All Episodes

May 2, 2025 131 mins


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?


Phil can be found 

Website: philhardingmusic.com

Twitter: @phardingmusic

Facebook: Phil Harding


80sography@gmail.com

Send us a text

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang

Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang

Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.

Crime Junkie

Crime Junkie

Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.

Stuff You Should Know

Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.