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"So!" we hear you
cry, "what could we possibly want to know about James Last?"
...well, all you crate diggers out there can recognize most
of his album covers from a hundred paces, such is the abundance
of them in charity shops and at car-boot fairs; there is a limit
to just how many Hammond-medley-a-go-go albums that any one
man can browse through, but soldier on, as contrary to popular
belief, there are a few albums that you really must get your
grubby mitts on - and you better move fast as they are starting
to become harder to find. A certain Northern record shop that
shall remain nameless has an entire James Last section in its
stagnating and overpriced racks...
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First-up is the
(incredible-to-think-it) excellent 'Voodoo Party' (Polydor,
1973); Mr. Last and his assembled combo take on not one, but
two Sly Stone covers, 'Sing A Simple Song' and 'Everyday People',
the former being the pick of the two and for good measure there's
also a neat version of Marvin Gaye's 'Inner City Blues'. The
liner notes state that "among the beating rhythms of congas,
bongos, rattles and drums you will experience the magic of voodoo"...'nuff
said. There's also a couple of tunes from Herr James' own pen;
'Mr. Giant Man' which features a deep, booming voodoo voice
proclaiming 'I am Giant Man' which will scare small children,
and equally scary for adults is the promise of 'Voodoo Lady's
Love'...eek! Both great tracks though!
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The second one we'd
recommend is 'Well Kept Secret' (Polydor, 1974). Supposedly
this was Mr. Last's first release in the USA and so was powered
from start to finish by a whole bunch of LA jazzers and session
men, including Tom Scott, Max Bennett, Larry Carlton and Bobby
Bryant. Straight outta the blocks and into 'Summertime', a great
version of the Gershwin's classic that starts off all slow like
Idris Muhammad's 'Power Of Soul' and grows into a Deodato-style
jazz-groover. Now seen for much money in record racks across
the country and probably rightly so, once you add 'Slaughter
On 10th Avenue' and 'Love For Sale' to the mix.
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Moving right along,
'Beach Party' (Polydor, 1970), is only worth hunting down for
one track - the wild batucada that is 'Happy Brasilia', which
bizarrely graced a funky compilation LP a while back. There
are many more Beach Party albums to enjoy (!) and the thing
that always raises a smile about them is the fact that on the
cover pics the assemble band and fans all look really miserable
and perished, posing for a beach party that resembles an outing
to Skegness rather than anything remotely sunny and exotic-brrrrrr!!!
'Beach Party 3' (Polydor, 1972) is sought after by beatheads
for the drum break on 'Put Your Hand...', but that's all, and
there really is not a deal of evidence of anything to get excited
about on the second LP in the series.
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James moonlighting at his day job at Interflora: in fact 'With
Compliments' (Polydor, 1970), delights us with one particularly
lovely original composition 'Rainy, Rainy': a slow burning orchestral
groove with plenty of tasty moments spread across its minutes.
Not to be confused with the Contour album with an un-cropped version
of the sleeve shot though…nowt on that one! |
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| As with 'Voodoo Party',
there's a couple of different cover shots out there for Mr. Last's
take on the classic 'Hair' soundtrack (Polydor, 1969); the German
one coming a poor second we reckon, as Herr James was having a
bit of a 'bad beard day' it seems. Still, its one that isn't all
that easy to find and is increasingly seen for real money in the
shops. If you find one for cheap then its always worth picking
out, being pretty funky in the most part. You might go as far
as to say that it is up there with the best of all the 'Hair'
albums out there...and boy, are there a lot to chose from! |
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| Having run the rule
over the 'Beach Party' series, what about Mr. Last's 'Non-Stop
Dancing' conveyer belt of hits medley album party pleasers? There
are well over 20 of those mutha's out there and a good few of
them bear examining closer than you might think and can all be
located for very, very cheap indeed. And anything more than very
very cheap would be robbery for the first pair we have here; 'Non-Stop
Dancing '67' (Polydor, 1967) serves up often cringe-worthy versions
of a right varied bunch of hits. 'I'm A Believer' heads straight
into 'Good Vibrations' and then off into oompah land for no good
reason at all and that's about all there is until 'Music To Watch
Girls By' pops up in the middle of an otherwise awful medley right
at the very end. Much the same inexplicable mish-mash occurs on
'Non-Stop Dancing 68 vol 2' (Polydor, 1968), where the bierkellar
nonsense rams headlong into the likes of 'Yummy Yummy Yummy',
'Help Yourself' and even Arthur Brown's 'Fire'. Bonkers! Worth
a few coppers maybe for the bit where a not bad 'Jumpin' Jack
Flash' merges neatly with 'Harper Valley PTA', but no real great
shakes otherwise. |
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| On with the chronology
then, and thankfully there is a drastic improvement in the quality
