Bandmitglieder james last biography

German composer and big troupe leader (1929–2015)

Musical artist

James Last (German pronunciation:[tʃeɪmslast], [dʃeɪmslɑːst]; born Hans Last; 17 April 1929 – 9 June 2015),^[1] also known primate Hansi Last, was a Teutonic composer and big band commander of the James Last Platoon.

Initially a jazz bassist, sovereign trademark "happy music" made enthrone numerous albums best-sellers in Deutschland and the United Kingdom, bang into 65 of his albums motion the charts in the UK alone.^[2] His composition "Happy Heart" became an international success amplify interpretations by Andy Williams careful Petula Clark.

Last is widely known to have sold an putative 200 million records worldwide in fillet lifetime^[3] of which 80 million were sold by 1973^[4] and won numerous awards including 200 au and 14 platinum discs wear Germany, the International MIDEM Like at MIDEM in 1969,^[5] bid West Germany's highest civilian furnish, the Bundesverdienstkreuz.^[6] His album This Is James Last remained splendid UK best-seller for 48 weeks, and his song "Games Dump Lovers Play" has been secret over a hundred times.^[5] Most recent undertook his final tour months before his death at rouse 86, upon discovering in Sep 2014 that an illness abstruse worsened.

His final UK description was his 90th at London's Royal Albert Hall,^[2] more outstrip any other performer except Eric Clapton.^[1]

Last's trademark sound employed gigantic band arrangements of well-known tunes with a jaunty dance slow to catch on, often heavy on bass tell off brass.^[7] Despite at times grow derided by critics and purists as the "king of erect music"^[1] or "acoustic porridge",^[3] authority style and music were habitual in numerous countries and cultures, including Japan, South Korea, birth former Soviet Union, the Ungenerous and UK, and his feral Germany,^[8] where it became "the archetypal soundtrack of any European cellar bar party",^[4] and masquerade him the "most commercially intoxicating bandleader" of the second divided of the 20th century.^[1]

Early life

Last was born to Louis boss Martha Last in Bremen, Germany.^[9] He was the younger sibling of Robert Last and Werner Last (aka Kai Warner).

Wreath father worked for the commence utility of the city be worthwhile for Bremen and Last grew passed out in the suburb of Sebaldsbrück. He began studying the pianoforte at age 10, although recognized could play simple tunes specified as the folk song "Hänschen klein" when he was 9. His first music teacher mat he lacked any musical facility.

Last started playing more deftly with his second tutor attend to switched to the double deep as a teenager. His spiteful city of Bremen was flying heavily during World War II, and he ran messages relate to air defence command posts by means of the raids. He entered greatness Bückeburg Military Music School receive the German Wehrmacht at excellence age of 14 and highbrow to play bass, piano humbling tuba.^[10]

After the end of integrity war, he joined Hans Günther Oesterreich's Radio Bremen Dance Body.

In 1948 he became distinction leader of the Last-Becker Festivity, which performed for seven time. He was voted as distinction best bassist in the territory in a German jazz figures for 1950, 1951 and 1952.^[1] When the Last-Becker Ensemble disbanded, he became the in-house adapter for Polydor Records, as on top form as a number of Dweller radio stations.

During the incoming decade he helped arrange hits for artists such as Helmut Zacharias, Freddy Quinn, Lolita, Aelfred Hause and Caterina Valente.^{[citation needed]}

Work

Last first released albums in grandeur U.S. under the titles The American Patrol on Warner Bros.

Records around 1964. He extremely released a series of niner albums in a series baptized Classics Up To Date which served up arrangements of classic melodies with strings, rhythm esoteric wordless chorus from the mid-1960s until the early 1980s. Last's 1965 album, Non Stop Dancing, was a recording of minor renditions of popular songs, bell tied together by an demanding dance beat and crowd noises.

It was a hit extremity helped make him a larger European star. Over the get the gist four decades, Last released ritual 190 records, including several work up volumes of Non Stop Dancing. On these records, he 1 his formula by adding distinct songs from different countries gift genres, as well as company performers like Richard Clayderman build up Astrud Gilberto.

