Pt 1 | 1984 | Stock Aitken Waterman & PWL ‘From The Factory Floor’ | Insider's Story

Part 1 | 1984 | 40th Anniversary Audio Special - Insider's story of ‘The Hit Factory’, Stock Aitken Waterman & their base, PWL Studios - told by their chief mix-engineer, Phil Harding - who talks through their 1984-91 ‘rise & fall’ & plays key audio clips. PWL Studios also worked on many other dance & pop hits (e.g. Pet Shop Boys, Erasure, Five Star) beyond the output of Stock Aitken Waterman (e.g. Kylie Minogue, Rick Astley, Dead Or Alive, Bananarama), & was Pete Waterman's vision of a 'British Motown'. Using many pioneering techniques still used now via today's technology, PWL ‘The Hit Factory’ was one of the most fast-paced & successful music studios of all time...
This Audio Special ties in with Phil Harding's acclaimed book 'PWL From The Factory Floor' (available from www.philhardingmusic.com & Amazon). 2024 sees the continued success of the recently-launched SAW-Hits Musical (as seen on BBC Children In Need) and the 40th Anniversary of SAW's very first hits in 1984, spotted & championed from the start as stand-out by John Peel of BBC Radio 1.
Phil Harding moved on from PWL to produce a long list of hits for artists such as East 17 (e.g. Xmas No.1 ‘Stay Another Day’), Boyzone (No.1 ‘Words’), Let Loose, 911 and Deuce - all in partnership with long-standing collaborator & former PWL teammate, Ian Curnow.
Programme created by John Paul Palmer
Voice recording by Marc Mason
Special thanks to GEN X Radio
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More about PHIL HARDING....
Working from the basement in PETE WATERMAN's PWL Studios, the home of producers STOCK AITKEN WATERMAN (on the top floor),
PHIL HARDING and IAN CURNOW mixed dance and club versions of many big name artists (Pet Shop Boys, Diana Ross, Michael Jackson/The Jackson 5, Rick Astley, Depeche Mode, The Four Tops, ABC, Erasure, Five Star, Eighth Wonder, Jesus Jones, Voice Of The Beehive, etc) as well as remixing/mixing many classic Stock Aitken Waterman hits (Dead Or Alive, Kylie Minogue, Bananarama, Mel & Kim and many more).
Phil Harding's book 'PWL FROM THE FACTORY FLOOR' reveals behind-the-scenes and discusses the state-of-the-art techniques used at
one of the most successful and fast-paced studio of all time. BOOK: PWL FROM THE FACTORY FLOOR out now from www.philhardingmusic.com/books & Amazon (with top reviews)...
During the 1990s, Harding/Curnow ran P&E Music from The Strongroom studio complex, producing hits for artists such as East 17 (including Christmas No.1 ‘Stay Another Day’), Deuce, 911, Let Loose, Caught In The Act and Boyzone (including No. 1 ‘Words’) - and working with top managers such as Tom Watkins (also Pet Shop Boys and Bros), Louis Walsh and Simon Cowell.
PHIL HARDING's 2nd book 'POP MUSIC PRODUCTION' for music creators, students and 90s pop music fans looks at the business,
culture, songwriting and production processes of the era and today... Along with his sought-after 12-Point Mixing Plan, fascinating production case studies and behind-the-scenes working with artists such as EAST 17 and BOYZONE, and managers TOM WATKINS, LOUIS WALSH and SIMON COWELL.
Available now from:
www.philhardingmusic.com/books [SIGNED COPIES]
www.amazon.co.uk/Pop-Music-Pr... [HARDBACK, PAPERBACK & KINDLE]
Some of the artists PHIL HARDING has worked with...
ABC, AMII STEWART, BANANARAMA, BAND AID II, BASIA, BELINDA CARLISLE, CHIC, CLIFF RICHARD, DIANA ROSS, CLIMIE FISHER, CURIOSITY, DEAD OR ALIVE, DEBBIE HARRY, DEPECHE MODE, DEUCE, DOLLAR, DONNA SUMMER, DUSTY SPRINGFIELD, EAST 17, EIGHTH WONDER, ERASURE, FIVE STAR, GARY MOORE, GODLEY & CRÈME, HOLLY JOHNSON, IMAGINATION, JERMAINE STEWART, JESUS JONES, JIMMY RUFFIN, JIMMY SOMERVILLE, KILLING JOKE, KYLIE MINOGUE, LIBERTY X, MATT BIANCO, MEL & KIM, NIK KERSHAW, NITZER EBB, PEPSI & SHIRLIE, PET SHOP BOYS, RICK ASTLEY, ROGER DALTREY, ROXETTE, ROZALLA, SAMANTHA FOX, SINITTA, TAKE THAT, THE BELLE STARS, THE BLOW MONKEYS, THE CLASH, COOL NOTES, FOUR TOPS, JACKSON FIVE, THREE DEGREES, THELMA HOUSTON, TOYAH, T'PAU, VOICE OF THE BEEHIVE
#pwlthehitfactory #stockaitkenwaterman #philhardingmusic #iancurnow #petewaterman #stockaitkenwaterman #80smusic #musicproduction #pwlfromthefactoryfloor #popmusicproduction #80sdance #80sdancemusic #80spop #90spop #petshopboys #dianaross #erasure #peteburns #mikestock #jasondonovan #rickastley #kimappleby #melandkim #depechemode #mattbianco #pepsiandshirlie #bananarama #pwl #hardingandcurnow #hardingcurnow #solucky #kylieminogue

[@winni223]

May I put the double thumb-up ? So exited to hear stories from Phil Harding.

[@dirtysolarremix]

..me too💯👍

[@muzikxpress]

Subscribed! Love stories like this, thanks for sharing!!!

[@SuperMarioBrosIII]

Are we going to get another two CD set of more of your hits with the Hit Facory and beyond?

[@philharding8609]

I'm afraid not.........

[@jaded5957]

At the end of Divine's "You think you're a man" it sounds like Hazell Dean on backing vocals. Never noticed that before.