Klaus Voormann was born in 1938 in Berlin. He stumbled across an early iteration of The Beatles during their epic Reeperbahn days as a raucous bar band in Hamburg, Germany.
Klaus captured them in art.
Those were the days of 14-hour amphetamine-fueled sets featuring beer-drenched covers of Elvis Presley, Little Richard and Chuck Berry from the band formerly known as The Quarrymen.
This lineup of The Beatles included John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Pete Best (on drums) and Stu Sutcliffe on bass. Voormann's stylistic and artistic influence permeated the band in such a visceral way that even his girlfriend, Astrid Kirchherr, served as muse for the band.
She later became engaged to Stu Sutcliffe, who would pass away before the rise of Beatlemania.
When Sutcliffe left the band, Voormann offered his bass-playing services to The Beatles. He was rebuffed by John, who politely told him that Paul was picking up Stu's bass and they would remain a quartet.
Imagine how history would have turned with The Beatles roll call going like this: John, Paul, George, Pete (and/or Ringo) and Klaus! But, Voormann can safely say that he was a 5th Beatle during one gig in Hamburg when he sat in with the Fabs on bass.
Klaus drew many pictures later in his life of the lads time in Hamburg.
The day to day activities, walking the streets, even bath time. And we can truly see beauty in the art. Not like a photo this is softer yet full of nuances and details that we sometimes don't even register in a photograph.
Above are two of John after a hard day's night. Face soft and asleep in his meal. Who else would think to draw something so weird yet full of information of the hours that the boys put in on stage that wearied them to this... asleep in his fried egg.
Here we are in the dressing room with Rory Storm and Ringo beer bottle discarded on the floor, Rory obsessing over his hair.
I'm cold and hungry just looking at this. John rugged up trying in vain to keep the rain out and heat in as he navigates lonely streets.
I'm not 100% if this is Klaus, Stu or John depicted here. What do you think? Note the hot water heater tank over the bath.. luxury!
This is stunning pic of Paul even if it's just an eye and eyebrow arched! In the lock-up after that condom fire incident. Alone, young with his socks showing, pants pulled up in that position of his, trying to keep warm and be brave in a foreign land in a lonely foreign police station cell. Trivia... Apparently Klaus first drew GEORGE in this cell picture but when he found out it was actually Paul he changed it!
In the muted shadowy light but for the flame of that match.
Klaus Voormann earned a claim to 5th/6th or was it 7th Beatle status with his cover design for The Beatles' Revolver album. The album, filled with sonic, groundbreaking songs like "Eleanor Rigby" and "Tomorrow Never Knows," is considered by many to be the best album The Beatles ever laid to wax. Revolver is an iconic testament to the timelessness of the band, and Voormann's graphic design for the cover is just as important as the music.
Nice little clip here of Klaus recreating the cover : https://vimeo.com/207329358
https://vimeo.com/213979087
His creative efforts later garnered him a Grammy Award for Best Album Cover.
Look closely on the Revolver album cover and you can see a small picture of Klaus embedded within the numerous strands of hair from the four Beatle heads. The band got a good laugh out of that and agreed to keep Klaus on the cover. His small portrait on the album cover is quiet and unassuming. It's as he's staring at the band in silent admiration and firmly out of the spotlight — as a friend.
Klaus spent a lot of time with John, George and Ringo after the breakup as friends and in the studio. Klaus is shown in the new John and Yoko doco and his bass playing is wonderful. Here's some John drawings....
Harry's voice was gone! by Klaus Voormann
A short story by Klaus Voormann to recall this dramatic event in Harry Nilsson's life. And you need the eye and all the humour of Klaus to capture it all in pen and paper. It was in 1974, during John Lennon's Lost Weekend.
Harry's voice was gone!
He took us along to see his Doctor
Funny because of all the friends get invited by Harry in the doctor's office to watch the "swab procedure".
All studio pals as they were recording Pussy Cats album including John Lennon, Jesse Ed Davis, Jim Keltner, Bobby Keys, Klaus Voormann himself.
Dr. Eddie Kanter the throat man
Klaus called the drawing "Dr Eddie Kanter the throat man" with the name of this doctor (actually Dr. Kantor) called to examine Harry's throat while they all worried about their friend and that voice beginning to be lost.
Harry was scarred
Harry was scared, Klaus recalls on his drawing. But maybe Harry couldn't realize at that time all the damage it went further. And after that, his voice was never been back again as it used to be. His best instrument gone forever.
That's surely the most dramatic event in Harry's life and career. Because he wouldn't listen to the doctor, neither to his friends who told him to have rest. But he did not. Rest is history.
He burned his life like this. Like he tells in his song All My Life (well, I've had my share of bad times, I've been shooting 'em up, drinking 'em up, taking them pills, fooling around all my life; but I'm so tired of bad times, I'll have to change my way...) composed ironically for this Pussy Cats album. One of his most beautiful songs.
Well, I've had my share of bad times, I've been shooting 'em up, drinking 'em up, taking them pills, fooling around all my life; but I'm so tired of bad times, I'll have to change my way.
And I've had my share of good times, I've been moving around, living uptown, laughin' my ass off almost every night; but I'm so sore from laughing, I haven't got the will to fight.
All My Life (Nilsson) - 1974 Pussy Cats