Cover Song Wednesdays - James Last- 17 Apr 1929 to 9 Jun 2015

I encountered James Last on a hot summer evening when the townies were getting their groove on at some country club. By prior arrangement I was there to help with the equipment. And in case you're wondering, that's "Last rhymes with Lost" not "Last rhymes with fast". Deutsche, don't cha know.

James Last and his Orchestra were beyond camp. They took bright, poppy hits of their day and arranged them into even brighter, poppier orchestra arrangements that drew you into a "Get Happy" mode that just won't stop.

Your first impression on encountering a James Last track is "Oh no, I've bought a recording of elevator music!" But after listening to enough of his work, you realize that the musicians in this band are cats with some really great chops, man. Including muttonchops, by the 1970s. They're so "out there" they're orbital. Great arrangements, great players. Wall to wall camp.

But don't believe me. Listen to the YouTube of the great James Last...

Judy in Disguise (With Glasses). This song is a Buggles-style parody of the great Beatles song Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. How hip is it? According to Wikipedia "Jello Biafra released a live version as part of his 2015 live album of New Orleans rock and soul covers, Walk on Jindal's Splinters."

Note: This clip goes on for an hour, so watch as little or as much as you want.

Non-Stop Dancing! Live in Berlin in 1982, non-stop medley of Can't Stop the Music, El Dorado and Xanadu.

For me this whole thing has such a Wes Anderson feel. The band is wearing random and vaguely matched outfits. "Blue, with piping - sure. You're in the horn section. Plum? Swing by strings".

Live At The Royal Albert Hall, London 1978
Hey- That's Star Wars a la disco...

Note: This clip goes on for an hour and a half, so watch as little or as much as you want.

Mamma Mia. James Last and ABBA. It's like a gold-plated black-velvet painting in a champagne fountain infinity pool. FYI the Saxophonist is Matthias Clasen.

Dancing Queen. James Last and ABBA. It's like a Rolls-Royce drenched in Nutella in a Louis Vuitton double-wide trailer home. FYI the Saxophonist is Matthias Clasen.

Orange Blossom Special. The whole show band on Ocean Drive in Miami. So Miami Vice. In 2001. That's PEAK James Last.

MacArthur Park. Are you frickin kidding me?! Have you even been listening to these tracks? James Last was born to orchestrate this cover. Jimmy Webb meets "Hansi" and kicks major butt at 5 minutes 40 seconds...

Derek Watkins on the melodic flugelhorn solo in the early part, and then switches to trumpet.

Live in Vienna 17th april 2013.

Boyhood circa 1942

In 1942 my father is now 11 years old. When I was 11 all I could think about was the moon landing. Projecting that back to my father's childhood, WWII must have dominated his boyhood daydreams.

And 1942 was action packed. First of all, the 128 Thorold Flying Dragons Air Cadet squadron was formed on April 29, 1942. Although my father was not old enough to enlist even as a cadet, I can only imagine the thrill of seeing the unit of boys only slightly older than him in uniforms. And the air service would have been impossibly glamorous - the moon shot of its day.

According to their website "Though no longer a High School Squadron, 128 still parades in the City of Thorold with their local headquarters out of the Trinity United Church and are proud to serve over 70 years for and with the City."

From April 4 to 18, 1942, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Detroit Red Wings are the Stanley Cup finalists. According to Wikipedia- "After losing the first three games, the Maple Leafs won the next four to win the series 4–3, winning their fourth Stanley Cup. It was the first Cup Final in history to go seven. Leafs win the cup"

The naval history of WWII is often seen as a series of military engagements, which it was. But the merchant marines are also caught up in the maelstrom of destruction. In some ways a ship carrying cargo is a more attractive target than a frigate or a corvette. And on February 22, 1942 the steam ship SS George L. Torian of St. Catharines, Ontario was torpedoed in the Caribbean by U-129. Depending on the source, 13 to 15 souls were lost in that encounter. Only one has a memorial on the WWW - In memory of Master John Allan February 22, 1942. But, there is a U-boat website that gives the crew roster...

Here's the story of U-129.

