The Last Waltz (song)

Last updated

"The Last Waltz"
The Last Waltz - Engelbert Humperdinck.jpg
Single by Engelbert Humperdinck
from the album The Last Waltz
B-side "That Promise"
Released18 August 1967
Recorded1967
Studio Decca Studios, London, England
Genre
Length2:57
Label Decca (UK/Ireland) [2]
Parrot (North America)
Songwriter(s) Barry Mason and Les Reed [2]
Producer(s) Peter Sullivan [2]
Engelbert Humperdinck singles chronology
"There Goes My Everything"
(1967)
"The Last Waltz"
(1967)
"Am I That Easy to Forget"
(1968)

"The Last Waltz" is a ballad, written by Barry Mason and Les Reed. [2] [3] It was one of Engelbert Humperdinck's biggest hits, spending five weeks at number 1 on the UK Singles Chart, from September 1967 to October 1967, and has since sold over 1.17 million copies in the United Kingdom. [4] [5]

Contents

Background

The title of the song is something of a double entendre as it refers to both the narrator's first and last dances with the woman he loves: the first dance was the "last waltz" played at the party where the two met, and the final dance signified the end of their relationship after their romance had cooled.

Chart performance

In Australia, "The Last Waltz" spent nine nonconsecutive weeks at number one. [6] In the United States, "The Last Waltz" reached number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and made the top ten of the easy listening chart.

Versions

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">This Is My Song (1967 song)</span> 1967 single by Petula Clark

"This Is My Song" is a song written by Charlie Chaplin in 1966, and performed by Petula Clark.

John Barry Mason was an English singer and songwriter. A leading songwriter of the 1960s, he wrote the bulk of his most successful songs in partnership with Les Reed. Mason gained many gold and platinum awards for his work including five Ivor Novello Awards, the most recent of them in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Engelbert Humperdinck (singer)</span> British pop singer (born 1936)

Arnold George Dorsey, known professionally as Engelbert Humperdinck, is a British pop singer who has been described as "one of the finest middle-of-the-road balladeers around". He achieved international prominence in 1967 with his recording of "Release Me".

Leslie David Reed was an English songwriter, arranger, musician and light-orchestra leader. His major songwriting partners were Gordon Mills, Barry Mason, and Geoff Stephens, although he wrote songs with many others such as Roger Greenaway, Roger Cook, Peter Callander, and Johnny Worth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Place in the Sun (Stevie Wonder song)</span> 1966 single by Stevie Wonder

"A Place in the Sun" is a 1966 soul single by American and Motown musician Stevie Wonder. Written by Ronald Miller and Bryan Wells, it was one of Wonder's first songs to contain social commentary. "A Place in the Sun" was his third Top Ten hit since 1963, hitting number 9 on the Billboard pop singles chart and number 3 on the R&B charts. Billboard described the song as a "folk-oriented release" to which Wonder gives an "exciting treatment." The Originals and The Andantes sang background vocals on the recording. Stevie Wonder also recorded a version of the song in Italian titled "Il Sole è di Tutti".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">After the Lovin'</span> 1976 single by Engelbert Humperdinck

"After the Lovin'" is a single performed by Engelbert Humperdinck, produced by Joel Diamond and Charlie Calello, and composed by Ritchie Adams with lyrics by Alan Bernstein. The single was a U.S. top-ten hit in late 1976/early 1977, reaching number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and number five on the Cash Box Top 100. It became a RIAA gold record. It is ranked as the 61st biggest U.S. hit of 1977. The song also reached number 40 on the country singles chart and spent two weeks atop the easy listening chart. It was Humperdinck's final Top 40 Billboard hit.

"Quando quando quando" is an Italian pop song from 1962, in the bossa nova style, with music written by Tony Renis and lyrics by Alberto Testa. The song, originally recorded in two different versions by Tony Renis and Emilio Pericoli, competed in the Sanremo Music Festival in 1962, where it placed fourth, and later became a commercial success in Italy, topping the Musica e dischi singles chart. American entertainer Pat Boone, who recorded the song in 1962, sang the English lyrics written by Ervin Drake.

The Last Waltz is the 1976 final concert by The Band and a 1978 film documenting the concert.

"Two Different Worlds" is a popular song with music by Al Frisch and the lyrics by Sid Wayne, published in 1956.

"Release Me" is a popular song written by Eddie Miller and Robert Yount in 1949. Four years later it was recorded by Jimmy Heap & the Melody Masters, and with even better success by Patti Page (1954), Ray Price (1954), and Kitty Wells (1954). Jivin' Gene [Bourgeois] & the Jokers recorded the tune in 1960, and that version served as an inspiration for Little Esther Phillips, who reached number one on the R&B chart and number eight on the pop chart with her big-selling cover. The Everly Brothers followed in 1963, along with Lucille Starr including a translation in French (1964), Jerry Wallace (1966), Dean Martin (1967), Engelbert Humperdinck (1967) who was number one on the UK Singles Chart and many others in the years after such as Jewels Renauld (2022).