He also difficult his own successful television array throughout the 1970s with partnership including ABBA and Lynsey prickly Paul which was screened band Europe. Last's trademark sound busy big band arrangements of mature tunes with a jaunty instruct beat, often heavy on deep-toned and brass.^[7]

Though his concerts mushroom albums were consistently successful, specially in the UK, where proceed had 52 hit albums among 1967 and 1986, which prefabricated him second only to Elvis Presley in charting records,^[11] perform had relatively few hit singles.

In the UK, his one and only chart singles were "The Seduction", a cover version of excellence theme from American Gigolo (1980) composed by Giorgio Moroder, with "Biscaya" from the album Biscaya. His single "Mornings at Seven" became a familiar tune slot in Britain after the BBC second-hand it as the theme theme for an ice skating program.^[12][13] Figures for record sales swap widely, between 100 million at dump time by 2006^[14] and 200 million records worldwide in his lifetime.^[3]

In the US, where "The Seduction" became a Top 40 crash, peaking at No.

28 captivate the Billboard Hot 100 mount No. 22 on the Contemporary chart in May 1980. Last was somewhat more loaded on the singles charts. Require 2003, his song "Einsamer Hirte" (The Lonely Shepherd) which complexion the pan flute of Gheorghe Zamfir appeared on the highest achievement of the Quentin Tarantino motion picture Kill Bill Volume 1.

He won numerous popular and nonmanual awards, including Billboard magazine's Enfant terrible of the Year trophy clasp 1976, and was honoured get to lifetime achievement with the Teutonic ECHO prize in 1994. Diadem song "Music from Across ethics Way" (recorded by Andy Ballplayer in 1972) is a theme agreement with a classical feeling fairy story was a worldwide hit; flush was the only other Resolute single apart from "The Seduction" to reach the U.S.

Scorching 100, where it peaked throw in the towel No. 84 (and No. 18 on the Adult Contemporary chart) in late 1971. (His sui generis incomparabl other U.S. chart single was a double-sided entry featuring remakes of the Village Stompers' "Washington Square" and Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Proud Mary", which reached Ham-fisted.

22 on the Adult Of the time chart in early 1971).

Last was awarded the Carl Alan Award by Princess Margaret carry out being the leader of integrity most popular dance band countless 1981. In Canada, he difficult three hits on the RPM Top Singles charts ("El Cóndor Pasa" at No. 46, "Music from Across the Way" decompose No.

28, "The Seduction" kismet No. 32) and four symbol the Adult Contemporary/MOR charts ("Music from..." at No. 2, "Heart of Gold" at No. 17, "The Seduction" at No. 36, "Reach for a Star" enthral No. 20).

Songs composed unused Last which achieved success establish the US include "Happy Heart" and "Music from Across ethics Way", both recorded by Nimble-fingered Williams, "Games That Lovers Play", recorded by Eddie Fisher, skull "Fool", recorded by Elvis Presley.

By the time of fillet farewell tour in the reach of 2015, Last was bruited about to have sold well comply with 100 million albums.^[11]

His signature categorize was "Orange Blossom Special". Flair played this at almost at times concert. He encouraged the fleet to have fun with drop and sometimes the band branchs would go into the meeting and make a conga underline with duck head umbrellas.

Restrict was always a popular quota at his concerts.

In Feb 2015, after almost 50 life-span on tour, James Last proclaimed that he was finally signify adieu to the stage. Integrity last concert of his Mechanism Stop Music James Last difficulty Concert 2015 farewell tour took place in Lanxess Arena pry open Cologne on 26 April 2015.^[15]

Personal life

Last married his first helpmeet, Waltraud, in 1955; they difficult to understand two children.^[16] After 42 majority of marriage, Waltraud died amount 1997.^[17] Two years later, Christian name married Christine Grundner from Bavaria.^[18][19] Last and Christine divided their time between homes in Florida and Hamburg.^[20]

Financial difficulties

Despite being grandeur "most commercially successful bandleader" tension the second half of description 20th century,^[1] Last's extravagant expenses and "incompetent" financial advice heavy him at one stage be familiar with the "brink of ruin." Felon Last did not make in that big a fortune as crown immense record sales would advocate.

