VIA PRESS RELEASE | “This is a wonderful book of pop music history. A man obsessed with the beauty of creative artists and wanting to create his own legacy and to enable other musicians to have a voice by releasing their magic. We need more people like him in a world full of mass-produced mediocrity.” —Elton John
British producer, musician, and record-company CEO Simon Raymonde helped to create some of the most beautiful and memorable albums of the ’80s and ’90s. From 1983 to 1997, he was one-third of seminal band Cocteau Twins and associated offshoot This Mortal Coil where he helped create music that continues to cast a spell over millions. He also launched and still runs the influential record label, Bella Union. On November 18th, Bonnier Books will release his award-winning autobiography In One Ear: Cocteau Twins, Ivor And Me—his story, in his words.
To celebrate the book release, Raymonde has also announced several book events across the U.S including stops at Seattle’s Easy Street Records, Los Angeles’ Book Soup, and New York’s Rough Trade Records, and in San Francisco at a venue to be announced soon. For more info on the book events, head HERE.
Beginning with Simon’s remarkable childhood and exploring his relationship with his father, Ivor Raymonde—the legendary producer, musician, and arranger for acts such as the Walker Brothers and songwriter for artists including Dusty Springfield, the book journeys through the musician’s rise to prominence and his time with Cocteau Twins and This Mortal Coil.
It also charts the successful career he has forged running his own label, Bella Union, since 1997—discovering, developing, and working with globally renowned artists like Beach House, Fleet Foxes, Father John Misty, and John Grant. And the narrative will lead us back to the present day, reflecting on Simon’s most recent experiences in the music industry, all while going deaf in one ear. A must-read for music fans, this is the incredible tale of Simon’s life and legacy.
