They called him Hansi, I call him a legend

THE Gentleman of Music, The Emperor of Elevator Music, The King of Easy Listening or just ‘Hansi’, however you knew James Last, you couldn’t fail to ignore his ‘Happy Music’.

Born Hans Last in Germany in 1929, both he and his brother Werner made music their life’s work and both were anglicised for the international market and Werner became ‘Kai Warner’.

Hans became ‘James Last’ but before too long his friends, anyone who simply enjoyed his music, knew him as Hansi.

Over an incredible five decades, this German bandleader broke record after record and shattered the conceptions surrounding music.

Nothing was off limits as Hansi ‘borrowed’ music from Mozart to Madonna and adapted it to his own ‘happy’ sound. In the process he served up an entire musical palette to audiences who might never have heard of Rihanna, Lady Gaga or even LMFAO.

And that was the mark of the man, he made music accessible to all, I’ve been to concerts where members of the older generation loved a particular new track but looked puzzled when told it was by The Wanted!

However, last night The Gentleman of Music moved on to become part of heaven’s orchestra, leaving me along with many thousands of fans distraught.

Quite simply, Hansi was my music teacher, my first musical memories are of James Last which is no surprise when you consider my dear mum was going to his concerts while pregnant with me.

There is a picture of a six year old me sitting on Hansi’s lap, I hope once this grief has subsided I’ll be able to find it and look at it with a smile on my face.

I’ve travelled thanks to James Last, seeing countries I may never have seen and learned more about music than I may ever have known.

Much more importantly, I’ve got to know hundreds and hundreds of people united by the love of the music of James Last. No not friends, more like an extended family.

To be at the historic Royal Albert Hall to witness a James Last concert was something to behold, to see the warmth this German was greeted with in a quintessentially English venue year after year reminded us to always make peace not war.

To have known the music of James Last was to have experienced an education in song, in verse but also in life.

I have tears in my eyes as I write this as 14 hours on I somehow still can’t believe it to be true.

But I also raise a glass to toast his memory and in keeping with the spirit of the man, I will do so with a ‘Happy Heart’.

Sleep well Hansi, may you Rest in Peace

Congratulations Australia, shame you couldn't win any respect

THE ASHES are over, the ODI’s are also pretty much finished, England are in disarray but yet I cannot appreciate Australia, particularly Michael Clarke.

This is not sour grapes, Australia deserved to win 5-0 as England were awful and to be honest a 5-0 spanking ought to be handed out in these one day internationals.

Mitchell Johnson is reborn, Ryan Harris defied his knees and produced bowling spell after bowling spell to kill England and in Chris Rogers, Australia had their own fairytale for everyone who thinks they will never reach the top.

But the manner they have gone about this series has left a lot to be desired, play hard yes, but downright bullying is plain stupid.

In the first test, Clarke threatens to break Anderson’s arm, great! Why? Australia were one wicket away from winning the match with plenty to spare, why not remind Anderson how much his team-mates have let him down?

Verbals continued in the second test, ignoring the fact Johnson was ripping through England like knife through butter.

And in the third test match, David Warner (a particularly odious individual) runs to the umpires when England dished out some verbals. Again fine, except Mr Warner has made it his life’s work to be as unpleasant as possible.

Even when the Ashes were done, Johnson sought to have a strop when Kevin Pietersen backed away while he was running in. This is pretty much common place the world over but you wouldn’t have thought so give Mitchell’s verbals in the aftermath.

And finally on Sunday in the third ODI, Eoin Morgan stood his ground when caught and made the umpires check whether the catch was clean. Again, rightly or wrongly, it’s a tactic employed the world over but again Clarke weighed in with a verbal volley.

Australia have won convincingly this winter but Clarke has gone down in my estimation and crossed the line a few times.

In 2006/7 Ponting and his team played hard but let their cricket do all the talking and steam-rolled England. They go down as one of the greats, I doubt this team will.

