Engelbert Humperdinck and Crystal Gayle

Lets face it the popularity of crooner pop that dominated the music charts in the 50s and 60s started to die out when hard rock entered the mainstream. In the 80s orchestras were being displaced by synthesizers; however, the genre of operatic pop is one that can't be easily forgotten nor replaced. There are few if any modern musicians that can capture this classic operatic pop sound. So if you want to hear this style there is a good chance you are going to have to hear it from the pros themselves. Engelbert Humperdink is one of these pros and his live shows do not disappoint. His voice is rich and focused and delivered with such suave that the hearts of the audience will melt away. Humperdinck is in his late 70s but delivers performances that surpass the hour and a half marker. He takes the audience throughout his career highlighting such hits as "Blue Spanish Eyes", "Release Me" and "I Can't Stop Loving You". He even threw in some surprising cover songs as well. He put an interesting spin on rock classics like "Something" by the Beatles and "I'm On Fire" by Bruce Springsteen.
Engelbert not only knows how to pick a setlist he also knows how to organize an amazing backing band. The sheer size of the musicians accompanying him was absolutely incredible. He literally has an entire orchestra at his disposal and if thats not enough he tops it off with a touring choir. These broad range of musicians fill the concert hall with deep rich tones that simply can not be created by anything but an orchestra. During "Blue Spanish Eyes" flamenco guitars were sounding, the tap of wood blocks resonated throughout the venue as well as other interesting percussion instruments, a massive string section underscored and helped build the intensity behind Humperdinck's vocal delivery and the brass section gave the overall composition a needed punch.
These types of performances have become few far and in between and this is not due to loss of demand or a lack of musical impact. It is primarily related to the amount of effort and manpower required to pull off such a feat. However if you do get a chance to witness one of these shows I think you would agree that it is well worth the investment.

Crystal Gayle is, without doubt, a country music legend. Musical from a young age and with early mentoring and inspiration from older sister Loretta Lynn (famous for hits such as “Coal Miner’s Daughter” and “Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man”), it was only a matter of time before Crystal found her own success. And find it she did! With twenty number one hits under her belt and a host of worldwide tours to go along with them, Crystal has had her fair share of practice in learning how to put on a great show and give fans what they love.

A Crystal Gayle show is not complete without her signature song “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue.” Even today the ballad sounds as fresh and poignant as it did when it was first released. Just the opening bars of the song creates a ripple of excitement among the crowd at one of Crystal’s gigs, and within seconds everyone is singing along to the lyrics.

Many of Crystal’s hits from the seventies feature in her concerts, and you can tell that many of the people at her shows have been fans from the very start. Listen out for “Talking In Your Sleep”, “Why Have You Left The One You Left Me For?” and “Take It Easy.” All stand out and shimmer when she performs them live. If you get the chance, definitely go see this living legend in action!