He worked as an accompanist and conductor in Berlin and Breslau, and from 1931 he was one of the founders of the literary cabaret Der Liebe Augustin with Stella Kadmon.
The following year he moved to New York and began working with fellow exiles Leopoldi and lyricist Jimmy Berg (1909-1988), changing his given name to Fred.
[6] With lyricist Janice Torre he composed the score for the first Dickens musical, The Stingiest Man in Town (Scrooge), broadcast by NBC in 1956, with an animation remake in 1978.
[7] Other songs known from multiple versions include: 'It Only Hurts for a Little While' (Ames Brothers 1956, Margo Smith 1978 and Anne Murray 1993); 'If Love is Good to Me' (Nat King Cole 1953, Jackie Paris 1954, Carmen McRae 1960, Dean Martin 1961, Sarah Vaughan 1961 and Nancy Wilson (1965); and 'You Won't Forget Me' (Helen Merrill 1956, Toni Fisher 1963, Shirley Horn with Miles Davis 1991, Keith Jarrett 1993 and Carly Simon (1997).
In later life Spielmann revived his interest in the classical music tradition with the cantata And the Lord Said, for soprano, choir and orchestra, written when he was 80.