WEDNESDAY WRAP

CD SHOWCASE MEMORIES

Ending today by listening to a pair of same name songs, Englebert Humperdinck’s “Release Me” & Wilson Phillips’ “Release Me”, while checking out the interior of a Junkyard Jewel VW, photographed by OC,SHer JAY B….

#1 “Release Me” | Englebert Humperdinck
Written by Eddie Miller & Robert Young in 1949, this song has been recorded & released many times over, from artists such as Ray Price, Kitty Wells, Jerry Lee Lewis, Lefty Frizzell, Everly Brothers, Dean Martin, Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, Def Leppard, among many others. However, Humperdinck’s version is generally the most widely recognized. In early 1967, he was asked to stand in for Dickie Valentine (ill) on the variety TV show “Sunday Night At The London Palladium”, which was 1 of England’s highest-rated shows at the time. Humperdinck performed this song, his newest single, & not only did it reach #1 in England, but it stayed there for 6 weeks, keeping The Beatles’ “Penny Lane”/“Strawberry Fields Forever” from ever topping the charts. The record itself stayed on the charts for a record 51 straight tweaks. In 1967, the single also claimed #1 in Ireland, while notching at #2 in Netherlands & New Zealand & #3 in Australia. In the United States, it reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 & #28 on the Adult Contemporary charts.

#2 “Release Me” | Wilson Phillips
~23 years after Humperdinck’s hit, this song hit the airwaves June 1990 as the 2nd single from the band’s self-titled debut album. It climbed the charts & claimed #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 2 weeks, September 1990, & also topped the Adult Contemporary chart for 1 week. Internationally, this tune claimed #1 in Canada & reached the Top 20 of 5 other charts. Their 1st single, 1990’s “Hold On” had also topped the BH 100 & AC charts. Between late 1990 & late 1992, they had 7 more releases, 1 of which topped charts (1991’s “You’re In Love”) & 4 more reached the Top 10 (1990-1’s “Impulsive”, 1991’s “The Dream Is Still Alive”, 1991-2’s “Daniel” & 1992’s “You Won’t See Me Cry”).