Ultra smooth balladeer Engelbert Humperdinck tells ERROL DE CRUZ what we can expect at his show in June
IT was difficult to believe that the man on the phone in the office of Genting World Resorts in Kuala Lumpur is 74.
He sounded half his age and, if you listen to his latest albums — A Taste Of Country and Legacy Of Love — both released last year, that would be even harder to believe.
We were talking to Engelbert Humperdinck, who will be performing at Genting Highlands’ Arena Of Stars on June 18 and 19 as part of his Legacy Of Love world tour.
This is the man who has given us such memorable love classics as Release Me, After The Loving, Walk Through This World With Me, Spanish Eyes and Ten Guitars.
His list of hits is seemingly endless.
Humperdinck began his career in the 1960s, thanks to his friend (and competitor Tom Jones’ manager) Gordon Mills who got him to change his name from Arnold George Dorsey and had him signed to Decca Records in 1967.
That same year, he recorded what would be his biggest ever hit — Release Me — which spent 56 weeks in the Top 50 and even denied The Beatles’ hit, Strawberry Fields Forever, the No.1 spot when it was released.
The hit list continued, spawning classics like Les Bicyclettes De Belsize, The Last Waltz, A Place In The Sun, There Goes My Everything and Am I That Easy To Forget, garnering 64 gold and 24 platinum albums, selling more than 150 million records in four decades.
With a bagful of hits like that, you can just imagine what next month’s show at Genting Highlands is going to be like.
It’s no wonder that the resort management has decided to host two shows instead of one.
“I’ve got a new 10-piece band for this tour and it will be a fast-moving show, very contemporary, for all ages,” he said from his home in California.
“That’s not him,” said one media fellow.
“It must be his manager or someone from the team.” Quite a laugh that was as it became quite clear that we were talking with the man himself.
“I’m really happy that my songs are still being played after all these years,” Humperdinck said.
“You’ll hear as many of them as I can sing and more from my latest albums.” “Yes, yes, I’m 74,” he said, laughing.
“But I don’t act my age on stage. I dance a lot.
I’m quite regular with my workouts and this keeps me energetic when I perform.
I’m actually quite athletic on stage.” While Legacy Of Love is a compilation of 26 of his biggest hits, A Taste Of Country is a tribute to his early success.
“Many of my early hits, such as Release Me, Am I That Easy To Forget and There Goes My Everything were country hits,” he said.
The new release is a selection of 15 classics from famous country acts like Anne Murray (I Can See Clearly Now), The Eagles (Best Of My Love and Desperado), Kenny Rogers (We’ve Got Tonight), Charlie Rich (Behind Closed Doors), Kris Kristofferson (Help Me Make It Through The Night), Nillson (Everybody’s Talking), John Denver (Sunshine On My Shoulders) and Creedence Clearwater Revival (Who’ll Stop The Rain).
Who does the septuagenarian listen to, these days? “Well, stars like U2, Bryan Adams and even the contestants on American Idol, from whom you can pick up some very nice songs.” The younger generation is very much on his mind these days, and he’s happy to announce that he’s just recorded a single — Ever ‘n’ Ever — with an all-girl Melbourne group called Trinity.
The song is produced by Paul Wiltshire who, with his wife Victoria Wu, penned songs for Backstreet Boys, Delta Goodrem, Guy Sebastian and Marcia Hines.
Humperdinck will also be touring Australia in November.
Australia is special to him because his son Scott, daughter-in-law Jo and grand-daughter Kiki live in Sydney.
After 43 years in showbiz, the 74-year-old is happy.
“It’s my life and I love it! I sometimes think that I should give it all up and take things easy, but my schedule is too hectic.” It’s an easy life when he’s home in Los Angeles.
“I have a studio at home and it’s great being able to just get in and record a song whenever I feel like it.
Otherwise, I’m out riding my Harley up and down the Pacific highway.
“The music industry is very interesting now.
Everyone is so young and up-to-date.” In the family, son Bradley may also go into music and he hopes he tries out for something like American Idol.
“The problem is that I was already famous when I was 29.
He’s 33 and is still thinking about it!” “Well, I hope he becomes famous too.” Tickets for the Engelbert Humperdinck’s Legacy Of Love show are priced between RM60 and RM370.