'King of Romance' still has heavy workload

Engelbert Humperdinck may be a little vain about his good looks and his vocal cords, which seem to be as soothing today as they were when he burst to international stardom in 1967 with the release of "Release Me."

But when you've got it, flaunt it.

"I think I came from good genes," he said recently from his home in Los Angeles. "My skin hasn't changed. I haven't been under the knife. I found out I was putting on a little weight and critics have given me a bit of a bad time, saying 'Humperdinck is getting a little paunchy.' So I took 33 pounds off, and now I have a personal trainer. I'm down from a 43-inch waist to a 34."

At 73, the former Arnold George Dorsey of Madras, India, still merits the title "King of Romance."

In his lengthy career, Humperdinck has sold more than 150 million records worldwide, including 64 gold and 24 platinum albums, among them such memorable tunes as "There Goes My Everything" (1967), "The Last Waltz" (1967), "Am I That Easy to Forget" (1968), "A Man Without Love (Quando M'Innamoro)" (1968) and "After the Lovin' " (1976).

Q: Do you still tour a lot?

A: The first part of this year I've kept kind of free because I've been doing a lot of recording. I just finished an album called "Legacy of Love," which is all my greatest hits. I challenged myself by going back into the studio to record all the hits I've recorded from 40-odd years back. I went to Prague and, with a big symphony orchestra, recorded all my hits and classic songs again. It's just turned out amazing. People with professional ears say it's even better than it was 40 years ago. I'm thrilled about that. It's on my Web site — nowadays that's the only way to sell records.

Q: Have you adapted to the changes that have taken place in the recording business?

A: This is the way of life in this day and age, and it's fine with me. Whatever works, I go along with. I recorded quite recently with a guy that produced my big hit "After the Lovin' " He did so many others. His name is Charlie Calello. We call him "Platinum Charlie." I hope his name is going to work with this next album, "Endlessly." On July 1, I'm releasing a single from the album which is also called "Endlessly." It was written by Paul Anka and David Foster. Now I have three albums in the can, "Legacy of Love," "A Taste of Country" and "Endlessly."