80sography - 80s music interviews

• Phil Harding's 80:10 (pt 1) (The Early Years, Matt Bianco/Basia, Stock Aitken Waterman (1/2), Dead or Alive, Bananarama)

  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.comTwitter: @phardingmusicFacebook: Phil [email protected] us a text

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• Bill Smith's 80:10 (pt 2) (Queen, Loose Ends, Kate Bush, Eric Clapton, Misc)

  Second part with Bill discussing more great LP/single artwork courtesy ofBill 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.Bill can be found on [email protected] and Twitter/Blue Sky                                     I'm a-gettin' ready to meet the saints Send us a text

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• Bill Smith's 80:10 (pt 1) (The Jam, The Cure, Genesis, Thomas Dolby, Now That's What I Call Music)

  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 [email protected] @80sographyBlue Sky @80sographySend us a text

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• David Weiss AKA David Was' 80:10 (Pt 3) (What Up, Dog? LP, Elvis Costello, Walk The Dinosaur, Miscellaneous)

  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 ROUNDDavid is on Twitter @HennyYoungbloodPlease support the podcast via PayPal - [email protected]/Blue Sky @80sography                  Men Without Women Are Like Fish Without Water To Swim In.                 With Their Eyes Bugging Out, They Flop On The Beach,                 And Look Up At The Girls Who Are Just Out of Reach. Send us a text

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• David Weiss AKA David Was' 80:10 (Pt 2) (Out Come The Freaks, Sweet Pea Atkinson LP, Born To Laugh At Tornados LP, Shake Your Head)

  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.David is on Twitter @HennyYoungbloodDonations gratefully received via PayPal - [email protected]                                That Flashing Tie Was A Riot!Send us a text

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