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Klaus Nomi: Singer, Performer, Alien Extraordinaire

One part kewpie doll, one part space-age Mickey Mouse, Klaus Nomi was a singer and performer known for his countertenor vocals, otherworldly stage persona and costumes. His signature look included a tuxedo with triangular shoulders, a large black bowtie, hair fashioned into three points, and angular make-up. With music that was a fusion of rock, pop and opera, Nomi was an interesting figure of the 1980s new wave scene. His career was unfortunately short-lived; Nomi died in 1983, just a year after the release of his second album.

At the center of Nomi’s persona was the idea that he was an alien from a more glamorous planet come down to perform “Earth pop,” shown through his costumes and kabuki-robot style of performance. In Bohemian Rhapsodies: Opera’s Influence on Rock Music, Ken McLeod discusses the Nomi persona, claiming it to be a very literal representation of Nomi’s alienation from straight society. The opera was seen as a refuge from reality, character-based, and theatrical. Nomi wore make-up which he described as being like that of a doll or a cartoon: “You see it once and never forget it.”

Before adopting the name Nomi, he was known as Klaus Sperber, born on 24 January 1944 in Immenstadt, Germany. He adopted the name ‘Nomi’ because it is an anagram of ‘Omni,’ a science-fiction magazine, and he saw the name as universal: “It could be any nation, because I see myself as universal, not as German, American, French or whatever you want, cause we are all on this planet, we’re all living on the earth.” (The name was allegedly created by dancer friend Adrian Richards.)

As a youth, he enjoyed both rock and opera music – two of his favourite singers were Elvis Presley and Maria Callas – and sang arias after shows for the staff of the Deutsche Oper in Berlin where he worked as an usher.

Nomi moved to New York in 1972, where he worked as a pastry chef to support himself. He later formed a freelance bakery with Katy Kattleman whom he’d met at an uptown disco. Through Kattleman he met and befriended performance artist and Fiorucci-employee Joey Arias. Nomi and Arias were two of the many employees who would dance in the store window for the entertainment of shoppers. To some, Fiorucci was not just a department store; it was a way of life.

Nomi first appeared onstage under the moniker ‘Klaus Nomi’ in 1978 at Ann Magnuson’s New Wave Vaudeville Show, decked out in a black ensemble and transparent cape, performing the aria Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix (My heart opens itself to your voice) from Camille Saint-Saëns’s opera Samson and Delilah. The performance ended in an eruption of sound, lights and applause as Nomi left the stage. With growing confidence, he began performing at other clubs around New York City.

These performances caught the eye of David Bowie, and Nomi subsequently appeared with him and Joey Arias on Saturday Night Live in 1979. The duo performed backing vocals for Bowie’s tracks “The Man Who Sold the World,” “Boys Keep Swinging,” and “TVC 15.” Nomi was impressed by the costume Bowie wore during “The Man Who Sold the World” and had a tuxedo made in a similar style that became his signature look. Unfortunately the SNL appearance didn’t garner Nomi the mainstream attention he and those working with him had hoped for, but Bowie’s influence did help land him a record deal; he signed with RCA records in 1980.

It is said that around this time Nomi began to alienate many friends and co-workers. He ended up hiring a new band and releasing his self-titled debut in 1981. This debut was an eclectic collection of opera covers underlined with synthesizers, quirky pop covers, and originals, most of which were penned for Nomi by Kristian Hoffman. (Nomi wrote “Keys of Life” and co-wrote “Wasting My Time” with Scott Woody.) After a tour around Europe, he recorded his follow-up album Simple Man (1982) which continued in the same vein.

His most well-known songs are a mixed bag. The cover of Lou Christie’s “Lightning Strikes” is often considered the most ridiculous, so much so it has been used as a substitute for the Rickroll. Nomi sings the lyrics with gusto, slipping from his tenor to a soaring falsetto. In the music video for the song, Nomi appears in a black, white and grey-toned dreamscape, decked out in his signature tuxedo, with his name as an electric blue lightning strike behind him. A duo twirls umbrellas nearby.

Another of his pop numbers, “Total Eclipse,” is eerily reflective on global warming and, while the studio version is good, the live version is better. The theme of world destruction is later echoed in “After the Fall” (So I told you about the total eclipse now/ but still it caught you unaware/ But I'm telling you hold on, hold on/ Tomorrow we'll be there).

These are both the standard for Nomi’s pop numbers: groovy and a showcase of his vocal range. A definite nod must be given to his cover of Marlene Dietrich’s “Falling in Love Again,” which enjoys a funky reworking and is sung in both English and German. Other pop numbers of note are his cover of Lesley Gore’s “You Don’t Own Me” and the Kristian Hoffman-penned “Simple Man” and “Nomi Song.”

From the ridiculous (see also: Nomi’s tale of space cowboys “Rubberband Lazer”) to the ethereal: at the other end of the spectrum are Nomi’s opera covers. “The Cold Song” and “Death” (originally titled “Dido’s Lament”) are haunting tracks and a credit to Nomi’s voice. Both are covers of songs by 17th century composer Henry Purcell; “The Cold Song” is from Purcell’s opera King Arthur and “Dido’s Lament” is from Dido and Æneas.

With two albums under his belt and touring underway, Nomi looked to have a promising career ahead of him. Unfortunately he fell ill and doctors were unable to diagnose the problem. Klaus Nomi died aged 39 on 6 August 1983 from complications caused by what we now know as AIDs; he was one of the first prominent persons to fall victim to the disease. Nomi was cremated and his ashes were spread over New York City.

He was working on an opera, Za Bakdaz, when he died which was released unfinished in 2008. It is said that Nomi was frustrated at not being a part of the song-writing process for his first two albums. According to Nomi collaborator Page Wood, songwriters Hoffman and Manny Parish would, “write something, demo it, and then hand Klaus the tape,” and goes on to say that, “George and I treated these sessions more like a workshop. Klaus, Joey, and Tony Frere would come over and just do stuff.”

Nomi and Wood decided on the name Za Bakdaz while listening to songs backwards in search of secret messages: “One evening Klaus and I had some choir singers going, and boom! There it was: Za! Cusay cusa cuza, Bakdaz... Pretty soon he was correcting my spelling- I had it "Bagdas"- he wanted a "k" and a "z" because they were pointier.”

Za Bakdaz is Nomi’s space western, a combination of Italian, German, English, and French – and a language Wood and George Elliot, another collaborator, refer to as “the Glossolalia". The disc plays like a film score and includes a different version of “Rubberband Lazer” and a cover of “Silent Night.”

Wood was prompted to unearth the old recordings for Andrew Horn’s documentary The Nomi Song, released in 2004.The documentary includes archival footage, interviews with those who knew Nomi, and live performances.

Nomi is remembered by his fans, some of whom refer to themselves affectionately as ‘Nomis,’ and is credited as an important figure in the 1980s new wave music movement. His signature look has also been recreated by fashion designers and musicians.