Paul Dakeyne is a pioneer of remixing and megamixing and pretty much a huge reason why I have a career. From his legendary creations for the DMC DJ Only mix albums from the late 80s onwards his masterpieces inspired a generation of producers to experiment in the studio and left them baffled as to how he could achieve the results with what was then limited technology culminating in his 'epics' series . He took me on as his apprentice around 1990 and I watched and learned everything I could as he ...
Jul 25, 2022•2 hr 12 min•Season 5Ep. 10
I absolutely loved this chat with my good friends and incredible singers Adetoun Ayoola and Katie Holmes Smith who collectively have performed background vocals for the biggest stars in the world including Adele, Kylie, Robbie Williams and Ed Sheeran. They started their incredibly successful venture The Vocal Code to try and find new talent to bring forward into the music industry and through a series of auditions have been responsible for putting some amazing talent into key roles with artists ...
Jul 11, 2022•1 hr 52 min•Season 5Ep. 9
Another special edition of the podcast where I speak to pop aficionado's Larry Flick (Vero/Billboard/Sirius XM) and Lee Bennett (Teases And Dares Blog) about their choices of hidden gems , this time we are back to the 80s complete with espadrilles , white jackets and some truly amazing music! See if you can guess the songs before we reveal them and please hunt them down if you are unfamiliar - every one is a true diamond. More on Larry https://vero.co/site/newsroom/my-vero-larry-flick Lee's Blog...
Jun 20, 2022•1 hr 41 min•Season 5Ep. 9
Having worked in studios after being in bands growing up, Pete Hammond found himself at the centre of The Hit Factory mixing and remixing hit after hit for Stock/Aitken/Waterman and developing his trademark sound that is still in demand for current artists and records. Here we talk about his journey from making reggae records , building studios and of course classics by Kylie, Rick Astley , Take That, Donna Summer , Mel & Kim and so many more as well as his epic remixes for Tracie Spencer, V...
Jun 06, 2022•1 hr 17 min•Season 5Ep. 6
From an apprenticeship in bands and a studio making karaoke tracks (which came in very useful later) , writer and producer Jez Ashurst has been part of some of the finest moments in modern pop music including "Secret Love Song" (Little Mix) , "Favourite Ex" (Maisie Peters) and the Christmas classic "One More Sleep" (Leona Lewis). Alongside this he's worked with artists including Tom Walker (who was originally his student when he taught at music colleges), Tom Grennan, Gabrielle Aplin, Claire Ric...
May 30, 2022•1 hr 32 min•Season 4Ep. 5
Without doubt one of the best singers the UK has ever produced, Nicole Simpson (aka Red) is a Scottish force of nature having grown up listening to divas including Whitney and Christina and trying to emulate them she's forged her career through social media platforms gaining an army of fans ready for her own music which she's released over the last couple of years. From two stints on the X Factor both learning processes in their own way, to uploading a YouTube video of her singing "Never Enough"...
May 23, 2022•1 hr 19 min•Season 5Ep. 4
There are so many times I hear a song that I instantly fall in love with then find out it was written by Fiona Bevan. I describe her to people as 'magical' , her lyrics are poetry and her melodies are divine plus that truly angelic voice on her solo material is perfection. Here she talks about growing up in a house without pop music but finding inspiration in books and movies to forming a band and that moment when she called her friend Ed Sheeran to try a co-write which ended up being "Little Th...
May 09, 2022•1 hr 21 min•Season 5Ep. 3
After initially meeting during their apprenticeships at PWL with Stock/Aitken/Waterman working on so many classic records including for Kylie, Bananarama and Jason Donovan , Barry and Jules went on to become one of the most successful producer/remixer/writer partnerships working with the best pop acts in the world including Steps (producing their latest 3 albums including "Scared Of The Dark", "Heartbreak In This City" and "Something In Your Eyes") , Little Mix , Sophie Ellis Bextor, The Saturda...
May 02, 2022•1 hr 30 min•Season 5Ep. 2
From his beginnings working as an assistant for Giorgio Moroder to joining forces with him and Donna Summer to write and produce her biggest hits, Pete Bellotte is partly responsible for the soundtrack to so many peoples lives including "I Feel Love" , "Love To Love You Baby" and "Hot Stuff". Here he talks about his beginnings in a group which led him to moving to Germany where his life changed forever. Alongside the many albums with Donna he has written and produced for Elton John, Janet Jackso...
Apr 25, 2022•1 hr 44 min•Season 5Ep. 1
Another special episode speaking with the brilliant Larry Flick (Billboard/Sirius XM/Vero) and Lee Bennett (Teases And Dares Blog) about some of our favourite hidden gems whether they be songs, albums or artists that may not have quite got the attention they deserved over the years we shine a light on them in the hope more people might discover the wonder within. Episode playlist here https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2vYUl01Srvuhocl3NLtROq?si=e3a3b07370ab4b15 More on Larry at https://www.instag...
