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James Last, born in Bremen, is an international star.
For over thirty years, he has entranced his fans with Easy listening. And in order to keep not only the music, but
also his life `easy`, the conductor and bassist decided early on to re-settle in sunny Florida. As if the status
as international star weren't enough, the 67 year old musician is also a cult figure for the 20-35 year old
generation. Far and wide, weekend `James Last parties` take place. Easy listening: the logical answer to
Hip hop and techno. Also, younger bands otherwise best known for their raw, harsh sounds identify
themselves musically with such musical influences. "I have your stuff ", say fans in long calls to the states,
according to the charismatic James Last who can hardly believe it. "They all tell me I`m getting popular
there once more.". The word "there" indicates a clearly inaccurate reference: Whilst JL and his orchestra
may fill the stadiums from the States to Japan, it appears that success for the prophet himself in his
homeland is not so forthcoming - until now, that is......
K.N. In Germany, there is an "easy listening revival", which has taken on a cult status. Can you explain this ?
JL. Those who just listen to stuff like techno maybe get fed up with it at one point or another, and instead want
to hear something else; something which starts and ends with a melody. But people who know how to use
synths and computers can also make nice mucic with them. I have used such gear myself and it was a lot
of fun.
K.N.What exactly IS easy listening?
JL. Whenever I have asked anybody this question seriously, I have never received a satisfactory answer.
Perhaps we used to play so loosely and inaccurately that it`s all considered "easy listening" today. Back
then, certain musical `mistakes` helped form a style of music; today, musicians play everything so terribly
accurately!
K.N.With what sort of music did you grow up in Germany?
JL. As an adolescent I started studying classical music and considered, at 28, becoming a conductor in an
opera house . Then, after the war, I was a bass player on the american club scene, and was introduced to
jazz. In the end I met my wife and married her. Of course, I also had to think long and hard about my future
and what I wanted to do with it.
K.N. How important was musical education within your family?
JL. Basically I was introduced to music by my brothers Werner and Robert. We used to play together in the
Bremen Dance Orchestra . If those two hadn`t said to me "Make music, its THE way of life", then I `d
probably not be sitting here now. After leaving school I wanted to become a technical engineer. Werner
and Robert's influence was important.
K.N. Your first big success was with the 1965 record "Non stop dancing." What was the idea behind that?
JL. When I was a young lad we had this armchair at home. On saturday afternoons I would sit there with my
father, in comfort, and listen to Radio Kopenhagen. There used to be regular live broadcasts from some
cafe or other, and you could hear the background noises of glasses and talking. It was a real live
atmosphere. Later I returned to this idea. Parties at home would start off so boring. Everything was too
formal. I thought to myself that music with a live atmos was needed, in order to get people into the party
mood. That and the `segueing` of the tunes was the basic idea behind "Non stop dancing". My age was
probably another contributing factor.
K.N. What sort of music did you dance to in those days?
JL. Straight away on the first LP we played the Beatles' first release instrumentally. Beards,lonh hair.... in those
days it all seemed like it was out of a different world! And me too, I eventually had hair growing over my
ears. Since we played all that stuff instrumentally, the music was more acceptable to the older generation.
K.N. You`ve just released a new LP. What sort of music is it this time?
JL. Russian Classical pieces, Tschaikovsky, Rachmaninov, .....A lot of fun. This way, you never get old. I used
to always say to my wife, " I 'm proud of my age. I`ll never have to fill in a crossword, I can always read the
old sheet music." That`s unbeatable.
K.N. Isn`t it difficult to link individual pieces of music to one another?
JL. Perhaps this is going to upset a few people, but.......sometimes, I find it possible to drop the names of
Beethoven and Michael Jackson together well in a sentence. Whether I just sing "Freude schöne
Gotterfunken" or "Heal the world" by Micahel Jackson - there is no major difference, from the point of view
of `melody`. There is good music and there is bad music.
`Alles easy` article translated from p.18, `Kultur News 11`, Nov. 1996 by Ben Roberts
BACK to cheesey music page or view another James Last article HERE