Sunday Early Show Celebrating the 2024 Birthday of Songwriter Ivor Raymonde

by Robert Wilkinson

Our tidal wave of musical talent continues! We begin our Sunday festivities with a songwriter most have never heard of, but if you were around for the British invasion or were a fan of Britain’s greatest Diva, then you heard his music.

From wiki: “Ivor Raymonde (born Ivor Pomerance, 22 October 1926 – 4 June 1990) was a British musician, songwriter, arranger and actor, best known for his distinctive rock-orchestral arrangements for Dusty Springfield and others in the 1960s.

When Dusty Springfield went solo in 1963, he played her a tune he had written, which became her first big hit, “I Only Want To Be With You” under producer Johnny Franz. It reached #4 on the UK singles chart, and he and lyricist Mike Hawker followed it up with Dusty's second hit single, "Stay Awhile". Raymonde continued working with Dusty Springfield through the 1960s, as well as arranging and producing hits for the Walker Brothers, Billy Fury, Alan Price, Honeybus, Eternal Triangle, Los Bravos and many others.”

From AllMusic.com, a little more back story: “... it was his work with the Springfields that was ultimately to prove fateful to his career, when the girl in the trio, Dusty Springfield, decided to go solo with a new, soulful sound, late in 1963. He'd written a tune while on vacation that he played for her, and which the singer enjoyed, and then got lyricist Mike Hawker to add words, and that song became "I Only Want to Be with You," one of eight cut at Springfield's first solo session, and the one chosen as her debut single. Its over-the-top arrangement, the orchestra playing too loud, and over-recorded as well, with Dusty Springfield singing at the top of her lungs to compete, became something of a trademark for the singer and her arranger over the next four years, as distinctive as any records ever made at Phillips or, for that, matter, in England.”

For your enjoyment, an excellent video clip from The Ed Sullivan Show where Dusty belts out ”Stay Awhile” and “I Only Want To Be With You.”

Last year I had two very early live television performances by Dusty on one clip, a mashup from the Russ Conway Holland video and her very live performance on the Sullivan Show. This year I found another early video with her lip synching to her extraordinary breakthrough hit from January 1964, “I Only Want To Be With You”

Here’s the original studio version of “I Only Want To Be With You” set to slides.

From American Bandstand, May 1964, Dusty performing her second huge hit of that year (to a backing track) “Stay Awhile”

This clip looks like it’s from Ready Steady Go, where she’s lip-synching in a “live” performance of “Stay Awhile”

Here’s a remarkable live performance on radio in 1964! What a voice! “Stay Awhile”

A much more laid back sound written by Ivor and Mike Hawker! “I Wish I’d Never Loved You”

The last song they penned for her, though Ivor continued to produce her for several more years. A very big sound! “Your Hurtin’ Kind of Love”

Remember Los Bravos? They were a mega “one hit wonder” band produced by Ivor. He produced this 1966 album with the title of the #4 US, #2 UK hit Black is Black

He was the music director for the Walker Brothers’ first two albums. You can hear it in the production. The first album went out under two different labels with two different song lists.

2 years ago I had a 35 minute Smash label album titled Introducing the Walker Brothers, but it’s disappeared. However, I found the other version of their first album, titled Take It Easy With the Walker Brothers.

This year I also found this which leads off 54 clips of Walker Brothers material! For your enjoyment, 55 by the Walker Brothers This band’s vocals were truly outstanding!

From the album, here’s the studio version of the 1962 Jerry Butler smash hit written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, reinterpreted by the Walker Brothers! From their first album, “Make It Easy on Yourself”

Their second major hit, not included on their original second album. This one was big! “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Any More”

From Ready Steady Go performing to a backing track, “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Any More”

From May 1966, a live performance on Beat Club! This is a live b/w clip of them singing to backing tracks. ”Land of a Thousand Dances” and a version cut before 2 minutes of ”The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Any More”

From 1966, their second album Portrait

Thanks for the memories, Ivor! Glad your son Simon is carrying on the musical tradition.

© Copyright 2024 Robert Wilkinson

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