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Today, from the Bond on Vinyl archives, we’re moving on to the Roger Moore era, and listening to music from Live And Let Die!
Born “Han Last,” German big band leader and composer James Last is another musician that certainly achieved fame in his day… that I had never heard of before.
Last’s style evolved from classic big band arrangements into incorporating bass and brass, while still including a rhythm that audiences could dance to. This musical style caught on beyond just Germany, becoming popular in many countries, including the US and UK, the USSR, Japan, and South Korea. This ability to appeal to diverse cultures led to massive record sales. By 1973, Last had sold over eighty million records, with lifetime sales landing somewhere between 100 to 200 million albums sold.
Last toured for nearly 50 years, with the last tour concluding in 2015, just six weeks before his passing. Last put out more than 15 albums of live music, including this 1974 double LP.
The concert album kicks off with a bunch of dance music, then goes into polka, then a medley of Russian music – quite the variety. Before the album wraps up with Greensleeves and a medley of Beatles hits, we get to hear a vocal version of Live And Let Die from the most recent Bond film at the time, and the audience enjoys it just as much as the rest of the show.
112. James Last – James Last Live
Dale's Toys 