PWL: From The Factory Floor

by Phil Harding

To the modern pop world, Stock, Aitken and Waterman have taken on something of a legendary status in recent years. The PWL label and studios produced so many hits in the 1980s that their name became synonymous with success, and they created a template so expertly worked today. From Elton John's tea boy to successful record producer, Phil Harding's career spans over 30 years, ranging from recording The Clash in the 70s to producing hit singles for East 17 and Boyzone in the 90s. Phil played a key role at PWL Studios, alongside the legendary Stock, Aitken and Waterman production team, whose Hit Factory productions and mixes sold over 30 million units around the world, via a surprisingly diverse CV of artists, including ABC, RICK ASTLEY, BANANARAMA, BAND AID II, BASIA, CHIC, CLIMIE FISHER, THE COOL NOTES, DEAD OR ALIVE, HAZELL DEAN, DEPECHE MODE, DIVINE, DOLLAR, JASON DONOVAN, EIGHTH WONDER, ERASURE, FIVE STAR, THE FOUR TOPS, LONNIE GORDON, DEBBIE HARRY, THELMA HOUSTON, IMAGINATION, THE JACKSON FIVE, JESUS JONES, MATT BIANCO, MEL & KIM, KYLIE MINOGUE, GARY MOORE, NITZER EBB, PET SHOP BOYS, PRINCESS, CLIFF RICHARD, DIANA ROSS, SINITTA, JIMMY SOMERVILLE, SONIA, JERMAINE STEWART, DONNA SUMMER, THE THREE DEGREES, T'PAU, JOHN TRAVOLTA & OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN and VOICE OF THE BEEHIVE. Refreshingly and affectionately frank, 'PWL - From The Factory Floor' tells the inside story of one of the most successful and fast-paced music studios of all time. Phil's pivotal role provides a uniquely broad perspective, extending from the top of the organisation, mixing many classic SAW hits, down to the bottom , training up-and-coming engineers, as well as involvement in the creative, business (and diplomatic!) aspects of being a critically-acclaimed producer in his own right and developing a profile and client base under the management of Pete Waterman. Highlights include Phil's behind-the-scenes journey through the eventful rise (and fall) of PWL, commentary on the working styles and sounds covered during PWL's history, detailed recollections of specific, classic PWL mixes, in-depth interviews on working with some of the most significant artists of the time, an A-to-Z of PWL staff, Phil's PWL discography - a comprehensive guide to his many hundreds of releases, a full review of Phil and his fellow producer Ian Curnow's extensive personal archives and master tapes (including, for the first time, details on many PWL projects that remain unreleased and previously forgotten), and a new Harding/Curnow interview, looking back on their time working at PWL . The book also takes in the technicalities of studio work, including a detailed case study of the mixing of a No. 1 single in the form of Kylie's 'Hand On Your Heart', and information on the cutting edge technology and techniques used in making the studio a world leader. A must-read for 80s, club, dance and pop devotees, contemporary music followers, studio technicians and creators and those with any interest in the extreme highs and lows that only pop music can provide.

Genres: Music

509 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Shane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny story. In the last couple of years I have been getting increasingly interested in audiophilia, as is the wont of men in their 40s. I've been learning about loudness wars, vinyl vs cd vs MP3 vs FLAC, and analogue vs digital. A recent internet wormhole led me to SPARS codes and a list of late 1980s AAD recordings, one of which was Enjoy Yourself by Kylie Minogue. You can imagine my surprise. Wondering if SAW recordings were really truly analogue led me to read PWL: From the Factory Floor by Phil Harding, which literally has an appendix devoted to creation of the 12" version of Hand On Your Heart.

You'd think, then, with that level of serendipity, it'd be five stars. Alas, I didn't know it included that appendix until I reached it. Phil Harding might be a mixmaster, but a doyen of literature he is not. This reads like an extended Wikipedia entry, but with a description of everyone's hairstyle.

To summarise, Rick Astley never really wanted to be famous, Kylie is a consummate professional, Bananarama are a bit dull, Dead or Alive were hilarious and You Spin Me Round is the pinnacle of all their careers, and SAW and the mixmasters wrote and produced a whole lot of songs that no one's ever heard of, and to create them used a whole lot of equipment that remains a mystery, despite the 400 pages of detail described within. Kylie had curly hair.

[marzenie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome deep dive into a legendary studio's output and lore, by one of the best to do it in that era. You do need to be interested in music production to an extent as it's both a memoir of the personalities of the studio and the techniques used to create the songs. I personally ate up the tales of Rick Astley as tea boy, Kylie in general, and studio hijinks like assistants losing tape because they fell asleep, or That Perfect Sound being created by accident. Comes with an extensive timeline and discography. A must for an 80s UK based pop fan.

[Dj'aead1818 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nostalgia Trip...

Being a big fan of the PWL stable of artists back in my early years and being in awesome of Messrs. Harding/Curnow/Hammond more so than SAW, this was a brilliant account of the music, philosophy and politics of a label that soundtracked my informative years prior to becoming a DJ myself. Not for everyone but even if your interested in the story itself rather than the technical side the book is still a must have. Highly recommended.

[Misael Martinez Melo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phil made me feel like I was right in the recording booth of the Hi-NRG era

[Steve Gobin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A complete overview of the music label PWL Records behind the scene.