NEWS

• By LuAnn Thibodeau Special to The Suburban 

•  Nov 18, 2024

Engelbert Humperdinck delighted fans at all of the seven recent shows in Canada. He was quintessentially captivating in Quebec City, magnificent in Montréal, great in Gatineau, and terrific in Toronto. Billed as The Last Waltz Farewell Tour, Enge — as he is known to his fans — took the audience members down memory lane as he sang many of the hits that brought him fame through the years. And what wonderful years they were, with the songs still as popular as when he first introduced them.

The show opened in a very apropos manner, with a slide show on a jumbo screen of Enge through the years, and as he came onto the stage, clad in black pants and a black tux, with one of his trademark red shirts, he sang Ain’t It Funny How Time Slips Away…and yes, it does seem that it was only yesterday that many of his songs came out. One of his best was up next, Am I That Easy To Forget? Well, I can say with the utmost certainty that no one will ever forget this amazing man — not now or anytime in the future. His music and legacy will live on forever. Next came a song that was number one for a year in parts of the world that were torn apart by conflict and war, How I Love You. And I must say that the emotion that Enge put into this song was felt by everyone in the audience. The tears flowed down many a cheek as he sang the very moving words.

Then it was on to a tune that was very popular when it was released over 50 years ago but became even more well known the second time around. Due to it being featured in the Marvel series Moon Knight, A Man Without Love shot up the charts to number one and introduced a whole new generation to the music of Engelbert. Many of the folks at the shows were of that younger age group, and those that I spoke to after the shows were amazed and delighted that they could see him live in concert. And adding to the allure that is Engelbert Humperdinck, as the second verse starts, Enge lifts his leg and puts his left foot on one of the speakers at the front of the stage, again drawing loud applause from the audience. Rounding out the beginning of the show was the song that was nominated for a Grammy Award but surprisingly didn’t win — After The Lovin’. It did, however, go triple platinum, and has been a favorite of many, many people since it came out in 1976.

Now it was time, as Enge says, for him “to get lose”. As the band played a section of the jazz instrumental that was composed by David Rose in 1958 and released in 1962 (when it also became a number one hit on the Billboard charts), The Stripper, Enge removed his tux and then seductively danced a bit and then bowed to the crowd. And they loved it. The applause and whoops and hollers were deafening. And that he can still get that reaction at his young age of 88 is (to use the title of one of his newer songs that he cowrote with his daughter Louise) Totally Amazing. Men much younger would love to be able to pull that off. It was also time to “pop back here and get a drink. I swear if I didn’t have a little drink at the end of the night, I’d die”.  And continuing with his classic humor, Enge said “there is absolutely no alcohol in here whatsoever. It’s been years since any alcohol has passed these lips.” Again, the audience applauded. And when he said, “But I also lie,” the roar of the crowd erupted, and laughter filled the air.

Ever the gracious host and a true gentleman, Enge offered up a toast to the audience and thanked them for being a part of his journey. And he also thanked them for the many letters that they write to him, saying that they lift his spirits and he truly appreciates them. That led the way into nostalgia time, with Love Letters being the next song.

The nostalgia mood continued with a song that everyone loves, Quando, Quando, Quando. For that song, Enge asked his keyboard player, Olivia, to join him in a dance. She told him that she couldn’t really dance, to which he replied “You just have to follow me.” So, Olivia came down and was ready to join Enge. He then offered up some more of his comic side and asked her if she knew how he learned to dance.  He said, “I learned to dance waiting in line for the bathroom,” as he was one of 10 children. He added visual effects, and the crowd once again roared with laughter.

On to what Enge refers to as the romantic section of the show, the first of a trio of songs, If You Don’t Know Me By Now, which was on his latest album, All About Love. It’s a song that Enge calls “an audience participation song”, because he asks the audience to sing the chorus when he points to them. And they love doing that for him. The second of the three was “probably the most romantic song ever written,” in the 1940s, “well before I was born,” that got another round of raucous applause from the audience, Bésame Mucho, which Enge sang beautifully in two languages, English and Spanish.

