Yes, it's the man with the strange monicker, Engelbert Humperdinck. Arnold George Dorsey is of British descent but born in India. He invaded Singapore with his quiet British charm and smooth solos. His release, "Release Me" on March, 4th 1967 became a hit when he teamed up with Tom Jones' manager. It stayed for 56 weeks on the Hit Charts in a single run and was believed to be selling 85,000 copies in a single day. It is also his signature tune and beat the Beatles, "Penny Lane"/"Strawberry Fields" Forever to the top spot. In other words he was the man who beat the Beatles.
"Humperdinck's deceptively easy going style and casually elegant good looks, a contrast to Tom Jones's energetic attack and overtly sexual style, earned Humperdinck a large following, particularly among women. "Release Me" was followed up by two more hit ballads, "There Goes My Everything" and "The Last Waltz", earning him a reputation as a crooner that he didn't always agree with (Wikipedia).
"If you are not a crooner 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 stylized performer, " remarked the man.
By the 80s, he was performing more than 200 concerts a year and also won a Golden Globe Award for best entertainer of the year in 1989. He has sold more than 130 million records.
And so the awards go on. Like Tom Jones, he is as popular today. The man and his music live on.
Again, many impersonators of Engelbert Humperdinck can be found in Singapore. Are they still singing now?
Website: Engelbert.com
Extracts from Wikipedia as indicated*
2 comments:
Though his name can be a real tongue twister, together with Tom Jones, he was and remains one of my favorite crooners.
Thank you Roger. He was in Singapore a couple of times and still draws the crowd. I still spin his CDs and other 60s pop singers.
And Tom Jones on YouTube shakes the computer screen.
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