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.
Windmills Of Your Mind
James Last Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never ending or beginning on an ever spinning reel
Like a snowball down a mountain, or a carnival balloon
Like a carousel that's turning running rings around the moon
Like a clock whose hands are sweeping past the minutes of its face
And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space
Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind!
Down a hollow to a cavern where the sun has never shone
Like a door that keeps revolving in a half forgotten dream
Or the ripples from a pebble someone tosses in a stream
Like a clock whose hands are sweeping past the minutes of its face
And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space
Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind!
Keys that jingle in your pocket, words that jangle in your head
Why did summer go so quickly, was it something that you said?
Lovers walking along a shore and leave their footprints in the sand
Is the sound of distant drumming just the fingers of your hand?
Pictures hanging in a hallway and the fragment of a song
Half remembered names and faces, but to whom do they belong?
When you knew that it was over you were suddenly aware
That the autumn leaves were turning to the color of her hair!
Like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel
Never ending or beginning on an ever spinning reel
As the images unwind, like the circles that you find
In the windmills of your mind!
The Windmills of Your Mind by James Last is a song that has been enjoyed since its release in the 1960s. The lyrics of the song describe the feeling of being caught in a cycle of memories, thoughts, and emotions that whirl like a circle in a spiral or a wheel within a wheel. The imagery evokes a sense of confusion, as if the singer is stuck in a never-ending cycle without a clear beginning or end. Many of the images in the song describe things that are constantly moving, like a snowball down a mountain or a carousel turning around the moon. The clock metaphor also emphasizes the idea of time constantly moving forward.
The second verse delves deeper into the feeling of being caught in a cycle, describing it as going down a tunnel to a place where the sun has never shone or opening a door that keeps revolving. The metaphor of ripples from a pebble being thrown into a stream emphasizes the way that even small actions can have big consequences, just as small thoughts or memories can spin out of control.
The final verse is more grounded in reality, with mentions of keys in pockets and lovers leaving footprints in the sand. However, even these concrete images are tinged with a sense of ambiguity - the sound of distant drumming may just be the singer's fingers, while the names and faces that are half-remembered don't seem to belong to anyone in particular. The final image of the turning autumn leaves is evocative of the cyclical nature of time and the passage of seasons, and the way that memories can be tied to physical sensations.
Line by Line Meaning
Round like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel
Life can feel like an endless cycle where time just keeps on repeating itself
Never ending or beginning on an ever spinning reel
There's no clear start or end to the cycle of life, it just keeps on going
Like a snowball down a mountain, or a carnival balloon
Life can feel like it's moving really fast and out of control, like a snowball rolling down a hill or a balloon tumbling in the wind
Like a carousel that's turning running rings around the moon
Life can feel like you're constantly going in circles, never making any real progress
Like a clock whose hands are sweeping past the minutes of its face
Time goes by really quickly and sometimes it feels like we're just going through the motions
And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space
The world is a vast and mysterious place, and it can be hard to understand the big picture
Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind!
All of these images and metaphors are like the circular patterns you see in your own thoughts and imagination
Like a tunnel that you follow to a tunnel of its own
Sometimes we feel like we're stuck in a never-ending tunnel, where one problem leads to another and we can't escape
Down a hollow to a cavern where the sun has never shone
There can be dark and scary places in our minds and in the world that we've never explored before
Like a door that keeps revolving in a half forgotten dream
We may have memories or experiences that we can't quite remember, but they keep coming back to us in strange and unexpected ways
Or the ripples from a pebble someone tosses in a stream
Small actions can have big consequences, and we never know how the things we do might affect others
Keys that jingle in your pocket, words that jangle in your head
Sometimes we carry physical or mental reminders of our past experiences with us wherever we go
Why did summer go so quickly, was it something that you said?
Time seems to fly by faster as we get older, and we may regret things we did or didn't do in the past
Lovers walking along a shore and leave their footprints in the sand
Love can feel like a beautiful but fleeting thing, leaving only memories behind
Is the sound of distant drumming just the fingers of your hand?
We may hear or imagine things that aren't really there, or we may be the ones creating the sounds ourselves
Pictures hanging in a hallway and the fragment of a song
Memories can be triggered by even the smallest things, like a photo or a few notes of music
Half remembered names and faces, but to whom do they belong?
Sometimes we can't quite recall who someone is or why they matter to us, but we know they're important
When you knew that it was over you were suddenly aware
At times, we may have a sense of impending loss or change in our lives, and it can be a jarring realization
That the autumn leaves were turning to the color of her hair!
Nature can reflect our emotions and experiences, and even the changing colors of the leaves can remind us of what we've lost
As the images unwind, like the circles that you find
Just as life is an endless cycle, our thoughts and experiences are also always moving and changing
In the windmills of your mind!
All of these experiences and emotions are like the gears and turning parts of a windmill, constantly moving and spinning within us
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Marilyn Bergman, Michel Legrand, Alan Bergman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@castellanodrclaudio
Chuck Finley e Derek Watkins, insieme due "Stelle" internazionali , accompagnati da una Grande Orchestra diretta dal Gran Maestro James Lat, è un evento eccezionale, straordinario!!!
Due "Big" della tromba, di quelle raffinate ed eleganti che suscitano, in chi li ascolta, quel naturale ed universale sentimento dell'anima che si chiama "emozione".
I miei complimenti ai due artisti, a pari merito, e soprattutto al "Gran Maestro James Last", un altro Big di Statura Internazionale, che ha saputo organizzare, con consumata esperienza, questo evento davvero eccezionale.
Due Giganti della musica stellare!!
c.castellano,italia
Chuck Finley and Derek Watkins, together with two international "Stars", accompanied by a Grand Orchestra conducted by the Grand Master James Lat, is an exceptional event, extraordinary !!!
Two "Big" of the trumpet, of those refined and elegant that arouse, in those who listen to them, that natural and universal feeling of the soul which is called "emotion".
My congratulations to the two artists, on equal merit, and above all to the "Grand Master James Last", another Big of Stature International, who knew how to organize, with consummate experience, this truly exceptional event.
!Two giants of stellar music
c.castellano, Italy
@bmeff3103
Just discovered Derek about a month ago and tbh he is probably my all time favorite trumpet player now. His sound has so much passion and energy in all registers, it's incredible.
@josealonsobuitron1988
Dos fenómenos de la trompeta y muy simpáticos y alegres en sus actuaciones en público. Genial.
@mtreffie
El mensaje central es ... ¡diviértete!
@anndebondt2393
So glad I saw these men many times live performing!!!!
@mtreffie
You probably take it with you for the rest of your life
@sammysouth8372
These two musicians are sublime - they transfer me to a simpler, more joyful time in my life. May Derek rest in peace. God needed him in heaven and who can blame him. May Chuck live to be a hundred.
@bobgilbert7362
Now, that 's some inspiring and inspired musicianship on display!
@mtreffie
Thanks for your reaction! Couldn't agree more. It was a memorable experience from the Royal Albert Hall in London ...!
@valerydov4565
Как здорово они дополняют друг друга!!Величайшие!!!
@KarlJosefUnterkofler
The World lost a Great Musician! It,s so sad! One of the best trumpetplayer, i,ve ever heard! Thank you Derek,for your music.