Written By Caine Blackthorn
There are sentences you expect to write when covering rock music. And then there are sentences like this one: Engelbert Humperdinck has released an album featuring songs by Ozzy Osbourne, KISS, Journey and Aerosmith, with members of the rock world joining him for the ride.
At 90 years old, the legendary British singer has released Faithfully today, August 28, via Cleopatra Records. Engelbert Humperdinck Faithfully takes the veteran crooner far beyond the romantic ballads that made his name, reimagining a collection of songs drawn heavily from classic rock, arena rock and pop.
And no, this isn’t some novelty record assembled for a laugh.
Humperdinck has recruited an extraordinary cast of musicians for the project, including Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain, legendary Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman, Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson, former Ozzy Osbourne bassist Bob Daisley, guitarists George Lynch, Steve Morse, Eric Gales, Al Di Meola, Harvey Mandel, Sonny Landreth and others.
Apparently turning 90 was not an invitation to slow down. It was an invitation to wander into the record collection and start rearranging the furniture.
Engelbert Humperdinck Faithfully Takes On KISS, Ozzy and Journey
The 15-track Faithfully opens with Humperdinck tackling Journey’s towering 1983 ballad “Faithfully,” with Jonathan Cain, who wrote the original song, appearing on the new recording alongside Keven Eknes.
From there, the album starts taking some fascinating detours.
Humperdinck performs KISS twice, recording both “I Was Made for Lovin’ You” and the band’s 1976 ballad “Beth.” Canned Heat guitarist Harvey Mandel appears on “I Was Made for Lovin’ You,” while Rick Wakeman joins Humperdinck on “Beth.”
Then comes Ozzy.
Humperdinck takes on “Mama, I’m Coming Home,” the ballad originally released on Ozzy Osbourne’s 1991 album No More Tears. Elsewhere, former Ozzy bassist Bob Daisley appears alongside Ian Anderson on Humperdinck’s rendition of “Feel Like Makin’ Love.”
That alone gives Faithfully considerably more hard-rock DNA than anyone unfamiliar with the project might expect.
The album also ventures through Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” Heart’s “Alone,” The Cars’ “Drive,” Extreme’s “More Than Words,” The Beatles’ “Something,” Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down,” Electric Light Orchestra’s “Can’t Get It Out of My Head,” Bryan Adams’ “Heaven” and Berlin’s “Take My Breath Away.”
There is also one newly composed original, “Always My Love.”
Rock Royalty Joins Engelbert Humperdinck on Faithfully
The guest list is almost as intriguing as the song selection.
Al Di Meola appears on “Take My Breath Away,” while blues guitarist Eric Gales joins Humperdinck for “More Than Words.” Steve Morse and Jonathan Cain contribute to “Alone,” and George Lynch appears on the CD version of “I Won’t Back Down.”
Jonathan Cain turns up several times across the record, including on the title track, “Alone” and “Can’t Get It Out of My Head.”
Rather than attempting to turn Humperdinck into a conventional rock singer, Faithfully places these songs inside the musical world he has inhabited for decades. The production incorporates orchestral and string arrangements while allowing one of popular music’s most recognizable voices to approach songs originally associated with very different singers.
That distinction matters.
There is little point in asking a 90-year-old Engelbert Humperdinck to impersonate Paul Stanley, Ozzy Osbourne or Steven Tyler. The interesting part is hearing what happens when those songs survive the journey into somebody else’s musical language.
And Humperdinck has been translating other people’s songs into his own language for most of his career.
‘Beth’ Finds an Unexpectedly Natural Home
Of all the rock songs on Engelbert Humperdinck Faithfully, “Beth” might make the most sense.
KISS may be synonymous with fire, blood, platform boots and enough greasepaint to frighten an unsuspecting hotel housekeeper, but “Beth” was always the strange little creature in their catalog.
Originally released on Destroyer in 1976 and sung by drummer Peter Criss, the orchestral ballad stripped away much of the band’s usual bombast. Its story about a musician unable to come home because the band is still working also resonated personally with Humperdinck.