of the tunes as we reach 'Nonstop Dancing 69 vol 2' (Polydor,
1969). This is actually a pretty decent listen as we visit fruity,
funky takes on stuff like 'Twenty Five Miles', 'Dizzy', 'Everyday
People', 'Je T'Aime, Moi Non Plus' and tons of other goodies that
get your tootsies tapping against all your best instincts. Also,
as Hansi was obviously big on 'Hair' that year there is a ripping
'Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In/Hare Krishna' medley that actually
goes down a treat. Blimey! And still the madness continues, with
'Nonstop Dancing 70' (Polydor, 1970). The never-fail 'Come Together'
is miraculously paired with 'Sunshine Of Your Love' and we are
off again! But check this for a medley; 'Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him
Goodbye' whallops into 'In A Gadda Da Vida' and ends up in a spiffing
trot at Fleetwood Mac's 'Oh Well'. This really shouldn't be allowed,
but again, it sounds great! |
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| Can it go on you ask...oh
yes it can! And with this pair you have twice the chance of turning
some nice Hansi for pence as 'Nonstop Dancing 71' (Polydor, 1971)
and 'Nonstop Dancing 11' (Polydor, 1970) contain the exact same
track listings. So what magic does the bearded one conjure here
then? Well, there's a fine butchering of 'Groovin' With Mr. Bloe'
for a start, then we have a really nice funking of old chestnut
'Greensleeves', which would be worth a dabble in themselves if
it were not for the wonderousness of War's 'Spill The Wine' slipping
nicely into Free's 'All Right Now'. This is just getting ridiculous
now! |
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| An yet
there's more! 'Non Stop Dancing 13' (Polydor, 1971) kicks off
with Mr. Last's own fine groover 'Intro' before veering off wildly
into nowhere in particular, only to return with the drum break
that announces the arrival of 'Put Your Hand...' Over on side
2 there's another medley to make your head spin with the 'Hey
Willy/Tap Turns On The Water/Ten Bananas' segue. James Last drum
breaks? We got 'em! Moving right along and 'Non Stop Dancing 14'
(Polydor, 1972) has a smattering of good stuff, not least the
opening glam medely-Herr James does 'Silver Machine'!!! It doesn't
get any stranger than that! Oh...it does...a brassy version of
'Popcorn'? Why not indeed! Then over on side two a self penned
wah & Moog monster 'Nothing' moves straight into 'Shaft'...flippin'
'eck...this is a decent LP as well!!!! |
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| Does it
never end? Seemingly not, as old Hansi is straight back at us
with 'Non Stop Dancing 15' (Polydor, 1973), and kicks off proceedings
with a fine 'Also Sprach Zarathustra'. There's lots of other nonsense
too, the highlight of which is the carnage of 'Crazy Horses'.
How can the coming together of two things so bad sound so good?
And if once were not enough, then you can get both of those tracks
again on 'Non Stop Dancing 73 vol 2' (Polydor, 1973). G'wan...you
know you want it! |
| Hey...things are finally
slowing down a bit and a couple of years pass before 'Non Stop
Dancing 17' (Polydor, 1975). But there is still funk to be had
as Mr. Last serves up a medley of The MG's 'Rice And Beans' and
Gary Thoms' '7654321-Blow Your Whistle' - some mighty fine home
cookin'! Can we stop dancing now, please Mr. James? Pretty please! |
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| Pause for breath and
back with an odd little thing-a Japanese release...and what is
more surprising is the fact that this one seems to crop up fairly
often on these shores. Grab it if you see it, as his visitation
of some film themes on 'Screen Music Forever' (Polydor, 1971)
finds Mr. Last in groovy mood. There's a real nice shot at 'Aquarius',
with some spiffing phased drums going all over the place, an OK-ish
'Easy Rider' and a rather good 'Last Tango in Paris'. There are
copious sleevenotes to peruse as well, but as they are of course
all in Japanese, you might not learn too much! |
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| Experiencing
old Hansi in the flesh might well not be something you'd want
to think too much about after a large breakfast, but don't knock
it before you've tried it! Turns out that 'Live' (Polydor, 1974)
is a highly enjoyable funk-up in significant parts. A sprawling
double album, there's plenty of space for them to get all the
bierkeller nonsense out of the way and get down and dirty! 'Shaft'
pops up again in the middle of some awful rubbish, but then we
get a spanking, bit of Hansi's version of 'Also Sprach Zarathrustra'
in a Deodato stylee, followed quickly by 'Introducing the Band',
in which the man himself plays the MC and does just that as the
band kick ass. All of these moments are then topped by an uncommonly
brilliant stab at |
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| 'Greensleeves' that
tops the studio version served up a few years earlier and hidden
inside an awful medley. |
| We're pretty sure that
the search for funky Last isn't over by a long way. The plain
fact is that there could well be a great number of other delights
lurking within this man's albums, there are so many of 'em for
heavens sake, but most of the time spending even a few pence on
them is a frightening prospect. Be brave though, and you just
might get a pleasant surprise. One that did tempt us (and on what
basis you might well wonder) is 'Caribbean Nights' (Polydor, 1980).
