ADVENTURES IN MODERN RECORDING by TREVOR HORN

Acclaimed and award-winning producer Trevor Horn probably long ago resigned himself to the fact that the first paragraph of his obituaries would invariably mention Video Killed the Radio Star by the Buggles.

It was a massive one-off hit for Horn and others, a studio band which never played live but – with the video which was the first played on the new MTV channel – became enormously famous.

And ridiculed.

It was a pop confection (surprisingly the Buggles weren't the first to record it) but gave Horn money to indulge in studio equipment because -- although he'd tried his hand in bands as a bassist/singer -- he was much happier experimenting with sound and production.

He realised the down-side of the Buggles when he was invited to join a group made up of members of his favourite band Yes.

And when Yes resurrected the name with Horn in place of singer Jon Anderson, he was out front singing their classics while being roundly derided as a Buggle in a serious prog-rock band.

To his credit he put it behind him, retreated to the studio and began a career notable for its diversity: he produced The Lexicon of Love album for ABC (with its break-out hit Poison Arrow); the innovative Duck Rock album for Malcolm McLaren; the 90125 album for Yes which included their sole chart hit Owner of a Lonely Heart; Frankie Goes to Hollywood's Relax and Two Tribes; Art of Noise (on his ZZT label); the Band Aid 12'' single (he was early into 12'' and remixes); Grace Jones' Slave to the Rhythm . . .

It has been a remarkable career and Horn – now 75 – tells his story in this quick-read, conversational book with a chapter apiece on some his key singles (not all hits), a few where he learned something new and others like Dylan's Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll which were influential in shaping his understanding of songs and lyrics.

The chapter on Duck Rock – which includes lightning fast trips around the globe to record artists in New York, Nashville, South Africa and back to England in the company of the charismatic McLaren – is a fascinating insight into how genius, madness, good fortune and raw talent could be combined with innovative thinking, scratching and hammering together of disparate musical ideas.

The album didn't sell as much as everyone wanted, but no one doubted it was a masterpiece of studio construction.

With the story of his life, parents, marriage (Jill often the smartest and most business-minded person in the room) and children, Adventures in Modern Recording (subtitled From ABC to ZZT) is one-man's view of his world through chance encounters, long hours of hard work and from behind a mixing desk.

If he sometimes strays into technical boffin stuff – not often – he is pulled back on track because of the structure of moving on to the next single or artist.

It is also very funny in places and some of the artists (various members of Yes notoriously indifferent to time, schedules and studio costs which forces him to lay down ultimatums) come off as right prats.

A remarkable career – the book deliberately pulls up short in 2004 – from a man who will, despite all that innovative work, always find the words “video killed the radio star” in close proximity to his name.

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ADVENTURES IN MODERN RECORDING by TREVOR HORN None Eight Books $28