In my twenties, my roommate had an Engelbert Humperdinck album, and every once in a while he'd appear in the living room in a black velvet smoking jacket and proclaim it was time for some Humperdinck. "Release Me"was fine, "Quando Quando Quando" was good, but we'd loose our collective shit and belt out "Lonely is a Man without Love" and then prance around. I never said I was mature, and for whatever reason I had developed a begrudging respect for Mister Hump a dink as a fine vocalist.
I'll also be the first to admit that there's a generic quality to his vocals that make him hard to distinguish from many of his contemporaries. Which is a bit weird considering he was a throw back to an earlier time even as he came up through the ranks. Of course having said that he's a plain vanilla singer, there are little affectations to his vibrato that help separate him from the rest of the pack, it's something you have to be aware of, otherwise it'll just pass you by.
Christmas Tyme was released in 1977, and utilized the old English Tyme. I suppose it was his way of making this seem more traditional than it was. This is a pretty safe as milk collection of songs. By 1977, adult contemporary was that tenuous bridge between generations.
The album is divided into two parts ... no, not just side A and side B, themes, the album was split into two distinct themes. The first side is centred on (ON! NOT AROUND) contemporary classics. The arrangements are pretty decent. I did like how Charlie Calello added his touches to "Silent Night." Every singer has to take his shot with "White Christmas" and the soaring, nearly screeching female vocals that accompanies this particular version are really distracting. They can't all be winners.
I'm always listening for new to me stuff, and Engelbert introduced me to a couple here. The first, "A Night to Remember" (A. Bernstein, R. Adams) that I don't remember hearing before. It was quite nice, but I'm sure what kind of legs it has. It does mesh well with the other songs, The other being "Christmas Time Again" a song written by Yank Barry. It was okay, but sadly instantly forgettable. Still, I'll have to give it a few spins to make sure, although I'm pretty sure I won't remember it later. Still, I do enjoy hearing new originals and to me it helps set apart the newer collections of the same old songs.
The second side is a collection of medleys. I suppose the intent to was to showcase what his live variety show would sound like. Opening with "Sing-A-Long Tyme" that pours on the syrup and strings and pulls out all of the lounge singer tropes. The only thing missing was a little call and response asking if there were any birthdays or anniversaries being celebrated.
The longest segment was reserved for "Carol Tyme" which pulled from seven sacred classics. I have to say that this was pretty good, and frankly if he'd have just performed the songs in their entirety he would have been better served than truncating and cutting the songs short just as they started to gain momentum. It's more like hearing an old K-Tel commercial than a medley. Some of the arrangements drift dangerously close to kitschy territory (I'm looking at you "O Holy Night"), but this was meant to be lounge singer fodder. I'm sure he had to have someone sweep up all the underwear that was thrown onto the stage after each performance.
The sequencing of the Tyme selections was a bit off, at least for me. I know I've been a bit dismissive of the whole medley thing, but they sort of grow on you. The most effective for me being the sequence that made up "Home Tyme" that ended with "I'll Be Home For Christmas" should have ended the album. It would have been a great closing track. Except we get one last kick at the bells with "Jingle Bell Tyme" I guess the thought was to go out on a high. Honestly a small complaint.
In terms of lost classics Christmas Tyme isn't going to make a lot of lists, but I have to say there is a certain charm to this that kind of got me in the Christmas spirit. I may not go up to the closest and dig out my velvet jacket but Mister Humperdinck is more than likely to make a return trip to the turntable over the holidays.
PS It would be decades before I found out that Mister Humperdinck, used to be Arnold George Dorsey and tried making a go of it as "Gerry Dorsey" but it wasn't until he "borrowed" the name of a German composer, known for his opera Hansel and Gretel that things started to really take off. I wonder if a young Sebastian Bierk took note, and figured if it worked once, it could work again. Johann Sebastian Bach, was too long, and he was already named Sebastian, so he just took the surname and the rest is history.
PPS Here's to you Mister Dorsey, "Merry Christmas!"
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