Klaus Voormann facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Klaus Voormann
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Voormann in 2018
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Klaus Otto Wilhelm Voormann |
| Born | 29 April 1938 Berlin, German Reich |
| Origin | Hamburg, West Germany |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 1960–present |
| Labels |
|
Klaus Otto Wilhelm Voormann (born 29 April 1938) is a German artist, musician, and record producer. He is famous for his work as a bass player and for designing album covers.
Klaus Voormann played bass for the band Manfred Mann from 1966 to 1969. He also played as a session musician (a musician hired for recording sessions) on many famous songs. These include "You're So Vain" by Carly Simon and songs by former members of the Beatles. As a producer, Voormann helped the band Trio create their worldwide hit song "Da Da Da".
Voormann's connection with the Beatles began in the early 1960s when they were playing in Hamburg. He even lived in their London apartment for a while with George Harrison and Ringo Starr. He designed the famous cover for their 1966 album Revolver, which won him a Grammy Award. After the Beatles broke up, Voormann played bass on solo albums for John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. In the 1990s, he also designed the artwork for The Beatles Anthology albums.
In 2009, Voormann released his first solo album, A Sideman's Journey. It featured many famous musicians, including Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr from the Beatles.
Contents
Early Life and Discovering Music
.jpg)
Klaus Otto Wilhelm Voormann was born in Berlin, Germany, on April 29, 1938. He grew up in the northern suburbs of Berlin. His father was a doctor, and Klaus was one of six brothers.
Klaus's family loved art, classical music, and books. His parents wanted him to study commercial art in Berlin. He later moved to Hamburg to continue his studies. Before finishing school, Voormann started working as a graphic designer and illustrator. He spent eight months working for magazines in Düsseldorf.
In Hamburg, Voormann met Astrid Kirchherr. One day, he heard music coming from the Kaiserkeller club. He went inside and saw a band called Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. The next band to play was the Beatles. Voormann was amazed by their performance. He had never heard rock 'n' roll before, as he mostly listened to traditional jazz and other older music.
Voormann invited Astrid and his friend Jürgen Vollmer to see the Beatles the next day. After watching them, the three friends decided to spend as much time as possible listening to the band. The St. Pauli district, where the club was, could be a bit rough. But Voormann and his friends stood out with their unique style.
During a break, Voormann tried to talk to John Lennon and gave him a crumpled record cover he had designed. Lennon suggested he talk to Stuart Sutcliffe, who was the artist in the band. Sutcliffe was very interested in Voormann and his friends, thinking they looked like "real bohemians". John Lennon jokingly called them the "Exies" because they liked existentialism.
Klaus was dating Astrid Kirchherr at the time. However, their relationship became just a friendship after Astrid started dating Stuart Sutcliffe. Astrid remained a very close friend of Voormann.
Moving to London and Working with The Beatles
In the early 1960s, Klaus Voormann moved to London. George Harrison invited him to live in the Green Street apartment. This apartment was once shared by all four Beatles. John Lennon had moved out with his wife, and Paul McCartney lived with his girlfriend's family. So, Voormann lived with George Harrison and Ringo Starr for a while. Later, he found work as a commercial artist and got his own apartment.
In 1965, John Lennon asked Voormann to design the cover for the Beatles' album Revolver. Voormann created a unique "scrapbook collage" style for the cover. This artwork won a Grammy Award for Best Album Cover, Graphic Arts. The Revolver cover was even shown in a major art exhibition at Tate Britain in 2020.
Voormann also designed album covers for other bands. He created the artwork for Bee Gees 1st and Idea by the Bee Gees. In 1973, he designed the cover for Ringo Starr's album Ringo, on which he also played bass.
In 1966, Voormann joined the band Manfred Mann. He had turned down offers from other famous bands like the Hollies. Voormann played bass and flute for Manfred Mann from 1966 to 1969. He played on all their big UK hits, including "Just Like a Woman" and the international hit "The Mighty Quinn".
