NEWS

By Mark Lenthall November 4, 2021, 11:45 am The Press and Journal

Engelbert Humperdinck clearly still loves what he does – and last night’s Aberdeen audience would confirm he does it remarkably well.

Music can be a wonderful career. If you’re a professional musician or singer it’s quite possible – health-permitting – that you can keep doing the job you love for your whole life.

The likes of Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney and Cliff Richard are all still performing in their later years, but last night someone who pre-dates even the ‘Fab Four’ showed that age really doesn’t matter. If proof were needed you only had to be at the Music Hall in Aberdeen as 85-year-old crooner Engelbert Humperdinck delivered a remarkable show.

Born as Arnold Dorsey, the Indian-born singer decided in the mid-1960s that a more elaborate stage name was needed, and he has never looked back.

Now celebrating a career spanning a staggering 55 years, the Aberdeen date was part of a 14-night UK tour, which Humperdinck has dedicated to his wife Patricia who sadly died after contracting coronavirus in February.

Plenty of energy in the room for Engelbert Humperdinck gig

Most of the Aberdeen audience would have remembered when Engelbert Humperdinck kept Penny Lane off the top of the charts, so it was no surprise that this was an all-seated show. Sitting they may have been but from the opener, Funny How Time Slips Away, there was plenty of energy in the room as the singer and his eight-piece band delivered an evening of classic songs.

And how encouraging was it to see the city’s music fans turning out again in decent numbers to support live music, and organisations like Aberdeen Performing Arts, who run the Music Hall.

Black suited, with an open-neck shirt, Humperdinck brought the showmanship that saw him pack venues in showbiz centres like Las Vegas in the 1970s. There was warm applause for The Last Waltz and Quando – even though a good few folk watched the show through their smartphone screens, videoing most of what was going on in front of them.

Performing biggest hits as well as covers

As well as the standards, he turned out fun versions of Bob Seger’s Old Time Rock and Elton John’s Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me. The band were terrific throughout too. Super tight, with harmonies from his two female backing singers reinforcing the sound.

Vocally it may have been a relaxed delivery style, but Engelbert Humperdinck isn’t short of stage craft and sharp wit. His warm character and charm shone through, as did a genuine enthusiasm for being in Scotland. In November – some way from his LA home in the Sunshine State.

Earlier on, English comedian Tim Clark was a long way north too, opening the night with a 20-minute old school style set, which seemed to tickle the audience.

As for Engelbert, after 90 minutes on stage, there was just time for encore Release Me, his biggest hit. This time the audience were up and out of their seats, singing along with a man who clearly still loves the job he does. His late wife Patricia would have been proud.

Heart-warming.

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/entertainment/3647892/review-engelbert-humperdinck-turns-back-time-in-aberdeen/

​​Join Engelbert for an evening of festive celebration and song this December for the 2nd Annual Christmas Special on Looped!

Fans from all around the world can celebrate the holidays with Engelbert through this intimate livestream event, which will include special performances of holiday classics! Livestream takes place December 18th at 12PM PT/ 3PM ET / 8PM GMT. There will be an encore performance on December 19 at 10AM UK / 7PM Tokyo / 9PM Sydney.

Concert tickets and limited virtual meet & greet opportunities now available via Looped.

Engelbert Humperdinck on the John Murray Lunchtime Show, October 20 2021 live from his Bel Air home in California ahead of the UK tour.

https://www.mixcloud.com/cronullajohn/engelbert-on-the-john-murray-lunchtime-show/

By Danica Ollerova October 19, 2021, 5:00 pm The Press and Journal

During a career spanning five decades, Engelbert Humperdinck released countless hits, received an MBE for services to music, and – perhaps most famously – kept The Beatles’ Strawberry Fields/Penny Lane off the top of the UK charts in 1967.

Turning 85 this year but showing no signs of stopping just yet, the chart-topping singer is looking forward to bringing his brand new show dedicated to his late wife to Aberdeen this November.

Reminiscing on his past Scottish gigs, Engelbert said: “It’s been such a long time since I was in Scotland but every time I come there I have a great time and people seem to like my music and it’s just unbelievable.

“Music has been my passport to the world and it’s been amazing – everywhere I go they seem to like my music, which is wonderful. And Scotland is one of those places.”

