Phil Harding had his hands in as many hits in the 80s/90s as anyone you care to mention. We will only concern ourselves with the better decade as we look into his career as producer/engineer and mixer.

1. THE EARLY YEARS (Pre-1980-83)

How Phil got into the business in the 70s, working with the likes of Gerry Rafferty (Baker Street!), The Walker Brothers (No Regrets!) and The Clash (White Man in Hammersmith Palais!), etc.

Phil moves into the 80s with KIlling Joke and a very unique contribution to Sign of The Times by The Belle Stars. There is discussion on the differences (and similarities) between mixing pop and rock.

2. MATT BIANCO/BASIA (1984-88)

Working with Peter Collins leads to engineering Matt Bianco's first album which leads to Phil producing the follow up and mixing Basia's first solo LP. 

Through Peter connections are made with Pete Waterman.

General chat on Phil's approach to mixing a track.

3. STOCK AITKEN AND WATERMAN (PT 1) (1983-87)

Phil enters the world of SAW. Talk of who did what within the team and experiences with Lamont Dozier, Princess, Mel & Kim and early Rick Astley.

Further talk on who had "Woolworth's ears" and why SAW didn't produce Pet Shop Boys.

4. DEAD OR ALIVE (1986-88)

Let's face it, this section is almost exclusively about You Spin Me Round, the first SAW number one and an iconic 80s hit.

5. BANANARAMA (1986-88)

Working on Venus, Bananarama wanted the Spin-Me-Round hi NRG treatment, leading to a number of massive pop hits. 

 Also discussed is the Bananarama vocal approach and how it was decided who at the Hit Factory worked on what.

EITHER/OR

 | Does Phil have the Terminator listen to Prince on his ghettoblaster or Robocop listen to MJ on his walkman?

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Second part with Bill discussing more great LP/single artwork courtesy of

Bill Smith Studios...

6. QUEEN (1984)

BSS work with Queen on The Works LP and associated singles. 

Also discussed is other work in the rock world; AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones and Shakey.

7. LOOSE ENDS (1985 - 88)

Location! Location! Location! Bill draws the short straw and shoots some Loose Ends covers all over the world. It's a tough life...

8.  KATE BUSH (1985-89)

The utterly iconic Hounds of Love LP cover is discussed as well as the associated single sleeves.

Then the greatest hits, the box set and Sensual World LP are also covered.

9. ERIC CLAPTON (1982-89)

BSS first worked with EC on the Timepieces best of compilation.

Then talk leads on to the Journeyman and Unplugged LP artwork.

10. MISCELLANEOUS (1980-89)

A-ha! Heaven 17! (not in the book, if I had known the work he did, this would have been a chapter) The B-52s! Van Morrison! And more Shaky! (can't have too much)

And we end with the Quickfire Round as per the norm.

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From the audio to the visual, we delve into the wondrous world of the album sleeve with Bill Smith, of Bill Smith Studios, responsible for some wonderful images in the 80s.

 1. THE JAM (1977-1981)

 After getting his foot in the door at Polydor in the 70s, Bill has a breakthrough with The Jam. He is responsible for the artwork for all their albums up to and including Sound Affects as well as a number of single sleeves. More importantly, he has one shot at the iconic The Jam logo. RIP Rick.

 2. THE CURE (1979-80)

From mod to goth, Bill moves from the immediacy of The Jam to the more surreal, indie world of The Cure. Bill discusses working on their first three  LP's. One a bit of an outlier in their back catalogue,  the other more typical.

But which household appliance WAS Robert Smith??

3. GENESIS (1980-83)
  
Another contrast, this time the prog-rockers entering their 80s pop period with some truly iconic sleeves for Duke, Abacab and Genesis. Fortuitious accidentslead to the iconic Abacab sleeve. AI won't/can't do that shit.

Discussion moves onto discussing copyright and who owns the rights to artwork; the artist or the designer. Then talk on the general LP artwork package; sleeve, back sleeve, inner sleeve, disc labels, etc ending on why he didn’t do the cover to Invisible Touch.

4. THOMAS DOLBY (1981-82)

A very special collaboration with former guest, Thomas Dolby, leads to uniquely brilliant artwork for The Golden Age of Wireless and related singles.

5. NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL MUSIC (1983)

Nowt more iconic in the UK than the Now series and Bill was there from Vol 1.

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And our Was (not Was) odyssey comes to an end with the glory years of What Up, Dog? and Walk The Dinosaur alongside working with Elvis Costello, Roy Orbison and Frank Sinatra Jr.

7. WHAT UP, DOG? (1986-88)

A two year process begun with a rejected album by Geffen. Then former podcast guest, David Bates saves the day and one of the best albums of the 80s results.

