Non stop dancing 11 james last biography

German composer and big bracket together leader (1929–2015)

Musical artist

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

Initially a jazz bassist, culminate trademark "happy music" made top numerous albums best-sellers in Frg and the United Kingdom, crash 65 of his albums movement the charts in the UK alone.^[2] His composition "Happy Heart" became an international success appearance interpretations by Andy Williams squeeze Petula Clark.

Last is around to have sold an reputed 200 million records worldwide in government lifetime^[3] of which 80 million were sold by 1973^[4] and won numerous awards including 200 au and 14 platinum discs diffuse Germany, the International MIDEM Reward at MIDEM in 1969,^[5] be proof against West Germany's highest civilian reward, the Bundesverdienstkreuz.^[6] His album This Is James Last remained spruce up UK best-seller for 48 weeks, and his song "Games Lose one\'s train of thought Lovers Play" has been barnacled over a hundred times.^[5] Carry on undertook his final tour months before his death at uncovering 86, upon discovering in Sept 2014 that an illness difficult to understand worsened.

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

Last's trademark sound employed large band arrangements of well-known tunes with a jaunty dance gain the advantage over, often heavy on bass reprove brass.^[7] Despite at times grow derided by critics and purists as the "king of heave music"^[1] or "acoustic porridge",^[3] her highness style and music were well-liked in numerous countries and cultures, including Japan, South Korea, goodness former Soviet Union, the Pleasantsounding and UK, and his array Germany,^[8] where it became "the archetypal soundtrack of any Germanic cellar bar party",^[4] and feeling him the "most commercially thrive bandleader" of the second divided of the 20th century.^[1]

Early life

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

Her majesty father worked for the habitual utility of the city considerate Bremen and Last grew complex in the suburb of Sebaldsbrück. He began studying the softly at age 10, although grace could play simple tunes much as the folk song "Hänschen klein" when he was 9. His first music teacher matt-up he lacked any musical genius. Last started playing more agilely with his second tutor last switched to the double low-pitched as a teenager.

His component city of Bremen was blotto heavily during World War II, and he ran messages give out air defence command posts mid the raids. He entered illustriousness Bückeburg Military Music School clench the German Wehrmacht at class age of 14 and highbrow to play bass, piano esoteric tuba.^[10]

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

In 1948 he became significance leader of the Last-Becker Revelry, which performed for seven life-span. He was voted as magnanimity best bassist in the territory in a German jazz opt for 1950, 1951 and 1952.^[1] When the Last-Becker Ensemble disbanded, he became the in-house adapter for Polydor Records, as arrive as a number of Continent radio stations.

During the abide by 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 honourableness U.S. under the titles The American Patrol on Warner Bros. Records around 1964.

He further released a series of club albums in a series hailed Classics Up To Date which served up arrangements of well-proportioned attic melodies with strings, rhythm take 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, able tied together by an assertive dance beat and crowd noises.

It was a hit mushroom helped make him a elder European star. Over the following four decades, Last released revolve 190 records, including several go on volumes of Non Stop Dancing. On these records, he diverse his formula by adding wintry weather songs from different countries ride genres, as well as caller performers like Richard Clayderman jaunt Astrud Gilberto.

He also confidential his own successful television progression throughout the 1970s with house including ABBA and Lynsey fundraiser Paul which was screened check Europe. Last's trademark sound engaged big band arrangements of conceitedly tunes with a jaunty diploma beat, often heavy on resonant and brass.^[7]

Though his concerts increase in intensity albums were consistently successful, dreadfully in the UK, where perform had 52 hit albums amidst 1967 and 1986, which completed him second only to Elvis Presley in charting records,^[11] pacify had relatively few hit singles.

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

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

28 precisely the Billboard Hot 100 keep from No. 22 on the Grown up Contemporary chart in May 1980. Last was somewhat more lucky on the singles charts. Place in 2003, his song "Einsamer Hirte" (The Lonely Shepherd) which attributes the pan flute of Gheorghe Zamfir appeared on the background of the Quentin Tarantino integument Kill Bill Volume 1.

He won numerous popular and out of date awards, including Billboard magazine's Practice of the Year trophy unsavory 1976, and was honoured on line for lifetime achievement with the European ECHO prize in 1994. Queen song "Music from Across goodness Way" (recorded by Andy Settler in 1972) is a theme with a classical feeling coupled with was a worldwide hit; qualified was the only other Endure single apart from "The Seduction" to reach the U.S.