Skip Gillham writes "George L. Torian headed to the Caribbean to load bauxite at inland river ports for delivery to the transshipment center at Trinidad and then north to the aluminum mills. The vessel had a full cargo and was en route from Paramaribo, Dutch Guiana, when it was torpedoed and sunk by U-129 off the coast of British Guiana seventy-two years ago today. This was one of seven ships sent to the bottom by that infamous German submarine prowling in the area over a two-week period.

And in Esquimalt on 2 May 1942 at Yarrows yard the hull K325 is launched. More on HMCS St. Catharines later...

Note - My father recently passed away after 83 years on this earth. I'd like to commemorate his life with a memory project by featuring some milestone events from each year he lived.

1941 give r take

The wreck of SS Thorold...

By 1940 WWII hits very close to home with the loss of the cargo ship SS Thorold in an air raid attack while she was bringing vitally needed supplies of coal to support the war effort. Here's a memorial to the able seamen we lost that day.

Steamer SS Thorold, 1,89grt, (Quebec & Ontario Transportation Co.) had been sailing from Cardiff to London with a cargo of coal. On the 22nd August the ship was attacked and sunk by German aircraft South of the Smalls in position 51' 41N 05' 40W. 10 of her 24 crew killed.

Source: Warsailors.com

And here's the memorial...

Our cousins the Furneys start The Thorold News, as per this delightful recollection by the late Alun Hughes.

Judged fairest of them all in the national beauty contest held Sept. 4, 1940 at the Canadian National Exhibition, Toronto, was Mary Ellen Batten of Thorold.

Note - My father recently passed away after 83 years on this earth. I'd like to commemorate his life with a memory project by featuring some milestone events from each year he lived.

1939 - It's a boy! And the Queen rolls out a superhighway

In 1939 my father's birthday gift would be the birth of his brother Harry on Nov 16, a couple of weeks after my Dad's own birthday. This occurred shortly after Canada went into war in Europe. Something very exciting in newsreels and comic books for a boy of 8, but not something that would touch his family's life in the heartland of Canada.

On the other hand, 1939 saw a whirlwind of Royal visits and the opening of Canada's first superhighway. The QEW was a four-lane blacktop not named for the current Regina Elizabeth the Queen, but rather for Queen Elizabeth - the Queen Mum and the King's consort.

There at at least two blogs devoted to its ceremonial lion monument with the other about the sculpting couple who created one of its two still-extant monuments.

The QEW is so important that even the hipsters of today blog about it. And here - "Historicist: From Magnificent Thoroughfare to Death-Trap"

There's even a cool website about the landau and other ceremonial cars used in the 1939 opening. Many of which are now in collection.


Note - My father recently passed away after 83 years on this earth. I'd like to commemorate his life with a memory project by featuring some milestone events from each year he lived.

1938 - Hello Mr and Mrs America and all ships at sea

In 1938 Canada was totally ramped up for the war effort. In the US they were sleeping at the switch (their attack wouldn't arrive until Pearl Harbour)

Read all about War Industry in St Catharines at wartimehouses.com

The King gave a speech - Ironic Mr Fox 1937 Falls Freezes Over Edition

In 1937 my father turned 6 and was now in school.

It was an exciting time in Thorold... there was a royal coronation to celebrate as George VI was made King. Yes, this was the "King's Speech" King. Here's the facade of Macartney's pharmacy bedecked in bunting.

And it's Still there. Here's a recent image of the front facade of Macartney's (later Henderson's) Drug Store courtesy of Thorold's LACAC.

Yet the Great Depression still loomed over the economy. Just up the road and down the hill Fort George was being restored to 1813 splendor, a "famine folly" that used government funds to put food on the tables of the working poor, and ensure an historic attraction that would last to today.

Just up the road the other way, Niagara Falls freezes over.

Trans Canada Air Lines takes off, serving the upper crust... Eventually they would become Air Canada, with the motto "We're not happy until you're not happy".

Note - My father recently passed away after 83 years on this earth. I'd like to commemorate his life with a memory project by featuring some milestone events from each year he lived.