James Last: Difference between revisions
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[[Image:James Last1.jpg|thumb|James Last in 2006]] |
[[Image:James Last1.jpg|thumb|James Last in 2006]] |
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'''James Last''' (also known as '''"Hansi"''', born '''Hans Last''' on 17 April 1929 in [[Bremen]]) is a [[ |
'''James Last''' (also known as '''"Hansi"''', born '''Hans Last''' on 17 April 1929 in [[Bremen]]) is a [[Germans|German]] composer and [[big band]] leader. |
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==Early life== |
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Last's father was an official at the public works department of the city of Bremen and he grew up in the suburb of Sebaldsbrück. He learned to play the [[piano]] from the age of 12, then switched to [[double bass]] as a [[teenager]]. His home city was heavily bombed in [[World War II]] and he ran messages to air defence command posts during raids. At 14 he was entered in the [[Bückeburg]] Military Music School of the German [[Wehrmacht]].<ref name=MyAutobiography>{{cite book|year=2007|last=Last|first=James|isbn=978-1-84454-434-9|title=My Autobiography|publisher=Metro Publishing|location=London}}</ref> |
Last's father was an official at the public works department of the city of Bremen and he grew up in the suburb of Sebaldsbrück. He learned to play the [[piano]] from the age of 12, then switched to [[double bass]] as a [[teenager]]. His home city was heavily bombed in [[World War II]] and he ran messages to air defence command posts during raids. At 14 he was entered in the [[Bückeburg]] Military Music School of the German [[Wehrmacht]].<ref name=MyAutobiography>{{cite book|year=2007|last=Last|first=James|isbn=978-1-84454-434-9|title=My Autobiography|publisher=Metro Publishing|location=London}}</ref> |
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After the fall of the [[Nazism|Nazis]], he joined [[Hans-Gunther Österreich]]'s Radio Bremen Dance Orchestra in 1946. In 1948, he became the leader of the [[Last-Becker Ensemble]], which performed for seven years. During that time, he was voted as the best bassist in the country by a German [[jazz]] [[voting|poll]] for three consecutive years, from 1950–1952. After the Last-Becker Ensemble disbanded, he became the in-house arranger for [[Polydor Records]], as well as for a number of European radio stations. For the next decade, he helped arrange hits for artists like [[Helmut Zacharias]], [[Freddy Quinn]], [[Lolita (Austrian singer)|Lolita]], [[Alfred Hause]] and [[Caterina Valente]]. |
After the fall of the [[Nazism|Nazis]], he joined [[Hans-Gunther Österreich]]'s Radio Bremen Dance Orchestra in 1946. In 1948, he became the leader of the [[Last-Becker Ensemble]], which performed for seven years. During that time, he was voted as the best bassist in the country by a German [[jazz]] [[voting|poll]] for three consecutive years, from 1950–1952. After the Last-Becker Ensemble disbanded, he became the in-house arranger for [[Polydor Records]], as well as for a number of European radio stations. For the next decade, he helped arrange hits for artists like [[Helmut Zacharias]], [[Freddy Quinn]], [[Lolita (Austrian singer)|Lolita]], [[Alfred Hause]] and [[Caterina Valente]]. |
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==Work== |
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Last first released albums in the U.S. under the titles ''The American Patrol'' on Warner Brothers around 1964. He also released a series of 9 albums in a series called ''Classics Up To Date'' vols. 1–9 which served up arrangements of classical melodies with strings, rhythm and wordless chorus from the mid sixties through the early seventies. Last released an album, ''[[Non Stop Dancing 65|Non-Stop Dancing]],'' in 1965, a recording of brief renditions of popular songs, all tied together by an insistent dance beat and crowd noises. It was a hit and helped make him a major European star. Over the next four decades, Last released over 190 records, including several more volumes of ''Non-Stop Dancing''. On these records, he varies his formula by adding different songs from different countries and genres, as well as guest performers like [[Richard Clayderman]] and [[Astrud Gilberto]]. He also had his own successful television series in the 1970s with guests [[ABBA]] and [[Lynsey de Paul]]. |
Last first released albums in the U.S. under the titles ''The American Patrol'' on Warner Brothers around 1964. He also released a series of 9 albums in a series called ''Classics Up To Date'' vols. 1–9 which served up arrangements of classical melodies with strings, rhythm and wordless chorus from the mid sixties through the early seventies. Last released an album, ''[[Non Stop Dancing 65|Non-Stop Dancing]],'' in 1965, a recording of brief renditions of popular songs, all tied together by an insistent dance beat and crowd noises. It was a hit and helped make him a major European star. Over the next four decades, Last released over 190 records, including several more volumes of ''Non-Stop Dancing''. On these records, he varies his formula by adding different songs from different countries and genres, as well as guest performers like [[Richard Clayderman]] and [[Astrud Gilberto]]. He also had his own successful television series in the 1970s with guests [[ABBA]] and [[Lynsey de Paul]]. |
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Last has a large fan base in Europe and elsewhere. His trademark is [[big band]] arrangements of [[pop music]] hits; his series of ''party albums'' is equally well known. Over the course of his career, he has sold well over 100 million albums.{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}} |
