Omnivore Recordings to Reissue Four Klaus Nomi Titles
Studio Albums Klaus Nomi and Simple Man Out August 28
In Concert Live CD and Posthumous Encore… (Nomi’s Best) Compilation Out October 9
July 8, 2026: Omnivore Recordings has announced four reissues from the late visionary German vocalist and performance artist Klaus Nomi. His classic studio albums Klaus Nomi and Simple Man will be made available August 28 on CD/vinyl, while his live In Concert CD and posthumous compilation Encore… (Nomi’s Best) CD/vinyl will be released October 9. All of these titles were formally long out of print in the U.S.
Bavarian-born Klaus Sperber emigrated to New York City in 1972 and soon became a staple in the East Village art scene, adopting the new last name of Nomi (fashioned after the popular science magazine Omni). After working on a production with Kristian Hoffman, whose band Mumps were playing Max’s Kansas City and CBGB, the two began working together — with Hoffman writing originals and picking cover versions of popular songs that would showcase Nomi’s multi-octave vocal range.
Klaus Nomi
David Bowie hired Nomi as one of his background singers for a 1979 performance on Saturday Night Live, and the exposure caught the eyes and ears of Bowie’s label, RCA. Soon, Kristian and Klaus began recording Nomi’s debut album. Klaus Nomi appeared in 1981 featuring covers of Lou Christie’s “Lightning Strikes,” Leslie Gore’s “You Don’t Own Me,” Chubby Checker’s “The Twist,” and Camille Saint-Saëns’ “Samson And Delilah (Aria),” plus originals from Hoffman including “Nomi Song” and “Total Eclipse” (memorably performed in the 1981 film Urgh! A Music War).
See tracklisting + pre-order: https://omnivorerecordings.com/shop/klaus-nomi/
Simple Man
Nomi’s second album, Simple Man, appeared in 1982 featuring Hoffman’s title track and covers of Doris Troy’s “Just One Look” and “Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead” from The Wizard Of Oz—plus songs from Renaissance composers John Dowland and Henry Purcell. It would sadly be Nomi’s last album of original material before his AIDS-related death in 1983.
See tracklisting + pre-order: https://omnivorerecordings.com/shop/simple-man/
In Concert
Originally released in 1986, In Concert features the unique, operatic new wave performances of Klaus Nomi. Recorded at Hurrah’s in New York in 1979, the set includes iconic versions of “Falling In Love Again,” “Total Eclipse,” “Lightning Strikes,” and the Donna Summer hit “I Feel Love.”
See tracklisting + pre-order: https://omnivorerecordings.com/shop/in-concert/
Encore… (Nomi’s Best)
The Encore… (Nomi’s Best) compilation was first issued shortly after he passed away due to AIDS and includes his best-known recordings and two songs unavailable elsewhere. Additionally, this collection contains the live version of “Total Eclipse” from Urgh! A Music War.
See tracklisting + pre-order: https://omnivorerecordings.com/shop/encore/
Credit: Michael Halsband
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