Album Review - Engelbert Humperdinck
Friday, July 13, 2012 7:30 PM
Engelbert Humperdinck
Release Me – The Best Of
Universal
The original Engelbert Humperdinck was a German opera composer in the 19th century. In the late 1950s Arnold Dorsey from England (via India) took it as a stage name. He went on to sell over 130 million records. His first album in 1967 was called
Release Me; funnily enough this latest collection also bears that name.
That unforgettable title track had already been recorded three times by other artists, but it was Engelbert that took it to number one. This new
Best Of collection not only has all the hits from over the years like
Quando Quando Quando and
A Man Without Love, but also includes his brand new single
Love Will Set You Free, which he performed a couple of months ago at the Eurovision Song Contest. I won’t mention how he got on… His voice hasn’t changed that much in 50 years, but personally, I think he should’ve done track three!
The kiwi party anthem
Ten Guitars also had to be on here, it’s further down the track listing at number 17. I think it’s funny how it wasn’t much of a hit in other countries. His look, sound and feel is (as you know) similar to John Rowles, Tom Jones and Frankie Stevens. Described early on as a crooner, he apparently tried to deny that pigeon holing, but the songs tell a different story.
Am I That Easy To Forget,
There’s A Kind Of Hush and his version of
Have I Told You Lately have him crooning away like the best of them. What a voice.
Track listing:
1. Release Me
2. Love Will Set You Free (UK Eurovision Entry 2012)
3. Quando Quando Quando
4. Spanish Eyes
5. The Last Waltz
6. Can't Take My Eyes Off You
7. A Man Without Love
8. There Goes My Everything
9. The Way It Used To Be
10. Les Bicyclettes des Belsize
11. Have I Told You Lately
12. What Now My Love
13. Winter World of Love
14. It Had To Be You
15. She
16. Love Letters
17. Ten Guitars
18. Am I That Easy To Forget
19. Strangers in the Night
20. There's a Kind of Hush (All Over The World)
21. My Cherie Amour
