KEYS OF LIFE
KLAUS NOMI
01. High Wire 2:04
~~~
ZA BAKDAZ:
~~~
11. Rubber Band Laser 2:21
EXTRAS:
The Definitive
Directed by Andrew Horn,
Klaus Nomi dared to be great. He dared to combine opera, 1930's German Cabaret, 1960's American Pop and 21st century synthesizers. He also dared to present the visual image of a high fashion, heavily made-up futuristic robot/alien. The world became aware of Klaus Nomi on December 15, 1979, when he backed David Bowie on NBC-TV's Saturday Night Live. Tragically, Klaus Nomi died of AIDS in August 1983. During his lifetime, he issued two albums, Klaus Nomi and Simple Man. According to band member and songwriter, Kristian Hoffman, "Klaus was a face-elfin and painted as a Kabuki robot. He was a style--a medieval interpretation of the 21st century via Berlin 1929. He was a voice, almost inhuman in range, from operatic soprano to Prussian general. He was a master performer--a master of the theatrical gesture. Above all, he was a visionary. He said the future is based on the needs of the artist, deciding how to live and living that way every minute. Klaus, the man from the future, lived that way in the present, and held out his hand saying, 'Come with me. You can do it too.' His vision was naive, quaint, almost foolish, but forceful in its purity and innocence. Even at his most wildly ridiculous ('Lightnin' Strikes') or quaveringly sublime (Purcell's 'Death'), there was an acknowledgment of impending apocalypse that lent it conviction. For Klaus, apocalypse was a metaphor for purification, and as the oddball optimist surrounded by cynical detachment and resignation, he dared to believe in a better world." Nomi Speaks: "I approach everything as an absolute outsider. It's the only way I can break so many rules. Remember, my background is totally strange -- German classical opera... It was just as shocking for me to sing opera in a falsetto soprano in Germany. It was another rule I was breaking. You just didn't do that. And I am helped by the fact that pop and rock, which you would think have no rules at all, are really just as conservative as classical music.' "Sometimes I sing very honestly, really believing the words... The aria, of course, I always try to make as moving as possible. But normally, I do kind of transcend the song and give it a different meaning. There are moments in my show which are very moving as well as amusing... I take a familiar experience and put it in an alien environment." "I always loved rock 'n' roll, actually. For me, when I was twelve, the biggest name in rock 'n' roll was Elvis Presley. I bought an EP, 'King Creole.' I hid it in the basement, but my Mother found it. She went to the record store where I bought it and exchanged it for Maria Callas operatic arias. Well, I was agreeable to that too. Every time I bought a rock 'n' roll record, I bought a classical record at the same time. I like each as well as the other." "I'd like to thank everyone for supporting me and making me believe in my work. Thank you for giving me the confidence to continue crossing bridges." Klaus Nomi was born Klaus Sperber in the Bavarian Alps in 1944. He grew up in West Germany and West Berlin. He developed a love of opera and stage make-up while working as a child extra at a German Opera house. As a teenager, he attended the Berlin Music School. He later worked [as an usher] at the Berlin (Deutsche) Opera. His first vocal performance in public was singing Mozart's "Bastien, Bastien" in Berne, Switzerland. Klaus moved to New York City in 1972 or 1973. He became a Cordon Bleu pastry chef and freelance baker, working with Katy Kattleman (AKA Katy K). At one point, Klaus had a cooking spot on Glenn O'Brien's NYC cable show TV Party. In 1976, Klaus made contact with vocal coach Ira Siff (AKA Vera Galupe-Borszch) later of La Gran Scena Opera Company. In 1977, Klaus played a role in Charles Ludlum's Ridiculous Theatrical Company Wagner-offshoot production, Der Ring Gott Farblonjef. The "Klaus Nomi" image/persona was developed in 1978 with dancer Boy Adrian. The name "Nomi" was an anagram of the title of the sci-fi magazine OMNI. The Nomi character was introduced at NYC's Irving Plaza Club during a four night New Wave Vaudeville series. Appearances at the Mudd Club, Max's Kansas City, Xenon and Hurrah followed. Klaus Nomi appeared in Anders Grafstrom's influential underground film The Long Island Four. Some footage also was used in Michael O'Donaghue's Mr. Mike's Mondo Video. David Bowie was favorably impressed by The Long Island Four. Swedish film maker Anders Grafstrom was killed in an auto accident. Nomi's first LP was dedicated to Grafstrom. Klaus Nomi and Joey Arias backed David Bowie on Saturday Night Live, December 15, 1979. Three Bowie songs were performed: "The Man Who Sold The World," "TVC15" and "Boys Keep Swinging." Through then-RCA artist Bowie's connections, the Klaus Nomi LP appeared on French RCA in late 1981. The absolutely essential album opened with perhaps Nomi's greatest composition, the mission statement "Keys Of Life" ("Exploring new dimensions / New lifestyle my intention"). As the ominous, synth-drenched track faded out, the scene abruptly shifted to Lou Christie's worldwide #1 single "Lightnin' Strikes" (1965).
