Release Me (And Let Me Love Again)

Release Me was an international hit single for Engelbert Humperdinck. The story of how the song reached number one in the UK Singles Chart^[1] is one of pure chance and being in the right place at the right time.In 1965, Humperdinck who at the time was performing under the name of Gerry Dorsey, met up again with an old friend of his, Gordon Mills.By this time Mills was successfully managing Tom Jones.He took him onto his management roster and changed his name.He released a couple of near misses in the UK although one song "Dommage, Dommage" had been successful in Europe.

Early in 1967 he was asked to stand in for Dickie Valentine , who was ill, on the variety TV show "Sunday Night at the London Palladium".The show was one of the biggest rating shows in the UK at the time.He sang his latest song, "Release Me", an old US country hit, on the show and it reached number one in the charts on the 2nd March and stayed there for six weeks, keeping Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever by The Beatles off the top of the charts in the process.Amazingly the record stayed in the charts for a record fifty six consecutive weeks.^[2]

Preceded by "This Is My Song" by Petula Clark	UK number one single 2 March 1967 for (six weeks)	Succeeded by "Somethin' Stupid" by Nancy Sinatra and Frank Sinatra