I have a kind of Dick Clarkian good idea here. I want to explore it and get opinions about music that might be obscure, from different eras, or, even from this time. The reason why I’m doing this is because I really wonder what overall opinion might be from (likely) first-time exposure to an artist or band that might otherwise NOT be on anyone radar.
Today, I want to try a singer out with you that you’ve already come into contact with if you played an earlier video that I posted. The man, Klaus Nomi, has led an extremely interesting Rock life even as it ended in tragedy as he was one of the first notable musicians to succumb to the evils of AIDS.
Klaus Nomi took a magnificent and gifted operatic voice and trained himself to exploit it. Involving himself in the theatre experience, he learned to combine his voice with a display of unusual costuming, and create an interesting persona that landed him a record deal with RCA. Klaus Nomi released two great albums in the early 80s as that generation was gearing up to its own sound. The eponymous Klaus Nomi (1981), and Simple Man (1982) yielded a few solid hits on FM radio. Those minor hits include “Simple Man”, “You Don’t Own Me”, “Nomi Song”, and “Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead”.
The albums themselves also yielded deep favorites like “Solar Eclipse”.
When David Bowie appeared on Saturday Night Live in 1979 doing “The Man Who Sold The World”, Klaus Nomi was one of two strangely dressed back-up singers attending to Bowie as he performed for the SNL audience. Klaus lived a nice dream before he passed away in 1983, just as his ’80s synth-driven style was taking strong root. In the early years of the new millennium, a documentary film was released featuring this ‘once in a lifetime persona’. The film, if you’re interested, is the fascinating The Nomi Song.
I’m installing a video of Klaus doing “Lightning Strikes”, a cover of the famous Lou Christie hit, for your viewing. After you watch it, hit the comment section and say what you think about Klaus Nomi.
[We can take this further if you enjoy this. Just add an idea about a performer that might have otherwise flown under many radars. We can then solicit opinions. Just bringing back the youth!]
Kind of a cross between Fred Schneider and Mrs. Miller. I do remember Klaus from Bowie’s SNL episode. They also did “Boys Keep Swinging” that night using some kind of green screen effect to make Bowie appear as a puppet.
Don’t want to be negative here, but I found that really hard to listen to. Really, really didn’t like it at all.
Only in the eighties……
Some people were seriously way ahead of any time. I thank db for bringing Nomi to me in the 70’s. Always glad to expand those horizons.
I’m quite ready to admit that Klaus Nomi was an interesting musical anomaly; he evidently has inspired many subsequent artists and I wouldn’t want to put down his work in any way – it’s just that I can’t really connect, never could.
In any event though, and that’s why I’m posting: It’s “Total Eclipse”, not “Solar Eclipse”. You may want to correct that.
Whoops! Thanks for the correction.
As for Nomination, I recognize that he wasn’t for the masses, but, he, as you say, was interestingly influential, even as he was influenced.
Just fun – and original – parts of Rock and Roll history.