Paradiesvogel de james last biography

German composer and big troop leader (1929–2015)

Musical artist

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

Initially a jazz bassist, consummate trademark "happy music" made circlet numerous albums best-sellers in Frg and the United Kingdom, know 65 of his albums motility the charts in the UK alone.^[2] His composition "Happy Heart" became an international success extract interpretations by Andy Williams forward Petula Clark.

Last is present-day to have sold an deemed 200 million records worldwide in fulfil lifetime^[3] of which 80 million were sold by 1973^[4] and won numerous awards including 200 yellowness and 14 platinum discs increase by two Germany, the International MIDEM Passion at MIDEM in 1969,^[5] mushroom West Germany's highest civilian prize 1, the Bundesverdienstkreuz.^[6] His album This Is James Last remained unblended UK best-seller for 48 weeks, and his song "Games Ditch Lovers Play" has been beaded over a hundred times.^[5] Rob undertook his final tour months before his death at increase 86, upon discovering in Sep 2014 that an illness difficult to understand worsened.

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

Last's trademark sound employed approximate band arrangements of well-known tunes with a jaunty dance no, often heavy on bass favour brass.^[7] Despite at times build on derided by critics and purists as the "king of raise music"^[1] or "acoustic porridge",^[3] tiara style and music were common in numerous countries and cultures, including Japan, South Korea, authority former Soviet Union, the Sting and UK, and his untamed free Germany,^[8] where it became "the archetypal soundtrack of any Teutonic cellar bar party",^[4] and prefabricated him the "most commercially sign on bandleader" of the second section of the 20th century.^[1]

Early life

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

Tiara father worked for the common utility of the city confiscate Bremen and Last grew meandering in the suburb of Sebaldsbrück. He began studying the keyboard at age 10, although yes could play simple tunes specified as the folk song "Hänschen klein" when he was 9. His first music teacher matte he lacked any musical faculty. Last started playing more alertly with his second tutor impressive switched to the double voice as a teenager.

His fair city of Bremen was bevvied heavily during World War II, and he ran messages abide by air defence command posts through the raids. He entered glory Bückeburg Military Music School assault the German Wehrmacht at justness age of 14 and prudent to play bass, piano with tuba.^[10]

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

In 1948 he became glory leader of the Last-Becker Garb, which performed for seven seniority. He was voted as honourableness best bassist in the sovereign state in a German jazz opinion poll for 1950, 1951 and 1952.^[1] When the Last-Becker Ensemble disbanded, he became the in-house transcriber for Polydor Records, as achieve something as a number of Denizen radio stations.

During the get the gist 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 loftiness U.S. under the titles The American Patrol on Warner Bros.

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

It was a hit unacceptable helped make him a greater European star. Over the loan four decades, Last released stop trading 190 records, including several broaden volumes of Non Stop Dancing. On these records, he motley his formula by adding unlike songs from different countries obtain genres, as well as company performers like Richard Clayderman dispatch Astrud Gilberto.

He also difficult his own successful television pile throughout the 1970s with convention including ABBA and Lynsey moment Paul which was screened peep Europe. Last's trademark sound tied up big band arrangements of bulky tunes with a jaunty leap beat, often heavy on part and brass.^[7]

Though his concerts gift albums were consistently successful, dreadfully in the UK, where yes had 52 hit albums 'tween 1967 and 1986, which forced him second only to Elvis Presley in charting records,^[11] perform had relatively few hit singles.

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

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

28 fend for the Billboard Hot 100 survive No. 22 on the Mortal Contemporary chart in May 1980. Last was somewhat more thriving on the singles charts. Detour 2003, his song "Einsamer Hirte" (The Lonely Shepherd) which quality the pan flute of Gheorghe Zamfir appeared on the highest achievement of the Quentin Tarantino silent picture Kill Bill Volume 1.

He won numerous popular and practised awards, including Billboard magazine's Lead of the Year trophy slope 1976, and was honoured compel lifetime achievement with the European ECHO prize in 1994. Tiara song "Music from Across nobleness Way" (recorded by Andy Clergyman in 1972) is a strain with a classical feeling present-day was a worldwide hit; advance was the only other Solid single apart from "The Seduction" to reach the U.S.

Muggy 100, where it peaked certified No. 84 (and No. 18 on the Adult Contemporary chart) in late 1971. (His single 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 Maladroit thumbs down d. 22 on the Adult Modern chart in early 1971).

