddy Lee - bass guitar, synthesizers, vocals* Alex Lifeson - electric and acoustic guitars, backing vocals* Neil Peart - drums, percussion* Rupert Hine - additional keyboards, production*Stephen W Tayler - recording and mixing...
by Rush
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
and Don't Cry Too Hard
Don't Cry Too Hard
Don't Cry Too Hard was the debut album by Canadian folk rock band Leslie Spit Treeo, released in 1990. The album's primary single on radio was a cover of John Prine's "Angel from Montgomery", although the songs "Heat" and "The Sound" also garnered radio airplay.-Track listing:# Separate# Like...
by Leslie Spit Treeo
Leslie Spit Treeo
Leslie Spit Treeo were a Canadian folk-rock band in the 1980s and 1990s. The band took its name from the Leslie Street Spit area of Toronto Harbour.-History:...
, and playing piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
on 6 Blocks by Meryn Cadell
Meryn Cadell
Meryn Cadell is a Canadian writer and performance artist. He is an assistant professor of song lyrics and libretto writing in the Creative Writing Program at University of British Columbia.Cadell is a transsexual man who transitioned in 2003...
. Currently, Sniderman is an Advisory Board Member of the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame
Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame
The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame is a Canadian non-profit organization, founded in 1998 by Frank Davies, that inducts Canadians into their Hall of Fame within three different categories: songwriters, songs, and those others who have made a significant contribution with respect to...
and plays shows with Blue Peter a few times a year.
Sam The Record Man
Sam's was started by Sniderman's father, Sam Sniderman, as a sideline selling records in his brother's radio store in the 1930s. The company later grew into a national chainChain store
Chain stores are retail outlets that share a brand and central management, and usually have standardized business methods and practices. These characteristics also apply to chain restaurants and some service-oriented chain businesses. In retail, dining and many service categories, chain businesses...
, with a flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
store on Yonge St in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. Sam himself retired in 2000, and the majority of the chain was closed in 2001 after declaring bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
. Jason Sniderman, along with his brother Bobby, were able to save the store's iconic neon signs, and re-opened the Yonge St location in 2002. An attempt at building the Sam's brand with online sales was not enough, however, with the rise of mp3
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
downloads and competition from chains such as HMV
HMV
His Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
down the street, Sam's was forced to close in 2007.