“Release Me” by Engelbert Humperdinck, the surprising single that stopped The Beatles to reach the No.1 in the U.K singles charts in 1967

Originally a country song from the 1940’s, it spent record fifty six weeks on the chart

“Release Me” by Engelbert Humperdinck, the surprising single that stopped The Beatles to reach the No.1 in the U.K singles charts in 1967



In 1967, it wasn’t the Rolling Stones, or The Who or The Kinks who prevented The Beatles to reach No.1 in the UK singles charts, it was the surprising “Release Me” by Engelbert Humperdinck. Written by Eddie “Piano” Miller and Robert Yount in 1949 as a country song, “Release Me” became a country hit for Jimmy Heap, Kitty Wells, and Ray Price, all in 1954. But it was the Humperdinck version that became the most recognizable and memorable. His version has the distinction in the UK of holding the number one slot on the chart for six weeks during March and April 1967, starting on March 2nd, and preventing The Beatles’ “Penny Lane” / “Strawberry Fields Forever” from reaching the top spot. Overall, it stayed in the charts for a record fifty-six consecutive weeks. Becoming the highest selling single of 1967 in the UK, recording over one million in sales, eventually becoming one of the best selling singles of all time with sales of 1.38 million copies. “Release Me” was first released by Engelbert Humperdinck in 1967 on Decca records, backed by “Ten Guitars”, that became a surprise hit in New Zealand. It remains his most successful and memorable song.



Look back at the 1967 promotional film of “Release Me” by Engelbert Humperdinck

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