Musician and producer Trevor Horn at The Apex next month

Few artists have had more impact on British music than Trevor Horn (pictured above).

He’s been the man behind the mixing desk for an extraordinary number of artists and was so influential on pop and electronic music that he was called ‘the man who invented the 1980s’ and he is to take to the stage of The Apex, next month. 

After achieving a number one hit “Video Killed The Radio Star” with his band The Buggles, Horn became a member of Yes before becoming a multi-million-selling producer and songwriter, working with Phil Collins, Tina Turner, Peter Gabriel, Rod Stewart and many more.

At the age of 14, Trevor formed his first band, playing electric guitar.

At the age of 17, he woke his parents at 4am to tell them he’d decided to become a professional musician – much to their concern, they’d wanted him to be a chartered accountant.

By the late 1970s, he’d made his mark on London’s fabled Denmark Street, producing demos, and meeting Geoffrey Downes, who played alongside Horn in The Buggles, as well as Yes.

The Buggles made their breakthrough at the end of the 1970s with a number one hit.

Horn said: “Advance word on ‘Video Killed The Radio Star’ was going crazy. Radio play had taken us to the top of the Music Week chart and the record wasn’t even out yet. At some point it was released, going into the sales charts at 57 in September 1979, rising to number 1 in October.

“It was the same story abroad. ‘Video Killed The Radio Star’ raced up every chart home and away. It would end up going to number 1 in 16 countries, selling around 12 million. It was insane.”

Within a year, Horn had joined the prog rock band Yes, replacing former singer Jon Anderson, he only lasted one tour, before marrying the woman who changed his life – Jill Sinclair. Sinclair, a music executive, became Horn’s manager, telling him he could become the best producer in the world.

Horn took her advice and produced a string of hit singles by pop duo Dollar, which effectively mapped out the future of 1980s pop.

He was asked to produce the debut album by ABC, “The Lexicon of Love”, which became one of the best-selling records of 1982 and earned him his first BRIT.

Greater success was to follow as Horn and Sinclair bought their own studio and co-founded a record label, ZTT Records, which became the home of Frankie Goes To Hollywood.

It changed his life when “Relax” was released and heading to number one, and Radio 1 DJ Mike Read banned it.

Horn said: “To be honest, I could see his point, because I was a bit shocked when I saw the artwork.

“It’s often said that the Mike Read ban made ‘Relax’ famous, but it was the ‘Top Of The Pops’ performance that did that.

“It was people seeing the band and putting them together with the music. The ban certainly didn’t do it any harm, it made sure of the song’s notoriety, but if you ask me it wasn’t the deciding factor.”

“Relax” remained in the Top 40 for 37 consecutive weeks, selling two million copies and becoming one of the biggest British singles of all time.

The subsequent album, “Welcome To The Pleasuredome”, sold more than a million copies in advance as it became a global sensation.

Horn became the most in-demand producer in Britain, before relocating to Los Angeles, where he worked with Simple Minds, Grace Jones, Pet Shop Boys, Paul McCartney and Rod Stewart.

In 1990 he produced the debut album by Seal, which reached number 1, while the lead single “Crazy” went to number 2.

Horn said: “A guy at the record label, Rob Dickins, did a great job of marketing and distributing the record, and it practically strolled up the hit parade to number 2, spending 15 weeks on the chart.

“The subsequent album was a smash – three weeks at number 1 – and I’ve made several albums with Seal since. He remains my favourite artist to work with.

“That year I won Best British Producer for the third time, and Seal won Best Male Vocal and Best Album at the BRITs.”

There were a few artists with whom Horn didn’t subsequently work and in 2004, his 25th anniversary as a record producer was celebrated with a concert at Wembley Arena featuring a galaxy of stars.

The winner of multiple BRITs, Grammys, Ivor Novello Awards and the recipient of a CBE for his services to music, Trevor Horn has led a truly extraordinary career and left an indelible imprint on those with whom he worked.

Having written his entertaining memoir, “Adventures In Modern Recording, From ABC to ZTT”, Horn will be playing a handful of UK theatres, recalling some of the remarkable artists with whom he’s worked, and reflecting on a career that – as his late wife once suggested – made him the best producer in the world.

Trevor Horn is at The Apex on Saturday, November 8, at 7.30pm. See www.theapex.co.uk or ring 01284 758000 for more details and to book tickets.