Return of the King Trivia Quiz

Answer: Elton John

Sir Elton John was the inspiration for the title of this album. As Engelbert told the American music magazine "Billboard" in 2014, he heard a quote from Sir Elton recalling the days as a struggling songwriter saying, "'You would sit in your flat waiting for the phone to ring - waiting for Engelbert Humperdinck to call.' So, I finally called, and that's why we called the album 'Engelbert Calling.' Elton John was the first to answer. And it was a delight to work in the studio with him."

"Something About the Way You Look Tonight" was written by Sir Elton John and Bernie Taupin and first issued in 1997 as a single and on Sir Elton's album "The Big Picture".

Answer: Since I Lost My Baby

"Since I Lost My Baby", written by Smokey Robinson and Warren "Pete" Moore, was released by The Temptations on their 1965 Gordy Records album "The Temptin' Temptations". Engelbert and Sir Cliff's rendition reached Number Three on the British singles chart in 2015.

Answer: Olivia Newton-John

Dame Olivia Newton-John AC, DBE (September 26, 1948 -August 8, 2022) started performing in her adopted home, Australia, in the mid 1960s, sometimes as a solo act and sometimes with Pat Carol. Having reached a wider audience with her internationally best-selling album, "If Not for You" (1971), she remained a beloved international superstar until her death after a valiant battle against breast cancer. A friend of Marie Osmond, Olivia also joined Marie for a duet on her 2016 "Music Is Medicine" album.

The reference in the question is to Olivia's smash hit "Hopelessly Devoted", which she sang in the 1978 movie musical "Grease".

"Never Never Never" was written by David Bushkin.

Answer: A male quartet with members from four different countries

The quartet known as Il Divo, formed in December 2003 in Britain, is made up of four singers, three of whom are classically trained, from four different countries: German-born Spanish baritone Carlos Marín (b. 1968), two classically trained tenors Swiss Urs Bühler (b. 1971) and American David Miller, (b. 1973), and French pop singer-songwriter Sébastien Izambard (b. 1973).]

"Spanish Eyes" was given to Engelbert early in his career by one of the song's writers, bandleader Bert Keampfort (the other writers being Eddie Snyder and Charles Singleton). It is a perennial favorite that he has often performed in concert and rerecorded through the years.

Answer: Love

Written in 1997, "Make You Feel My Love" was released by Bob Dylan on his "Time out of Mind" album, issued that year."Make You Feel My Love" is not the first Dylan composition Engelbert has recorded. He included "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" on his 1971 album "Sweetheart".

Born April 29, 1933 in Abbott, Texas, Willie Hugh Nelson is a singer and guitarist usually considered as belonging to the Country genre, though he has made several successful albums of Popular standards. "That's Life", a collection of Sinatra covers, came out in February 2021.

Answer: Lady Antebellum

Lady Antebellum, made up of Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood, formed in Nashville in 2006. The group released "Need You Now", written by the band members with Nashville songwriter Josh Kear, as a single in 2010. They changed their name to Lady A in 2020.

Engelbert and Lulu have been friends for many years and have appeared on television together. To the best of my knowledge, however, this duet marks the first time they have recorded together.

Answer: Spinning Wheel

Engelbert reported that Gene Simmons was helpful and supportive during the recording session. "He was just an amazing person," Engelbert told American music magazine "Billboard" shortly before the album's release. "He's got a great personality, a lot of pizzazz to it and a great sense of humor. And he helped me a little bit by telling me, 'Why don't you do this? Why don't you do that?' and I'd think, 'yeah, that's a great suggestion.' Coming from him, I would take it."

For his part, the Kiss frontman offered high praise for the King of Romance. "The Hump rocks. Wanna see how it's done? Let Engelbert Humperdinck show you," he is quoted as saying in the Scottish newspaper "The Herald".

"Spinning Wheel" was written by David Clayton-Thomas, a longtime member of Blood, Sweat and Tears. The band included it on their eponymous 1968 album and released a different version in 1969 as a single, with "More and More" on the B-side.

Answer: American

Shelby Lynne is an American Country and Pop-Rock singer and guitarist. She was born Shelby Lynn Moorer on October 22, 1968 in Quantico, Virginia and grew up in Mobile, Alabama.

"Real Love" was written by Dan Wilson, James Morison and Martin Terefe.

Answer: Yes

Not only did Smokey and the Miracles take "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" to Billboard chart topping and million-selling success, Smokey wrote it.

Answer: Wynonna

In the 1980s, Wynonna and her mother Naomi formed the popular act The Judds. Wynonna embarked on an equally successful solo career in the '90s after her mother's retirement due to ill health.

Engelbert has recorded his first smash hit, "Release Me" by Eddie Miller, Robert Yount and James Pebworth, many times throughout his career. To the best of my knowledge, though, this track marks the first time he recorded it with another artist.

Answer: She Believes in Me

On the special video of his friends and colleagues wishing him well, that his record label, Okay! Good Records released to commemorate Engelbert's eightieth birthday in 2016, Kenny Rogers good naturedly gripes that he's never going to do a duet with Enge again. "You did my song better than I did," he complains, before offering enthusiastic birthday congratulations. Kenny (B. Kenneth Ray Rogers on August 21, 1938 in Houston, TX, d. March 20, 2020 in Sandy Springs, GA) first released "She Believes in Me", written by Steve Gibb, on his 1979 album "The Gambler".