Last has a large fan base in Europe and elsewhere. His trademark is [[big band]] arrangements of [[pop music]] hits; his series of ''party albums'' is equally well known. Over the course of his career, he has sold well over 100 million albums.{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}} |
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European concert dates |
European concert dates for April 2011 have been advertised.<ref>{{cite news|title=Concert advert|work=Daily Mail|accessdate=23 April 2010|location=London}}</ref> |
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Last divides his time between [[Florida]] and [[Germany]]. He gives much credit to his wife and son, who help with his music. |
Last divides his time between [[Florida]] and [[Germany]]. He gives much credit to his wife and son, who help with his music. |
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==Discography== |
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==See also== |
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* [[James Last Orchestra]] |
* [[James Last Orchestra]] |
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* [[List of best-selling music artists]] |
* [[List of best-selling music artists]] |
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==References== |
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{{Reflist}} |
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==External links== |
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{{commons|James Last|James Last}} |
{{commons|James Last|James Last}} |
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* [http://www.jameslast.com/ Official website] |
* [http://www.jameslast.com/ Official website] |
Revision as of 21:18, 28 March 2011
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James Last (also known as "Hansi", born Hans Last on 17 April 1929 in Bremen) is a German composer and big band leader.
Early life
Last's father was an official at the public works department of the city of Bremen and he grew up in the suburb of Sebaldsbrück. He learned to play the piano from the age of 12, then switched to double bass as a teenager. His home city was heavily bombed in World War II and he ran messages to air defence command posts during raids. At 14 he was entered in the Bückeburg Military Music School of the German Wehrmacht.[1]
After the fall of the Nazis, he joined Hans-Gunther Österreich's Radio Bremen Dance Orchestra in 1946. In 1948, he became the leader of the Last-Becker Ensemble, which performed for seven years. During that time, he was voted as the best bassist in the country by a German jazz poll for three consecutive years, from 1950–1952. After the Last-Becker Ensemble disbanded, he became the in-house arranger for Polydor Records, as well as for a number of European radio stations. For the next decade, he helped arrange hits for artists like Helmut Zacharias, Freddy Quinn, Lolita, Alfred Hause and Caterina Valente.
Work
Last first released albums in the U.S. under the titles The American Patrol on Warner Brothers around 1964. He also released a series of 9 albums in a series called Classics Up To Date vols. 1–9 which served up arrangements of classical melodies with strings, rhythm and wordless chorus from the mid sixties through the early seventies. Last released an album, Non-Stop Dancing, in 1965, a recording of brief renditions of popular songs, all tied together by an insistent dance beat and crowd noises. It was a hit and helped make him a major European star. Over the next four decades, Last released over 190 records, including several more volumes of Non-Stop Dancing. On these records, he varies his formula by adding different songs from different countries and genres, as well as guest performers like Richard Clayderman and Astrud Gilberto. He also had his own successful television series in the 1970s with guests ABBA and Lynsey de Paul.
Though his concerts and albums are consistently successful—especially in the United Kingdom, where he had 52 hit albums between 1967 and 1986, which made him second only to Elvis Presley in charting records[citation needed]—he has only had two hit singles with "The Seduction", the theme from American Gigolo (1980) composed by Giorgio Moroder, and "Biscaya" from the album Biscaya. The song "The Lonely Shepherd" was written by an unknown artist. The song was performed by Gheorghe Zamfir for over three decades before Tarantino decided to use it in his film Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003).[2]
He has won numerous popular and professional awards, including Billboard magazine's Star of the Year trophy in 1976, and has been honoured for lifetime achievement with the German ECHO prize in 1994. His song "Music from Across the Way" (recorded by Andy Williams in 1972) is a melody with a classical feeling and was a worldwide hit.
Last has a large fan base in Europe and elsewhere. His trademark is big band arrangements of pop music hits; his series of party albums is equally well known. Over the course of his career, he has sold well over 100 million albums.[citation needed]
European concert dates for April 2011 have been advertised.[3]
Personal life
Last divides his time between Florida and Germany. He gives much credit to his wife and son, who help with his music.
Discography
Productions of James Last: (As Hans Last, Orlando and James Last)
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See also
References
- ^ Last, James (2007). My Autobiography. London: Metro Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84454-434-9.
- ^ James Last at IMDb
- ^ "Concert advert". Daily Mail. London.
{{cite news}}
:|access-date=
requires|url=
(help)
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)