Last learned how to play piano as child, switching to bass as a teenager. He joined Hans-Gunther Oesterreich's Radio Bremen Dance Orchestra in 1946, when he was 17 years old. In 1948, he became the leader of the Becker-Last 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 disbandment of the Becker-Last Ensemble, 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 and Caterina Valente.
Last released his first album "Non-Stop Dancing" in 1965. The record of brief renditions of popular songs, all tied together by an insistent dance beat and joyous crowd noises. It was a hit and helped make him a major European star. Over the next four decades, Last has 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.
Though his concerts and albums are consistently successful — especially in England, where he had 52 hit albums between 1967-1986, which made him second to Elvis Presley in terms of number of charting records — he has only had two hit singles with "The Seduction," the theme from American Gigolo (1980) and Biscaya from the album "Biscaya".
He has won numerous polls and prizes, for example Billboard magazine's "Star of the year" trophy in 1976, and has been honored for his lifework with the German ECHO prize in 1994.
The song "The Lonely Shepherd", written by Last and performed by Gheorghe Zamfir and the James Last Orchestra, was featured in the soundtrack to Quentin Tarantino's film "Kill Bill Vol. 1" (2003).
Personally, he divides his time between Florida and Germany. He gives much credit to his wife and son, who helps with the music.
Granada / Lady Of Spain
James Last Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Right from the night I first saw you
My heart has been yearning for you
What else could any heart do
Lady of Spain I'm appealing
Why should my lips be concealing
All that my eyes are revealing
Night in Madrid, blue and tender
Spanish moon makes silver splendor
Music throbbing plaintive sobbing notes of a guitar
While ardent Caballero serenades
Lady of Spain I adore you
Right from the night I first saw you
My heart has been yearning for you
What else could any heart do
Lady of Spain I'm appealing
Why should my lips be concealing
All that my eyes are revealing
Lady of Spain, I love you
The song "Granada/Lady of Spain" by James Last is a tribute to Lady of Spain, a nickname for Spain's popular folk song "La Canción del Olé." The song expresses the singer's love and admiration for the Lady of Spain, who he has been yearning for since the night he first saw her. The lyrics of the song are primarily delivered in a romantic and poetic manner, giving the listener a taste of Spain's rich culture and tradition.
The opening lines "Lady of Spain I adore you, Right from the night I first saw you" lays down the foundation of the song, as the singer explains his undying love for the Lady of Spain. The lyrics go on to describe the beauty and magic of Madrid, that is further amplified by the night's gentle and soothing breeze. The scene is set in a romantic backdrop, with a Spanish moon making silver splendor, and the gentle music notes of the guitar filling the air.
The chorus of the song repeats the same lyrics twice, highlighting the singer's intense adoration for the Lady of Spain. The song then ends with the final lines "Lady of Spain, I love you," which all but confirms the sincerity of the singer's affection.
Overall, the song is a mesmerizing tribute to the beauty of Spain, its rich cultural heritage, and the romanticism that has been associated with the country for generations.
Line by Line Meaning
Lady of Spain I adore you
I deeply admire you, Lady of Spain
Right from the night I first saw you
From the very moment I laid my eyes on you
My heart has been yearning for you
My heart has been longing for you
What else could any heart do
It's natural for any heart to feel this way about you
Lady of Spain I'm appealing
I'm making a plea to you, Lady of Spain
Why should my lips be concealing
There's no reason for me to hide how I feel about you
All that my eyes are revealing
My eyes show how much I truly love you
Lady of Spain, I love you
I'm in love with you, Lady of Spain
Night in Madrid, blue and tender
In the evening, Madrid is calm and serene
Spanish moon makes silver splendor
The moon in Spain creates a beautiful, silver glow
Music throbbing plaintive sobbing notes of a guitar
The guitar music is full of emotion and heartache
While ardent Caballero serenades
A passionate gentleman is singing a love song to someone
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STANLEY J. DAMERELL, TOLCHARD EVANS, ROBERT HARGREAVES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Stewart Gellatly
Great melodies. Great arrangements. Great artistes. Great choreography. Great photography. And of course Great James Last. This is a production par excellence.
They don't make them like this anymore.
Olga Fernandez
Vídeo incansable. Qué alegría contagiosa se extrae de él. Qué coreografía musical tan exquisita- Vibro al contemplar tan especial vídeo, gracias al INMORTAL JAMES LAST
John McGregor
James Last should have lived forever. Sadly he has gone but so have all the wonderful melodies of his generation. When Frank Sinatra was asked for what he would like to be remembered, he replied, "nothing, but I hope the songs will be remembered". Sadly they are not. We have allowed them to drift into oblivion and have regressed to primitive sounds.
Olga Fernandez
Melodía hermosa y alegra mi alma - Estupendamente interpretada y en los sitios mas geniales .Gracias James y You tube
Jesus Mario Macias Gonzalez EL ITA
Hubiera sido un pecado mortal si éste virtuoso de la exelente música James Last y su prodigiosa Orquesta Banda, no hubieran gravado. GRANADA. ¡ EN MEMORIA ! desde México, en mi Ciudad natal de Guadalajara, Jalisco. DIOS nos guarde. 🇲🇽 . Saludos. 2/8/19.
Olga Fernandez
Espectáculo sin precedentes - Belleza vídeo sin igual - Música genial, primorosa y espléndida y que a Dios demos infinitas gracias por darnos tanta majestuosidad con un GRAN GENIO llamado JAMES LAST -
Olga Fernandez
JAMES LAST Y SU ORQUESTA, interpretando la linda canción Granada, nos invita a vivir con euforia, frente a lindos paisajes en el mar, contagiando de alegría a quienes veamos tan maravilloso espectáculo.Para mi, James es otro FENÓMENO MUSICAL
que debe estar disfrutando del CIELO prometido para los que se lo merecen como los GRANDES. DIOS LO GUARDE
Olga Fernandez
Es el escenario más suntuoso que haya visto y con esa maravillosa música, además del incomparable JAMES LAST - Unas felicitaciones son pocas, como Inmortalizar ésta hermosura, solo quiero decir que es lo mas bello y alegre que he visto. Quedo conmovida siempre que veo éste excelente vídeo.GRACIAS DIOS MIO POR DEJARME VER ESTA FANTASÍA.
terence heslop
Another wonderful afternoon listening and viewing the "Great" James Last videos. Thank goodness that we don't have to miss him!!!!Will there ever be a replacement? I doubt it!
Sultan Snark
I can only speak enough Spanish to order two glasses of Sangria and get my face slapped, but this one tops them ALL!