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Phil Harding. Photo by Mike Banks

PWL – From The Factory Floor

(Expanded Edition)

Phil Harding

To the modern pop world, Stock, Aitken and Waterman have taken on something of a lengendary status in recent years. The PWL label and studios produced so many hits in the 1980s that their name became synonymous with success, and that they created the template so expertly worked today by their protégée Simon Cowell.

From Elton Johns 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 , Pete Waterman’s vision for a British Motown, alongside the legendary Stock, Aitken and Waterman production team, who’s Hit Factory productions and mixes sold over 30 million untis around the world via a surprisingly diverse CV of artists.

Refreshing and affectionately frank, From The Factory Floor tells the inside story of one of the most successful and fast-paced music studios of all time. His pivotal role provides a uniquely broad perspective, extending from the top of the organization, missing many classic SAW hits, down to the bottom, training up and coming engineers and so on, as well as involvement in the creative, business bottom, training up-and-coming engineers and so on, 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 manangement of Pete Waterman.

After a sold-out limited release in 2009, the book has undergone extensive development  into this Expanded Edition, and contains a wealth of new material. Hightlights 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 releases, in-depth interviews on working with some of the most significant artists of the time, a comprehensive guide to the south from recently rediscovered home video footage, Phil’s complete discography-comprehensive guide to his many hundreds of releases, a full review of Phil and his fellow producers 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 for 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. This along with the inclusion of many previously-unseen photographs, makes PWL From The Factory Floor Expanded Edition a must-read for 80s, club, dance, and pop devotees, contemporary music followers, studio technicians and those with any interest in the extreme highs and lows that only pop can provide.

Phil is an in-demand writer, producer, mix engineer, guest speaker and lecturer. He speaks and lectures at Universties and Colleges around the UK , often with Pete Waterman and is currently Vice Chairman of the Music Producers Guild and Chairman of the Joint Audio and Media Education Service

The book is available now, published by Cherry Red.