Engelbert Humperdinck Featured in Las Vegas Review Journal
Fifty years in show business is a remarkable achievement. Still performing on tour around the world after a half-century of success is an even more remarkable accomplishment. But the singer with one of the most unusual names in showbiz — Engelbert Humperdinck — brings his 50th anniversary tour to The Orleans Showroom on Saturday and Sunday. The legendary balladeer recently spoke with Robin Leach for Las Vegas Review Journal. Read segments of the exclusive interview below, but be sure to visit reviewjournal.com for more.
Anything different with this new tour stop in Las Vegas? What’s different than last time at The Smith Center?
It is a little different; every year is a bit different. This is my 50th anniversary with the song that changed my life. Making music for half a century is fantastic. I have put new songs in my show and even songs I haven’t recorded yet, so I’m trying out as a trial-and-error situation — see if the audience likes it, and they seem to have liked what I have chosen. I’m recording next week, two songs, and hopefully one of them is going to be my next single. I’m not going to tell you the names because I want it to be a surprise.Tough to pick just one, so try two or three: What are your favorite songs to sing and why?
Obviously No. 1 would be “Release Me,” which started the whole thing 50 years ago. Never let me go. The next one would be “The Last Waltz.” It literally is my own personal beginning, a lifetime relationship with my wife. Indirectly, although it wasn’t mine, it was played in dance halls all over the world, as you know, before the lights came up. It became my song and a big hit.When I danced with my wife when I first met her, it was to “The Last Waltz.” The melody has played on, and we’re still together — 52 years of marriage, and it’s still beautiful. There’s also a song that I particularly love — “Love Is All,” love is all I have to give. It sums up my career, the entire story, and it was written by Les Reed and Barry Mason, who wrote several hits for me.
Your songs speak of love. How do you define love? What is it? How do you keep love alive?
To be honest, Robin, defining love is an easy thing. It comes in so many forms, but it’s when putting one’s self second, putting someone else first, that you really find the true definition. The type of love I define through my songs is just what I’ve written.Love is about passion, and to keep that kind of love alive, you have to keep romance alive. Romance does still stay alive 50 years on. Damn right at 50, it’s still alive and kickin’ — or doing something.
Looking back over a 50-year career, did you ever dream that it would become all of this, last this long and still have loyal fans after a half century?
Unbelievable, isn’t it? It’s still going strong. I’m very thrilled with that situation, and I’m still amazed at the fact that I can go to any place in the world and my songs are known and sung by the audiences. As a matter of fact, I’m getting a much better reception today I think because of my experience and connection with the audience.I have a better rapport with them because learning how to handle an audience, I guess I have 50 years’ experience. I’m just able to do that at this point in my life. I’m sorry you’ll be away and not able to see the show because it has a lot of changes in it, plus a nice, different stage setting, different lighting, new music and Johnny Harris, an arranger who is back in my life. He did arrangements for me 48, 49 years ago, and he’s living in L.A. He arranged new stuff for me. You would be amazed at the sound of the arrangements. They’re so good and professional. It’s brought new life to my stage performances. I think the audience is going to be very pleased with what they see and hear when I come back to Las Vegas.
It’s funny, but I’ve never asked you: If it hadn’t been Humperdinck, what would it have been? Did you love or loathe it at the beginning?
I think that it would’ve remained Dorsey, but that name is forever linked with Jimmy and Tommy. It would have been a problem trying to tell people that we’re not related, but it was Jimmy, when I first heard him, his music and heard him play an arrangement of a song called “So Rare” that made me want to play the saxophone.With the new name, people started talking and laughing about it, but they were all listening to this fairytale name. They laughed at it, they called me Pumpernickel and a lot of others. I didn’t like the idea that people laughed at it, let alone couldn’t pronounce it, but they were talking about it, which made it valuable. Gordon Mills had a point, and it stuck for the rest of my life.
For more from this exclusive interview, visit: reviewjournal.com
Engelbert Humperdinck’s limited edition vinyl, Duets EP, is available for purchase our web-store. Engelbert Calling is available for purchase at music retailers nationwide and online from our webstore, iTunes, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, Bandcamp, and Spotify.