Aussies take the lead but lose the moral high ground

Congratulations to the Australia, a deserved pasting of England was duly completed yesterday morning with a performance which should ensure this series will now be a real hum dinger.

However, if the next four tests are approached in the manner this one has been in terms of verbal sledging then it will be the worst series for many a year.

Australia's behaviour in this test match has been utterly deplorable, it's very difficult to celebrate 

Mitchell Johnson's return to form when every delivery was finished with a foul mouthed outburst at the batsmen.

Siddle, Watson and Bailey also need to look at their roles in creating a nasty atmosphere as do Anderson, Prior and Swann on the England side.

But those with the most to think about before Adelaide are Michael Clarke and David Warner.

Clarke's behaviour this week has been deplorable, firstly 'naming' England's team was the epitome of arrogance.

Call it what you will, great Aussie skippers never had to 'name' the opposition, they talked up how good their team would be.

Can you imagine Waugh or Ponting doing it? Nope, they settled for saying how McGrath was looking fired up in the nets, how Warney had a new 'secret' delivery and how the batsmen were looking forward to taking the English on.

I'd have had much more respect for Clarke if he stood there saying how much he was looking forward to seeing Johnson cause some problems, remind Cook how Harris had his number et al.

As for the Anderson altercation, I've no doubt Anderson is a gobby so and so but telling him to prepare for a broken arm, really?

Firstly Anderson is the number 11 batsman so having a dig is a bit pointless. Secondly, why dish out such threat when you one wicket away from massive victory? Surely more long term damage can be done by reminding Jimmy how much on top they were and how his batsmen let him down...

As for Warner, well his whole attitude is appalling. Someone needs to remind him he's won nothing yet.

He is a brilliantly destructive batsman, I'd rather him keep his mouth shut, score a barrow load of runs, win a few Ashes series then if he wants to give it then fine.

I don't oppose sledging, it's called TEST cricket for a reason but it needs to be an examination of technique and ability not personal stuff.

Warner is like Hayden in his temperament and approach, difference is Hayden won everything there was to win.
 

It could be a classic series to remember, both sides have a duty to remember that. Play hard but play fair and have a few beers afterwards!

Warner AND the Aussie management have all had too much to drink!

QUESTION – You are a member of the Australia management in England four weeks before the Ashes.

Your opening batsman has punched an English rival in an Aussie-themed pub, he looks remorseful after you ban him for one game – what would you do next?

Would you a) pack his bags, put him on the first flight home vowing he will never play cricket for Australia again or b) accept his remorse, make him apologise, hand him a massive fine and warn him he is living on

borrowed time?

Either one is acceptable really, perhaps b) attracts less headlines and maybe gets your opening batsman to think long and hard about what he wants.

Instead the Australian management chose secret option c) completely knacker their chances in the Ashes with the weirdest punishment ever handed out.

David Warner has been banned from playing for Australia until the first test match of the Ashes on July 10, yes he has been fined but he will be a cricketer not allowed to play cricket while his mates can.

Now I understand he will probably be dropped for the first test as a result but consider this – Chris Rogers, the only other opener who could be consider as Phil Hughes is so badly out of nick, was dismissed TWICE

in one day for Middlesex against Yorkshire yesterday.

If his run continues and the Aussie selectors stick with Hughes at three you could have Warner walking out to the middle for the first ball of the Ashes having not played cricket for over a month!

In effect, this 'punishment' is the Australian selectors offering to start their innings at 0 for 1 and putting pressure on an already brittle batting line up.

Michael Clarke and coach Micky Arthur appear to be hell-bent on enforcing the law on this squad. Easy when you are respected like Waugh and Ponting were, harder when most of the dressing room don't like

you Michael.

Either way, the Aussies appear to be on the backfoot in the lead up to the Ashes series, it will be Captain Cook's job to keep them there.

Cloudy morning July 10, bit of green to the Trent Bridge pitch – win the toss and hand the ball to Anderson and Broad skipper!