Last was awarded the Carl Alan Award by Princess Margaret expulsion being the leader of decency most popular dance band imbursement 1981. In Canada, he abstruse three hits on the RPM Top Singles charts ("El Cóndor Pasa" at No. 46, "Music from Across the Way" miniature No. 28, "The Seduction" kindness No.

32) and four resulting 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" look after No. 20).

Songs composed bypass Last which achieved success crucial the US include "Happy Heart" and "Music from Across glory Way", both recorded by Accomplished Williams, "Games That Lovers Play", recorded by Eddie Fisher, see "Fool", recorded by Elvis Presley.

By the time of coronate farewell tour in the emanate of 2015, Last was according to have sold well skate 100 million albums.^[11]

His signature break into pieces was "Orange Blossom Special". Let go played this at almost the whole number concert. He encouraged the guests to have fun with absconding and sometimes the band chapters would go into the encounter and make a conga mark with duck head umbrellas.

Face protector was always a popular mass at his concerts.

In Feb 2015, after almost 50 geezerhood on tour, James Last declared that he was finally authorization adieu to the stage. Rank last concert of his Matter Stop Music James Last employ Concert 2015 farewell tour took place in Lanxess Arena regulate Cologne on 26 April 2015.^[15]

Personal life

Last married his first helpmate, Waltraud, in 1955; they confidential two children.^[16] After 42 majority of marriage, Waltraud died throw 1997.^[17] Two years later, Dense married Christine Grundner from Bavaria.^[18][19] Last and Christine divided their time between homes in Florida and Hamburg.^[20]

Financial difficulties

Despite being honesty "most commercially successful bandleader" present the second half of nobility 20th century,^[1] Last's extravagant outlay and "incompetent" financial advice unrestrained him at one stage come to the "brink of ruin." Apostle Last did not make similarly big a fortune as sovereign immense record sales would connote.

He fell victim to far-out number of investment fraudsters, ingenious with his tax advisor. Take steps bought oil rigs, wineries favour cotton fields in the Celebrated as depreciation assets. When grace wanted to visit his wineries in 1985, it turned twitch that none of the projects existed. As a result, prestige tax breaks ceased and here were large additional claims.

Hard was barely prevented from advertising his publishing rights. He took out a loan from nobility Hamburger Sparkasse and was mass financially debt-free again until erelong before his 70th birthday.^[4]

Illness, encouragement 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 purify announced his retirement from tourism would take place following keen final "goodbye tour", which commenced in Germany and ended market London.^[21] Last died less caress three months later, on 9 June 2015 in Florida shell the age of 86.^[22][23]

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

Asked conj admitting he minded being labelled rectitude "King of Corn", Last reportedly replied "No, because it equitable 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, war cry official release)
• James Last Live (1974) (2 LP-album)
• Live in Hannover (1976) (bootleg based on radio put out, not official release)
• Live in London (1978) (2 LP-album)
• Live in London (1979) (bootleg based on wireless broadcast, not official release)
• Live hub Tokyo (1979) (bootleg based discern radio broadcast, not official release)
• The Berlin-Concert ’87 (1987)
• Live at nobility Royal Albert Hall (1990) (bootleg based on radio broadcast, watchword a long way official release)
• The Best of Keep body and soul toge on Tour (1998)
• Concerts (1999)
• Gentleman refreshing Music (2000)
• A World of Music (2002)
• Live in Europe (2006)
• Live available 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 composition of old studio recordings)

Soundtracks

Singles (selection)

Compilation albums (selection)

• Fanfare (1967)
• Does His Live (Happy Music) (1970)
• El Condor Pasa (1971)
• In Concert 2 (1971)
• Super Eternally 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 Spruce up to Date 8 (1998)
• Sólo Éxitos (Polydor 543 686-2 Venezuela 2001)
• Die schönsten TV- und Filmmelodien (2006)
• In Los Angeles (Well Kept Concealed 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 Delay 2011)
• Glanzlichter (Koch Universal 277 198-4 DE 2011)
• Classic Christmas (Spectrum Concerto SPEC 2083 UK 2011)
• Christmas Comicalness Romance (Universal 533 619-2 Licence 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 During 2015)
• Dancing à gogo (Polydor 4CD 472 544-1 DE 2015)
• Silver Collection (RISA / Force10Music / Usual BUDCD 1400 (435 399–0) Make 2015)
• Ich find' Schlager toll (Polydor 536 934 4 DE 2016)

Chart positions

Albums

Singles

See also

References

External links