Engelbert unveils his ‘classy and tasteful’ ballad for Eurovision

 
Please release it: Engelbert Humperdinck’s Love Will Set You Free features a Spanish guitar and strings
Alistair Foster19 March 2012
The Weekender

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The song UK representative Engelbert Humperdinck will sing at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest was today described as “classy and tasteful” — which may just be enough to spare him the dreaded “nul points”.

The veteran crooner released his entry, Love Will Set You Free, a sultry ballad set to the backing of a Spanish guitar — giving rise to cautious optimism that 75-year-old singer may stand a fighting chance.

The entry has been written by Ivor Novello winner Sacha Skarbek, who co-wrote James Blunt’s You’re Beautiful and Lana Del Rey’s Born To Die, and Grammy award-winning producer Martin Terefe.

It features somewhat clichéd lyrics, including: “If you love someone, Follow your heart, ‘Cause love comes once if you’re lucky enough, Though I’ll miss you forever, The hurt will run deep, Only love can set you free.” But critics have admired the sincerity with which Humperdinck delivers them.

Evening Standard pop critic David Smyth said: “Choosing Engelbert Humperdinck to represent us, after years of X Factor also-rans and boy-and-girl-group froth, was a surprise, and so is his song. Love Will Set You Free is a classy effort that reminded me of Neil Diamond’s recent revival as a simple singer-songwriter with gravitas. It’s full of tasteful strings, but acoustic guitar and Humperdinck’s rich voice dominate until the big key change near the end — and even that is relatively restrained.

“I admire it for staying simple, though it may struggle for attention in a colourful melee. Our entry is far better than it could have been.” The UK’s odds of winning have been falling since Humperdinck was unveiled. They now stand at 14/1.

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