IGLESIAS A LOVER, NOT A SINGER

Julio Iglesias embodies the “champagne wishes and caviar dreams” credo of “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.” The 43-year old Spaniard is the fantasy lover in a Harlequin Romance novel come to life. He’d be a terrific addition to the cast of “Dynasty.”

But as a singer--forget it.

Iglesias was so lacking in vocal stamina and range Thursday at the Hollywood Bowl that when a Christopher Cross record was piped over the sound system at the end of the show, Cross sounded like a vocal powerhouse.

Iglesias has drop-dead looks, boyish charm and a debonair image. But if he had to get by on his music alone, he’d be out of work quicker than you can say Julio Who?

Iglesias’ frail, whispery vocals and shy continental charm make him the male equivalent of ‘60s chanteuse Claudine Longet. But while Longet achieved only modest success, Iglesias has become a superstar.

Iglesias tried to hide his shortcomings Thursday by singing several duets with his backing singers and by letting his orchestra provide the dynamics. Iglesias is like a mediocre dancer who gets by with a few easy steps while the “gypsies” around him do all the work. Take away Iglesias’ backup vocalists, orchestra and giant video screen, and the emperor would have no clothes indeed.

As an interpreter of romantic ballads, Iglesias is far outclassed by such rivals as Frank Sinatra and Johnny Mathis. And as a sex symbol and matinee idol, he’s easily topped by such singers as Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck--who at least inject some personality into the proceedings. Iglesias, on the other hand, showed few traces of humor or wit at the Bowl.

Iglesias selected some great songs for his 90-minute show, but he often didn’t do them justice. “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” for example, requires a passion and intensity that Iglesias simply can’t muster. His rendition of “When I Fall in Love” was pretty, but nothing more than that: Iglesias seems unable to dig below a song’s surface.

The crooner’s halting style was better suited to languid songs like “The Girl From Ipanema” and undemanding pieces like “Some Enchanted Evening.”

Iglesias’ shy manner and low-key style place him in the mold of the Sensitive Male. But without any musical muscle to back it up, he just comes across as wimpy.

Part of the problem may be that Iglesias still isn’t fully comfortable with English. Frank Sinatra’s saloon songs are so convincing because you sense that he’s lived them. Iglesias’ ballads are unaffecting because you sense that he’s learned them phonetically.

But you can’t blame it all on the language barrier: Iglesias’ vocals were undistinguished even on the Spanish and French songs that constituted the bulk of the show.

Another problem was that the Hollywood Bowl is an inappropriate arena for a romantic balladeer--especially one with a soft voice and low-key style. Love songs tend to lose their intimacy when they’re projected on a giant video screen.

The inescapable conclusion: Iglesias is more hype than the real thing. Other artists who started out in a blaze of hype--Madonna and Donna Summer, for example--went on to prove that they have more to offer than their surface attributes. But with Iglesias, you scratch below the surface and you find . . . more surface.

Iglesias and singer Roseanne Barr are also slated to perform tonight and Sunday at the Pacific Amphitheatre.

LIVE ACTION: David Lee Roth will make his L.A. debut with his new band Dec. 19 at the Forum. Tickets are available now. . . . Tickets go on sale Monday for two added Elton John shows (Oct. 14-15) at the Universal Amphitheatre. . . . Emerson, Lake and Powell will be at the Greek Theatre on Oct. 30 and Pacific Amphitheatre on Oct. 31. Tickets go on sale Monday.

Tickets will be available Monday for Neil Young’s Nov. 15 concert at the Pacific Amphitheatre, and on Sunday for his Nov. 17-18 Universal Amphitheatre dates. The Universal Amphitheatre will also put tickets on sale Sunday for these shows: Rocio Durcal (Nov. 2), Midnight Star (Nov. 6-7), Rare Silk (Nov. 14), a British Invasion package featuring Gerry & the Pacemakers (Nov. 16), Ricky Skaggs (Nov. 20) and Philip Glass (Nov. 23). . . . Oingo Boingo will play Irvine Meadows on Oct. 31.