Engelbert Humperdinck (singer)
Encyclopedia
Engelbert Humperdinck (born Arnold George Dorsey; 2 May 1936) is a British
pop singer, best known for his hits including "Release Me (And Let Me Love Again)" and "After the Lovin'
" as well as "The Last Waltz
" ("The Last Waltz with You").
, India
, to British Army
officer Mervyn Dorsey and his wife Olive. His family moved to Leicester
, England, when he was 10, and a year later he showed an interest in music and began learning the saxophone. He started work as an apprentice engineer and by the early 1950s he was playing the instrument in nightclubs, but he is believed not to have tried singing until he was 17 and friends coaxed him into entering a pub contest. His impression of Jerry Lewis
prompted friends to begin calling him "Gerry Dorsey," a name he worked under for almost a decade. Humperdinck is an Anglo-Indian
— his mother being of Indian
heritage.
Though Humperdinck's music career was interrupted by his national service
in the British Army Royal Corps of Signals
during the middle 1950s, he got his first chance to record in 1958 with the Decca Records label
after his discharge. His first single, "I'll Never Fall in Love Again," was not a hit, but Humperdinck would record for the same company almost a decade later with very different results. Humperdinck continued working the nightclubs until 1961, when he was stricken with tuberculosis
. He regained his health and returned to nightclub work, but with little success.
, who had become a music impresario and the manager of Tom Jones
. Aware that Humperdinck had been struggling for several years to become successful in the music industry, Mills suggested a name-change to the more arresting Engelbert Humperdinck, borrowed from the 19th-century composer of operas
such as Hansel and Gretel. Mills also arranged a new deal for him with Decca Records.
Humperdinck enjoyed first real success during July 1966 in Belgium, where he and four others represented England in the annual Knokke song contest. In October of the same year, he was on stage in Mechelen
. Humperdinck also made a mark on the Belgian charts with "Dommage, Dommage" and an early music video was filmed, with him in the harbour of Zeebrugge
.
In early 1967 the changes paid off when Humperdinck's version of "Release Me
," done in a smooth ballad style with a full chorus joining him on the third chorus, scored the top ten on both sides of the Atlantic and scored number one in Britain, keeping The Beatles
' adventurous "Strawberry Fields Forever
/Penny Lane
" from entering the top slot in the UK. "Release Me" spent 56 weeks in the Top 50 in a single chart run. "Release Me" was believed to have sold 85,000 copies a day at the height of its popularity, and for years, it was the best known of his songs.
Humperdinck's easygoing style and good looks, a contrast to Tom Jones's energetic and overtly sexual style, earned Humperdinck a large following, particularly among women. "Release Me" was succeeded by two more hit ballads, "There Goes My Everything
" and "The Last Waltz
," earning him a reputation as a crooner
, a description which he disputed: "If you are not a crooner," he told Hollywood Reporter writer Rick Sherwood, "it's something you don't want to be called. No crooner has the range I have. I can hit notes a bank could not cash. What I am is a contemporary singer, a stylised performer."
By the end of the 1960s, Humperdinck's roster of songs included "Am I That Easy to Forget
," "A Man Without Love," "Les Bicyclettes de Belsize," "The Way It Used To Be", "I'm A Better Man," and "Winter World of Love". He also recorded, during this time, a number of successful albums that would form the bedrock of his fame, such as Release Me, The Last Waltz, A Man Without Love, and Engelbert Humperdinck. His own television programme, The Engelbert Humperdinck Show, was less successful, being cancelled after six months.
As his kind of balladry became less popular, and after he adopted some Broadway influences, Humperdinck concentrated on selling albums and on live performances, developing lavish stage presentations that made him a natural for Las Vegas
and similar venues.
In 1976, Humperdinck recorded "After the Lovin'
," a ballad produced by Joel Diamond and released by CBS
subsidiary Epic. The song, a Top-10 hit in the US, marked another peak in his career; nominated for a Grammy Award
, it went Gold, and won the "most played juke box record of the year" award. The album of the same name reached the Top-20 on the US charts, and was a Double Platinum hit for the singer. Diamond went on to produce a series of albums recorded by Humperdinck for Epic, including This Moment In Time from 1979 (the title song topped the US adult contemporary charts) and two Christmas albums (the two remain good friends to this day).
It was a conscious effort to update his music and his image. "I don't like to give people what they have already seen," Humperdinck was quoted as saying in a 1992 tourbook. "I take the job description of 'entertainer' very seriously! I try to bring a sparkle that people don't expect and I get the biggest kick from hearing someone say, 'I had no idea you could do that!'" He also defended his fan mania, which helped him continue to sell records when radio play largely ended for him. "They are very loyal to me and very militant as far as my reputation is concerned," Humperdinck had told Sherwood. "I call them the spark plugs of my success."