Embarking on 14-date UK tour

Engelbert, born Arnold George Dorsey, had to cancel his last year’s concerts due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, but is now excited to embark on the UK tour later this month.

The iconic vocalist will kick off his 14-date tour in Liverpool on October 31 and will perform for north-east audiences on Wednesday November 3. The gig will take place at 7pm at the Music Hall.

The English singer, who currently lives in LA, said: “I’m looking forward to the tour very much. It’s the first time I’ll have done such a big tour in many many many years – I’m doing 14 concerts over there (in the UK).

“I’ll also be doing nine in the US before I come over to Europe.

“It’s not been a great year for everybody, but I’m looking forward to singing again.”

Engelbert dedicates tour to his late wife

The upcoming tour is dedicated to his wife Patricia Healey, who lost a battle with coronavirus in February. The couple had been married for 56 years.

Engelbert said: “It’s not been a very good year for me. I lost my wife and I know that she would want me to come over and she would want me to continue to sing for her as it’s what I love to do.

“Now I read my lyrics a lot differently to the way I used to – they have taken on a whole new meaning. People will recognise it, I’m sure.

“This will be a sentimental journey. What has transpired in your life and mine in the past one and a half years has been quite traumatic.”

Performing classics as well as new songs

Engelbert said his show has been “tried and tested” around the world and his Aberdeen fans can expect to hear him sings classics such as The Last Waltz, Spanish Eyes, and Release Me.

Engelbert said: “I don’t keep it (the show) the same all the time, but of course, people come see the songs that made it possible for me to be there in the first place, so I chose some of them – the songs people seem to like. I kept them in the show, plus, I bring new music that I recorded over the last few years.”

Engelbert’s newest album Sentiments – a collection of new recordings including covers of songs by Elton John, Elvis Presley and Charlie Chaplin – was released in November 2020.

The singer promises the show is “very entertaining”.

“There’s a variety of music so it’s nice for people to sit and listen to,” said Engelbert.

“I love performing live – it’s the greatest feeling in the world when you walk on stage and you’re received in such a wonderful manner. And I’ve been very fortunate that my audiences have always received me in a great way and have given me the courage to be able to go through life with a smile on my face as I walk on stage.”

‘Release Me’ changed his life

One of the songs he enjoys performing the most is his first hit Release Me – the single which stopped The Beatles’ Strawberry Fields/Penny Lane reaching number one in 1967.

“It was in the charts for 56 weeks,” said Engelbert.

“That’s the one I really enjoy singing most of all.”

Looking back at his career, Engelbert says the past decades have been “quite remarkable”.

The singer has generated sales in excess of 140 million records, including 64 gold albums and 35 platinum, four Grammy nominations, as well as a Golden Globe. The singing legend also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Engelbert said: “I have had good times my entire life but when I look back on how my success came about…it was quite remarkable.

“I recorded Release Me and it was sitting on a shelf for three months before I did Sunday Night at the London Palladium and then, all of a sudden, it started selling 80 to 90 thousand copies a day. I think that’s what started my life and I’m very grateful for it.”

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/entertainment/3541668/release-me-legend-engelbert-humperdinck-says-he-will-take-aberdeen-fans-on-sentimental-journey/

‘I sang it live on TV and it sold 80,000 copies the next day – keeping the Beatles’ Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever off the No 1 slot’

by Dave Simpson Mon 18 Oct 2021 10.25 EDT The Guardian

Engelbert Humperdinck, singer

I started off working in clubs under my real name, Gerry Dorsey. Then I got tuberculosis and nobody in showbusiness wanted to handle me, because it was a serious disease back then. When I was in hospital I told my mother that a priest had come to visit me and been really kind. She said: “Son, he was giving you the last rites.”

Things started to turn round for me when Tom Jones’s manager, Gordon Mills – who I’d met when he was in the Viscounts and we toured together – started managing me as well. He suggested I change my name to something more unusual or unforgettable than Gerry Dorsey. Engelbert Humperdinckwas a 19th-century German composer who is best known for his opera Hansel and Gretel. At first I said: “What kind of a name is that?” But if anything is unforgettable, that name is.

