James Last (1929-2015) performing Darlin'

[rn57]

Late yesterday it was announced that James Last, the German easy-listening bandleader so phenomenally popular in the late '60s and '70s, had died in Palm Beach, Florida. He recorded over 200 albums and covered thousands of then-current European chart hits so naturally Brian Wilson songs were among them. Some time or other he did Heroes & Villains on an album. (Although Van Dyke, for whatever peculiar reason, never does seem to list Last among the people who have covered his songs.)

I couldn't locate that one on Youtube but here's a track from '68 where he does Darlin' in a medley with the Box Tops' Neon Rainbow and Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich's Zabadak:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVTulM-6eE8

I gotta admit though, that his early '70s flirtation with post-psychedelia and glam entertains me more, as shown here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g503fR3BvVk

[Summertime Blooz]

Good Lord!

[Smilin Ed H]

RIP, man, but no thanks.

[ontor pertawst]

I always preferred Peter Cook as James Last: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSfeC9lxu44

[SBonilla]

Dang. He was great!! I have a little stack of his LP's. Did good takes on T-Rex and Neil Young.
And that's some crazy modulatin' on the post chorus break of Darlin'!