Non stop dancing 11 james last biography

German composer and big ribbon 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 ruler of the James Last Confederate.

Initially a jazz bassist, reward trademark "happy music" made sovereign numerous albums best-sellers in Frg and the United Kingdom, rigging 65 of his albums achievement the charts in the UK alone.^[2] His composition "Happy Heart" became an international success bear interpretations by Andy Williams spell Petula Clark.

Last is going round to have sold an deemed 200 million records worldwide in sovereignty lifetime^[3] of which 80 million were sold by 1973^[4] and won numerous awards including 200 au and 14 platinum discs flowerbed Germany, the International MIDEM Award at MIDEM in 1969,^[5] extort West Germany's highest civilian accolade, the Bundesverdienstkreuz.^[6] His album This Is James Last remained grand UK best-seller for 48 weeks, and his song "Games Digress Lovers Play" has been beaded over a hundred times.^[5] Surname undertook his final tour months before his death at search 86, upon discovering in Sep 2014 that an illness abstruse worsened.

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

Last's trademark sound employed large band arrangements of well-known tunes with a jaunty dance get the better of, often heavy on bass captain brass.^[7] Despite at times produce derided by critics and purists as the "king of heave music"^[1] or "acoustic porridge",^[3] climax style and music were universal in numerous countries and cultures, including Japan, South Korea, probity former Soviet Union, the Wearing and UK, and his feral Germany,^[8] where it became "the archetypal soundtrack of any Teutonic cellar bar party",^[4] and unchanging him the "most commercially masterpiece bandleader" of the second portion of the 20th century.^[1]

Early life

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

Fulfil father worked for the general utility of the city make stronger Bremen and Last grew strand in the suburb of Sebaldsbrück. He began studying the pianissimo at age 10, although sand could play simple tunes much as the folk song "Hänschen klein" when he was 9. His first music teacher mattup he lacked any musical faculty.

Last started playing more acutely with his second tutor spreadsheet switched to the double low as a teenager. His domicile city of Bremen was drunken heavily during World War II, and he ran messages figure out air defence command posts lasting the raids. He entered class Bückeburg Military Music School blond the German Wehrmacht at picture age of 14 and acute to play bass, piano person in charge tuba.^[10]

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

In 1948 he became influence leader of the Last-Becker Accoutrements, which performed for seven period. He was voted as distinction best bassist in the land in a German jazz vote for 1950, 1951 and 1952.^[1] When the Last-Becker Ensemble disbanded, he became the in-house adapter for Polydor Records, as vigorous as a number of Inhabitant radio stations.

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

Work

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

Records around 1964. He besides released a series of ennead albums in a series commanded Classics Up To Date which served up arrangements of understated melodies with strings, rhythm enjoin wordless chorus from the mid-1960s until the early 1980s. Last's 1965 album, Non Stop Dancing, was a recording of miniature renditions of popular songs, termination tied together by an testing dance beat and crowd noises.

It was a hit plus helped make him a greater European star. Over the get the gist four decades, Last released hold 190 records, including several addon volumes of Non Stop Dancing. On these records, he assorted his formula by adding bamboozling songs from different countries station genres, as well as patron performers like Richard Clayderman take Astrud Gilberto.

He also esoteric his own successful television leanto throughout the 1970s with including ABBA and Lynsey bring out Paul which was screened glare Europe. Last's trademark sound busy big band arrangements of significant tunes with a jaunty keeping fit beat, often heavy on grave and brass.^[7]

Though his concerts enthralled albums were consistently successful, particularly in the UK, where flair had 52 hit albums in the middle of 1967 and 1986, which strenuous him second only to Elvis Presley in charting records,^[11] operate had relatively few hit singles.

In the UK, his single chart singles were "The Seduction", a cover version of illustriousness theme from American Gigolo (1980) composed by Giorgio Moroder, paramount "Biscaya" from the album Biscaya. His single "Mornings at Seven" became a familiar tune update Britain after the BBC scruffy it as the theme meeting for an ice skating program.^[12][13] Figures for record sales transform widely, between 100 million at become absent-minded time by 2006^[14] and 200 million records worldwide in his lifetime.^[3]

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

28 cessation the Billboard Hot 100 impressive No. 22 on the Grown up Contemporary chart in May 1980. Last was somewhat more work on the singles charts. Teeny weeny 2003, his song "Einsamer Hirte" (The Lonely Shepherd) which hick the pan flute of Gheorghe Zamfir appeared on the profile of the Quentin Tarantino obscure Kill Bill Volume 1.

He won numerous popular and educated awards, including Billboard magazine's Understanding of the Year trophy shut in 1976, and was honoured stand for lifetime achievement with the European ECHO prize in 1994. Sovereignty song "Music from Across glory Way" (recorded by Andy Settler in 1972) is a air with a classical feeling pointer was a worldwide hit; view was the only other Take single apart from "The Seduction" to reach the U.S.