At the end of 1966 when I was looking for a hit song, I found an instrumental called Release Me by the jazz saxophonist Frank Weir. The melody was so beautiful. I said to Gordon: “This is a hit tune.” It was written [by Eddie “Piano” Miller and Robert Yount] in 1949 and had been done by a few people, but we found a lyric version by Esther Phillips, which was R&B. I wanted to do it more like the Frank Weir version, but with lyrics. Gordon also suggested it to Tom Jones, but Tom didn’t like it, so Gordon said to me: “You can have it.” I changed the key in the middle so I would hit this big “Pleeeeeease” and gave it to an arranger, Charles Blackwell, who did an amazing job.

The record sat on the shelf for three months, then [singer] Dickie Valentine got ill before the Sunday Night at the London Palladium show, and I got the opportunity to take his place on live television. The record sold 80,000 copies the next day and just kept selling. It stopped the Beatles from having their 12th No 1 [with Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever] and became the biggest-selling record of 1967. It still holds the record for the longest consecutive stay on the charts: 56 weeks.

It’s actually quite a dark song about wanting to get out of a relationship, but people love it and go crazy for it on the karaoke. When the Queen made me an MBE, I was relieved as that meant people would start to know who I was and stop thinking I was the one who did Hansel and Gretel.

Charles Blackwell, arranger

Joe Meek gave me my first chance as an arranger. The legendary producer heard me playing piano in Denmark Street, London, when I was 18. Before that, you needed to be 40 to do that job. When we worked at his flat in Holloway Road he’d have the rhythm section in one room, a string section in the dining room and French horns in the bathroom. The big one I did with Joe was Johnny Remember Me by John Leyton, which was a No 1. I left before things got pretty dark and Joe shot his landlady and himself, but I ended up working with Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey, Burt Bacharach … loads of people.

A week before I did Release Me with Engelbert, I recorded it with Tom Jones, but it never came out and Gordon said: “We now want to make it with Engelbert.” At the session everyone still called him Gerry. When we all found out about the new name everyone thought Gordon had gone crazy, but he was a very clever manager.

Tom Jones’s version was more gospel, so for Engelbert I changed the arrangement into what you might call orchestral country music. In those days you’d have a singer, rhythm section, choir and orchestra all in one big room. The two top guitarists I used were Big Jim Sullivan and a very young Jimmy Page, just before he formed Led Zeppelin. I don’t think they found the Release Me session all that interesting – they played pocket chess between the takes.

Then I remember the choir got the giggles. Every time we started the song they started laughing. After it happened for a fourth time, Engelbert whispered to me: “Are you sure this is a good song? Everyone’s laughing at it!” I don’t know if it was the song they were giggling at, but he had the last laugh. A couple of months later it was a worldwide No 1.

• Engelbert Humperdinck tours UK, 31 October to 21 November. Details at engelbert.com

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/oct/18/how-we-made-release-me-engelbert-humperdinck-beatles-strawberry-fields-forever

Tune in to watch Engelbert being interviewed for the Ross Owen show on Friday, October 15th. The show will air 7:30PM GMT/2:30PM EST/11:30AM PST.

Here are the links:

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/TheRossOwenShow

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/rossowenshow/live

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RossOwenShow

LuAnn Thibodeau Special to the Medford Transcript WickedLocal.Com Oct. 13, 2021

To quote a line of lyrics from his song "We’ll Meet Again," “tell everyone in town that Humperdinck is back.”

And what a return it was! The sky was overcast, but Engelbert Humperdinck illuminated the Chevalier Theatre as he triumphantly returned on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021.

Starting promptly at 7 p.m., the band began playing the overture as the curtain opened.  The cheers began and the anticipation of the crowd was palpable. 

From off stage, Engelbert’s voice was heard, singing one of his many hits "l Mondo" and the crowd got even louder. Then, when he walked out onto the stage, there was no holding back — the audience was on its feet and the applause and cheering reached a crescendo!

The man, the legend, the king of romance was indeed back and looking better than ever. As he entered stage right, the slim and trim Engelbert, clad in a grey tux and pants, paired so exquisitely with a black and red shirt, displayed his famous, brilliant smile, much to the delight of his fans. 

They now believed that he was indeed back, after a harrowing 18-month break from live concerts that affected the entire music industry and the world in general. The pandemic may have stopped live shows, but it couldn’t stop Humperdinck’s fans from keeping their love from and allegiance to him. 

In fact, through the innovative ways that he used social media, online concerts, weekly Tuesday Museday and Flashback Friday episodes, and more, Engelbert fostered even greater love to his fan base around the world.