LOU CHRISTIE After receiving a copy of Nomi's "Lightnin' Strikes" 45 (1982), Lou Christie attended a mind-blowing (yellow gown/umbrella-littered stage set) Nomi show in NYC. Nomi's "Lightnin' Strikes" was much more ambitious (and fun) than previous attempts by Del Shannon, Jan & Dean, Mike & Dean, SFX, Blotto, Carter Cornelius, Cafe Society, Salazar, and The Fan Club. Cut #3 on Klaus Nomi was a ghostly, scary, undanceable take on "The Twist" (1960), followed by Kristian Hoffman's majestic and defiant "Nomi Song" ("Will the human race / With their collective frown / Will they know me? / Nomi? / Know me? / No!"). Side One closed with a razor sharp "metal" reinterpretation of Lesley Gore's "You Don't Own Me" (1963), complete with wailing female back-up singers and customized lyrics ("You don't Nomi / I'm not just one of your little toys"). Side Two of the Klaus Nomi LP opened with Henry Purcell's "The Cold Song," from the semi-opera King Arthur, Or The British Worthy, first performed in 1691. Nomi's "Cold Song" was used in Maurice Pialat's October 1983 film A Nos Amours. Corresponding film still picture sleeve singles were released in Japan and France. The Klaus Nomi LP concluded with "Wasting My Time," the excellent "Total Eclipse," Man Parrish's "Nomi Chant" and Camille Saint-Saens' "Samson And Delilah" (1877), recorded live September 20, 1980 at Merlyn's in Madison, Wisconsin. Predictably, the British press failed to appreciate the dynamic greatness of the Klaus Nomi LP. Nomi's second LP, Simple Man, was released in November 1982. 
ZA BAKDAZ
Heliocentric CD (31:51)
Digipak with 14 page Nomi file booklet
02. Valentine's Day 2:50
Sampled by Garbage:
Beloved Freak
on 2012 album:
Not Your Kind Of People
03. Enchante 4:32
04. Overture 2:42
05. Cre Spoda 3:04
06. MetroNomi 2:44
07. Intermezzzo 1:16
08. Za Bakdaz (Live) 3:09
09. Perne-A-Gyre 2:56
10. Finale 2:35
12. Silent Night 1:38
Region 1
June 14, 2005
PALMDV 3110
1.78:1 Aspect Ratio
2.0 Dolby Digital Surround
34 Scenes / Chapters
Audio Commentary
by Director Andrew Horn
Michael Halsband:
The Last Klaus Nomi Photo Shoot
Aunt Trude's Slide Show
Andy Schwartz Of The New York Rocker:
Explains The New Wave,
Explains Klaus Nomi &
Wraps It All Up
Pat Keck:
The Klaus Nomi Sculpture
Ira Siff:
The Tremendous Irony
Lightnin' Strikes:
Lou Christie Meets Klaus Nomi (5:23)
Man Parrish:
Three Freaks In Dresses
Pamela Rosenthal:
Klaus Nomi Fan Mail
Kristian Hoffman:
The Klaus Nomi Mythos
The East Village:
Not To Be In America
East Village Slide Show
Tony Frere & Page Wood:
The Diversity Of Influences
Aunt Trude's Doll House
The Klaus Nomi Lime Tart:
Step 1
The Crust
Step 2
The Filling
Step 3
The Decoration
FULL LENGTH PERFORMANCES:
Boy Adrian:
The Mutant Dance
(Soundtrack: Klaus Nomi: Za Bak Daz)
Klaus Nomi:
The Cold Song
Klaus Nomi:
After The Fall
AUDIO REMIXES:
01. Total Eclipse:
The Atomic Party Mix
by Richard Barone (4:10)
02. Mon Coeur:
L.H.O.O.Q. Mix
by I Love You
