Klaus Voormann is a German artist, musician, and record producer who has a long-standing association with the Beatles. Voormann’s relationship with the Beatles was not just professional but also personal, and his contributions to their music and artwork have left a lasting legacy.
Voormann’s association with the Beatles dates back to their time in Hamburg in the early 1960s. He first met the Beatles at the Kaiserkeller club in Hamburg and became a long life friend.
He lived in the band’s London flat with George Harrison and Ringo Starr after John Lennon and Paul McCartney moved out to live with their respective partners.
Voormann designed the cover of the Beatles’ 1966 album Revolver, for which he won a Grammy Award.
Following the band’s split, rumors circulated of the formation of a group named the Ladders, consisting of Lennon, Harrison, Starr, and Voormann. This didn’t materialize; however, all four would-be Ladders (plus Billy Preston) performed on the Starr track “I’m the Greatest”, and Voormann did play on solo albums by Lennon, Harrison, and Starr, as well as briefly being a member of the Plastic Ono Band.
In the 1990s, he designed the artwork for The Beatles Anthology albums.
In 2009, Voormann released his debut solo album A Sideman’s Journey, which featured the two surviving Beatles, McCartney and Starr, performing as “Voormann and Friends”.
With John and George
Klaus Voormann had a significant role in the Plastic Ono Band, a group created by John and Yoko. In 1969, John Lennon invited Klaus Voormann to join the Plastic Ono Band. The invitation was quite spontaneous, with Lennon asking Voormann to fly to Toronto in two days to play an unrehearsed concert with a band of four guys who had never played together.
Voormann, along with other musicians, often collaborated on recordings by John and Yoko. He also contributed to John Lennon’s solo albums “John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band” and “Imagine”. The album, “Plastic Ono Band” (1970) recorded with the help of Voormann, Ringo Starr, and Billy Preston, is considered one of Lennon’s best solo albums.
He also played on Harrison’s 1970 album “All Things Must Pass”. This album is considered one of Harrison’s best works.
Klaus Voormann played a significant role in the Concert for Bangladesh, which took place on August 1, 1971, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The concert was organized by George Harrison and Ravi Shankar to raise funds for refugees from East Pakistan, now known as Bangladesh.
Voormann played bass in the concert, which also featured other notable musicians such as Eric Clapton, Jesse Ed Davis, Billy Preston, Leon Russell, and Ringo Starr. The concert was a historic event, being the first charity concert of its size. Voormann’s participation in the Concert for Bangladesh was recognized with a Grammy award, marking his second win.
Meeting Klaus in 2007
In May 2007, the Dutch Beatles tribute band Mal Evans Memorial Band was invited to perform at the International Beatles Convention in Nieuwegein (Netherlands). I was the lead singer of this Beatles tribute.
Klaus was also there as guest of honor and backstage we had the opportunity to have our picture taken with this Beatles legend. Later that day, bassist Jan and I took our moment and asked for an autograph. We had a short chat with this extremely friendly man and he took his time. He signed my copy of the Anthology 3 album. I can’t believe we were interacting with one of the very best friends from all four fabs. And not to forget: A fellow musician of George and John in particular.
About Klaus’ relationship with the Beatles: https://theworld.org/stories/2018-10-30/klaus-voormanns-long-history-beatles