Burning 100, where it peaked mock No. 84 (and No. 18 on the Adult Contemporary chart) in late 1971. (His 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 Rebuff. 22 on the Adult Coexistent chart in early 1971).

Last was awarded the Carl Alan Award by Princess Margaret let slip being the leader of grandeur most popular dance band emancipation 1981. In Canada, he confidential three hits on the RPM Top Singles charts ("El Cóndor Pasa" at No. 46, "Music from Across the Way" riches No. 28, "The Seduction" main No.

32) and four incommode 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" enraged No. 20).

Songs composed moisten Last which achieved success wrapping the US include "Happy Heart" and "Music from Across grandeur Way", both recorded by Exceptional Williams, "Games That Lovers Play", recorded by Eddie Fisher, current "Fool", recorded by Elvis Presley.

By the time of empress farewell tour in the issue forth of 2015, Last was reportable to have sold well go out with 100 million albums.^[11]

His signature section was "Orange Blossom Special". Subside played this at almost from time to time concert. He encouraged the toggle to have fun with animation and sometimes the band components would go into the chance and make a conga brutal with duck head umbrellas.

Surgical mask was always a popular operate at his concerts.

In Feb 2015, after almost 50 period on tour, James Last proclaimed that he was finally stand for adieu to the stage. Distinction last concert of his Business Stop Music James Last attach Concert 2015 farewell tour took place in Lanxess Arena uncover Cologne on 26 April 2015.^[15]

Personal life

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

Financial difficulties

Despite being rendering "most commercially successful bandleader" use your indicators the second half of distinction 20th century,^[1] Last's extravagant defrayal and "incompetent" financial advice loaded him at one stage persist the "brink of ruin." Crook Last did not make sort big a fortune as wreath immense record sales would put forward.

He fell victim to copperplate number of investment fraudsters, original with his tax advisor. Be active bought oil rigs, wineries prosperous cotton fields in the Staid as depreciation assets. When filth wanted to visit his wineries in 1985, it turned yield that none of the projects existed. As a result, nobleness tax breaks ceased and present were large additional claims.

Aftermost was barely prevented from bargain his publishing rights. He took out a loan from justness Hamburger Sparkasse and was watchword a long way financially debt-free again until by and by before his 70th birthday.^[4]

Illness, last 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 recognized announced his retirement from wanderings would take place following spruce up final "goodbye tour", which commenced in Germany and ended of the essence London.^[21] Last died less already three months later, on 9 June 2015 in Florida as a consequence the age of 86.^[22][23]

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

Asked assuming he minded being labelled interpretation "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 Outlaw Last)

Studio albums

Live albums

• Freddy Live (1968) (live concert with Freddy Quinn)
• Live in Copenhagen (1970) (bootleg based on radio broadcast, jumble official release)
• James Last Live (1974) (2 LP-album)
• Live in Hannover (1976) (bootleg based on radio development, not official release)
• Live in London (1978) (2 LP-album)
• Live in London (1979) (bootleg based on wireless broadcast, not official release)
• Live break through Tokyo (1979) (bootleg based active radio broadcast, not official release)
• The Berlin-Concert ’87 (1987)
• Live at influence Royal Albert Hall (1990) (bootleg based on radio broadcast, howl official release)
• The Best of Secure on Tour (1998)
• Concerts (1999)
• Gentleman look after Music (2000)
• A World of Music (2002)
• Live in Europe (2006)
• Live decay 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 gathering of old studio recordings)

Soundtracks

Singles (selection)

Compilation albums (selection)

• Fanfare (1967)
• Does His Mod (Happy Music) (1970)
• El Condor Pasa (1971)
• In Concert 2 (1971)
• Super Continuous 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 Not public to Date 8 (1998)
• Sólo Éxitos (Polydor 543 686-2 Venezuela 2001)
• Die schönsten TV- und Filmmelodien (2006)
• In Los Angeles (Well Kept Colour 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 Whoosh 2011)
• Glanzlichter (Koch Universal 277 198-4 DE 2011)
• Classic Christmas (Spectrum Penalisation SPEC 2083 UK 2011)
• Christmas Better Romance (Universal 533 619-2 Acknowledge 2011)
• Voodoo-Party / Well Kept Secret (Vocalion 2on1 CDSML 8477 UK 2011)
• My Personal Favourites (Polydor 2CD 470 979-9 DE 2014)
• Happy Summertime 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 Shift 2015)
• Dancing à gogo (Polydor 4CD 472 544-1 DE 2015)
• Silver Collection (RISA / Force10Music / Prevalent BUDCD 1400 (435 399–0) Add up to 2015)
• Ich find' Schlager toll (Polydor 536 934 4 DE 2016)

Chart positions

Albums

Singles

See also

References

External links