Good luck to Engelbert Humperdinck who represents the UK in tonight’s Eurovision Song Contest in Baku, Azerbaijan. The 76-year-old will perform the ballad “Love Will Set You Free” in front of a live television audience of more than 100 million. Engelbert will reportedly perform the song carrying the TCB-necklace given to him by Elvis Presley in the 1970s, in the hope that it will act as a good luck charm. Bookmaker William Hill isn’t convinced, offering odds of 14-1 for Engelbert to win.

“Love Will Set You Free” – Engelbert Humperdinck

If Engelbert wins the Eurovision Song Contest, he will be the sixth UK entry to take the prize. The previous winners were Sandie Shaw’s “Puppet on a String” (1967), Lulu’s “Boom Bang-a-Bang” (1969), Brotherhood of Man’s “Save Your Kisses for Me” (1976), Bucks Fizz’s “Making Your Mind Up” (1981), and Katrina and the Waves’ “Love Shine a Light” (1997).

“Love Will Set You Free” was released earlier this month on single and also on the compilation “Release Me – The Best Of Engelbert Humperdinck”.

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The video, which is titled “Bodding” (the Gibb family’s nickname for Robin), features the Bee Gees’ song “Heart Like Mine” playing over clips of Robin, Maurice and Barry. Maurice died in 2003 of complications after intestinal surgery.

“Bodding” – Tribute to Robin Gibb

Bruce Springsteen’s “Rocky Ground” music video premiered today. This is the third music video from Springsteen’s “Wrecking Ball” album, following “Death To My Hometown” last month and “We Take Care Of Our Own” in February.

The “Rocky Ground” video was directed by Thom Zimny, who already has a long list of Springsteen credits, including “The Promise: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town” and “Wings for Wheels: The Making of ‘Born to Run’”.

“Rocky Ground” – Bruce Springsteen

Springsteen is currently on the European leg of his “Wrecking Ball” tour with the E Street Band. The following gigs remain:

• 25 May – Commerzbank Arena, Frankfurt, Germany
• 27 May – RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne, Germany
• 28 May – Pinkpop, Landgraaf, Netherlands
• 30 May – Berlin, Germany, Olympia Stadion
• 2 June – Estadio Anoeta, San Sebastian, Spain
• 3 June – Rock in Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
• 7 June – Stadio Meaza, Milan, Italy
• 10 June – Stadio Francesco, Florence, Italy
• 11 June – Stadio Trieste, Trieste, Italy
• 17 June – Estadio Santago Bernabu, Madrid, Spain
• 19 June – Park & Suites Arena, Montpellier, France
• 21 June – Stadium of Light, Sunderland
• 22 June – Etihad Stadium, Manchester
• 24 June – Isle of Wight Festival, Isle of Wight
• 4 July – Bercy, Paris, France
• 5 July – Bercy, Paris, France
• 7 July – Roskilde Festival, Roskilde, Denmark
• 9 July – Stadium Letzigrund, Zurich, Switzerland
• 11 July – Synot Tip Arena, Prague, Czech Republic
• 12 July – Ernst Happel Stadium, Vienna, Austria
• 14 July – Hard Rock Calling, London, UK
• 17 July – RDS, Dublin, Ireland
• 18 July – RDS, Dublin, Ireland
• 21 July – Valle Hoven, Oslo, Norway
• 23 July – Koengen, Bergen, Norway
• 24 July – Koengen, Bergen, Norway
• 27 July – Ullevi, Gothenberg, Sweden
• 28 July – Ullevi, Gothenberg, Sweden
• 31 July – Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland.

The second North American leg of the “Wrecking Ball” tour kicks off in September, with the following dates scheduled:

• 18 August – Gillette Stadium, Boston, MA
• 24 August – Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 26 August – Magnetic Hill, Moncton, NB, Canada
• 29 August – Vernon Downs Raceway, Vernon, NY
• 2 September – Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
• 7 September – Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
• 14 September – Nationals Park, Washington, DC
• 19 September – MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
• 21 September – MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
• 22 September – MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ.

Bruce Springsteen tickets prize draw

Here’s your chance to win two tickets for the Friday 22 June gig at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester. Click here for your free entry to the Bruce Springsteen tickets prize draw

The prize draw is open to UK readers aged 18 and over.

“Wrecking Ball” can be ordered now from:

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Springsteen releases “Death To My Hometown” video

Bruce Springsteen “We Take Care Of Our Own” video

TMZ has reported that doctors have ordered John to cancel several of his Las Vegas shows, and told him that he will need antibiotic treatment and rest.

Elton John told TMZ:

Elton is scheduled to begin a European tour on June 1 in Wetzlar, Germany. At this stage, there are no plans to cancel the start of the tour. He will be back in North America in September.

