Who is Simon Raymonde? Sir Elton John and Cillian Murphy praise Cocteau Twins star's memoir

The music legend Sir Elton John and acclaimed actor Cillian Murphy recently praised Simon Raymonde's highly-anticipated upcoming memoir, In One Ear: Cocteau Twins, Ivor Raymonde and Me.

On May 24, 2024, in an Instagram post, Raymonde, an English musician and record producer, announced the release date of his book and gave netizens a glimpse of what to expect from it.

"So I wrote a book. You know, like a big grown up kinda thing to do. It covers all the good and bad bits, falling over, getting up, shorts, big boy pants, ivor, and a big ole love letter to Cocteau Twins too," Simon captioned the post.

Set to release through Nine Eight Books on September 12, 2024, he revealed what Cillian Murphy, the star of Oppenheimer, and Sir Elton John, renowned for his hit song Tiny Dancer thought about his memoir.

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Who is Simon Raymonde?

Simon Philip Raymonde, born April 3, 1962, in London, England, is the son of the late arranger and composer Ivor Raymonde. He is best known for being the bass guitarist and keyboard player in the Scottish band Cocteau Twins from 1983 to 1997.

Before joining Cocteau Twins, Simon Raymonde worked at the Beggars Banquet record shop, which was downstairs from the office of Cocteau Twins’ first label 4AD. This was when he met the founders of the group, Robin Guthrie and Elizabeth Fraser. In 2019, the musician explained in an interview with C86 Radio Show how the track Millimillenary was recorded and said:

"I knew the owner was gonna be away one weekend and then when Robin and Liz were down for a visit, I said, 'Hey, you know, you can use the studio this weekend because I can let you in and you can just do what you want to do,' and I took them up there and they sort of stared at me, like, 'Well, what do you want to do?' And I said, 'What do you mean?' And they said, 'Well, you know, we thought you wanted to write some songs'."

He mentioned that while that "wasn’t in the plan," he was eager to do it.

"Liz went out to get some chips and me and Robin jammed for ten minutes and we had this tune going, and when she came back she was like, 'Oh my god that’s the best thing I ever heard'," he said.

Moreover, in 1996, Simon Raymonde co-founded Bella Union Records with Robin and Elizabeth. He actively creates music while managing Bella Union and its record store in London. In 2017, he released the album Ojalá with Richard Thomas under the band name Lost Horizons. Most recently, in 2020, Lost Horizons released In Quiet Moments, their second album.

Simon raises two sons, Stanley and William, with his former spouse, Karen. He currently lives in London with his current wife, Abbey, as per his bio on Cocteau Twins' page.

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In One Ear: Cocteau Twins, Ivor Raymonde and Me: Praise by Sir Elton John and Cillian Murphy

Earlier this week, Simon Raymonde announced on Instagram that Sir Elton John and acclaimed actor Cillian Murphy had shared their thoughts on his book, adding to its allure. He added the "lovely words" from the Peaky Blinders star, which read:

"A beautiful insightful and honest look into the life of legend and musical polymath Simon Raymonde."

Sir Elton John also hailed the "wonderful book of pop music history" and suggested that the industry needed more people like Raymonde.

"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 of people like him in a world full of mass-produced mediocrity," Sir Elton John said.

Sharing a glimpse into the memoir, Simon Raymonde mentioned that the book would have all the "good and bad bits" from his career. He also mentioned that it would include a "letter to Cocteau Twins."

As per NME, the description of In One Ear: Cocteau Twins, Ivor Raymonde and Me reads:

"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."

The book is currently available for pre-order and can be purchased via the Linktree page linked in Simon Raymonde's Instagram bio.