His first song, "Ain’t It Funny How Time Slips Away," brought another standing ovation.  This is a new song to Humperdinck’s show, but you would never have known — he preformed the song as if he had been doing it for years!

After that song, he launched into fan favorites "Am I That Easy To Forget" and "Love Me With All Of Your Heart" before singing "What Am I Living For," a beautiful new song that he released on Nov. 20, 2020.

Engelbert had complete command of the stage, and never missed a beat, even though the were some glitches with his earpiece and microphone. Ever the epitome of a true entertainer, at one point, he sat down and said that perhaps he was going to have to turn the concert into a talk show, because of those issues. He also told several jokes and stories along the way, much to the delight of the audience.

Always wanting the audience to be involved in the show, Englebert encouraged the fans to sing along to "Lonely Is A Man Without Love." He ad-libbed the lyrics a bit when he sang “I cannot face this world that’s falling down on me.

Then instead of the next line — "So if you see my girl, please send her home to me" — he changed it to "I’ve gotta bend my back, it’s giving me agony,” as he mimicked bending over in pain. The audience roared with laughter, and it was obvious that the thespian of the music world was truly back.

Other songs included "Oh Girl Of Mine," which Engelbert told folks to get up and dance to if they wanted to do so. He himself danced around the stage to this song and others.

Two new songs were added to his show this year. The first was a major hit for Elton John. And Humperdinck’s rendition of "Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me" certainly didn’t fail the test of an artist being able to successfully cover a song.

The second song is one that Engelbert himself wrote several years ago. He told the audience that he doesn’t usually sing anything that he has written, but this one was dedicated to a special lady for whom he wrote the song (that special lady is Humperdinck’s darling wife of 56 years, Patricia, who passed away in February of this year after contracting COVID). "Everywhere I Go" brought many to tears as Engelbert poured his heart out, especially at the end of the song, when he looked up to Heaven, then closed his eyes and bowed his head.

Another song that Engelbert covered was "Don’t Let The Old Man In, written by Toby Keith. He explained that the words of this song are ones that he lives by, and anyone who doesn’t know that he is 85 years young would certainly agree with him — his energy level throughout the whole show was astounding.

Next came a song that Engelbert wrote with his daughter, Louise — "Totally Amazing" — and his performance was that and more. Returning to his earlier songs, he sang the title cut from the 1978 album "Last Of The Romantics," which was followed by "After The Lovin,'" the smash hit from 1977, as well as a medley of some of his many other hits.

But of course, no concert would be complete without the blockbuster hit that launched his career into the stratosphere. And when the audience heard the familiar introduction, they were on there feet and applauding loudly as Engelbert started to sing "Release Me."

The song is celebrating its 54th birthday this year, and it is still as popular as ever. The crowd continued its standing ovation as Engelbert finished the song and left the stage.

But it wasn’t the end of the show.

He returned for an encore and finished with a very emotional rendition of "For The Good Times." He then donned his red boxing robe which, on the back side has Engel written above a pair of gold wings and Bert below, and went along the front of the stage to greet fans who had gathered there.

He didn’t give his customary wonderfully warm handshakes due to the still present COVID precautions, but he did toss out few of his signature red hankies, a prized souvenir for those lucky enough to catch one.

He then enthusiastically conducted the band before clasping his hands while bowing to thank the audience, and exited stage right.

And fans left the theater, buoyed by the fantastic performance that they had just been a part of, knowing that, in the words of another line of the lyrics of "We'll Meet Again" — we’ll meet again some sunny day.

https://www.wickedlocal.com/story/medford-transcript/2021/10/13/engelbert-humperdinck-makes-triumphant-return-medfords-chevalier-theatre/8435428002/

October 6, 2021  John Soltes Hollywood SoapBox

Engelbert Humperdinck is a legend in the truest form of the word. He has been singing on stages, near and far, for more than 50 years, and he shows no signs of stopping. He is currently on tour in the United States and will stop at the State Theatre in Easton, Pennsylvania, Thursday, Oct. 7. At the concert, audience members can expect to hear some of the tunes that have made the British singer a global megastar — hits like “Release Me,” which charted for more than a year and beat out some of the Beatles tunes for the top spot.