But he later revealed that he had little if any say in the selection of songs for his albums, a fact that had sometimes brought into question whether he was his own or his manager's or record label's pawn. As his career moved on, however, Humperdinck began gaining more creative freedom, and his albums accordingly brought several kinds of songs into his reach beyond syrupy ballads. But he kept romance at the core of his music regardless, and his fans still tagged him as "the King of Romance," even as of April 2010.
In 1988, Humperdinck filed a libel suit against The National Enquirer
. The origin of the libelous statements was said to be Kathy Jetter, the mother of Humperdinck's illegitimate child, and were made in an affidavit filed by Jetter in New York Family Court in an effort to increase child support payments from Humperdinck. Jetter lost the action. Jetter had successfully brought a paternity suit against Humperdinck following the birth of her daughter Jennifer in 1977.
Humperdinck was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
in 1989 and won a Golden Globe Award
as entertainer of the year, while also beginning major involvement in charitable causes such as the Leukemia Research Fund, the American Red Cross, the American Lung Association, and several AIDS
relief organisations. He wrote a song for one group, the theme anthem for Reach Out. "He's a gentleman," longtime friend Clifford Elson has been quoted as saying of him, "in a business that's not full of many gentlemen."
In 1989 he recorded the album Star Of Bethlehem, released as Ich Denk An Dich in Germany. All the songs on the album were written by Dieter Bohlen
, and some were written with Barry Mason
. Star Of Bethlehem (Ich Denk An Dich) contained the singles "Red Roses For My Lady," "I Wanna Rock You In My Wildest Dreams," and a version of Dieter Bohlen
's first hit, from the album Modern Talking
, "You're My Heart, You're My Soul
."
Humperdinck sang The Star-Spangled Banner
before the start of the 1996 Daytona 500
.
In the spring of 2003, Humperdinck collaborated with Grammy Award-Winning artist-producer Art Greenhaw
to record the roots gospel album Always Hear the Harmony: The Gospel Sessions; joining Humperdinck on the album were The Light Crust Doughboys
, The Jordanaires and the Blackwood Brothers Quartet. The critically acclaimed album was nominated for a Grammy for "Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album of the Year", while Humperdinck was photographed with generations of fans at the 2004 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, where he was an honoured Nominee guest.
In August 2005, Humperdinck auctioned his Harley-Davidson
motorcycle on eBay
to raise money for the County Air Ambulance in Leicestershire
, where he spent much of his British youth.
In September 2007, Humperdinck released The Winding Road, a tribute to British composers.
During the recording of the Gorillaz
album Plastic Beach
, Humperdinck was asked by Damon Albarn
to perform on a selection. However, after listening to the proposed selection, his manager declined the offer without Humperdinck knowing. Humperdinck later stated in an interview that his manager declining the collaboration offer was: "the most grievous sin ever committed". And that he would have gladly collaborated with the Gorillaz if he had known they asked. He has since stated that he fired his management and now has his son as his manager. He also said at the end of the interview: “I’d really like to rekindle that suggestion again and bring it back. Hopefully they will ask me again. My son Scott will definitely say yes”.
On 25 February 2009, Leicester City Council
announced that Humperdinck would be given the Honorary Freedom of Leicester alongside author Sue Townsend
and former professional footballer Alan Birchenall
.
19 December 2009, saw Humperdinck perform at Woolworths "Carols in the Domain", a popular Christmas event held in Sydney, Australia. 17 October 2010 found him in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the prestigious Orchestra Hall, in a performance arranged by the esteemed booker Lilly Schwartz. In November 2010 he returned to Australia for a number of concerts, while adding a new studio album, Released, to his discography.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
pop singer, best known for his hits including "Release Me (And Let Me Love Again)" and "After the Lovin'
After the Lovin'
"After the Lovin" is a successful song from 1976, performed by singer Engelbert Humperdinck. It was written by Ritchie Adams with lyrics by Alan Bernstein. The single was a top-ten hit in late 1976/early 1977 in the U.S., reaching number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart, number forty on the...
" as well as "The Last Waltz
The Last Waltz (song)
"The Last Waltz" is a song written by Barry Mason and Les Reed. It was one of Engelbert Humperdinck's biggest hits, spending five weeks at number one on the British charts in September and October 1967...
" ("The Last Waltz with You").
Early life
As Arnold Dorsey, Humperdinck was one of ten children born in MadrasChennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, to British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer Mervyn Dorsey and his wife Olive. His family moved to Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
, England, when he was 10, and a year later he showed an interest in music and began learning the saxophone. He started work as an apprentice engineer and by the early 1950s he was playing the instrument in nightclubs, but he is believed not to have tried singing until he was 17 and friends coaxed him into entering a pub contest. His impression of Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis is an American comedian, actor, singer, film producer, screenwriter and film director. He is best known for his slapstick humor in film, television, stage and radio. He was originally paired up with Dean Martin in 1946, forming the famed comedy team of Martin and Lewis...
prompted friends to begin calling him "Gerry Dorsey," a name he worked under for almost a decade. Humperdinck is an Anglo-Indian
Anglo-Indian
Anglo-Indians are people who have mixed Indian and British ancestry, or people of British descent born or living in India, now mainly historical in the latter sense. British residents in India used the term "Eurasians" for people of mixed European and Indian descent...
