Ivor Raymonde (born Ivor Pomerance; 22 October 1926 – 4 June 1990)[1][2] was a British musician, songwriter, arranger and actor, best known for his distinctive rock-orchestral arrangements for Dusty Springfield and others in the 1960s.
Life and career
He studied at Trinity College of Music,[3] and served as a Bevin Boy during the Second World War.[4] He initially entered professional music as a jazz and classical pianist. He played in various big bands and started leading his own band by the early 1950s. He then became a music director at the BBC alongside Wally Stott. He worked as a session musician on occasion, playing on and arranging Johnny Duncan's UK hit "Last Train to San Fernando." He also worked as an actor, supporting comedian Tony Hancock in all of the comedian's first TV series in 1956.[4]
A compilation of Ivor Raymonde's recordings, Paradise: The Sound of Ivor Raymonde, was released on the Bella Union label in 2018, and made available on Bandcamp.[5] A second volume was issued in 2019.[6]