Special focus made on the superlative ballads from the LP; Anytime Lisa, Somewhere in America There's a Street Named After My Dad, Anything Can Happen and Wedding Vows in Vegas.

8. ELVIS COSTELLO (1986)

A Was/Costello co-write results from a fortuitous meeting with Mr MacManus at Tower Records. We discover what lyric Costello contributed and how David was responsible for the track Elvis made with Brian Eno for The X Files 10 years later.

9. WALK THE DINOSAUR (1987)

Plenty was said about the hit in part 1 of the interview but we boom-boom-ackla-lacka-lacka boom once more with a few more questions. What was the line David was asked to change? Why was it released so much earlier in the UK than the USA? What was Randy Jacobs songwriting contribution?

10. MISCELLANEOUS (1987-89)

Plenty of chat about David's old comrade, Don. As well as talk on my favourite lesser know WNW track, working with the great Roy Orbison and some chat on why David's answer to Are You Okay? was "no". Plus the highs of Top of the Pops and live performing in the UK.

80SOGRAPHY QUICKFIRE ROUND

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Aaaand we are back for part 2 of the magnum octopus that is the David Weiss/Was interview with a cast list including Ozzy Osbourne, Madonna, Mel Torme, Kim Basinger, Bob Dylan, Versace, George Harrison, Rickie Lee Jones, etc, etc.

3. OUT COME THE FREAKS (1981-90)

After a brief preamble taking in his relationship with Don and diversions with The Rolling Stones and Rickie Lee Jones, we tackle the many iterations of the WNW classic, Out Come Freaks. We go through the litany of characters that populate the lyrics and David defines which were based on real people. 

4.  SWEET PEA ATKINSON LP (1982)

A little detour as the brothers decide to make a Sweet Pea Atkinson solo LP, Don't Walk Away, writing a handful of songs for the occasion, some of which are pretty darn good.

5. BORN TO LAUGH AT TORNADOES (1983) 

The first classic WNW album is born with contributions from Doug Fieger, Mitch Ryder and Mel Torme. Discussion on what I think should have been the four massive hits on the album....

6. SHAKE YOUR HEAD (1983)

...One of which eventually did become their biggest hit in the UK in 1992 (yes, even bigger than Boom-Boom-Shackaklackalacka-Boom).

Discussion on the earlier incarnation with a on-the-cusp-of-fame Madonna and Ozzy Osbourne. Plus the 90s version with Kim Basinger and Ozzy. Great anecdote from David with name-drops galore.

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Next up is an intriguing chat with one half of the Was Brothers (Was (not Was)) (too many brackets), the eternally interesting Mr David Weiss.

We spoke for a looong time so this will end up in three parts (still lost a couple of hours of tangents in the process).

Part 1 will cover the early years of Was (not Was) including their debut LP as well as plenty of talk of Walk The Dinosaur as well as diversions involving interactions with the likes of Bob Dylan, George Michael and Bruce Springsteen.

The hours flew by. I hope they do for you too. 


1. WHEEL ME OUT (1980)

David and childhood buddy Don decide to make some music after their mate Doug hits major success with his band, The Knack and My Sharona (my-y-y-woo!).
They make a funky weird track (involving David's mum) that leads to some underground success...

2. WAS (NOT WAS)

...Thanks to which, the first LP follows, with such gems as Out Come The Freaks and Where Did Your Heart Go. We discuss the Wham! cover and which was the more profitable for David; this or that dinosaur song.

Every track from the album is covered. My original intention for all albums but David's diversions put paid to that (couldn't afford to go for a tenth hour of chat).

EITHER/OR

Madonna or Cyndi Lauper?
Born in the USA or Purple Rain?
Vinyl or CD?
etc, etc...



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A very special episode with a great guest on a brilliant, underrated classic LP of the 80's, one of my personal favourites, Hearts and Bones by Paul Simon (second only in his back catalogue to Bridge Over Troubled Water in my book...)

NOT an audio commentary so no syncing up required so sit back, relax, close your eyes and indulge (unless driving) with the legendary producer, Russ Titelman, on the majestically beautiful Hearts and Bones by Paul Simon (yet intended for Simon & Garfunkel).

TRACKS;

Side ONE

Allergies
Hearts and Bones
When Numbers Get Serious
Think Too Much (b)
Song About The Moon

Side TWO

Think Too Much (a)
Train In The Distance
Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After The War
Cars Are Cars
The Late Great Johnny Ace


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Part 2 with keyboard magic-dust provider, ~Andy Richards with more hits, more number ones (including a potential 2 more to make the full 10).