— his mother being of Indian
Indian people
Indian people or Indisians constitute the Asian nation and pan-ethnic group native to India, which forms the south of Asia, containing 17.31% of the world's population. The Indian nationality is in essence made up of regional nationalities, reflecting the rich and complex history of India...
heritage.
Though Humperdinck's music career was interrupted by his national service
Conscription in the United Kingdom
Conscription in the United Kingdom has existed for two periods in modern times. The first was from 1916 to 1919, the second was from 1939 to 1960, with the last conscripted soldiers leaving the service in 1963...
in the British Army Royal Corps of Signals
Royal Corps of Signals
The Royal Corps of Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army...
during the middle 1950s, he got his first chance to record in 1958 with the Decca Records label
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
after his discharge. His first single, "I'll Never Fall in Love Again," was not a hit, but Humperdinck would record for the same company almost a decade later with very different results. Humperdinck continued working the nightclubs until 1961, when he was stricken with tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
. He regained his health and returned to nightclub work, but with little success.
Changes and Release Me
In 1965, Humperdinck teamed with his former roommate, Gordon MillsGordon Mills
Gordon William Mills , was a successful London-based music industry manager and songwriter who was born in Madras, India and grew up in Trealaw in the Rhondda Valley, South Wales...
, who had become a music impresario and the manager of Tom Jones
Tom Jones (singer)
Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
. Aware that Humperdinck had been struggling for several years to become successful in the music industry, Mills suggested a name-change to the more arresting Engelbert Humperdinck, borrowed from the 19th-century composer of operas
Engelbert Humperdinck
Engelbert Humperdinck was a German composer, best known for his opera, Hänsel und Gretel. Humperdinck was born at Siegburg in the Rhine Province; at the age of 67 he died in Neustrelitz, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.-Life:After receiving piano lessons, Humperdinck produced his first composition...
such as Hansel and Gretel. Mills also arranged a new deal for him with Decca Records.
Humperdinck enjoyed first real success during July 1966 in Belgium, where he and four others represented England in the annual Knokke song contest. In October of the same year, he was on stage in Mechelen
Mechelen
Mechelen Footnote: Mechelen became known in English as 'Mechlin' from which the adjective 'Mechlinian' is derived...
. Humperdinck also made a mark on the Belgian charts with "Dommage, Dommage" and an early music video was filmed, with him in the harbour of Zeebrugge
Zeebrugge
Zeebrugge is a village on the coast of Belgium and a subdivision of Bruges, for which it is the modern port. Zeebrugge serves as both the international port of Bruges-Zeebrugge and a seafront resort with hotels, cafés, a marina and a beach.-Location:...
.
In early 1967 the changes paid off when Humperdinck's version of "Release Me
Release Me (1946 song)
"Release Me" is a popular song written by Eddie Miller, Robert Yount, and James Pebworth , published in 1946.Miller wrote the song in 1946 but could not get anyone to record it for years, so he recorded it himself in 1953. Shortly afterward it was covered by Jimmy Heap, and with even better success...
," done in a smooth ballad style with a full chorus joining him on the third chorus, scored the top ten on both sides of the Atlantic and scored number one in Britain, keeping The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' adventurous "Strawberry Fields Forever
Strawberry Fields Forever
"Strawberry Fields Forever" is a song by The Beatles, written by John Lennon and attributed to the Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnership. It was inspired by Lennon's memories of playing in the garden of a Salvation Army house named "Strawberry Field" near his childhood home."Strawberry Fields...
/Penny Lane
Penny Lane
"Penny Lane" is a song by The Beatles, written by Paul McCartney. It was credited to Lennon–McCartney.Recorded during the Sgt. Pepper sessions, "Penny Lane" was released in February 1967 as one side of a double A-sided single, along with "Strawberry Fields Forever". Both songs were later included...
" from entering the top slot in the UK. "Release Me" spent 56 weeks in the Top 50 in a single chart run. "Release Me" was believed to have sold 85,000 copies a day at the height of its popularity, and for years, it was the best known of his songs.
Humperdinck's easygoing style and good looks, a contrast to Tom Jones's energetic and overtly sexual style, earned Humperdinck a large following, particularly among women. "Release Me" was succeeded by two more hit ballads, "There Goes My Everything
There Goes My Everything (song)
"There Goes My Everything" is a popular song by Dallas Frazier, published in 1965. The song is best known in a 1966 version by Jack Greene whose version spent seven weeks at the top and a total of twenty-one weeks on the chart. The song also won several awards, including Single of the Year and...
