Klaus Wunderlich has truly earned the title of "Mr. Hammond," even though artists from the jazz scene could also lay claim to it. Foremost among them is Jimmy Smith, who is regarded as the pioneer of the Hammond organ in jazz. However, Wunderlich's incredible productivity surpasses that of other organists many times over. Not only was he in the right place at the right time, but he was also incredibly talented - none of his imitators have been able to match him to this day. The renowned organist Ady Zehnpfennig quite rightly described Klaus as the “father of us all.”
As perhaps the most successful organist of all time, Klaus achieved feats that seemed almost unbelievable in his day. The exact number of records he produced is difficult to determine, but it is estimated to be around 240, including vinyl records, music cassettes, and CDs. In recent years, various releases have also become available for download on multiple platforms. Fans around the world adored Klaus Wunderlich. In England, in particular, he was a superstar who effortlessly filled the Royal Albert Hall on a couple of occasions.
What made Klaus Wunderlich so unique was his precision. He once said, “You just have to press the right note at the right time”— and he did exactly that, to perfection. He simply never played a wrong note. This flawless precision was the key to successfully completing his multiple overdubs—something no one else could have replicated.
A video production titled GOLDEN DAYS released in 2015 by former BBC presenter Alan Ashton, is available here -> Golden Days. This interesting video documents Klaus's output of Gold Discs as well as detailed descriptions: unreleased recordings and photos of his ground breaking recording techniques all achieved in his own home built recording studio... an area which was truly 'out of bounds' to anyone during his recording sessions.
In 2017, two Danish enthusiasts fans produced the DVD titled WUNDERLICH which was followed a year later with WUNDERLICH STORIES. This documentary focuses on stories, memories, and anecdotes about this legendary organist told by famous German organists Claudia Hirschfeld, Franz Lambert and others. With a bit of luck, copies can still be found on Ebay of both highly recommended professionally produced releases.
INTERVIEWS:
Alan Ashton, Dorothy Timperley, Mark Whale, Claudia Hirschfeld, Franz Lambert, Ole Erling,
Brett Wales, Claus Riepe
BONUSMATERIAL:
An interview with Mark Whale, who passed away in early 2018.
Audio stories: Some anecdotes from Alan Ashton.