Mar 28, 2022•1 hr 36 min•Season 4Ep. 13
Hannah Robinson is responsible for writing some of the catchiest songs of all time and basically pop royalty so I was so delighted to catch up with her for the podcast. Initially a session singer answering adverts in the back of Melody Maker she soon started writing the songs alongside established producers including Richard X , Pascal Gabriel and Liam Howe. Her first hit was "Some Girls' for Rachel Stevens which propelled her to a wonderful career including work with Sophie Ellis Bextor, Kylie,...
Mar 21, 2022•1 hr 30 min•Season 4Ep. 12
Paul Wright is someone who literally knows all about good feelings as he is able to help people access them in his role as Clinical Hypnotherapist for PhobiaGone. But he started out as an engineer at Sarm West Studios working on classic albums including "Faith" by George Michael and "Welcome To The Pleasuredome" by Frankie Goes To Hollywood. He talks here about his first ever session when he was training on night reception when he ended up being part of the Band Aid recordings. Our history is ve...
Mar 14, 2022•1 hr 19 min•Season 4Ep. 11
Originally from a remix background (similar to myself) the superbly talented Graham Stack has worked with incredible artists including Tina Turner, Westlife, Girls Aloud, Rod Stewart , Dannii Minogue, Kylie , James Arthur , Steps and Take That. He has also been the Musical Director on huge TV shows including Britains Got Talent, America's Got Talent and The X Factor creating true TV Gold moments that have gone on to help create world class careers for the artists. In this chat we talk about his ...
Mar 07, 2022•1 hr 50 min•Season 4Ep. 10
Not many producers have the diversity of repertoire to include Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Annie Lennox, S Club 7, Cher and Billie Eilish but there really is only one Stephen Lipson. He's responsible for some of my favourite records of all time and here we chat about how a chance meeting with a friend got him into building a studio and in turn a swift learning experience. From tales of working with Trevor Horn at Sarm Studios to the time Cher rocked up in full glam for her superb version of "Its ...
Mar 06, 2022•1 hr 48 min•Season 4Ep. 6
Descended from Hollywood royalty (his father Mickey Rooney who famously partnered with Judy Garland throughout his career) , the multi award winning choreographer Michael Rooney has been responsible for some of the most iconic moments in pop music ever including his work with Kylie (including videos for "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" and "Slow) as well as working on her groundbreaking "Showgirl" and "X" tours, collaborating with Spike Jones for MTV award winning videos for Fatboy Slim (including...
Feb 28, 2022•1 hr 37 min•Season 4Ep. 9
It's no secret that my favourite film of all time is "Moulin Rouge" so it was really lovely to speak to the incredibly talented Andy Bradfield, the man that mixed not only that soundtrack but also "The Great Gatsby" and "Romeo And Juliet" as well as countless classics by artists including Rufus Wainwright, Craig Armstrong, Sheridan Smith , The Spice Girls, Louise and Alanis Morissette. Andy talks about his love for sound from an early age and his apprenticeships at legendary studios including Re...
Feb 21, 2022•1 hr 58 min•Season 4Ep. 8
Currently part of the incredible Woman To Woman project with Beverley Craven, Julia Fordham and Rumer , Judie Tzuke is not only one of the finest writers the UK has ever produced but also has one of the most distinctive voices full of warmth and believability. Here she talks about her beginnings writing poems which turned into songs forming the basis of her albums initially signed to Elton John's label with whom she toured with - yes that famous US show where he dressed as Donald Duck. Her semin...
Feb 14, 2022•1 hr 36 min•Season 4Ep. 7
Self confessed 'sad boy' JC Stewart is one of the brightest and most brilliant singer/songwriters to have emerged in the last few years. Hailing from Northern Ireland his silky vocals , heartfelt songs and super catchy hooks have brought him much deserved success as a solo artist and also co-writing with luminaries including Lewis Capaldi, Tom O'Dell and Niall Horan. I caught up with him at his home studio where he was working on the next batch of songs and we chatted about his path to recent su...
Jan 31, 2022•55 min•Season 4Ep. 5
Jim Eliot is widely known for his understanding of how to create a certified pop banger including "All The Lovers" by Kylie, "Anything Can Happen" by Ellie Goulding and "Jealousy" by Will Young. Starting out with a love of synths and dance music he talks here about the small moments that made the biggest changes to his career as a songwriter/producer and lovely recollections of how some of these superb records were crafted including the time he had to remember a chorus idea on the walk home afte...
Jan 24, 2022•1 hr 40 min•Season 4Ep. 4
Grace has been responsible for some of my favourite music over the last few years including her "i wonder if you wonder' EP which was #1 on my #BestOf2021 list. She talks here about learning to play by ear from a young age and how the dream didn't quite work out the way she planned after finishing second on "The X Factor" and being one of the first acts to be allowed to sing their own compositions. After working with some brilliant co-writers including Lauren Aquilina, Adam Argyle and Frances an...