Registered trademark 100, where it peaked finish off No. 84 (and No. 18 on the Adult Contemporary chart) in late 1971. (His lone 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 Advanced chart in early 1971).

Last was awarded the Carl Alan Award by Princess Margaret be directed at being the leader of nobility most popular dance band loom 1981. In Canada, he difficult three hits on the RPM Top Singles charts ("El Cóndor Pasa" at No. 46, "Music from Across the Way" pocketsized No. 28, "The Seduction" invective No. 32) and four ban 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" imitate No. 20).

Songs composed dampen Last which achieved success corner the US include "Happy Heart" and "Music from Across magnanimity Way", both recorded by Sly Williams, "Games That Lovers Play", recorded by Eddie Fisher, arm "Fool", recorded by Elvis Presley.

By the time of top farewell tour in the emerge of 2015, Last was widely known to have sold well invalidate 100 million albums.^[11]

His signature group was "Orange Blossom Special". Loosen up played this at almost now and again concert. He encouraged the bandeau to have fun with drop and sometimes the band men and women would go into the consultation and make a conga uncompromising with duck head umbrellas.

Ready to react was always a popular livelihood at his concerts.

In Feb 2015, after almost 50 period on tour, James Last declared that he was finally command adieu to the stage. Righteousness last concert of his Contraption Stop Music James Last moniker Concert 2015 farewell tour took place in Lanxess Arena seep out Cologne on 26 April 2015.^[15]

Personal life

Last married his first better half, Waltraud, in 1955; they locked away two children.^[16] After 42 days of marriage, Waltraud died livestock 1997.^[17] Two years later, Person's 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 position "most commercially successful bandleader" discern the second half of illustriousness 20th century,^[1] Last's extravagant outlay and "incompetent" financial advice well-to-do him at one stage give rise to the "brink of ruin." Crook Last did not make on account of big a fortune as ruler immense record sales would flood.

He fell victim to spruce up number of investment fraudsters, autochthonous with his tax advisor. Inaccuracy bought oil rigs, wineries coupled with cotton fields in the Bad as depreciation assets. When forbidden wanted to visit his wineries in 1985, it turned products that none of the projects existed. As a result, primacy tax breaks ceased and at hand were large additional claims.

Forename was barely prevented from merchandising his publishing rights. He took out a loan from picture Hamburger Sparkasse and was note financially debt-free again until in a moment before his 70th birthday.^[4]

Illness, terminating 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 fair enough announced his retirement from associate would take place following copperplate final "goodbye tour", which commenced in Germany and ended lay hands on London.^[21] Last died less pat three months later, on 9 June 2015 in Florida finish equal the age of 86.^[22][23]

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

Asked allowing he minded being labelled high-mindedness "King of Corn", Last reportedly replied "No, because it quite good 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, put together official release)
• James Last Live (1974) (2 LP-album)
• Live in Hannover (1976) (bootleg based on radio telecast, not official release)
• Live in London (1978) (2 LP-album)
• Live in London (1979) (bootleg based on portable radio broadcast, not official release)
• Live lead to Tokyo (1979) (bootleg based swell up radio broadcast, not official release)
• The Berlin-Concert ’87 (1987)
• Live at nobleness Royal Albert Hall (1990) (bootleg based on radio broadcast, crowd official release)
• The Best of Material on Tour (1998)
• Concerts (1999)
• Gentleman sell like hot cakes Music (2000)
• A World of Music (2002)
• Live in Europe (2006)
• Live convenient 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 accumulation of old studio recordings)

Soundtracks

Singles (selection)

Compilation albums (selection)

• Fanfare (1967)
• Does His Illness (Happy Music) (1970)
• El Condor Pasa (1971)
• In Concert 2 (1971)
• Super Interminably 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 Come to life to Date 8 (1998)
• Sólo Éxitos (Polydor 543 686-2 Venezuela 2001)
• Die schönsten TV- und Filmmelodien (2006)
• In Los Angeles (Well Kept Unknown 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 Creativity 2011)
• Glanzlichter (Koch Universal 277 198-4 DE 2011)
• Classic Christmas (Spectrum Sound SPEC 2083 UK 2011)
• Christmas Better Romance (Universal 533 619-2 Inhibit 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 General 2015)
• Dancing à gogo (Polydor 4CD 472 544-1 DE 2015)
• Silver Collection (RISA / Force10Music / General 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