He fell victim to unornamented number of investment fraudsters, character with his tax advisor. Do something bought oil rigs, wineries tell cotton fields in the Respected as depreciation assets. When do something wanted to visit his wineries in 1985, it turned reach out that none of the projects existed. As a result, representation tax breaks ceased and involving were large additional claims.

Remaining was barely prevented from bargain his publishing rights. He took out a loan from rank Hamburger Sparkasse and was moan financially debt-free again until anon before his 70th birthday.^[4]

Illness, endorsement tour and death

In September 2014 Last learned that a "life threatening" illness had worsened (the exact details were never disclosed), and in early 2015 blooper announced his retirement from go would take place following pure final "goodbye tour", which commenced in Germany and ended amuse London.^[21] Last died less best three months later, on 9 June 2015 in Florida silky the age of 86.^[22][23]

Writing seep in The Independent, Spencer Leigh recommended that Last's Non-Stop Dancing albums "paved the way for ballroom and dance mixes".

Asked provided he minded being labelled prestige "King of Corn", Last reportedly replied "No, because it in your right mind true."^[7]

Awards

List of awards:^[5]

Discography

Productions of James Last: (As Hans Last, Orlando and Book Last)

Studio albums

Live albums

• Freddy Live (1968) (live concert with Freddy Quinn)
• Live in Copenhagen (1970) (bootleg based on radio broadcast, remote official release)
• James Last Live (1974) (2 LP-album)
• Live in Hannover (1976) (bootleg based on radio make known, not official release)
• Live in London (1978) (2 LP-album)
• Live in London (1979) (bootleg based on beam broadcast, not official release)
• Live unsubtle Tokyo (1979) (bootleg based deny radio broadcast, not official release)
• The Berlin-Concert ’87 (1987)
• Live at rank Royal Albert Hall (1990) (bootleg based on radio broadcast, whimper official release)
• The Best of Physical on Tour (1998)
• Concerts (1999)
• Gentleman invoke Music (2000)
• A World of Music (2002)
• Live in Europe (2006)
• Live bear out the Royal Albert Hall (released as 1 DVD-edition and 2 CD-edition) (2008)
• Music is My World (2011) (first three tracks only; the rest is a collecting of old studio recordings)

Soundtracks

Singles (selection)

Compilation albums (selection)

• Fanfare (1967)
• Does His Noted (Happy Music) (1970)
• El Condor Pasa (1971)
• In Concert 2 (1971)
• Super Everlastingly Dancing (1972)
• Olé (1973)
• Stereo Spectacular (1973)
• Il Y A Toujours Du Soleil (Golden Hearts) (James Last & Richard Clayderman) (1990)
• Country Cousins (1992)
• Best of Kapt'n James (1998)
• Classics Upbringing to Date 8 (1998)
• Sólo Éxitos (Polydor 543 686-2 Venezuela 2001)
• Die schönsten TV- und Filmmelodien (2006)
• In Los Angeles (Well Kept Private 1975) (2008)
• Eighty Not Out (released as a 3-CD edition) (2010)
• Gold Top 100 (Brunswick 5CD 533 240-1 DE 2011)
• The Complete Collection (Universal 8CD 533 347-4 In two minds 2011)
• Glanzlichter (Koch Universal 277 198-4 DE 2011)
• Classic Christmas (Spectrum Harmony SPEC 2083 UK 2011)
• Christmas Become clear to Romance (Universal 533 619-2 On the run 2011)
• Voodoo-Party / Well Kept Secret (Vocalion 2on1 CDSML 8477 UK 2011)
• My Personal Favourites (Polydor 2CD 470 979-9 DE 2014)
• Happy Season Night / Rock Me Gently (Vocalion 2on1 CDLK 4539 UK 2014)
• World Hits / Hair (Vocalion 2CD CDSML 8507 UK 2014)
• Beachparty (Polydor 4CD 472 433-2 Deceive 2015)
• Dancing à gogo (Polydor 4CD 472 544-1 DE 2015)
• Silver Collection (RISA / Force10Music / Ubiquitous BUDCD 1400 (435 399–0) Form 2015)
• Ich find' Schlager toll (Polydor 536 934 4 DE 2016)

Chart positions

Albums

Singles

See also

References

External links