(Ana Matronic of Scissor Sisters &
Seth Kirby) 5:00
03. Total Eclipse:
The Man Parrish Remix (7:53)
04. Mon Coeur:
Moog Cookbook Remix (4:07)
(Additional Audio Remix on
Palm Promo CD PRCD31102:
Coeur Total:
Dremstat's 22 Tear Remix
by Kevin J. Sullivan [5:05])
Audio Remixes
Executive Producer:
Richard Barone
New York Premiere Party
(February 1, 2005)
Original US Theatrical Trailer
And More
Klaus Nomi
Documentary
Producer/Writer of
East Side
Story,
one of Time Magazine's
ten best films of 1997.
THE NOMI SONG
features Klaus Nomi interviews, videos and TV
appearances, European and US concert footage, interviews with Nomi
friends, band members and surprise guests, background on the NYC and New
Wave Vaudeville scenes, rare photos and memorabilia, including the life
sized Klaus Nomi mechanical doll.
KLAUS NOMI:
KEYS OF LIFE
by Harry Young
~"Klaus Nomi" by Alan Platt, Adix
~Soho News
~Klaus Nomi Fan Club Biography
ORIGINAL SINNER:
THE VERY BEST OF
THE MGM RECORDINGS
(RPM 284)
Liner Notes Mention
Andrew Horn's Award Winning
Klaus Nomi Documentary
The Nomi Song
Simple Man followed the formula and sequence of Klaus Nomi: John Dowland's "If My Complaints Could Passion Move" (1597), Kristian Hoffman's "After The Fall," Doris Troy-Payne's 1963 "Just One Look" and finally on LP, Nomi's classic take on Marlene Dietrich, "Falling In Love Again" from the 1930 film The Blue Angel.
Simple Man also featured "ICUROK" (= 'I See You Are OK') later on Canadian 12" single RCA KD-10005, "Rubberband Laser," Henry Purcell's "Wayward Sisters" from the opera Dido And Aeneas (1689), "Ding Dong (The Witch Is Dead)" (3:03) from The Wizard Of Oz, "Three Wishes," "Simple Man" and the chilling, unforgettable LP closer, Purcell's "Death" ("Remember me / Remember me").
By January 1983, Klaus Nomi was seriously ill. Several benefits were staged to help with his medical expenses. But Klaus Nomi died, either August 8, 1983 at the Sloan Kettering Hospital Center (Klaus Nomi Fan Club Newsletter Spring 1984) or August 6, 1983 at the NYU Medical Center (Billboard August 27, 1983).
After his death, the Klaus Nomi Encore! LP appeared, including the previously unreleased "Fanfare," Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling In Love" and Robert Schumann's "Der Nussbaum" (1840).
Klaus Nomi's music has been used in dance pieces by Lisa K. Lock, Anat Assulin, Saarinen, Pimsler and Myron Johnson. Artist Pat Keck's "Memorial To Klaus Nomi" was in the '9 Artists/9 Visions'exhibit at Boston's DeCordova Museum (Summer 1996).
In 1996, BMG Ariola issued "Cold Genius" performed by George Kochbek (a short opera about Klaus' life). Chicago's The Quaker Goes Deaf record store ran a Christmas 1996 ad in Lumpen depicting "Santa Klaus" Nomi.
As the Klaus Nomi Fan Club's Pamela Rosenthal wrote in a letter dated August 25, 1986, "It never ceases to amaze me the places references to Klaus turn up. It is always good to know that Klaus is not dead." Indeed.
