Engelbert Humperdinck has asked Tom Jones to put their differences aside and record their first ever duet together.
Scott Dorsey, Elton John, Engelbert Humperdinck
In a tweet from @ehumperdinck to Sir Tom, Engelbert posted, “@RealSirTomJones Hey Tom I think we should put our differences aside and record a duet in the honour of Gordon Mills. what do you think?”
Gordon Mills was the original manager of Tom and Engelbert. He changed the name of Tom Woodward Tom Jones and renamed Gerry Dorsey Engelbert Humperdinck. Mills also discovered a young Raymond O’Sullivan and changed his name to Gilbert O’Sullivan. O’Sullivan wrote his song ‘Clair’ after Mills daughter Clair.
Mills was also a songwriter and wrote songs for Cliff Richard & The Shadows, Johnny Kidd & The Pirates and the 1961 pop hit ‘Who Put The Bomp (In The Bomp Bomp Bomp)’.
He died in 1986 at age 51 from stomach cancer.
Considering their parallel heritage Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck have never recorded together although they have performed together on television.
Engelbert’s manager and son Scott Dorsey has a possible explanation why Tom has turned down the chance to sing with his father. “Mate I think Tom is scared to sing in the same room as my father,” he tells Noise11. “EH’s pipes have withstood the test of time (touch wood) and he is singing better than ever”.
Scott sent the offer for Tom via Tom’s manager Mark Woodward. “I approached Mark a couple of months ago offering TJ a spot on the new duets CD and “pitched” it as a great way to pay respect and homage to their first manager, Gordon Mills and they immediately turned it down. Its such a shame because EH and TJ have such a rich musical past, present and future that it would nice to record something for the archives. I can only think that he is scared that EH will sound better than him.”
Engelbert is a huge Tom Jones fan. “My father always praises Toms vocals as “some of the best pipes in the business” whenever he hears him perform on TV,” he said.
Engelbert is currently recording an album of duets and has already recorded with Willie Nelson, Sir Elton John and Smokey Robinson for the album.