" and "The Last Waltz
The Last Waltz (song)
"The Last Waltz" is a song written by Barry Mason and Les Reed. It was one of Engelbert Humperdinck's biggest hits, spending five weeks at number one on the British charts in September and October 1967...
," earning him a reputation as a crooner
Crooner
Crooner is an American epithet given to male singers of pop standards, mostly from the Great American Songbook, either backed by a full orchestra, a big band or by a piano. Originally it was an ironic term denoting an emphatically sentimental, often emotional singing style made possible by the use...
, a description which he disputed: "If you are not a crooner," he told Hollywood Reporter writer Rick Sherwood, "it's something you don't want to be called. No crooner has the range I have. I can hit notes a bank could not cash. What I am is a contemporary singer, a stylised performer."
By the end of the 1960s, Humperdinck's roster of songs included "Am I That Easy to Forget
Am I That Easy to Forget
"Am I That Easy to Forget" is the title of a popular song written by country music singer Carl Belew and W.S. Stevenson and published in 1958. Belew recorded his song in Nashville on December 17, 1958, and released the single in March 1959, where it reached number nine on the U.S. country music chart...
," "A Man Without Love," "Les Bicyclettes de Belsize," "The Way It Used To Be", "I'm A Better Man," and "Winter World of Love". He also recorded, during this time, a number of successful albums that would form the bedrock of his fame, such as Release Me, The Last Waltz, A Man Without Love, and Engelbert Humperdinck. His own television programme, The Engelbert Humperdinck Show, was less successful, being cancelled after six months.
Marriage
In 1964, Humperdinck married Patricia Healey. They have four children and nine grandchildren.1970s
By the start of the 1970s, Humperdinck had settled into a busy schedule of recordings, and a number of signature songs emerged from this period: "We Made It Happen," "Sweetheart," "Another Time, Another Place," and "Too Beautiful To Last".As his kind of balladry became less popular, and after he adopted some Broadway influences, Humperdinck concentrated on selling albums and on live performances, developing lavish stage presentations that made him a natural for Las Vegas
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
and similar venues.
In 1976, Humperdinck recorded "After the Lovin'
After the Lovin'
"After the Lovin" is a successful song from 1976, performed by singer Engelbert Humperdinck. It was written by Ritchie Adams with lyrics by Alan Bernstein. The single was a top-ten hit in late 1976/early 1977 in the U.S., reaching number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart, number forty on the...
," a ballad produced by Joel Diamond and released by CBS
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
subsidiary Epic. The song, a Top-10 hit in the US, marked another peak in his career; nominated for a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
, it went Gold, and won the "most played juke box record of the year" award. The album of the same name reached the Top-20 on the US charts, and was a Double Platinum hit for the singer. Diamond went on to produce a series of albums recorded by Humperdinck for Epic, including This Moment In Time from 1979 (the title song topped the US adult contemporary charts) and two Christmas albums (the two remain good friends to this day).
It was a conscious effort to update his music and his image. "I don't like to give people what they have already seen," Humperdinck was quoted as saying in a 1992 tourbook. "I take the job description of 'entertainer' very seriously! I try to bring a sparkle that people don't expect and I get the biggest kick from hearing someone say, 'I had no idea you could do that!'" He also defended his fan mania, which helped him continue to sell records when radio play largely ended for him. "They are very loyal to me and very militant as far as my reputation is concerned," Humperdinck had told Sherwood. "I call them the spark plugs of my success."
But he later revealed that he had little if any say in the selection of songs for his albums, a fact that had sometimes brought into question whether he was his own or his manager's or record label's pawn. As his career moved on, however, Humperdinck began gaining more creative freedom, and his albums accordingly brought several kinds of songs into his reach beyond syrupy ballads. But he kept romance at the core of his music regardless, and his fans still tagged him as "the King of Romance," even as of April 2010.
1980s - 1990s
By the 1980s, approaching his fiftieth birthday, Humperdinck continued recording albums regularly and performing as many as 200 concerts a year, yet maintained a strong family life. He and wife Patricia raised four children (Bradley, Scott, Jason and Louise) who are said to have become involved in their father's career, even as the family alternated between homes in England and in southern California.In 1988, Humperdinck filed a libel suit against The National Enquirer
The National Enquirer
The National Enquirer is an American supermarket tabloid now published by American Media Inc . Founded in 1926, the tabloid has gone through a variety of changes over the years....
. The origin of the libelous statements was said to be Kathy Jetter, the mother of Humperdinck's illegitimate child, and were made in an affidavit filed by Jetter in New York Family Court in an effort to increase child support payments from Humperdinck. Jetter lost the action. Jetter had successfully brought a paternity suit against Humperdinck following the birth of her daughter Jennifer in 1977.