Humperdinck, who has been honored as a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE), has had a difficult two years. He has been away from his fans and hasn’t stepped foot on a stage in 19 months, and he also lost his beloved wife recently. That means his current tour will be a time for reflection and nostalgia, and the lyrics to his well-known tunes, often centered on love and forgiveness, will have an extra meaning and sentiment this time around.

Recently Hollywood Soapbox spoke with the legendary singer about his life, his career and what the future holds. It’s hard to see how he can out do himself. He’s a man who has sold north of 140 million records, with 64 gold albums and 35 platinum albums to his name (taken together that’s one shy of 100). He is on the walks of fame in Hollywood, Las Vegas and his hometown of Leicester, England. He has entranced audiences around the world, and the Queen of England has been in that audience four times.

Here’s what he had to say …

On how’s he feeling returning to the stage after 19 months …

It’s 19 months since I’ve been on stage performing, and it’ll be nice to get back on the road again and do these things, to see fans and friends. It’s going to be good. I’m looking forward to it very much. … I think after 19 months of absence from the stage, there’s definitely a little bit of nervousness involved. I’ve never been off this long in my life. I’ve done world tours every year, and I’ve always performed every month of the year everywhere all the time. Since the pandemic, there’s been nothing, and it’s quite nerve-racking actually to know that I’m going to go back. It’s like starting all over again, but it’s exciting.

On how his voice stays strong …

I thank God for that. Everything seems to have come back now. I did have the virus, and it did affect my voice a little bit in the early months of the year. But it’s back, and it’s as strong as it was before now.

On his love for playing the hits songs, including “Release Me” …

The kind of songs that I sing are trialed and tested around the world, and I’ve found out the kind of songs that they want to hear or the type of songs they want to hear that I’ve recorded over the years. And these are the ones that I place in the show, plus the new material that I can introduce to them. It’s a tough job picking the songs out, but it works out in the long run.

On how “Release Me” took over the world …

I’ll be honest with you, when I first heard the melody, I felt as though it was a hit song. I said to my manager at the time, ‘This is definitely a hit song,’ but it sat on the shelf for three months without moving until I did a show called the Sunday Night at the London Palladium. And I gave it an airing to the millions of people in the United Kingdom. The very next day it sold like 80,000-90,000 a day, so it just goes to show that when you have something to sell, you really have to market it in the proper way. Being on a major show like that made it happen.

On his competition with the Beatles …

I did compete with them. When ‘Release Me’ came out, I was competing with the Beatles at the time. They just released ‘Penny Lane’ and ‘Strawberry Fields,’ and I had to compete with them. And they never got to #1 because I kept that position. [laughs] … It was on the charts for 56 weeks, but it was #1 for a number of weeks.

On his dreams coming true …

You’re just glad that they came true. Your wishes have come alive, and it took one song, which was finding that needle in the haystack. But I happened to be lucky enough to find it. It gave me a global career immediately, so that’s one of the reasons why I was able to come to America so quickly because it went to #1 over here. And then, of course, all my work was released around the world, and now I can travel anywhere in the world and everybody knows my song and also thanks to karaoke. [laughs]

On his love for Leicester ….

As a matter of fact, I’m going to go back and do a tour. My tour starts in America on Oct. 3, and I’m doing nine dates in America. And then I go to the UK, and I do 14 cities beginning on Oct. 31. I’ve never done a tour as big as that in a long, long time. It’s going to be exciting, and I’m playing my hometown. … I still got my house there. Yeah, I still have my house in Leicester, and I frequent it whenever I can. It’s a beautiful house that I will never get rid of. I love it very much because I spend my Christmas and New Year’s there. It’ll stay there until I give it to the children, my kids.

On his thoughts of the past and the future …

I have to think about the future. I am going to reflect on the past on this tour because it’s a nostalgic tour. It’s going to be hard because I did lose my wife recently. The lyrics of my songs are very sensitive, and it’s going to make a difference the way I read lyrics in the future. … I hope [the audience] takes away the fact that I have pleased them in every respect and that they will come back and see me again in the not-too-distant future.

https://www.hollywoodsoapbox.com/interview-engelbert-humperdinck-on-his-continuing-journey/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2busEf_d8o

Join EH on Wednesday, September 29th at 4pm EST for a special 'Live at Home' concert on his YouTube channel - before he hits the road for his upcoming US & UK tour dates.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2busEf_d8o