Happy Trails

Andrew Lauder is one of British record business’s most significant and highly influential figures but outside the music industry few people will probably know his name. He’s always retained a fan’s perspective which, combined with an exceptional knowledge of music, meant he was at ease around musicians and never happier than spending time with them. During the later ’60s and throughout the ’70s in particular (working at the legendary United Artists), he had a knack of being one step ahead of the next trend. In hindsight it’s easy to identify the changing eras in music but underground music, pub rock and punk in Britain, for example, evolved quite seamlessly and it was visionaries like Andrew who, instinctively, saw what was coming and helped bring about those transitions. He was ahead of the game in other ways too; pioneering a more creative way of marketing and promoting records and revolutionising the way catalogue was organised and presented. This is his story.

Author Biography

Mick Houghton (Author)

Mick Houghton first met Andrew in 1970 and has worked with him on and off down the years. He holds Andrew responsible for inspiring him to get a job in music which began as a journalist in 1974. He became known for setting up Brassneck Publicity in 1980, one of the most successful independent PR companies over the next 30 years.

Since 2010 he has written three books, all highly acclaimed: Becoming Elektra: The True Story of Jac Holzman’s Visionary Record Label, I’ve Always Kept A Unicorn: The Biography of Sandy Denny, and Fried & Justified, focussing on his own career in the music business.