Humperdinck was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
in 1989 and won a Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
as entertainer of the year, while also beginning major involvement in charitable causes such as the Leukemia Research Fund, the American Red Cross, the American Lung Association, and several AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
relief organisations. He wrote a song for one group, the theme anthem for Reach Out. "He's a gentleman," longtime friend Clifford Elson has been quoted as saying of him, "in a business that's not full of many gentlemen."
In 1989 he recorded the album Star Of Bethlehem, released as Ich Denk An Dich in Germany. All the songs on the album were written by Dieter Bohlen
Dieter Bohlen
Dieter Günter Bohlen is a German songwriter, singer, musician, producer, entertainer, TV personality, and writer. Bohlen is best known for being part of popular pop-duo Modern Talking during 1984–1987 and 1998–2003.-Biography:Bohlen took his Abitur in Oldenburg...
, and some were written with Barry Mason
Barry Mason
John Barry Mason is an English songwriter, originally from the village of Coppull, near Chorley in Lancashire....
. Star Of Bethlehem (Ich Denk An Dich) contained the singles "Red Roses For My Lady," "I Wanna Rock You In My Wildest Dreams," and a version of Dieter Bohlen
Dieter Bohlen
Dieter Günter Bohlen is a German songwriter, singer, musician, producer, entertainer, TV personality, and writer. Bohlen is best known for being part of popular pop-duo Modern Talking during 1984–1987 and 1998–2003.-Biography:Bohlen took his Abitur in Oldenburg...
's first hit, from the album Modern Talking
Modern Talking
Modern Talking was a German dance pop duo consisting of Thomas Anders and Dieter Bohlen. Their music has often been classified as Europop. They have been referred to as Germany's most successful pop duo, and have had a number of hit singles, reaching the top 5 in many countries...
, "You're My Heart, You're My Soul
You're My Heart, You're My Soul
"You're My Heart, You're My Soul" is the first single by German europop duo Modern Talking released off their debut album "The 1st Album". The single was released on 29 October 1984 but entered the top-10 in Germany on January 28, 1985, almost three months after its release date...
."
Humperdinck sang The Star-Spangled Banner
The Star-Spangled Banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort McHenry", a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, Francis Scott Key, after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships...
before the start of the 1996 Daytona 500
1996 Daytona 500
The 1996 Daytona 500 was run on February 18 on the Daytona International Speedway. Dale Earnhardt won his first Daytona 500 pole, leading many to believe he would finally win the race. Ernie Irvan returned to full-time competition alongside Earnhardt...
.
The 21st century
Humperdinck—who changed his name legally to his stage name at the height of his career —hit the top five British album charts in 2000 with Engelbert At His Very Best, and returned to the top five four years later, after he appeared in a John Smiths TV-advertisement.In the spring of 2003, Humperdinck collaborated with Grammy Award-Winning artist-producer Art Greenhaw
Art Greenhaw
Art Greenhaw is a Grammy Award-Winning recording artist, producer and mixing engineer, having won the Grammy Award in 2003 in New York City for "Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album of the Year" for the album WE CALLED HIM MR. GOSPEL MUSIC: THE JAMES BLACKWOOD TRIBUTE ALBUM...
to record the roots gospel album Always Hear the Harmony: The Gospel Sessions; joining Humperdinck on the album were The Light Crust Doughboys
Light Crust Doughboys
The Light Crust Doughboys is a quintessential American Western swing band from Texas organized in 1931 by the Burrus Mill and Elevator Company in Saginaw, Texas. The band achieved its peak popularity in the few years leading up to World War II...
, The Jordanaires and the Blackwood Brothers Quartet. The critically acclaimed album was nominated for a Grammy for "Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album of the Year", while Humperdinck was photographed with generations of fans at the 2004 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, where he was an honoured Nominee guest.
In August 2005, Humperdinck auctioned his Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson , often abbreviated H-D or Harley, is an American motorcycle manufacturer. Founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the first decade of the 20th century, it was one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression...
motorcycle on eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
to raise money for the County Air Ambulance in Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, where he spent much of his British youth.
In September 2007, Humperdinck released The Winding Road, a tribute to British composers.
During the recording of the Gorillaz
Gorillaz
Gorillaz is an English musical project created in 1998 by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. This project consists of Gorillaz music itself and an extensive fictional universe depicting a "virtual band" of cartoon characters...
album Plastic Beach
Plastic Beach
Plastic Beach is the third studio album by British virtual band and alternative hip hop supergroup Gorillaz, released 3 March 2010 on Parlophone and Virgin Records. Conceived from an unfinished Gorillaz project called Carousel, the album was recorded during June 2008 to November 2009 and produced...