Answer: Better

"Better" by Tom Gleave and Sam Semple is not the first duet Engelbert has recorded with his daughter Louise. "We Fell in Love" by Les Reed and Eddie Sego is on the 1992 album "Hello Out There", while they recorded "Healing" by Glenn Allen, Kilte Reeves and Ed Berghoff on "After Dark", 1996. "Blame It on the Night" is not a duet, but rather a song written by Louise with Kent Agee and Burton Collins that appears on Engelbert's 2001 album "It's All in the Game".

Answer: Yes

"Ain't That Peculiar" was written by Warren Moore, Marvin Tarplin, Robert Rogers and Smokey Robinson. Marvin Gaye first recorded it in 1965 for the Tamla (Motown) label.

Born in Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland on May 17, 1974, Andrea Jane Corr is lead singer for the Irish Pop/Rock group The Corrs.

Answer: The 1950s

John Royce Mathis was born in Gilmer, Texas, on September 30, 1935. His family moved to San Francisco, California, where John attended the University of San Francisco. As a youngster, he was an athlete, a sufficiently talented one to be offered a chance to try out for the 1956 U.S. Olympic team. On the same day, he had an audition for Columbia Records. Fortunately for us all, he chose the audition. As John himself says, he made the right decision.

Columbia Records issued "A Certain Smile" by Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster in 1957 with "Let It Rain" on the B-side.

Answer: Kiss

Latin American television and film actress and singer Tini Stoessel was born Martina Alejandra Stoessel Muzlera in Buenos Aires on March 21, 1997.

"Kiss Me Honey" was written by Michael Julien and Albon Timothy.

Answer: False

Neil joins Engelbert for the bittersweet "The Hungry Years", a song he wrote with Howard Greenfield, that Engelbert included on his 1976 album "After the Lovin'". Enge has recorded "Laughter in the Rain" (that Neil wrote with Phil Cody), but that track appears on his 2009 album "A Taste of Country".

Answer: It Matters to Me

Marie Dionne Warrick was born December 12, 1940 in East Orange, New Jersey. Due to a printing error on her first single, "Don't Make Me Over", she is known to the world as Dionne Warwick.

According to Wikipedia:
"Warwick ranks among the 40 biggest hit makers between 1955 and 1999, based on the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles Charts. She is one of the most-charted female vocalists of all time, with 56 of her singles making the Billboard Hot 100 between 1962 and 1998, and 80 singles making all Billboard charts combined."

"It Matters to Me" was written by Mark Sanders and Ed Hill

Answer: 1974

"She", written by Charles Aznavour and Herbert Kretzmer, was originally the theme song for a British television series called "Seven Faces of Woman", but it achieved independent success as a single performed by the French Armenian Aznavour, who was born May 22, 1924 in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Paris and died October 1, 2018, Mouriès, also in France.

In addition to English, he recorded the song in French, Italian, German and Spanish. Engelbert first recorded the song on his 2003 album "Definition of Love".

Answer: False

The original recording was a solo effort. The session with Beverley Knight, laid down for "Engelbert Calling", is the only time he has sung the song with another artist. Closely identified with Engelbert, "After the Lovin'" was written by Ritchie Adams and Alan Bernstein.

Born Beverley Anne Smith on March 22, 1973 in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England, Beverley Knight is an award winning Soul and R&B singer.

Answer: Armando

"Somos novios" was written by Mexican Mayan songwriter Armando Manzanero Canché (b. December 7, 1935 Ticul, Yucatán, Mexico, d. December 28, 2020, Mexico City). With English lyrics by Sid Wayne, it became "It's Impossible", a hit for Perry Como in 1970. Engelbert's previous performance of "It's Impossible" appears on his 1971 album "Live at the Riviera Las Vegas".

Here, Engelbert sings in English while Manzanero provides the original Spanish lyric.

Answer: It is sung entirely in Spanish.

"Spanish Eyes", with Il Divo, and "It's Impossible", with Armando Manzanero, are sung in both English and Spanish. By contrast, "Quen Te Dijo Eso" is sung entirely in Spanish. Enge often says he loves singing in Spanish, so this performance must have been a treat for him.

Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi, born Luis Alfonso Rodríguez López-Cepero, is from San Juan. He has won numerous music industry awards, both in the U.S. and internationally. The song he sings with Engelbert, "Quen Te Dijo Eso", was written by Claudia Brant and Luis Rodrigues (Luis Fonsi).

Answer: Both

"Something to Hold on To" by Ron Sexsmith and Martin Terefe is a Christmas song. On the recording, Engelbert and Ron are joined by the school choir from Fox Primary School, Notting Hill, London.

Answer: Cat Stevens

Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam) wrote "Father and Son" and recorded it on his album "Tea for the Tillerman", issued in 1970.

Answer: The tracks with Louise Dorsey and Bradley Dorsey

Louise (his only daughter) and Bradley are Engelbert's eldest and youngest children respectively. Though both have dabbled in singing, Louise is an established lyricist, having written songs both with her father (himself an accomplished songwriter) and with others. Engelbert has recorded several of her songs.

Answer: Cliff Richard

Sir Arnold George Dorsey MBE, OBE, professionally known as Engelbert Humperdinck, was born on May 2, 1936 in the city now known as Chennai. Sir Harry Rodger Webb OBE, professionally known as Cliff Richard, was born on October 14, 1940 in Lucknow, capital of Uttar Pradesh.