Ivor Raymonde

★★★★ Odyssey: The Sound Of Ivor Raymonde Vol. II BELLA UNION. CD/DL/LP

Second volume reveals hidden depths to the producer/arranger’s work.

Ivor Raymonde, a name built for style, had a vast portfolio beyond his acknowledged achievements with The Walker Brothers, Billy Fury and Dusty Springfield. 2018’s Paradise, compiled by the arranger’s Cocteau Twin son Simon with MOJO’s Kieron Tyler, included lesser-known collaborations with David Bowie and Ian Dury. This time round, Time To Say Goodnight, a highly-prized, Nuggets-style oddity from 1966 by Ipswich’s The Martells, and Michael Hannah, a 1971 Europop-ish attempt to revive Twinkle’s career, head up a deeper dive into the curio cupboard. Family favourite Ronnie Carroll tackling Chain Gang, and Giles, Giles & Fripp’s wistful pop-psych (Thursday Morning) demonstrate Raymonde’s range. But it’s the outrageous drama of Kathy Kirby’s The Way Of Love, the neat faux-Nashville arrangement for Roy Orbison’s Pretty Paper, and the masterful handling of The Walker Brothers’ Where’s The Girl that properly showcase the talent.