Simon Posthuma

About

From Wikipedia:

Simon Douwe Posthuma (1 February 1939 – 28 February 2020) was a Dutch designer, musician and artist, who worked with The Beatles and The Hollies, among others.

Biography

Posthuma was born in Zaandam. After helping a cousin make a painting for the church, he wanted to be a painter. He was rejected for military service and moved to Amsterdam, where he moved into a building on the Zeedijk. At the time, he was part of the art scene of the Leidseplein. In 1964 he met Marijke Koger there. With her, he embarked on a journey through Europe, which ended in London in 1966. There, the duo met The Beatles and were asked to design the clothing and entourage for the song All You Need Is Love, which was broadcast live in 1967.

Together with Josje Leeger and Barry Finch, Posthuma and Koger founded the artists’ collective The Fool in 1967. Although Posthuma was known as a quiet boy, he did experiment with LSD during this time. Together with Koger, Posthuma designed a cover for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, which was eventually rejected and replaced by the now famous collage photo. On the first edition of the record, the design by Posthuma and Koger can be seen on the inner sleeve. After this, they painted the façade of the Apple Boutique on Baker Street. The Fool then moved to New York, where they recorded an album with Graham Nash as producer. Later, Posthuma and Koger recorded an LP together under the name Seemon & Marijke. The single “I Saw You”, which was produced by Booker T. Jones, reached number two in the Dutch Top 40 in 1972.

In 1978 the collective The Fool broke up and Posthuma returned to the Netherlands with nostalgia. Here he resumed his profession as a painter.

In 2008 Posthuma published his memoirs under the title A fool such as I – the fate of Simon Posthuma. The book was co-written by Telegraaf journalist Joost Goosen. In 2012, the documentary Whatever Forever premiered at IDFA, which was a double portrait of Posthuma and his son, singer-songwriter Douwe Bob. […]

---

How did you first come in contact with the Beatles and Apple?

In fall ’66, after extended travels to Paris, Athens, Morocco, Madrid and Ibiza – were we worked, designed fashions for boutiques and had an art exhibition in Madrid – Marijke and I arrived in London. There we continued our ‘mission’, which was introducing bright colours in a grey world of pinstriped suits and homburgs under a dreary sky. One day, John and Paul knocked on our door; they had heard about us and had seen our work around town. (We had designed stage outfits for The Hollies and Cream. Marijke made some posters that caught the eye through it’s marvellous technique. Moreover, she had designed the program covers for Brian Epstein’s Saville Theatre. Later we created album covers for other groups, for instance the Incredible String Band and the Move. Also, we created stage outfits for Procol Harum.) During John and Paul’s first visit to our house in Bayswater, they saw the ‘Wonderwall’, a composition consisting of a decorated armoire and a bust, against an arched wall, painted in the style that was up until then new to the world. “I love it, I want to live in it,” John said when he saw the ‘Wonderwall’, and Paul agreed. Afterwards, Marijke laid the tarot cards for Paul. It turned out to be his inspiration for writing “The Fool on the Hill.” (The Fool, the zero, being the one of the deck.)

Later, in ’67, the film director Joe Massot was inspired by the “installation” and it became the title of the film he was working on, starring Iain Quarrier, Jane Birkin and Jack MacGowran. The “Wonderwall” was used as a set in the movie and The Fool – Marijke Koger, Josje Leger, Barry Finch and my person – was instrumental to have George Harrison writing the score. Oasis’s single Wonderwall must have been inspired by George’s record and the film. I wonder if they knew the background story.

What did they (or if it was one Beatle in particular, he) initially ask you to do?

To hang out and make some personal outfits. We were invited at the recording session for A Day in the Life. Then we were commissioned to do the inside album cover for “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” The portraits of the Beatles would be in the open space (left top) and the text in the other. Later, Marijke and Josje designed the costumes for the “All You Need Is Love” worldwide broadcast. During the summer of ’67, Simon and Marijke painted John’s piano and the mural over George and Pattie Harrison’s fire place in Kinfauns, Surrey. After that, we did the Apple Store.

What was it like working for both the Beatles and Apple?

A gas!

Any stories about the opening or closing of the Apple boutique?

Contrary to the popular story, we didn’t hire some twenty art students for painting the Apple mural and it did not take weeks. Marijke and I painted the mural together on scaffolds in a weekend. We had one assistant, Micky Finn, who we did not know. He happened to pass by when we just started and offered his help. Later, he would be T. Rex’s drummer. There was such a crowd at the Apple opening party that The Fool could not even get in. By the time the Apple Store closed, The Fool had already arrived in the Big Apple to cut our first record, The Fool, produced by Graham Nash, who just had left The Hollies to join David Crosby and Stephen Stills. In ‘72, Seemon & Maryke cut another record in Los Angeles, titled Son of America, again produced by Graham Nash. The single “I Saw You” became a world hit, except for the UK and the U.S.A.

Were you present at the rooftop concert?

No, we were already in the U.S.A.

What was your favorite memory of your time there?

Driving the cream coloured Bentley, decorated with The Fool’s logo on the doors and yellow stars on a blue rooftop, through London at night and visiting the private clubs and listening to ska music.

How did the Fool’s association with the Beatles end?

Abrupt, but no regrets on either side. Apple was our last involvement with the Beatles. Marijke and I saw John one more time in Hollywood at a party at Gary Kellgren’s (of the Record Plant). John was quite drunk and was in May Pang’s company. He crawled on hands and knees across the room to we were sitting. He embraced us and said, “We sure did something truly incredible, didn’t we?”

Simon Posthuma – Interview – From The Fool 2021 – An interview with Simon Posthuma of The Fool Q:… | Facebook, March 2012

The two Beatles John and Paul didn’t just knock on on their door it took me Barry finch to arrange this appointment and it was me that brought them there

Barry Finch – From The Fool 2021 – An interview with Simon Posthuma of The Fool Q:… | Facebook, March 2012

Azing: Can you describe the design? We have no idea what it looked like.

Simon: It was very colorful. It was a gatefold (three-part) cover with a square filled with dancing people and many rainbow colors. Very lovely – like everything in those days. Flower power, you know?

Azing: What happened to the original design?

Simon: John took it and hang in on the wall at his house. I think it’s still on the wall at Yoko’s.

Interview by Dutch Beatlesexpert Azing with Simon Posthuma (The Fool), made in March 2, 1996. – From (5) The Fool’s cover design for Sgt. Pepper’s | Steve Hoffman Music Forums

Last updated on May 5, 2024