After leaving Manfred Mann, Voormann became a busy session musician. He played on solo projects for many artists, including Lou Reed, Carly Simon, and Harry Nilsson. He was also a member of Yoko Ono and John Lennon's Plastic Ono Band. He played on their album Live Peace in Toronto 1969 in 1969, just before the Beatles broke up.
After the Beatles split up, there were rumors that they might form a new band called the Ladders. This band would have included Voormann on bass instead of Paul McCartney. This plan never fully happened. However, Voormann, Lennon, Harrison, and Starr did play together on Ringo Starr's 1973 song "I'm the Greatest". Voormann became the favorite bass player for the three former Beatles. He played on many of their solo albums throughout the 1970s. He also played bass at George Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh in 1971.
Later Career and Art
In 1971, Voormann moved to Los Angeles in the United States. He played in George Harrison's band at The Concert for Bangladesh, a big charity concert in New York. Harrison introduced him to the audience, saying, "There's somebody on bass who many people have heard about, but they've never actually seen him – Klaus Voormann."
In 1979, Voormann moved back to Germany. He produced several albums for the German band Trio, including their famous song "Da Da Da".
Voormann mostly retired from the music business in 1989 to spend more time with his family. He lives near Munich with his second wife, Christina, and their two children. Even in retirement, he sometimes appears on TV. In 1995, Apple Records asked him to design the covers for The Beatles Anthology albums. He worked on these covers with his friend, Alfons Kiefer.
In 2002, Voormann played bass on the song "All Things Must Pass" at the Concert for George. This concert honored George Harrison after he passed away. Voormann said that Harrison was not only a "really great guitarist" but also "the best friend I ever had."
In 2003, Voormann published his autobiography, Warum spielst du Imagine nicht auf dem weißen Klavier, John? (Why Don't You Play "Imagine" on the White Piano, John?). The book shares his memories of the Beatles and other friends. He also released a book called Four Track Stories in 2005, which tells stories about his time with the Beatles in Hamburg.
Comeback and Recent Art
.jpg)
On July 7, 2009, Voormann released his first solo album, A Sideman's Journey. It was called 'Voormann & Friends' because it featured many famous musicians. These included Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens), Dr. John, and Joe Walsh. The album included new versions of classic songs like "My Sweet Lord" and "Blue Suede Shoes". A bonus DVD about making the album was also released.
In 2010, a 90-minute documentary called All You Need is Klaus was released. It showed footage from the 'Voormann & Friends' recording sessions and interviews with Voormann and other artists he worked with.
Voormann continues to create art. In 2014, he designed the cover for the Japanese rock band Glay's album Music Life. The cover showed the faces of the band members, reminding many people of his Revolver design. In 2016, he created a graphic novel about his experiences recording Revolver, called Revolver 50. Birth of an Icon. He also designed artwork for Liam Gallagher's album As You Were in 2017.
In 2020, Voormann designed the cover art for Wreckless Abandon, an album by Mike Campbell's band The Dirty Knobs.
Discography
Singles with Manfred Mann
- "Just Like a Woman" (1966)
- "Semi-Detached, Suburban Mr. James" (1966)
- "Ha! Ha! Said the Clown" (1967)
- "Mighty Quinn" (1968)
- "My Name is Jack" (1968)
- "Ragamuffin Man" (1969)
Albums with Manfred Mann
- Pretty Flamingo (1966)
- As Is (1966)
- Mighty Garvey! (1968)
Collaborations (Selected)
Voormann played bass on many albums for other artists. Here are some of them:
- With Badfinger: Straight Up (1971)
- With George Harrison: All Things Must Pass (1970), Imagine (1971), Living in the Material World (1973)
- With B.B. King: B.B. King in London (1971)
- With John Lennon: Imagine (1971), Walls and Bridges (1974)
- With Harry Nilsson: Nilsson Schmilsson (1971), Pussy Cats (1974)
- With Lou Reed: Transformer (1972)
- With Carly Simon: No Secrets (1972)
- With Ringo Starr: Ringo (1973), Goodnight Vienna (1974)
- With Howlin' Wolf: The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions (1971)
Images for kids
-
Voormann in 1967
-
Voormann in 2018
See also
In Spanish: Klaus Voormann para niños