And so much brilliant 80s pop…

5. GEORGE MICHAEL

An opportune meeting, a Sunday afternoon session and more immortality as Andy works with George on the iconic Careless Whisper. A later session with David 
Cassidy (on yet another top 10 smash) allows him the opportunity to work with George again.

6. PET SHOP BOYS

A triple whammy of number one singles between July 87 - April 88 as Andy works on It’s a Sin, Always on my Mind and Heart (which he also produces). Not 
forgetting more hits in Suburbia and Rent as well as working on the Actually album.

Later he works on the Liza Minelli album, Results (produced by the Pets) ‘resulting’ in another top 10 hit in Losing My Mind.

Comparisons are made between working with Liza and Dusty Springfield (who he produced on her Reputation album).

7. CHRIS DE BURGH

From the great experience working on the sublime pop of the Pets to the more problematic cheesy monobrow of The De Burgh.

Another massive number one single with The Lady In Red (with a little help from George Michael) but at some cost.

Despite the experience (and like mothers forgetting the pain of childbirth) Andy returns and works on another top 3 hit in Missing You. 

Plus discussion at the end on where else George Michael appears in the AR
oeuvre.


8. PREFAB SPROUT

Andy produces the wonderful “Hey Manhattan!” By The Sprouts from their From Langley Park To Memphis album.

Discussion on Paddy’s views of the track (and why he is wrong, bless the little genius).

9. PRODUCING

As well as being the keyboard maestro go-to guy, Andy also produced many artists in the 80s.

Here we go through some of them, from less successful experiences (Berlin) to yet more chart success with Fuzzbox and Holly Johnson. 

10. MISCELLANEOUS

80s odd and sods including the start of his film/TV work and a chance to mop 
up any other  hits worked on, including a potential 10th number one (Foreigner’s I 
Want To Know What Love Is being the potential 9th). 

THE 80SOGRAPHY QUICKFIRE ROUND

And why not.

For more on Andy - andyrichards.com

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A great guy, a wonderful chat and a borderline genius of the keyboard, Andy Richards played on seven number ones of the 80s and loads more hits besides (as I attempt to define throughout the conversation). 

1. THE EARLY YEARS (PRE-1980-83)

Andy’s background in music culminating in him reaching the studio,

And how working on jingles set him up for 80s chart success (cf Relax).

2. FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD (1983-86)

Andy sprinkles his magic synth-dust all over Relax for Trevor Horn as well as working on Two Tribes and the Welcome to the Pleasure Dome LP.

Also discussed is the contrast with working on the follow-up, Liverpool.

Rage Hard!

3. TREVOR HORN (1983-86)

As well as Frankie, Andy worked on other Trevor Horn projects such as

Duck Rock, the massively influential Propaganda LP, A Secret Wish plus

the trifecta of 1985 pop perfection singles; Duel, Cry and Slave To The Rhythm.


4. PETER COLLINS (1983-89)

Another producer Andy cultivated a long working relationship with in the 80s was

the late Peter Collins. From the pop of Nik Kershaw to the rawk of Rush and

Gary Moore.

EITHER/OR

New feature (any excuse for another QFR). Andy’s 80s choices. 
Duran or Wham was a bit of a no brainer (unless he secretly worked on The Reflex as well)

more on Andy at andyrichards.com

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Parts 6-10 of Billy's 80:10...

 6. UNRELEASED SOLO LP (1983)
 
Inbetween Ultravox albums, an attempt is made at a
solo album. Billy explains why this does not come to pass.
 
 
7. LAMENT (1984)

Another belter of an album is made and tracks such
as Dancing With Tears In My Eyes, Man of Two Worlds and the
wondorous title track are discussed.
[Check out the 12" mix. 8 minutes of glorious gorgeousness]

 
8. LIVE AID (1985)

Billy and the boys play Live Aid in what ends up as Warren's last
gig with the band until they reform in the 21st century.

Billy discusses the day, how the stage set-up affects performance and
what he discussed with Bowie on the way out of Wembley stadium.

I forgot to ask how they chose the songs to play. Oh well.

9. U-VOX (1986)

Post-Live Aid and Midge's number one with If I Was (and now minus
Warren), the band get together to make their last LP for 20 years.
 
Billy discusses the issues surrounding making the album and regrets.
I defend 60% of the album as actually pretty bloody good.
Follow Your Heart is not defended though.

10. TRANSPORTATION (1988)

And finally we have the first Billy Currie solo LP released
(supported by Steve Howe of Yes fame)

80SOGRAPHY QUICKFIRE ROUND

How would Billy describe the other members of Ultravox in the 80s and
other questions.

Plus a countdown of Billy's best Ultravox solo's of the 80s.

billycurrie.com

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