MR

Slow news day around these parts....

A new music video dropped today commemorating the highly anticipated (kidding) release of an Engelbert Humperdinck rock covers album.

It features footage of Cain plinking and plonking away in his Florida estate. This ring-cam quality footage is interspliced with the spiffily-dressed nonagenarian troubadour singing in front of a green-screen version of a dystopian mall parking garage (or something). Maybe he's lost in the Backrooms?

It's hard to know what prompted this kitschy collaboration....
Is it a fast payday for Cain or something more?
Both Hump and Cain use guitarist, Keven Eknes, for live shows.
I once saw a photo of Humperdinck hanging up at the band's Oakland rehearsal warehouse. I figured SP, as a fellow crooner, was the huge fan.

Cain has previously said that he can't get the Journey power ballad covered and has approached everyone from Garth Brooks to Faith Hill.

“I can’t get it covered,” laughs Cain. “I guess they’re afraid of the original. It is a great song.”

Where others have flinched in the face of fear, the 90-year old (!) UK pop singer has now answered the call.

https://youtu.be/fixeKKEFuL4?si=T2hTC_IJFhoJv-IB

I don’t hate it…

Humperdinck rock covers album? Is this just in the wake of Dolly Parton's rock album thing?
Record companies are always looking to clone profit, no?

later~

Arkansas wrote:Humperdinck rock covers album? Is this just in the wake of Dolly Parton's rock album thing?
Record companies are always looking to clone profit, no?

later~

I didn't consider that. Possible. It's not unusual to have stars doing novelty genre albums over the years (ex. Rod Stewart Sings The Great American Songbook, Bolton Sings Sinatra, Manilow Sings the 80s etc. etc.)

This simultaneously demonstrates both what a great song Jon wrote and how Perry is the secret sauce that makes everyone around him and all the music he is associated with better. Humperkinck still has a very nice voice but trying to do any version of this song after the original is just brutal because of the impossibly high bar Perry set. My second favorite version of Faithfully is the duet with Perry and Willie Nelson where I think Perry magically figured out how to capture the original emotion of the song but present it in a fresh way. Every time I hear someone else do Journey songs I feel so lucky to have been a teenager when Journey was getting really big and being a part of that music in real time at such a formative time of my life. And to have Perry still around making music is just awesome!

Great someone of that age can still perform. Proves how good of song this really is with this and the other covers. Do miss the iconic Neal guitar though.

The video is wierd though. Thought that was the brother and sister from Family Vacation...

Sorry, listened to the first few lines and I just can't get into it. It's not much different to me than the Willie Nelson/Steve Perry version. I'd much rather hear someone like Lzzy Hale do it. Her voice would absolutely do this song justice.

Monker wrote:Sorry, listened to the first few lines and I just can't get into it.

I mostly shared it because of the kitsch novelty factor and Cain co-starring in the video.

I’ve heard a couple of the other tracks. I kind of like Hump’s version of Drive by The Cars and Beth by Kiss. I’m sure there is a lot of studio magic involved but both enjoyqble enough for what they are.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uzXvaIf-08

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wqlPn1tp6I

His live show is pretty fun. Very animated with the crowd. Especially for age 90. Hump is no Frankie Valli on stage

AR wrote:I’ve heard a couple of the other tracks. I kind of like Hump’s version of Drive by The Cars and Beth by Kiss. I’m sure there is a lot of studio magic involved but both enjoyqble enough for what they are.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uzXvaIf-08

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wqlPn1tp6I

His live show is pretty fun. Very animated with the crowd. Especially for age 90. Hump is no Frankie Valli on stage

Wow. Ed, I never would have guessed you are a Humphead or Dinglehopper, or whatever his fans call themselves. Any auto-tune on the tracks seems tasteful/subtle. I'm sure multiple takes were involved. I know the album has been in the works for awhile.

I have also seen EH live a bunch. Some shows are truly great, and I've seen others were his voice is trash. But like you said, always a fun show and he's not pulling a Frankie Valli. He was on German TV recently and the only thing I hear is maybe some reverb. I give him a lot of credit.

https://youtu.be/3rS5DHI2Ypo?si=5HDWirJyrLqZwhYA

Vomit