, Humperdinck was asked by Damon Albarn
Damon Albarn
Damon Albarn is an English singer-songwriter and record producer who has been involved in many high profile projects, coming to prominence as the frontman and primary songwriter of Britpop band Blur...
to perform on a selection. However, after listening to the proposed selection, his manager declined the offer without Humperdinck knowing. Humperdinck later stated in an interview that his manager declining the collaboration offer was: "the most grievous sin ever committed". And that he would have gladly collaborated with the Gorillaz if he had known they asked. He has since stated that he fired his management and now has his son as his manager. He also said at the end of the interview: “I’d really like to rekindle that suggestion again and bring it back. Hopefully they will ask me again. My son Scott will definitely say yes”.
On 25 February 2009, Leicester City Council
Leicester City Council
Leicester City Council is a unitary authority responsible for local government in the city of Leicester, England. It consists of 54 councillors, representing 22 wards in the city, overseen by a directly elected mayor. It is currently controlled by the Labour Party and has been led by Mayor Sir...
announced that Humperdinck would be given the Honorary Freedom of Leicester alongside author Sue Townsend
Sue Townsend
-Adrian Mole series:* The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾ , her best selling book, and the best-selling new British fiction book of the 1980s.* The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole * The True Confessions of Adrian Albert Mole...
and former professional footballer Alan Birchenall
Alan Birchenall
Alan Birchenall MBE is a retired English footballer who played during the 1960s and 1970s.A talented and much travelled player. Alan was a skilful attacking midfielder who started his professional career with Sheffield United in 1963...
.
19 December 2009, saw Humperdinck perform at Woolworths "Carols in the Domain", a popular Christmas event held in Sydney, Australia. 17 October 2010 found him in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the prestigious Orchestra Hall, in a performance arranged by the esteemed booker Lilly Schwartz. In November 2010 he returned to Australia for a number of concerts, while adding a new studio album, Released, to his discography.
Songs
Notable debuts and covers recorded by Humperdinck include:- "After the Lovin'After the Lovin'"After the Lovin" is a successful song from 1976, performed by singer Engelbert Humperdinck. It was written by Ritchie Adams with lyrics by Alan Bernstein. The single was a top-ten hit in late 1976/early 1977 in the U.S., reaching number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart, number forty on the...
" - "A Man Without Love" (used in John TurturroJohn TurturroJohn Michael Turturro is an American actor, writer and director known for his roles in the films Do the Right Thing , Miller's Crossing , Barton Fink , Quiz Show , The Big Lebowski , O Brother, Where Art Thou? and the Transformers film series...
's film "Romance & CigarettesRomance & CigarettesRomance & Cigarettes is a 2005 American musical romantic comedy film written and directed by John Turturro. The film stars an ensemble cast, including James Gandolfini, Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet, Steve Buscemi, Bobby Cannavale, Mandy Moore, Mary-Louise Parker, Aida Turturro, Christopher Walken,...
") - "Always Hear the Harmony"
- "Am I That Easy to ForgetAm I That Easy to Forget"Am I That Easy to Forget" is the title of a popular song written by country music singer Carl Belew and W.S. Stevenson and published in 1958. Belew recorded his song in Nashville on December 17, 1958, and released the single in March 1959, where it reached number nine on the U.S. country music chart...
" - "Another Time, Another Place"
- "A Place in the SunA Place in the Sun (song)"A Place in the Sun" is a 1966 soul single by American and Motown musician Stevie Wonder. Written by Ron Miller and Bryan Wells, the song hit #9 on the Billboard pop singles chart, his third Top Ten hit since 1963, and one of Wonder's first songs to contain social commentary...
" - "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine InAquarius/Let the Sunshine In"Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" is a medley of two songs written for the 1967 musical Hair by James Rado & Gerome Ragni , and Galt MacDermot , released as a single by The 5th Dimension. The song peaked at number one for six weeks on the U.S...
" - "Can't Take My Eyes Off YouCan't Take My Eyes off You"Can't Take My Eyes Off You" is a 1967 single by Frankie Valli. The song was among Valli's biggest hits, reaching #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning a gold record. It was Valli's biggest "solo" hit until he hit #1 in 1975 with "My Eyes Adored You"...
" - "Everybody Knows (We're Through)"
- "From Here To EternityFrom Here to EternityFrom Here to Eternity is a 1953 drama film directed by Fred Zinnemann and based on the novel of the same name by James Jones. It deals with the troubles of soldiers, played by Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Frank Sinatra and Ernest Borgnine stationed on Hawaii in the months leading up to the...
" - "Funny Familiar Forgotten Feelings"
- "Il Mondo (My World)"
- "I'm A Better Man"
- "I Wish You Love"
- "Lesbian SeagullLesbian Seagull"Lesbian Seagull" is a song, performed by Engelbert Humperdinck, that was used in the soundtrack for the MTV/Paramount film Beavis and Butt-Head Do America. In the movie, the song was sung by one of Beavis's and Butt-Head's teachers, Mr...