It was quiet a shock when we found that it contained a skankin'
version of 'Exodus'. Well...just shows you, doesn't it! |
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| Enoch was born in Ohio
in 1907 and graduated from university as a classical violinist.
In the late 1940's he formed his own dance band - The Light Brigade
- and set off on the road. In the 1950's he started his first
record label, Grand Award, renowned for it's poor quality recordings
and packaging. Which is remarkable, when you consider Light's
next venture - Command Records. This label was one of the pioneers
of stereo sound and the use of left-right channelisation. Some
of you may also be familiar with the glossy gatefold covers, beautiful
abstract artwork and extensive liner notes (right down to discussing
the acoustic alignments of each track!) that accompanied each
album. The first Command release "Provocative Percussion" received
very little radio coverage but went on to become one of the first
albums ever to sell a million copies based exclusively on retail
sales. Light produced and released a steady stream of albums during
the first half of the 1960's under a variety of names, with a
number of musicians including Tony Mottola and Dick Hyman and
even anonymously as Los Admiradores (!) |
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We've found a few
Command releases to date, including 'Dimension 3' (Command,
1964) and to be honest, they are not albums for anyone looking
for funky breaks or exotic lounge tunes - it's big band swing
all the way. Enoch Light sold Command to ABC in 1965 and MCA
then bought ABC and the end of Light's reign at Command was
over. The end of this era is easy to spot, as ABC / MCA quickly
dropped the gatefold sleeves and extensive liner notes that
had been the signature of the label. MCA quickly ran the Command
label into the ground, reducing it to a budget label with records
pressed onto poor quality or recycled vinyl. Enoch soon dusted
himself down and returned with a new record label - Project
3.
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Picking up many
of his musicians from his Command lineup, the new label quickly
began releasing records that captured the same spirit of the
early years of Command - immaculately recorded, beautiful glossy
gatefold sleeves and numerous liner notes. There are some absolutely
essential albums that you really must own. The first is 'Spaced
Out' (Project 3, 1969) a wigged out Moog/big band affair that
contains excellent arrangements of 'Walk On By' and 'Eleanor
Rigby' amongst others. Fantastic cover and extensive liner notes,
the album is becoming more difficult to find these days - but
there is a UK release on Studio2Stereo (which interestingly
features a different mix to the US version) and the track 'Bond
Street' appears on the classic Studio2Stereo sampler album "Total
Sound" - to be found in a charity shop near you now...
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'Movies Magnificent'
(Studio2Stereo, 1970), 'Movie Hits' (Project 3, 1972) and 'Beatles
Classics' (Project 3, 1974) are all rather hit and miss. His
choice of movie themes for the 1970 album does not make for
a funky time, the '72 album is better with the inclusion of
'The French Connection' and 'Shaft'. The Beatles covers LP is
also a major disappointment, it being 'interpretations of Beatles
songs in the classical style'. Oh dear!
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Well worth tracking
down is 'Permissive Polyphonics' (Project 3, 1971) which carries
on from where 'Spaced Out' left off - it's a shame it doesn't
have the reputation that the earlier album has because we think
it's just as wigged-out-and-funky ! Starting with 'Marrakesh
Express' loaded with Moogs and electric sitars - essential;
there's also 'Pass And I'll Call You' that is fuelled by an
excellent breakbeat.
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| Moving back into the
latter end of the 60's, 'Brass Menagerie' (Studio 2 Stereo, 1969)
is nice enough, but falls down on the 'vintage' side of the cheese
rather than focusing on the more contemporary, where the album
does best - check out the brash and brassy 'Touch Me' for example.
The same could also be said of the 'Glittering Guitars' (Project
3, 1969); again, very cheesy in places, but with a nice 'Light
My Fire' and the always tasty 'You Showed Me' things perk up before
we head off into the fuzz-laiden excellence of 'Love Is Blue'
the thumbs are definitely up on the whole. |
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Back to the 70's again and 'Charge'
(Project 3, 1972) is a bit of a hit and miss affair with far
too many singer-songwriter covers than is really healthy, but
offset that with a very jazzy 'Spinning Wheel' and a slinky
stab at Elton's 'Take Me To The Pilot' and you have another
slice of The Light Brigade to savour. The other essential release
is the 'The Brass Menagerie - 1973' (Project 3, 1973). The track
listing should tempt all; 'Theme From Shaft', a beautiful, sitar-driven
'Season Of The Witch' and the funky 'Hot Pants'. There's even
a solo spot for Dick Hyman and his Moog on the B-side - 'Explorations
For Moog' is totally out there man!
Enoch Light retired from producing
and arranging music in 1974 and died in 1978.
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