Raymond was a professional jazz and classical pianist who studied at Trinity College of Music. He was involved in a number of bands, became music director at the BBC, and was heavily involved across the easily listening, early pop and skiffle explosion of the time.
Having joined Phillips Records, he worked together with Frankie Vaughan, Mary Wilde and eventually very closely with the folk vocal trio the Springfields. Dusty Springfield from this group was whom Raymond achieved his major success with I Only Want To Be With You. Further work followed, especially in Raymond’s role as an arranger for the likes of Helen Shapiro, the Walker Brothers, Julio Iglesias and Ian Dury.