Elton John – Tour dates 2012

• 1 Jun – Hessentag, Wetzlar, Germany,
• 3 Jun – Somerset County Cricket Club, Taunton, England
• 5 Jun – Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate, England
• 7 Jun – Odyssey Arena, Belfast, Northern Ireland
• 9 Jun – Chesterfield Football Club B2NET Stadium, Chesterfield, England
• 10 Jun – The Falkirk Stadium, Falkirk, Scotland
• 13 Jun – Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle, England
• 15 Jun – LG Arena, Birmingham, England
• 16 Jun – Tower Festival Headland, Blackpool, England
• 22 Jun – Palais Nikaia, Nice, France
• 24 Jun – La Halle Tony Garnier, Lyon, France
• 29 Jun – Schlosspark, Ludwigslust, Germany
• 04 Jul – Augustenborg Slotspark (Castle), Augustenborg, Denmark
• 07 Jul – Atlas Arena, Lodz, Poland
• 08 Jul – Ergo Arena, Gdansk, Poland
• 10 Jul – Arena Ondreja Nepelu, Bratislava, Slovakia
• 12 Jul – Piazza Grande, Locarno, Switzerland
• 13 Jul – Dolder Eisbahn, Zurich, Switzerland
• 14 Jul – Residenzplatz, Würzburg, Germany
• 18 Jul – Castle Tuessling, Tuessling, Germany
• 20 Jul – Muensterplatz, Ulm, Germany
• 21 Jul – Arènes de Nîmes, Nîmes, France
• 7 Sep – RBC Centre, Sarnia, ON, Canada
• 8 Sep – Peterborough Memorial Centre, Peterborough, ON, Canada
• 11 Sep – Mississippi Coliseum, Jackson, MS, USA
• 12 Sep – Von Braun Center, Huntsville, AL, USA
• 15 Sep – Savannah Civic Center, Savannah, GA, USA
• 16 Sep – Freedom Hall Civic Center, Johnson City, TN, USA
• 18 Sep – Wesbanco Arena, Wheeling, WV, USA.

Get well soon Elton.

Tom Jones wisely reunited with the “Praise And Blame” producer, Ethan Johns, for “Spirit In The Room” and the new album once again features the back-to-basics production style that Jones is so well suited to. Johns evidently knows how to get the best out of Jones and that’s in full evidence on the aforementioned “Tower Of Song,” which contains the kind of understated, emotional performance that Jones gave on the “Praise and Blame” track “What Good Am I?” and the title song of his 2008 album “24 Hours”. We all know that the Welsh singer has enough power to cause a room to shake when he sings, but sometimes a song demands a different kind of performance, and his instincts are spot on with “Tower Of Song”.

“Tower Of Song” – Tom Jones

Next up is a cover of Paul McCartney’s Golden Globe-nominated song “(I Want to) Come Home,” which was written for the soundtrack of the 2009 movie “Everybody’s Fine”. It’s another fine performance from Jones on a song which carries a simple message about the importance of family and remembering where you come from – “It was fun hanging onto the moon, heading into the sun/But it’s been too long/Now I wanna come home.”

“Hit Or Miss” was selected as the first single from the album, which is no surprise given the infectious melody and appealing 12-string country-rock production.

“Hit Or Miss” (fan video) – Tom Jones

The Paul Simon songbook isn’t an obvious place for Tom Jones to seek material, as the pair couldn’t really be more different, but “Love And Blessings” proves to be a good choice. The song has a stop/start quality, with laidback and somewhat subdued verses, which give way to an up-tempo rock ‘n’ roll arrangement on the chorus, during which Jones’ rockabilly-style vocals are well suited to the “Ain’t no song like an old song, Charlie” lyric.

Jones sounds right at home on Blind Willie Johnson’s “Soul of a Man,” which he begins close to a growl in his lowest register. The bluesy gospel song includes the kind of spiritual questioning that was a feature of the “Praise And Blame” track “Burning Hell.” Like much of the material on the album, there’s a sense that Jones is in both reflective and contemplative mood – “I’ve traveled to different countries/I’ve traveled to the foreign lands/I’ve found nobody could tell me/Tell me, what is the soul of a man”.

“Soul Of A Man” – Tom Jones (on Later With Jools Holland)

You might expect Jones to be out of his comfort zone on Tom Waits’ “Bad To Me,” but he rises to the occasion with a spirited performance, complete with manic laughs. It might be the most unconventional performance of his career.

The Richard and Linda Thompson track, “Dimming of the Day,” receives another subtle and controlled performance from Jones, and another understated arrangement, dominated by acoustic guitar and simple percussion.

“Traveling Shoes” has a cool, moody blues arrangement, with nice use of slide guitar and upright bass. It’s probably the most predictable vocal on the album, but still a fine performance, and there’s some good variation in the repeated line “Got my traveling shoes” as the song tapers off.