" (from the film "Beavis and Butt-head Do AmericaBeavis and Butt-head Do AmericaBeavis and Butt-head Do America is a 1996 animated feature film, based on the TV series, Beavis and Butt-Head. It was produced by Paramount Pictures in association with Geffen Pictures and MTV Films, and co-written and directed by creator Mike Judge. The film grossed $20.11 million in its opening...
") - "Les Bicyclettes de BelsizeLes Bicyclettes de BelsizeLes Bicyclettes de Belsize is a 1968 British musical short film starring Judy Huxtable and Anthony May. It was directed by Douglas Hickox....
" - "Misty BlueMisty Blue"Misty Blue" is a song written by Bob Montgomery in 1966 which has become a hit in the pop, C&W and soul fields through various versions, the most successful being the 1976 pop/soul hit by Dorothy Moore.-C&W hit versions:...
" - "Our Wedding Song"
- "Quando, Quando, QuandoQuando, Quando, Quando"Quando, Quando, Quando" is an Italian pop song from 1962, in the bossa nova style, with music written by Tony Renis and lyrics by Alberto Testa....
" - "Release Me"
- "Sending Me You"
- "Spanish Eyes"
- "Sweetheart"
- "Ten Guitars"
- "The Last WaltzThe Last Waltz (song)"The Last Waltz" is a song written by Barry Mason and Les Reed. It was one of Engelbert Humperdinck's biggest hits, spending five weeks at number one on the British charts in September and October 1967...
" - "There Goes My EverythingThere Goes My Everything (song)"There Goes My Everything" is a popular song by Dallas Frazier, published in 1965. The song is best known in a 1966 version by Jack Greene whose version spent seven weeks at the top and a total of twenty-one weeks on the chart. The song also won several awards, including Single of the Year and...
" - "There's a Kind of HushThere's A Kind Of Hush"There's a Kind of Hush" is a popular song written by Les Reed and Geoff Stephens which was a hit in 1967 for Herman's Hermits and again in 1976 for the Carpenters.-First recordings:...
" - "The Way It Used To Be"
- "This is My SongThis Is My Song (1967 song)"This Is My Song" is a song written by Charlie Chaplin in 1966 and performed by Petula Clark.-Origin/ Petula Clark recording:"This is My Song" was intended for the film, A Countess from Hong Kong, which Charlie Chaplin wrote and directed...
" - "This Is What You Mean To Me"
- "This Moment in TimeThis Moment in Time"This Moment in Time" is a song written by Richard Adams and Alan Bernstein and recorded by Engelbert Humperdinck. The song was included in Humperdinck's 1978 album, "Last of the Romantics" and was Humperdinck's last of three number ones on the Easy Listening chart in the U.S...
" - "Too Beautiful To Last"
- "Two Different WorldsTwo Different Worlds (1956 song)"Two Different Worlds" is a popular song with music by Al Frisch and the lyrics by Sid Wayne, published in 1956.The biggest U.S. hit version was recorded by Don Rondo. It reached #11 on the Billboard chart and #12 on the Cash Box chart...
" - "We Made It Happen"
- "What Now My LoveWhat Now My Love (song)"What Now, My Love?" is the English title of a popular song whose original French version, "Et Maintenant" was written in 1961 by composer Gilbert Bécaud and lyricist Pierre Delanoë...
" - "Winter World Of Love"
- "Wonderland by NightWonderland by Night"Wonderland by Night" is a popular song by Bert Kaempfert that was a Billboard number one hit for three weeks, starting January 9, 1961. It was Kaempfert's first hit with his orchestra. Another cover, recorded and released by Louis Prima, also charted in the same year, reaching #15 on the...