"Am I That Easy to Forget" is a popular song written by country music singer Country Johnny Mathis who later sold the publishing rights to W.S. Stevenson and published in 1958. Carl Belew recorded his song in Nashville on December 17, 1958, and released the single in March 1959, when it reached number nine on the U.S. country music chart. Other country music artists who have recorded cover versions of the song include Skeeter Davis, Ernest Tubb (1960), Jerry Wallace (1962), Gene Vincent (1966), George Jones (1967), Patti Page (1968), Ann-Margret & Lee Hazlewood (1969), Jim Reeves and Prairie Oyster (1991).

"Moon Over Naples" is a 1965 instrumental composed and recorded by German bandleader Bert Kaempfert. The instrumental version reached No. 6 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. It won a BMI Award in 1968.

<i>The Other Mans Grass Is Always Greener</i> (album) 1968 studio album by Petula Clark

The Other Man's Grass Is Always Greener is the ninth album released by Petula Clark in the United States. It entered the Billboard 200 on February 17, 1968 and remained on the charts for 23 weeks, peaking at #93. It fared better in the United Kingdom, where it reached #37.

"Eternally" is a song with music by Charlie Chaplin, and words by the English lyricists Geoff Parsons and John Turner. The music was initially composed for Chaplin's film Limelight (1952) and titled "Terry's Theme"; the film won an Oscar for "Best Original Dramatic Score" at the 45th Academy Awards in 1973.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Engelbert Humperdinck discography</span>

This is the discography of the British singer Engelbert Humperdinck who made his professional debut in 1967.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quando m'innamoro</span> 1968 Italian song

"Quando m'innamoro" is a 1968 Italian song written by Daniele Pace, Mario Panzeri and Roberto Livraghi and sung with a double performance by Anna Identici and by The Sandpipers at the 1968 Sanremo Music Festival, in which it came 6th.

"Les Bicyclettes de Belsize" is a song written and composed by Les Reed and Barry Mason. Used as the theme song of the 1968 eponymous musical film, it was mimed by Anthony May in the movie and sung by Johnny Worth. As a 7" 45rpm single, it was a big hit that year, in parallel English and French versions, for Engelbert Humperdinck and Mireille Mathieu, respectively. The French version premiered on Mathieu's 1968 Columbia album Les Bicyclettes de Belsize; the English version premiered as a single in 1968, and was then included on Humperdinck's 1969 album Engelbert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everybody Knows (Dave Clark Five song)</span> 1967 single by Dave Clark 5

"Everybody Knows" is a 1967 song by the Dave Clark Five, also known as "Everybody Knows ", to avoid confusion with their 1964 song, "Everybody Knows ." The song features lead vocals by Lenny Davidson, unusual among their songs.

Peter Michael Sullivan was a British record producer, active mostly during the 1960s, and most often associated with records by Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck.

References

  1. Stanley, Bob (13 September 2013). "1991: Time for the Mu Mu". Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop. Faber & Faber. p. 639. ISBN   978-0-571-28198-5.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 7. ISBN   0-85112-250-7.
  3. "International Songwriters Association (ISA) Songs And Songwriting • Sonnny Curtis". Songwriter.co.uk. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  4. "Official Singles Chart UK Top 100 - 12th April 2014 | The UK Charts | Top 40". Theofficialcharts.com. Archived from the original on 8 April 2008. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  5. Ami Sedghi (4 November 2012). "UK's million-selling singles: the full list". The Guardian . Retrieved 4 November 2012.
  6. 1 2 "Go-Set Australian charts - 27 December 1967". Poparchives.com.au. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  7. "Engelbert Humperdinck – The Last Waltz" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 2019-12-20.
  8. "Engelbert Humperdinck – The Last Waltz" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 2019-12-20.
  9. "Engelbert Humperdinck – The Last Waltz" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 2019-12-20.
  10. "Engelbert Humperdinck – The Last Waltz" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 2019-12-20.
  11. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Last Waltz". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 2019-12-20.
  12. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Engelbert Humperdinck" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 2019-12-20.
  13. "Engelbert Humperdinck – The Last Waltz" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 2019-12-20.
  14. "flavour of new zealand - search listener". Flavourofnz.co.nz. Archived from the original on 21 April 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  15. "Engelbert Humperdinck – The Last Waltz". VG-lista. Retrieved 2019-12-20.
  16. 1 2 "South African Rock Lists Website - Hits 1967". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  17. "Engelbert Humperdinck – The Last Waltz". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 2019-12-20.
  18. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2019-12-20.
  19. "Engelbert Humperdinck Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  20. "Top 100 1967-11-11". Cashbox Magazine . Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  21. "French Record Charts". Petula Clark.net. Archived from the original on 12 July 2012. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  22. Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs . Barrie & Jenkins. ISBN   9780214205125 . Retrieved 22 August 2012. eight million.
  23. Hung, Steffen. "Peter Alexander - Der letzte Walzer". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  24. Kenrick, Matthew (5 January 2009). "Gillingham 1 Aston Villa 2 - Birmingham Post analysis". The Birmingham Post. Retrieved 18 September 2009.
  25. "Gillingham". The Football Supporters' Federation. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 18 September 2009.