SOURCES Klaus Nomi Fan Club Biography Klaus Nomi Fan Club Newsletter, Spring 1984 Klaus Nomi LP review, Melody Maker March 13, 1982 Random Note, Rolling Stone, March 20, 1980 Paul Du Noyer, "If You Don't Nomi By Now," NME March 27, 1982: Mr. Mike's Mondo Video review, Variety, October 3, 1979 Urgh! A Music War film review, Variety, April 7, 1982 A Nous Amours film review, Variety, December 7, 1983 "Klaus Nomi Dies," NME September 3, 1983, page 2 "Klaus Nomi" by Alan Platt, Adix Rupert Smith, "Klaus Nomi," Attitude, Vol. 1, Number 3, July 1994 Steven Hager, Art After Midnight: The East Village Scene, St. Martin's Press, 1986 Kristian Hoffman, "Klaus Nomi Obituary," East Village Eye Kristian Hoffman: male, writer of Nomi's "Nomi Song," "Total Eclipse," "After The Fall" & "Simple Man"; member of the Mumps with Lance Loud; came out beside Lance Loud on PBS-TV series An American Family; played with Andrew Sandoval, the Swingin' Madisons, James White and the Blacks, Lydia Lunch; compositions performed by the Cramps, Go-Go's; contributed to Congo Norvell's In Memory Of Him, Priority CD 539 34, December 1994; contributed to Eggbert label Hollies Tribute CD; Eggbert solo artist, 1997 Bulletin from Andrew Horn:
Nomi Postcards Klaus Nomi ALBUMS: Klaus Nomi, French RCA LP PL 37556, 1981 Simple Man, French RCA LP PL 37702, November 1982 Klaus Nomi Encore! West German RCA LP PL 70180, 1983 In Concert
West German RCA PL71145, 1986 SINGLES: "Total Eclipse" (live)/"Total Eclipse" (live) "You Don't Own Me"/"Falling In Love Again," French RCA 45 110, PB 8783, 1981 "Lightnin' Strikes"/"Falling In Love Again," French RCA 45 173, PB 8836, 1982 "Nomi Song"/"The Cold Song," French RCA 45 110, PB 8864, 1982 "Ding Dong"/"Death," French RCA 45 289, PB 61005, 1982 "Simple Man"/"Death," French RCA 45 xxx, PB 9947, 1982 "Ding Dong" / "ICUROK" French RCA 45 xxx PB 61033 "The Cold Song" / "Wasting My Time" French RCA 45 xxx, PB 61268, 1983 "ICUROK" Canadian 12" RCA KD-10005 "The Cold Song"/"Keys Of Life," Japan JVC 45 VIPX-1798, 1984 "Ding Dong" (5:25 extended version)/"Samson and Delilah" (live), French RCA 12" PC 61535, 1985 "I Feel Love" / ? Klaus Nomi guest vocal: "Six Simple Synthesizers" (5:37) on Tribute To Klaus Nomi Video Collection: Promotional 12" Vinyl EP Released December 3, 1998 1. ZA BAK DAZ 2. SILENT NIGHT (1:43) For More Information
Audio CD (26 May, 2003) New Cover Version of
Cover Version of Glam, Bam, Thank You Ma'am KLAUS NOMI Tuesday, January 8, 1980 February 25, 1980 Xenon, NYC Tuesday, March 18, 1980 Wednesday, March 19, 1980 April 15, 1980 Rock Lounge, NYC August 21, 1980 Tuesday, September 16, 1980 Nomi may have visited the original location of Club 950 (Lucky Number) on September 16, 1980 when he visited nearby Wax Trax! Records. Thursday, September 18, 1980 Friday, September 19, 1980 September 20, 1980 Thursday, August 19, 1982 November 23, 1982 Mudd Club, NYC
KLAUS NOMI The Nomi Song Klaus Nomi Klaus Nomi @ HelioCentric Klaus Nomi
Roberto St. Orm 1 Page Left!