The moody, piano-led “All Blues Hail Mary” was penned by singer/songwriter/producer, Joe Henry, who produced Hugh Laurie’s 2011 album “Let Them Talk,” on which Tom Jones guested. This is heavy material and receives a suitably serious and considered performance from Jones.

The closing track, a cover of Low Anthem’s “Charlie Darwin,” highlights that Jones is paying attention to what new talent has to say. The arrangement is not too far removed from the original, and Jones’ rich baritone is a pleasing substitute for Ben Knox Miller’s haunting falsetto. The church choir style ending is also very effective.

There’s plenty of fun to be had on the promo for “Spirit In The Room,” which features Rob Brydon and Tom Jones in a skit that mocks Jones’ recent name-dropping tendencies on the television show “The Voice.”

“Spirit In The Room” – Comedy promo with Tom Jones and Rob Brydon

In conclusion…

Those who admired “Praise and Blame” will be glad that Tom Jones has chosen to stick with the R&B and gospel-inspired groove for at least one more album. “Spirit In The Room” is not simply “Praise and Blame” Part Two though. The overall tone of the album is darker than its predecessor and you won’t find anything as toe-tapping or infectious as the likes of “Strange Things” or “Didn’t It Rain?” on this album. That’s not a criticism though. While there is a little less fun to be had here, there is a continuity in the production and performances that masks the fact that this fine selection of songs are from disparate sources and, in some cases, written decades apart. You’ll also encounter some of Tom Jones’ most believable and moving performances of his long career.

Rating: 5/5

The deluxe edition of “Spirit In The Room” includes the bonus tracks “Just Dropped in,” “Lone Pilgrim” and “When The Deal Goes Down”.

“Spirit In The Room” is out now in the UK and is available next week in the US and Canada. For those of you who prefer to download, Amazon UK is offering the MP3 version of the album at a special price of just £4.99 until Saturday.

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“It’s All In The Game” was released in the summer of 1958, backed with “Please Love Me Forever”.

Tommy Edwards’ popular 1958 recording of “It’s All In The Game” was actually his second recording of the song. He had first attempted the song in 1951, with a swing arrangement. This 1951 recording was a hit, but has been totally overshadowed by the masterful 1958 version.

“It’s All In The Game” (1951) – Tommy Edwards

“It’s All In The Game” was adapted from future US Vice-President Charles Gates Dawes’ 1911 composition, “Melody in A Major,” which would become known as “Dawes’ Melody.” Songwriter, Carl Sigman, married the 1911 melody with his “It’s All In The Game” lyrics in 1951 and it was quickly recognised as a strong song, with recordings by the likes of Dinah Shore, Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, and the aforementioned first recording by Tommy Edwards.

With seven years past since his original recording of “It’s All In the Game” and four years since his last hit single, Tommy Edwards decided to revisit the song in the summer of 1958. It was a wise move. The recording would become his biggest ever hit and give his career the shot in the arm that it needed.

The 1958 recording was made at the height of the popularity of the new rock ‘n’ roll music and the new arrangement reflects that, embracing doo-wop harmonies of the time and moving away from the more jazzy arrangement of the original recording.

“It’s All In The Game” (1958) – Tommy Edwards

Tommy Edwards’ second recording of “It’s All In The Game” was ranked at number 38 in the Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs list in 2008.

Authorship

The words and music for “It’s All In the Game” were written by Carl Sigman and Charles Gates Dawes, respectively.

Dawes would become the 30th Vice President in 1925, under President Calvin Coolidge. He is also remembered for chairing the committee that produced the Dawes Plan on World War I reparations in 1924.

Sigman was a hugely successful lyricist, whose other credits include “What Now My Love,” “My Heart Cries For You,” “Ebb Tide,” and “(Where Do I Begin?) Love Story.”

Recording date/location

“It’s All In The Game” was recorded on June 9, 1958 at Metropolitan Studios, NYC.

Musicians

Tommy Edwards was backed by the LeRoy Holmes Orchestra on the single “It’s All In The Game,” as he had been on the original 1951 version. Both cuts were also produced by Harry Myerson.

Chart performance

“It’s All In The Game” hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in September 1958 and remained on top for six weeks. It also hit number one on Billboard’s R&B chart.

The single was also Tommy Edwards’ only UK number one.

Notable covers

“It’s All In The Game” – Cliff Richard

With the accomplished backing of the Norrie Paramor Orchestra, Cliff Richard recorded a sublime cover of “It’s All In The Game” in 1963. Cliff’s smooth delivery is well suited to the song and it ranks as one of his finest ballads of the decade. The single reached number two on the UK singles chart, and was Cliff’s only top 40 hit in the 1960s in the US, peaking at number 25 on the Hot 100.

