- published: 15 Feb 2016
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The Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (Russian: Сове́т мини́стров СССР, Russian: Правительство СССР) was the main element of the executive branch of government in the Soviet Union. It was led by the Chairman of the Government, commonly abbreviated to premier. Government officials were recommended by the Premier and appointed by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet. The Government of the Soviet Union exercised its executive powers in conformity with the 1977 Soviet Constitution and legislation enacted by the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. The first government was established in 1922, when the Soviet Union was established.
The generic term Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics can refer to the following organs of government of the Soviet Union:
In addition, during the last days of the Soviet Union, the following interim bodies performed functions of the union government (management of the economy and carrying out economic and social reforms) after the Cabinet Ministers was dissolved by a vote of no confidence. However eventually no new full government was formed due to the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
James Last (also known as "Hansi") (born Hans Last, 17 April 1929, Bremen, Germany) is a German composer and big band leader. His "happy music" made his numerous albums best-sellers in Germany and the United Kingdom. His composition, "Happy Heart", became an international success in interpretations by Andy Williams and Petula Clark. According to the British Hit Singles & Albums book, he has reportedly sold in excess of seventy million albums worldwide.
Last's father was an official at the public works department of the city of Bremen and he grew up in the suburb of Sebaldsbrück. He learned to play the piano from the age of 12, then switched to double bass as a teenager. His home city was heavily bombed in World War II and he ran messages to air defence command posts during raids. At 14 he was entered in the Bückeburg Military Music School of the German Wehrmacht.
After the fall of the Nazis, he joined Hans-Gunther Österreich's Radio Bremen Dance Orchestra in 1946. In 1948, he became the leader of the Last-Becker Ensemble, which performed for seven years. During that time, he was voted as the best bassist in the country by a German jazz poll for three consecutive years, from 1950–1952. After the Last-Becker Ensemble disbanded, he became the in-house arranger for Polydor Records, as well as for a number of European radio stations. For the next decade, he helped arrange hits for artists like Helmut Zacharias, Freddy Quinn, Lolita, Alfred Hause and Caterina Valente.