Rounding out the trio was a song by the band Journey, entitled Faithfully. Enge said that the song is going to be on his next album, which he is recording now. He said that the album is going to include songs done by several of the big names in bands from the ‘80s, also including Aerosmith and others, but wouldn’t tip his hand to say any more. We’re all anxiously awaiting its release, in 2025.

He then picked up the pace with another song from his All About Love album with a lively rendition of the Barry White classic, You’re The First, The Last, My Everything. Enge gave it a country feel, and he dons a cowboy hat and dances a great Texas Two Step as he sings the song. He invites the audience to dance along, and many folks did so, while others clapped and tapped their feet to this energetic song.

He slowed it down a bit with the next number, which he says depicts his life story and is his motto — Don’t Let The Old Man In. And I have to say, I don’t think he will ever open the door to that guy. Again, picking up the tempo, it was time to introduce the band, with the song Old Time Rock and Roll. Each of the members were individually featured, with Olivia, Steve, Adam, Keven, and Ann “showing off their talents.” And they definitely are all very talented musicians, who are greatly appreciated by the audience.

On to what has become a fan favorite, a song that Enge wrote about 30 years ago, for his darling wife, Patricia, who is now in Heaven. Everywhere I Go certainly brought tears to the eyes of most, if not all, of the members of the audience. The depth of the love that he had for Patricia comes through every word as he sings them, and at the end of the song, as he blows a kiss to her in Heaven, the tears flowed even more down the cheeks of many of the folks present.

Then came the song that is the title of the tour, The Last Waltz. Will it truly be the last, or will the last waltz last forever? Time will tell. On to the medley, a collection of five of the big songs of Enge’s career. This Moment In Time, The Way It Used To Be, Les Bicyclettes De Belsize, There Goes My Everything (this writer’s favorite song, as it holds a special meaning), and Spanish Eyes, also sung in two languages, captured some of the greatest moments of his illustrious career. But the one that Enge sang next, was the one that launched his career into the stratosphere in 1967— Release Me.

He changes up the lyrics a bit “I can’t believe this song is 57 years old,” to which the audience applause was at a crescendo, and as he continued, they rose to their feet and gave him a much deserved standing ovation. As he left the stage, they were still on their feet, and the roar of the cheers and applause vibrated through the crowd.

Enge returned to the stage and sang a song by the French composer Michel Legrand — How Do You Keep The Music Playing. Well, I can guarantee that Enge’s music will play on forever, with many new fans coming along and realizing what a great singer he truly is. Enge then closed the show with his absolutely brilliant rendition of The Power of Love. And he left nothing behind, he poured his heart and soul into that song, and it was the perfect ending to a wonderful night of that walk down memory lane- from the beginning in 1967 to today.

Enge shook the hands of fans who had gathered around the stage, and then donned a brilliant red Versace boxer’s robe, as he readied to toss out a few of his red signature hankies, the one treasure that every fan wants to have. He then mimicked some classic karate moves (he himself is a black belt) and blew kisses to the audience and clasped his hands in thanks and appreciation to them. He said, “Applause is the food of an artist, and thank you for not starving me or my people tonight.”

And as he exited the stage, with the audience on its feet as they applauded and cheered, they wondered if it was indeed The Last Waltz. But as he himself said in an interview, “Elton John’s farewell tour lasted five years.” And although at the time of the seventh show of this part of the tour, the last show on his schedule was in December, new shows have been added for 2025. So perhaps The Last Walt’s will last forever — as the fans truly hope that it will.

https://www.thesuburban.com/townnews/music/luann-thibodeau-engelbert-humperdinck-s-last-waltz-farewell-tour-captivates-canadians/article_0533a52a-a520-11ef-8668-739c009a1891.html