“It’s All In The Game” – The Temptations

The Temptations hit number five on the UK singles chart with their soulful cover of “It’s All In The Game” in 1970. The song also featured on their 1970 album “Still Waters Run Deep.” The Frank Wilson-produced recording is notable for the imaginative string arrangement and for all four members sharing lead vocal duties. Fans of the group will enjoy the interaction, but the song probably works better with a solo singer.

There will be a new Song of the Week on May 28.

Both versions of Tommy Edwards’ “It’s All In The Game” is available on the compilation “It’s All In the Game – The Complete Hits of Tommy Edwards”.

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The family of the Bee Gees singer issued the following statement:

Robin Hugh Gibb was born on the Isle of Man on December 22, 1949, and moved to Manchester at an early age, where he formed the singing trio with his brothers that a decade later would become world famous. The trio flourished following the family’s move to Brisbane, Australia, performing under names such as the Rattlesnakes, and Wee Johnny Hayes & the Bluecats, before being named the Bee Gees by Radio DJ Bill Gates. The group became a popular fixture on Australian television and had a number of minor hits on the Australian pop charts in this period.

Bee Gees – “Little Band Of Gold”

The Bee Gees really hit the big time on their return to the UK in 1967 when they signed a management contract with Robert Stigwood and released a string of hit singles, beginning with “New York Mining Disaster 1941″ and including the UK number one “Massachusetts,” on which Robin sang lead.

Bee Gees – “Massachusetts”

As a member of the Bee Gees, Robin Gibb went on to sell more than 200 million records with his brothers Barry and Maurice, including classics such as “Jive Talkin’,” “I’ve Gotta Get A Message To You,” “How Deep Is Your Love,” “Stayin’ Alive” and “Night Fever.” The latter three appeared on the Grammy-winning soundtrack of the movie “Saturday Night Fever,” which became one of the best selling albums of all time. This Album of the Year Grammy was one of nine Grammys won by the group between 1978 and 2004, including the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000 and the Legend Award in 2003.

Bee Gees – “How Deep Is Your Love”

Gibb also had early solo success when “Saved by the Bell” hit number two on the UK singles chart during a brief period where he was estranged from the Bee Gees. There were also three solo albums in the 1980s which sold well in Europe – “How Old Are You?,” “Secret Agent,” and “Walls Have Eyes.” After an 18-year gap, he released the solo album “Magnet” in 2003, around the time that his brother Maurice died, and followed this up with “Robin Gibb – My Favourite Carols” in 2006, which featured the new composition “Mother of Love.” His last success on the singles chart was the Comic Relief collaboration with Rob Brydon, Tom Jones and Ruth Jones on the Bee Gees-penned “Islands In The Stream,” which hit number one in the UK in 2009.

In recent months, Gibb was working on the classical piece “The Titanic Requiem” with his son Robin-John (know as RJ). “The Titanic Requiem” CD was released in March and the piece was performed at Central Hall, Westminster, London, last month. Unfortunately, Gibb was not well enough to attend.

Robin Gibb’s talents were recognised with inductions into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2002, he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the New Year Honours.

Barry Gibb is now the only surviving member of the Bee Gees. Robin’s twin, Maurice, died of a heart attack in 2003 following intestinal surgery.

Besides Barry, Robin is survived by his wife, Dwina; sons, RJ and Spencer; daughters, Melissa and Snow Robin; sister, Lesley Evans; and mother, Barbara.

“The Pink Floyd Channel” will launch on Friday, May 25 at 12:00 pm ET and will run through Monday, May 28 on channel 27. It will also be available on Friday, June 29 through Monday, July 9 on Sirius channel 142 and XM channel 43, and for an extended period from June 29 as a 24/7 channel online on channel 802 and through the SiriusXM Internet Radio App for smartphones and mobile devices.

Listeners can expect to hear Pink Floyd’s recently remastered classic albums played in their entirety, live concerts, demos and outtakes, and also solo albums from Pink Floyd members Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Richard Wright, Nick Mason and Syd Barrett.

“The Pink Floyd Channel” will be hosted by DJ Jim Ladd, who has been conducting interviews with Pink Floyd since their first visit to the United States in 1979.

Roger Waters announced the launch of “The Pink Floyd Channel” on the Jim Ladd Show, noting:

With the addition of Foo Fighters, Arcade Fire and Jeff Beck as musicial guests, the show promises to be as much about music as comedy. Unfortunately, unless a big surprise is planned, the recent speculation that the Rolling Stones might perform on the show was just wishful thinking.

Here’s the promo for tonight’s show:

Starr says:

Anyone who has a Ringo story that they think would interest the author can contact him at michaelsstarr@gmail.com

Michael Starr is the television columnist for the NY Post and has written biographies on Peter Sellers, Art Carney, Joey Bishop, Bobby Darin, Raymond Burr and Redd Foxx. His Ringo Starr biography is expected to be published in 2015. Starr is not related to Ringo, whose real surname is Starkey.