" - "Yours Until Tomorrow"
Hit singles
| Year | Title | US Chart Position Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
UK Chart Position UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
US AC | US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | "Release Me (And Let Me Love Again) Release Me (1946 song) "Release Me" is a popular song written by Eddie Miller, Robert Yount, and James Pebworth , published in 1946.Miller wrote the song in 1946 but could not get anyone to record it for years, so he recorded it himself in 1953. Shortly afterward it was covered by Jimmy Heap, and with even better success... " |
4 | 1 | 28 | – | ||||||||||||
| 1967 | "There Goes My Everything" | 20 | 2 | – | – | ||||||||||||
| 1967 | "The Last Waltz The Last Waltz (song) "The Last Waltz" is a song written by Barry Mason and Les Reed. It was one of Engelbert Humperdinck's biggest hits, spending five weeks at number one on the British charts in September and October 1967... " |
25 | 1 | 6 | – | ||||||||||||
| 1968 | "Am I That Easy to Forget Am I That Easy to Forget "Am I That Easy to Forget" is the title of a popular song written by country music singer Carl Belew and W.S. Stevenson and published in 1958. Belew recorded his song in Nashville on December 17, 1958, and released the single in March 1959, where it reached number nine on the U.S. country music chart... " |
18 | 3 | 1 | – | ||||||||||||
| 1968 | "A Man Without Love (Quando M'Innamoro)" | 19 | 2 | 3 | – | ||||||||||||
| 1968 | "Les Bicyclettes de Belsize Les Bicyclettes de Belsize Les Bicyclettes de Belsize is a 1968 British musical short film starring Judy Huxtable and Anthony May. It was directed by Douglas Hickox.... " |
31 | 5 | 3 | – | ||||||||||||
| 1968 | "Quando Quando Quando" | – | 40 | – | – | ||||||||||||
| 1969 | "The Way It Used to Be" | 42 | 3 | 4 | – | ||||||||||||
| 1969 | "I'm A Better Man" | 38 | 15 | 6 | – | ||||||||||||
| 1969 | "Winter World of Love" | 16 | 7 | 3 | – | ||||||||||||
| 1970 | "My Marie" | 43 | 31 | 2 | – | ||||||||||||
| 1970 | "Sweetheart" | 47 | 22 | 2 | – | ||||||||||||
| 1971 | "When There's No You When There's No You "When There's No You" is a song written by Les Reed and Jackie Rae and performed by Englebert Humperdinck. The single was Humperdinck's second of four number ones on the Easy Listening chart in the US, reaching number one in April 1971. On the Billboard Hot 100, "When There's No You" peaked at... " |
45 | 47 | 1 | – | ||||||||||||
| 1971 | "Another Time, Another Place" | 43 | 13 | 5 | – | ||||||||||||
| 1972 | "Too Beautiful to Last" | 86 | 14 | 16 | – | ||||||||||||
| 1972 | "In Time" | 69 | – | 12 | – | ||||||||||||
| 1972 | "I Never Said Goodbye" | 61 | – | 18 | – | ||||||||||||
| 1973 | "I'm Leavin' You" | 99 | – | 17 | – | ||||||||||||
| 1973 | "Love Is All" | 91 | 44 | 33 | – | ||||||||||||
| 1974 | "Free as the Wind (Theme from Papillon Papillon (film) Papillon is a 1973 film based on the best-selling novel by the French convict Henri Charrière.This motion picture was directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, starring Steve McQueen as Henri Charrière , and Dustin Hoffman as Louis Dega... )" |
– | – | 34 | – | ||||||||||||
| 1974 | "Catch Me, I'm Falling" | – | – | 43 | – | ||||||||||||
| 1975 | "This Is What You Mean to Me" | 102 | – | 14 | – | ||||||||||||
| 1976 | "After the Lovin' After the Lovin' "After the Lovin" is a successful song from 1976, performed by singer Engelbert Humperdinck. It was written by Ritchie Adams with lyrics by Alan Bernstein. The single was a top-ten hit in late 1976/early 1977 in the U.S., reaching number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart, number forty on the... " |
8 | – | 1 | 40 | ||||||||||||
| 1977 | "I Believe in Miracles" | – | – | 15 | – | ||||||||||||
| 1977 | "Goodbye My Friend" | 97 | – | 37 | 93 | ||||||||||||
| 1977 | "Lover's Holiday" | – | – | 26 | – | ||||||||||||
| 1978 | "The Last of the Romantics" | – | – | 28 | – | ||||||||||||
| 1978 | "Love's in Need of Love Today" | – | – | 44 | – | ||||||||||||
| 1978 | "This Moment in Time This Moment in Time "This Moment in Time" is a song written by Richard Adams and Alan Bernstein and recorded by Engelbert Humperdinck. The song was included in Humperdinck's 1978 album, "Last of the Romantics" and was Humperdinck's last of three number ones on the Easy Listening chart in the U.S... " |
58 | – | 1 | 93 | ||||||||||||
| 1979 | "Can't Help Falling In Love" | – | – | 44 | – | ||||||||||||
| 1979 | "A Much, Much Greater Love" | – | – | 39 | – | ||||||||||||
| 1980 | "Love's Only Love" | 83 | – | 28 | – | ||||||||||||
| 1981 | "Don't You Love Me Anymore" | – | – | 41 | – | ||||||||||||
| 1983 | "Til You and Your Lover Are Lovers Again" | 77 | – | 17 | 39 | ||||||||||||
| 1988 | "Nothing's Gonna Change My Love for You" | – | 93 | – | – | ||||||||||||
| 1989 | "Red Roses for My Lady" | – | – | – | – | ||||||||||||
| 1996 | "Lesbian Seagull" | – | – | – | – | ||||||||||||
| 2000 | "How to Win Your Love" | – | 59 | – | – | ||||||||||||
| 2002 | "Once in a While" | – | – | – | – | ||||||||||||
| 2010 | "Tell Me Where It Hurts" | – | – | – | – | ||||||||||||
| "–" denotes a release that did not chart or was not issued in that region. | |||||||||||||||||