It is true to say that Klaus did indeed have a large effect on other musicians. People are often unaware of this fact and for this reason are overlooking the significances of Klaus Harmony and his forward-thinking Avant-garde type creativita.

It was during the sessions of the movie Chenois (1973) that Isaac Hayes is said to have visited Klaus's studio in order to reassess his own ways of working. He is thought to have found the music for Wundercrotchen "damn near mind-blowing" and could not miss the opportunity to sit in on the sessions for the new movie.

Much along similar lines, Stevie Wonder is purported to have acknowledged the influence of Klaus along with Herbie Hancock as Walter Samuel has often pointed out.

"Herbie Hancock alluded to the soundtrack of 1971's Die Grosse Brustwarze Karnival having influenced his own early 1970's output, whilst Stevie Wonder, when asked about the genesis of his landmark LP, Talking Book, told a journalist, "Man, I just closed my eyes and made like I was Klaus Harmony." There being no doubt as to the extent of the album's influence, there is also much evidence of Klaus Harmony's own musical heritage, in particular his classical training under the tutelage of Henry Bysshe. A Visit to the Countryside depicts the simplicity of rural life for its sexually emancipated youth, and, in painting a portrait of such an idyllic existence, the composer draws on the descriptive, programmatic music of both Grieg and Beethoven, weaving their motifs so seamlessly into his own that it takes more than a concerted listen to discern passages of Peer Gynt and the Pastoral Symphony."

A visit which Klaus made to Los Angeles in 1979 brought him together with many great musicians who were drawing inspirations from his genius. Samuel also writies this about it:

"In an effort to imitate the vapid exuberance of Chip Jenssen's "California Gold" movies, distributor, Futafusion and record label, Judd Discs, offered to pay for Friedrich Wohlfäht and Klaus Harmony to take a short sabbatical in LA to meet with their west coast counterparts. Instead of adhering to the intensive schedule of meetings and lunches set up for him, however, Klaus eloped with Harold Faltermeyor and, for fourteen days, did little but play ping pong in his friends infamously well equipped Malibu games room. Upon his return to Europe, he began work on the score for Schaften Lieben and produced uninspired work by his own standards, but fashioned a style which made a significant impression upon Hollywood composers such as Randy Edelman and Dave Grusin."

Also, Dave Grusin took a particular cue from a certain Klaus track, Mr No More Nice Guy.

It is so that Klaus was a leader of styles and not a follower. He did take inspiration from the classical masters such as Bach and Beethoven, and from popular music such greats as Gerry Marsden, who for him was the brightest star. He was not at all fond of gimmicks or tricks in music as Walter Samuel mentions on relation to his short experiment with World Music in the score for Schaften Lieben:

"...it is thought that despite the enthusiasm of Futafusion and Judd Discs for this synthesis of Western and Eastern sounds, a style they thought both adventurous and commercially exploitable, the composer himself thought the result less than remarkable and something of a cul-de-sac in aesthetic terms. Indeed he expressed some surprise that Peter Gabriel was not able to get a similar compositional inclination out of his system somewhat sooner."

Of course only history may be the final judge of the impacts of Klaus Harmony but it needs no further elucidations that I am in the belief that Klaus was indeed a genius and did set the trends but not follow them. I don't think he bucked them either. But then what is bucking?

Pupu has made me an egg-white omelette which is what the London taxi drivers eat she tells me.

Peace,

Jan Sink