Shrine of the Unsung Musicians Nomi Photos
A woman who named her pet Klaus Nomi Ei Yamamoto's Minor Music column Joe la Frite's NYC show
featuring
several Klaus Nomi costumes:
SATURDAY, JUNE 30TH, 2001
TERRY STAFFORD LOU CHRISTIE &
by Lee Stims-Proust
"He admits that he's a kind of extremist -- an extremist of style."
The song heard over the title sequence of the vampire movie
Innocent Blood is
an old
Jackie Wilson song called "Night" : a pop version (with very
lush strings no less) of the aria from Samson and Delilah that
Klaus Nomi sang.
Courtesy Madeline Bocaro
Discography
UK RCA LP 6026 (PL 37556)
Issued with two different back covers
Keys of Life, Falling in Love Again,
Lightning Strikes, The Nomi Song,
The Twist, Total Eclipse,
I Feel Love, Samson and Delilah
A&M Promo-only 12" SP-17178, 1981
from: Urgh! A Music War! Soundtrack,
A&M LP SP-6019, 1981
French RCA 45 xxx, 10943
Man Parrish, Importe/12 LP MP-320, 1982
Full page Man Parrish LP ad
mentioning NOMI
Billboard February 19, 1983.
"Hip Hop Be-Bop"
12" single MP-321
Billboard review November 27, 1982
Japan Victor VTM-32, 1983:
"Falling In Love Again," "Lightnin' Strikes," "Nomi Song" & "Simple Man."
Japan Victor DC 9948 [1982]:
"Wayward Sisters," Ding Dong,"
"Simple Man" & "Death"
KLAUS NOMI CD SINGLE
Previously Unreleased 1979 Studio Recordings
Five versions (5:24)
Words: Klaus Nomi & Page Wood
Music: George Elliott
Vocals: Klaus Nomi
Guitars & Bass: George Elliott
Drums: Page Wood
Production: Ron Johnsen
Vocals & Bilingual Treatment: Klaus Nomi
Arrangement, Guitar, Farfisa Organ & Mandolin: George Elliott
Production & Drums: Page Wood
Contact "ICUROK" Composer / Nomi Band Member /
Come On Band Member /
Strange Party Band Member
George Elliott @
Heliocentric Records
Eclipsed:
The Best Of Klaus Nomi
Razor & Tie 82207-2
August 24, 1999
CD Reviews, Track List &
Full Credits
"Total Eclipse"
by Marc Almond, Nina Hagen
& Rosenstolz
"Total Eclipse"
by Rosenstolz
on
album Kassengift
BMG Various Artists CD
Released June 29, 1999
w/ Klaus Nomi: "Ding Dong"
CONCERT DATES
(Incomplete)
Hurrah The Rock Disco
36 W. 62nd Street, NYC:
THE KLAUS NOMI SHOW
COME ON
Hurrah
36 W. 62nd Street, NYC:
KLAUS NOMI
CHI-PIG
Hurrah
36 W. 62nd Street, NYC:
KLAUS NOMI
COMATEENS
Exile
38-62 11th Street, L.I.C., NY:
KLAUS NOMI
I came from outer space
to save the human race
NOMI: 80
Tut's, 959 Belmont, Chicago:
England's Hottest All Female Band
Mo-Dettes
Guest Appearance by the Bizarre
Klaus Nomi
Plus
Bohemia
Milwaukee, WI
Seventh Street [Entry]
Mpls, MN
Merlyn's, Madison, WI
Danceteria
30 W. 21st Street,NYC:
A Historical Performance of
STRANGE PARTY
Marking the Glorious Return of
KLAUS NOMI
A Cameo Appearance
LINKS
A Film by Andrew Horn
Riding The New Wave
by Madeline Bocaro
George DuBose.com
Three Wishes
Shockwave Flash Site
by Arcangel Constantini
Originally
From Attitude
Nomi Page
in French
THE DOWNTOWN COSTUME INSTITUTE 3
STRANGE PARTY:
THE EAST VILLAGE EIGHTIES
CBGB GALLERY
Official Website
'Suspicion' Home Page
THE TAMMYS:
EGYPTIAN SHUMBA:
THE SINGLES AND
RARE RECORDINGS 1962-1964
RPM CD 330