🎧 February 1967: The Beatles Are Untouchable
The Beatles were gods in the UK by 1967. Every single they touched turned to gold—or platinum. Since 1963, they had a near-perfect streak of No. 1 hits in their homeland. So when they released the double A-side single “Strawberry Fields Forever” / “Penny Lane”, no one doubted it would top the charts.
These weren’t just any songs. They were innovative, psychedelic masterpieces—proof that the Beatles had left pop behind and entered a new era of artistry. With George Martin’s layered production, Lennon’s surrealism, and McCartney’s nostalgia, it was music light-years ahead of its time.
And yet… it didn’t reach No. 1.
Instead, it peaked at No. 2 in the UK. Something else—something no one saw coming—was sitting firmly at the top.
🎤 Enter Engelbert: The Unlikely Contender
At the time, few people outside the cabaret scene knew who Engelbert Humperdinck was. Born Arnold Dorsey in Madras, India, raised in Leicester, England, he’d been singing under the name “Gerry Dorsey” with little success.
But in 1967, his manager Gordon Mills rebranded him with a borrowed name from a 19th-century German composer and gave him a song originally recorded years earlier: “Release Me.”
No wild guitars. No backwards tape loops. No LSD inspiration.
Just a man, a velvet voice, and a heartbreak ballad about asking someone—gently, respectfully—to let him go.
💔 Why “Release Me” Worked in a Psychedelic World
It shouldn’t have worked. The world was tuning in, turning on, and dropping out. People were dancing in fields, painting peace signs, and questioning everything.
But “Release Me” hit a nerve.
It wasn’t a song about rebellion. It was about dignity. About facing the end of love not with anger, but with grace. The opening lines said it all:
“Please release me, let me go / For I don’t love you anymore…”
It was the voice of a man who had made peace with heartbreak. And in a world growing noisier, that stillness felt radical.
Engelbert didn’t sing it like a pop star. He sang it like a confession. And millions listened.
📈 Six Weeks at No. 1 – The Chart Battle No One Expected
“Release Me” entered the UK Singles Chart in early February. It didn’t climb quickly—it soared.
By March, it was No. 1. The same week the Beatles’ double-A side was released.
And there it stayed. For six consecutive weeks, Engelbert held the top spot, refusing to budge even as Beatlemania raged on. The Beatles’ single, as brilliant as it was, simply couldn’t compete with the emotional pull of Engelbert’s plea.
This wasn’t just a fluke. It was a phenomenon.
By the end of the year, “Release Me” had sold over 1 million copies in the UK alone, becoming one of the top-selling singles of all time there. It went gold, then platinum. And it cemented Engelbert as a household name overnight.
🎙️ A Moment That Changed Music History
The Beatles never forgot it. “Strawberry Fields Forever” is now considered one of their greatest achievements—but at the time, its chart failure stung.
It was the only official Beatles UK single between 1963 and 1969 that didn’t reach No. 1.
And it was Engelbert Humperdinck—not the Rolling Stones, not Bob Dylan—who stopped them.
The music press tried to understand it. Critics called it a “throwback,” yet fans didn’t care. Radio DJs played “Release Me” endlessly. And Engelbert found himself swept up in a fame he never imagined.
🕯️ What Made It Timeless
There’s something eternal about “Release Me.” The lush orchestration. The slow, deliberate tempo. The lyrics that never plead, never scream—just ask.
In a world where breakups are often messy, this was a song about letting go with grace. Engelbert’s delivery was all velvet: no jagged edges, no hard consonants. Just flow, and sorrow, and resolution.
And then there was the final line, whispered like a blessing:
“So release me and let me love again…”
It didn’t just end the song. It left a space for healing.
That’s why, nearly 60 years later, it still resonates.
👑 Legacy: More Than a Chart Victory
Engelbert’s victory over the Beatles wasn’t a career fluke—it was the beginning of a decades-long journey. He’d go on to sell over 140 million records worldwide, tour extensively, and become a romantic icon.
But “Release Me” remained his signature.
He performed it at every concert. He closed shows with it. He even sang it to his wife Patricia in her final days, as she battled Alzheimer’s and COVID-19. It had become more than a hit. It was his identity.
And it never lost its power.
🎼 Conclusion: The Ballad That Beat The Band
In 1967, “Release Me” did the unthinkable. It stopped the Beatles. But more importantly, it proved that no matter how experimental or rebellious music becomes, there will always be room for a simple, honest song about love and loss.
Engelbert Humperdinck didn’t just release a single. He released emotion. Raw, elegant, unguarded.
And for six golden weeks, that voice of velvet held off the biggest musical force in the world—not with noise, but with a whisper.