The singer has spent decades living some version of that story himself, disappearing into studios and spending long stretches away from home while maintaining an international career.
That gives his interpretation an entirely different weight.
At this stage, these aren’t simply lyrics about the cost of being a musician. They’re words being sung by someone who has actually lived that life for more than half a century.
At 90, Engelbert Humperdinck Isn’t Interested in Standing Still
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Faithfully isn’t that Engelbert Humperdinck recorded rock songs.
It’s that he’s still curious enough to try.
Humperdinck turned 90 on May 2, 2026, more than six decades after his recording career began. His breakthrough arrived in the 1960s with songs including “Release Me” and “The Last Waltz,” and he became one of the defining romantic vocalists of his generation.
Six decades later, he’s still touring, recording and finding ways to place that voice somewhere unexpected.
Humperdinck has said the idea of making this kind of record initially surprised even him because he considers himself a ballad singer. But hearing the finished project convinced him that stepping outside his familiar territory was worthwhile.
There’s something quietly defiant about that.
Popular music has an unfortunate habit of treating artists as museum pieces once they reach a certain age. Play the hits. Recreate the old photographs. Don’t disturb the furniture.
Humperdinck appears uninterested in cooperating.
Instead, Engelbert Humperdinck Faithfully finds a 90-year-old singer walking directly into songs associated with several generations that followed his own and asking a much more interesting question:
What happens if I sing them my way? The answer arrived today.
PREORDER ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK FAITHFULLY HERE
FAITHFULLY TRACK LISTING
1. “Faithfully” feat. Jonathan Cain & Keven Eknes
2. “Take My Breath Away” feat. Al Di Meola
3. “More Than Words” feat. Eric Gales
4. “Something” feat. Carmine Rojas
5. “I Was Made for Lovin’ You” feat. Harvey Mandel
6. “Mama, I’m Coming Home”
7. “Drive”
8. “Feel Like Makin’ Love” feat. Ian Anderson & Bob Daisley
9. “Heaven” feat. Marcus Nand
10. “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” feat. Sonny Landreth
11. “Beth” feat. Rick Wakeman
12. “Always My Love” feat. Rene Le Blanc
13. “Alone” feat. Steve Morse & Jonathan Cain
14. “Can’t Get It Out of My Head” feat. Marcus Nand & Jonathan Cain
15. “I Won’t Back Down” feat. George Lynch
About The Author
Caine Blackthorn writes music news, trending topics, commentary, and feature pieces for Metal Lair with a focus on the shifting culture surrounding rock and heavy metal. From rising ticket prices and touring collapse to legacy artists, industry absurdity, and the changing soul of live music, his work blends sharp observation with the grit, humor, and frustration of the scene itself. Whether covering modern chaos or metal history, Caine approaches heavy music as something lived through, not simply reported on.
Read More From This Author:
The New Wave of Metalheads: How Gen Z Fell in Love With Heavy Metal
EVERY BAND IS NOW A CONTENT CREATOR
Digital DNA or Artificial Sacrilege? The Battle Over Ozzy’s Immortal Avatar
No algorithms. No fluff. No watered-down corporate metal coverage.
Subscribe to Metal Lair and get weekly underground features, Seven Deadly Songs, Deep Cuts, interviews, and original metal journalism sent directly to your inbox.
Join the patrons of Metal Lair
MetalLair.net is a metal zine muttering to itself about seo and blastbeats at 3 AM powered by caffeine, riffs, a severe lack of sleep, and a dog wondering why the human is still awake.
Sometimes it’s Kevin passing out mid Seven Deadly Songs.
Sometimes it’s digging up forgotten records no one else is talking about.
Always, it’s built for people who actually live this music.
If that sounds like you, you’re already one of us.
Supporting Metal Lair means keeping it independent, loud, and real with no corporate filters, no watered-down takes. If you want to help keep it alive…
Become a patron of Metal Lair.