In One Ear
29 May 2025Imprint: Nine Eight Books
Synopsis
A Rough Trade Book of the Year
A Resident Book of the Year
A Classic Pop Book of the Year
Nominated for the 2025 Association for Recorded Sound Collections Awards for Excellence in Historical Recorded Sound Research
'A wonderful book' ELTON JOHN
'Beautiful, insightful and honest' CILLIAN MURPHY
'A love letter to a charmed life lived through music' OBSERVER
As one-third of seminal band Cocteau Twins, Simon Raymonde helped to create some of the most beautiful and memorable albums of the '80s and '90s - music that continues to cast a spell over millions. This is the story of the band, in his words.
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 will journey through the musician's rise to prominence and his time with Cocteau Twins and This Mortal Coil.
It will also chart the successful career he has forged running his own label, Bella Union, for the past twenty-seven years, 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.
A Resident Book of the Year
A Classic Pop Book of the Year
Nominated for the 2025 Association for Recorded Sound Collections Awards for Excellence in Historical Recorded Sound Research
'A wonderful book' ELTON JOHN
'Beautiful, insightful and honest' CILLIAN MURPHY
'A love letter to a charmed life lived through music' OBSERVER
As one-third of seminal band Cocteau Twins, Simon Raymonde helped to create some of the most beautiful and memorable albums of the '80s and '90s - music that continues to cast a spell over millions. This is the story of the band, in his words.
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 will journey through the musician's rise to prominence and his time with Cocteau Twins and This Mortal Coil.
It will also chart the successful career he has forged running his own label, Bella Union, for the past twenty-seven years, 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.
Details
29 May 2025352 pages
9781788709392Imprint: Nine Eight Books
Reviews
'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
'A beautiful, insightful and honest look into the life of legend and musical polymath Simon Raymonde.'Cillian Murphy
'Simon and his father Ivor have soundtracked many chapters of my life. Their musical journey makes for a fascinating read that's a very British take on the story of rock 'n' roll.'Don Letts
'Simon Raymonde likes to credit serendipity for the storied life that music has given him - seemingly unaware that his genial joie de vivre might have influenced the outcome of his successes. Therein lies perhaps the greatest of this book's myriad charms.'Pete Paphides