Introduction:
In 1967, Engelbert Humperdinck’s hit ‘Release Me’ famously blocked The Beatles from claiming the number one spot on the charts—but few know that Tom Jones almost released the song himself.
For decades, Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck have been known as fierce rivals in the world of music.
Their rivalry is believed to have begun shortly after Engelbert was signed by manager Gordon Mills—the same man who had already launched Tom Jones to international stardom.
Although the two stars were initially close friends, tensions arose when Humperdinck decided to part ways with Mills and left MAM Records, the label co-founded by Mills and Jones. This marked the beginning of a long-standing feud between the two powerhouse vocalists.
Over the years, Engelbert Humperdinck has extended several olive branches in hopes of reconciling with Tom Jones—but the sentiment has never been returned.
Their strained relationship seemed to reach rock bottom in 2015, when Tom bluntly dismissed the possibility of making amends. Speaking to Metro, he curtly remarked: “No. It’s as I say—once a c**, always a c***.”*
What many fans don’t realize is that Engelbert’s breakthrough hit ‘Release Me’ was originally offered to Tom Jones. In fact, he even recorded a gospel-style version of the song that was ultimately shelved.
Humperdinck’s rendition, however, became a sensation—soaring to number one in 1967 after a powerful live performance on Sunday Night at the London Palladium, and famously keeping The Beatles from the top of the charts.
Remarkably, Release Me didn’t just top the charts—it prevented The Beatles’ iconic double A-side ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ / ‘Penny Lane’ from reaching number one, bringing an end to the band’s unprecedented four-year streak of chart-topping singles. The song remained on the charts for over a year, becoming a defining moment in British pop history.
Yet, all of this might have turned out very differently—had Tom Jones been satisfied with his version of Release Me.
“In late 1966, while searching for a hit, I came across an instrumental version of Release Me by jazz saxophonist Frank Weir,” Engelbert Humperdinck recalled in an interview with The Guardian. “The melody was so beautiful. I said to Gordon [Mills], ‘This is a hit tune.’”
Originally written in 1949, the song had been covered by several artists, but Engelbert and his team were particularly drawn to a soulful R&B rendition by Esther Phillips. “I wanted to capture the elegance of Frank Weir’s instrumental, but with lyrics,” Engelbert explained.
Gordon Mills, who was managing both Engelbert and Tom Jones at the time, initially pitched the song to Jones. “But Tom didn’t like it,” Engelbert said. “So Gordon turned to me and said, ‘You can have it.’”
The rest, as they say, is history.
Arranger Charles Blackwell later revealed that Release Me wasn’t just offered to Tom Jones—it had actually been recorded with him a week before Engelbert laid down his version.
“Tom Jones’s take had a more gospel feel,” Blackwell explained. “So for Engelbert, I reimagined the arrangement as something closer to orchestral country music.”
The recording session itself featured some remarkable talent. Alongside legendary session guitarist Big Jim Sullivan was a then-23-year-old Jimmy Page—still with The Yardbirds—who would go on to form Led Zeppelin the very next year.
Despite the future star power in the room, Blackwell admitted the session didn’t feel particularly special at the time: “I don’t think they found the ‘Release Me’ session all that interesting—they were playing pocket chess between takes.”
Tom Jones would later perform Release Me live, and a studio version eventually surfaced. It can now be found on several of his compilation albums, including 2008’s Green Green Grass of Home.