02 May 2013 - 0 Comments

ENGELBERT LIVE IN NEW ZEALAND
PLAYING THE GREATEST HITS & MORE

VECTOR ARENA, AUCKLAND

SATURDAY JUNE 29TH

International music legend Engelbert Humperdinck returns to New Zealand for a Greatest Hits & More performance, in a bliss filled concert for romantics young and old at Vector Arena in Auckland on Saturday June 29^th.

Engelbert occupies a very special place in people’s hearts and a unique position here by virtue of his song Ten Guitars which the NZ Herald describes as “New Zealand’s unofficial national anthem”.

"I'm so proud of the way my song Ten Guitars has influenced so many people and been embraced so strongly by the New Zealand public. I can't believe that when I wrote the song with my then manager Gordon Mills [who also managed Tom Jones] from my basement flat in London in 1965 that it would still be having such an impact on the NZ music scene. I'm truly proud of the song" Engelbert said recently during an interview from his sprawling Beverly Hills mansion

The ultra-smooth King of Romance is the consummate entertainer, with an instantly recognizable voice and natural charisma which have endeared him to global audiences of all ages, including Royalty, Presidents and Heads of State, for more than four decades. With four Grammy nominations, a Golden Globe for "Entertainer of the Year", 63 gold and 24 platinum records, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Engelbert is one of the world’s top performers. 

Ten Guitars was the flip side to Humperdinck’s 1967 smash Please Release Me becoming a hit in NZ after radio programmers opted to play the upbeat track with its “maori strum”. A generation of local bands started performing the song and with its chorus of “oh, dance, dance, dance, to my ten guitars” it became a kiwi party staple, a song of the people and unofficial national anthem.

In a moment of serendipity earlier this year Engelbert has in fact just recorded a new version of Ten Guitars through a friendship with one of the members of The Break featuring musicians from Midnight Oil, Violent Femmes and Hunters & Collectors.

Engelbert has released over eighty plus albums of tender ballads. His 1967 signature tune, Release Me (And Let Me Love Again) from his debut album, was a number one hit in eleven countries and appeared on the British charts for fifty six weeks, preventing the Beatles’ double A-side release, Penny Lane & Strawberry Fields Forever, from reaching the top position.

The last time Engelbert played in New Zealand was in 2006 when Auckland’s Civic theatre sold out and a second show had to be added to satisfy eager Humperdinckers. This time around Engelbert will be playing at Auckland’s premiere venue Vector Arena configured in the comfortable and intimate theatre mode.

This concert is a brand new show where Engelbert will debut a virtual duet with Elton John and other material from his upcoming Duets CD , (also features tracks with Smokey Robinson, Willie Nelson, Charles Aznavour, Kenny Rogers and others), along with iconic songs from his vast catalogue, cherished by lovers the world over:

Release Me (And Let Me Love Again), Spanish Eyes, There Goes My Everything, The Last Waltz, Am I That Easy To Forget, A Man Without Love, Les Bicyclettes de Belsize, Quando, Quando, Quando, After The Lovin, Winter World of Love, The Way It Used To Be and for New Zealand the best of all, Ten Guitars!

While staying true to his core audiences in performing songs of romance, Engelbert is constantly evolving and has attracted new fans through The Dance Album (Billboard Dance Chart Top Ten) and Lesbian Seagull, the Platinum-selling theme song to the latest Beavis and Butthead Do America movie. Just this year of course there was the re-recording of Ten Guitars with The Break.

Don’t miss your evening with Engelbert Humperdinck, a dynamic and versatile showman described by the London Times as “The premier voice of the 20th Century”, playing his Greatest Hits & More on Saturday June 29^th.

Tickets are on sale from 9am on Monday 6th May.

Given Engelbert’s role as the originator of Ten Guitars you may also be interested in this documentary link from NZ On Screen: http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/ten-guitars-1996

TICKETS ON SALE 9AM ON MONDAY 6TH MAY

Comments

Return to News Archive