Paul Raymond - Good Afternoon - 1975 

One of the greatest characters in the property industry and what a work ethic. He is a marvellous example of what you can achieve if you believe in yourself and work hard. He has left a wonderful legacy and yes he suffered tragedy as some of us do but I admire the man.

What a great guy, when I first moved to London Soho was buzzing and above it all was the glowing lights of the Raymond Revue. Sad to see the sin and sleaze being moved out of the area now but the memories will live on.

I went through my puberty enjoying the delights of the photos of the models in Mr Raymond’s magazine ‘Men Only’. A really sexy magazine back in the day!

I worked as a technician in most of Paul Raymond's clubs and theatres (and ended up being Company Manager at the Raymond Revuebar). I always found him to be a very genuine person. He was ruthless of course, but if you were honest with him, he was fine. I enjoyed working for him enormously, and it upsets me when I hear people who really know nothing about him spouting this drivel about him exploiting people (girls in particular). Everyone with whom I worked (Strippers of bother gender, drag queens, singers, comics, and then technical staff, bar staff, etc) all loved working for him. He comes across as quite glib in parts in this interview, but it was filmed in 1975 when attitudes were different. (use of words like "birds" and "queer" for example) He shouldn't be judge harshly on this - it was how people spoke then. I liked Paul Raymond, and his daughter, Debbie, and I was very upset when they both died.

His main magazines - Men Only and Club provided this hormone charged teenager of the seventies with much needed relief. While not as explicit as their US counterparts, the quality of the photosets exemplifies the golden age of the 70's to late 80's. And I believe Raymond himself decided what pictures they'd use. One photographer - Sergie Jacques was an absolute genius who has never been equaled.

I worked in the Soho area (Berwick St) 1978/9 and met Paul once. He was a genuine guy and looking back now I did not realise how rich he was. I was in my late teens and one of the ladies in his club took a handful of ciggies from my Christmas present (which was a 50 box of B & H). Some great clubs around London back then forever etched in my memory.

I thought Steve Coogan might have been playing Paul Raymond as a more successful Alan Partridge when I saw the film, but having seen this interview I think he did an excellent job of playing Paul Raymond as he truly was.

brilliant guy. wild. rich. once richest man in Britain

Nice to see this, just watched film, very interesting. Lucky fella.

What a pity that 'Good Afternoon !' has been edited like this. I have fond memories of the theme tune. It would be really nice to hear it again.

20:45 'Do you feel like you've wasted your business sense?' Oh yeah - one of Britain's richest men, living the high life, owned half of Soho, surrounded by beautiful women and spending his life doing what he loved. I bet he was really cut up about how his life panned out.

“Is there anything in ur life, aside for money, that count hurt you?” That is one hell of a question, especially when one finds out the end to his story! Omg! When he said he could only be hurt by “something happening to my daughter or son” (I paraphrased there). How prophetic! How truly tragic. I hope that his kids are doing something worthwhile for their lives.

a grate man

Money has no morals, also it seems if you have money as a business, everything is acceptable and forgiven

Amazing insight after seeing The Look Of Love . He was nobody's fool

Right at the end of the interview: "If anything happened to my daughter or son, that would hurt me very deeply..." - His daughter died of an overdose seven years later.

one of britain richest men

Cohan kills his roll-in a good way!! He captures his character masterfully! The small gestures, tilt of the head, cadence of the speech, etc!! Very interesting. I might not agree with everything he did, but let’s face it, he did it bc their is an audience for it. So do we blame him or us? Bc if it hadn’t have been him, it would have been someone else. Money is mostly spent on our desires...

go to soho and have a look he owed most of it

Reggie Kray knew Paul Raymond quite well in the early days. But he wouldn't talk about him on a personal level

Wow now I've watched this video is like paul raymond. Mind you its used to buy escort or razzle they were great mags . They were not just for Men in lot of women read them as well

Steve Coogan, was probably the ideal choice . . . Coogan it has been rumoured can live life on the edge in private (ask Owen Wilson), both Coogan and Geoffrey Quinn (Paul Raymond) came from Irish families in the north of england

yeah watching this Steve Coogan did a good job, mad to see this can you imagine this being shown today he would be crucified, totally un-pc love it , watch some Bernard Manning

I'm getting a bit of a David Frost vibe.

He was giving the public what it wanted, but comparing him to H. Hefner isn't quite accurate: "Playboy" was a socio-cultural game-changer, aside from being, of course, a great moneymaker.

Jesus Christ, I remember seeing this when I was a kid. Must have been half term, or a disease-day.

Blimey, really polite guy, but Elaine seems a bit thick, she asks 'do you think you have wasted your life' didn't she know he lives in a Penthouse, is worth £700 million and seems to me to have made it! The guy died a Billionaire but was struck with tragedy and became reclusive, his daughter died of a drug overdose.

Watched film - Steve coogan was good . ....man all the money in the world but still had nothing

Don't agree seems a decent guy.

I don't understand why Paul Raymond killed himself? I don't get it? Although he wasn't the best looking guy in town he had access to unlimited sex and women. He had the lifestyle that most men dream of.

bladla

I dont know, I think women come out worst in all of this, hopefully we have moved away from this, women still being the underdog

I have visited England a few times and I remember vividly with my 17 year old naivety, walking into a corner store and seeing boobs everywhere! Coming from a South Texas ultra conservative town, I couldn’t believe it!! As I have gotten older, I feel like we Americans have made sex such a huge taboo that all said people do is make society want to see the “forbidden” more. The only thing that worries me about the business of pornography, is that it appeals, and worse yet, targets people with a very violent, degrading, and ultimately vicious humiliating inclination. He seems to be saying the same thing-at least as far as my limited research has made me believe. Whether u like him or not, u can agree that he was a man before his time!

What an accusatory and negative interviewer underpinned by the English vice of hypocrisy!

Wow now I've watched this video is like paul raymond. Mind you its used to buy escort or razzle they were great mags . They were not just for Men in lot of women read them as well