New Julio Iglesias set to include Greek Theatre concert DVD

A long, illustrious list of musicians have developed a fruitful connection (artistically and economically) to the Greek Theatre (hello, Neil Diamond).

Among the performers with a right to claim a special relationship to the iconic venue are Julio Iglesias, the silky Spanish Sinatra who has sold hundreds of millions of discs over a 45-year international career. It’s not surprising that the “deluxe” edition of his two-CD, 37-track upcoming greatest hits collection, to be released in April, is being packaged with a DVD, “Starry Night: Live from the Greek Theatre.”

The DVD recording is of Iglesias’ 1990 concert at the Greek, a key beachhead in his conquest of the North American record market, after he’d been storming across European pop charts for decades. The album’s title refers to Iglesias’ English-language album “Starry Night,” named for the Albert Hammond-Don McLean ‘70s pop hit “Vincent (Starry Starry Night).”

In case you weren’t there at the Greek that twinkly evening, here’s what Times critic Don Heckman had to say about the concert by the master of the bilingual duet:

“Julio Iglesias is up to his usual tricks this week at the Greek Theatre -- love, sex and easy listening. His opening performance Thursday night was a classic example of the laid-back smorgasbord of international music that has made him one of the most popular singers in the world.”

“Touching everything from pop ballads to bossa nova to French cabaret, singing in Spanish, English, Italian, French and Portuguese, the deeply tanned Spanish artist worked his overflow crowd with the relaxed charm of a performer dedicated to giving his audience exactly what it wants to hear.”

“Iglesias’ style -- filled with dramatic hand movements, closed eyes and sudden, impassioned body movements -- seemed exaggerated, perhaps because of his awareness of a swarm of cameras filming a cable television special. His singing, however, has become more personalized in the last few years, sometimes verging toward off-rhythm phrasing that can most generously be described as eccentric.”

“But Iglesias’ music is less about technique than it is about reaching out to an audience with passion and sensuality. ‘I want to sing until I die,’ he remarked at one point. And the squeals of response from his listeners clearly suggested that they intend to stay with him for the full run.”

Prophetic words.

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