Nomi was a key figure in the East Village scene, emerging during the vibrant New Wave era. The inimitable Klaus Nomi (né Sperber), a German-born opera singer who landed in New York in the early 70s, was known not just for his astonishing vocal range, but also for his eccentric performance style and costume choices. This monumental reissue comes forty years after the world tragically lost this singular talent to complications from AIDS in 1983 at just 39 years old. īut really not much beyond Lightnin' Strikes and Rhapsody in the Rain are worth serious attention.īut when that emotional drama and falsetto kick in, Lou Christie demands your most serious attention.įor more unusual one-off songs with an interesting back-story see From the Vaults.In a profound tribute to the groundbreaking New Wave icon Klaus Nomi, Sony/Legacy is set to breathe new life into his truly avant-garde discography. He returned to do some soundtrack work, started doing gigs with Lesley Gore. He worked as truck driver and on an oil rig. He lived in London in the early Seventies, married and had kids, battled an addiction, and went back to the States and quit music. You do have to wonder if this Lou met the other Lou there at the time.Ĭhristie's next hit however was the even more salaciously sexual Rhapsody in the Rain (banned for its sexual beat of windscreen wiper rhythms and lyrics about making out in the rain).Īfter that things slowly unwound for Christie on the hit-making front despite Jack Nitzsche producing If My Car Could Only Talk and the dramatic Shake Hands and Walk Away Crying.Ĭhristie then label hopped (he was four years on Neil Bogart's Buddah), he enjoyed some success with I'm Gonna Make You Mine and headed to Europe to do cabaret. People there are pretty much like animals." "Anyone who has ever been to 42nd Street in New York City would know that song attempts to reflect the jungle atmosphere. Things got a little unglued when some of his earlier material was rush released by a former label (thus confusing the market) but interestingly Lou also co-wrote Cryin' in the Streets. The problem with that song was the glueing it together". We'd have an intro, then part of a verse, then another refrain, then the hook. There were four different parts to the song. It's an interesting song beyond its very compelling vocals, as Christie noted: "The structure was unique then. And pouty Lou looked like he might also liked to take a walk on the wild side.Ī few other minor hits followed, then came the army stint in early '65, the signing to Marcucci's roster, and this Herbert-Christie penned Lightnin' Strikes which had as much ear-piercing anguish as anything by Johnny Ray and Gene Pitney combined.Īnd sex: "If she gives me a sign she wants to make time. Given his voice, a lot of listeners thought he was a she. Within a short period they spun out four pretty interesting hits including The Gypsy Cried which was released under the name "Lou Christie". They fell in with each other (they shared a love of classical music, notably opera) and became songwriting partners. It was when they attended a bogus audition that Lou met Twyla Herbert who was twice his age, a former concert pianist and psychic. When Christie was 15 he and his sister Amy Sacco had formed a group called the Crewnecks. Maybe it was the tight trousers, maybe it was the falsetto. And by that time the British Invasion was at its peak.įew American teen idol acts like Christie - his fellows in Bob Marcucci's management stable included Fabian and Frankie Avalon - would survive the Invasion, but Lou was always kind of different. It was quite a comeback for Lugee Alfredo Giovanni Sacco from rural Glenwillard near Pittsburg: he'd had some skirmishes with the charts and been on Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars traveling revue (he was seated next to Diana Ross for 72 consecutive nights) but he'd been sidelined by a six month stint as an army reservist. Few people can say they celebrated their 23rd birthday in quite the same way as Lou Christie, this single was number one the US - and just starting to go global.
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