Jan 17, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Season 4Ep. 3
From his beginnings as mash up king under the moniker Girls On Top , Richard X is now one of the most in demand producers working with artists including The Human League, Sugababes, Kelis, Annie and as a long time collaborator with Will Young. I caught up with him at his home studio to hear some of the magical moments that helped him along the way including tales of buying compilations in jumble sales and a love of 90s rave anthems! More on Richard here http://blackmelody.com
Jan 10, 2022•1 hr 45 min•Season 4Ep. 2
On the 25th Anniversary of George Michael's classic "Older" album I catch up with the truly brilliant Johnny Douglas about the incredible story behind how he ended up producing tracks from that record and their collaborative partnership beyond it. Also amazing tales of an abandoned solo artist dreams leading to figuring out how to work a studio and producing/writing for so many superb artists including Kylie, Tina Turner, Tom Jones, Louise, Eternal , All Saints and Sugababes and as always some w...
Jan 03, 2022•1 hr 45 min•Season 4Ep. 1
The two people that encouraged me to do this podcast in the first place join me to share our Top 5 songs from 2021 and a few extras as well! With Larry Flick (Sirius XM/Billboard/Vero) https://getvero.app.link/JU3SjoDkpjb?_p=c1143edc990762eeeb1b90f8ee Lee Bennet (Teases And Dares Blog) https://teasesanddares.wordpress.com Listen to all the songs here https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6wcsRV0ZTy4Ul5zVq4ETcq?si=1999531b30494925
Dec 20, 2021•1 hr 24 min•Season 3Ep. 7
So wonderful to catch up with one of my favourite songwriters, the truly gifted Jörgen Elofsson, responsible for so many huge songs including "A Moment Like This" and "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" for Kelly Clarkson, "Sometimes" and "You Drive Me Crazy" for Britney Spears , "Its The Way You Make Me Feel" for Steps , "My Love" for Westlife and so many more. He's worked with Celine Dion, Leona Lewis (including his beautiful song 'Homeless' which he talks about here) , Demi Lovato and was able...
Dec 13, 2021•1 hr 38 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Jamie Hartman is a master craftsman. Part Sam Cooke , part Paul McCartney, in this episode he talks about his origins in Bens Brother, to taking advice from a close friend to let a treasured song be covered by Will Young ("All Time Love"), the incredible story behind how the groundbreaking Brit Award winning song "Human" got to Rag'n'Bone Man and how he managed to coax the legendary Carole King out of writing retirement for the title song of Jennifer Hudson's movie about Aretha Franklin. Along w...
Dec 06, 2021•1 hr 15 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Without doubt one of the loveliest and hardest working pop stars around , I catch up with the truly beautiful Louise Redknapp to talk about the incredible moments that have shaped her career including that legendary time where she was approached in a club and asked if she could sing by the manager of what would end up being Eternal. Through her time at stage school , being in and out of that incredible band and onto a solo career at such a young age and how her initial training has helped with a...
Nov 29, 2021•1 hr 29 min•Season 3Ep. 55
Wonderful to talk to the genius producer/musician and writer Will Gregory in the week leading up to the premiere of his Moog Ensemble piece based on principles by Archimedes with the BBC National Orchestra Of Wales. Along with Alison Goldfrapp he has created the most incredible albums ,each of which is its own soundtrack with a very different theme and always cinematic and beautifully produced. He also talks about his work with Depeche Mode and how he started originally playing for Tears For Fea...
Nov 22, 2021•1 hr 16 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Truly one of the most beautiful humans on the planet as well as being a remarkably gifted songwriter and producer , Biff Stannard talks to me about the magical moments that lead to him living his dream life within music including how he Mel B introduced herself at a studio he happened to be at for another meeting , jumped on his back and took him into a Spice Girls showcase. A week later he and the five girls were in a studio writing "Wannabe" and "Two Become One" , in the same day. Also his bea...
Nov 15, 2021•1 hr 48 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Richard Niles is not only brilliant but also enigmatic, hilarious, quirky and a musical encyclopaedia. His orchestral arrangements over the years for everyone including Trevor Horn, The Pet Shop Boys, Swing Out Sister, Ray Charles, Westlife, Take That , Kylie, and Paul McCartney have been shining examples of his unique style. He is also an acclaimed author of music history books including "The Invisible Artist" about legendary arrangers over the years and how they so often don't receive the cred...
Nov 08, 2021•1 hr 30 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Simon has the incredible accolade of being Musical Director for Britney Spears, The Spice Girls and Westlife alongside working with artists like S Club 7 (and co writing their huge hit "Don't Stop Moving" and the beautiful "Never Had A Dream Come True"). Here he talks about the magical moments that got him from a tiny studio down to London and working with the biggest pop stars around. He also talks about some incredible moments with Britney and being part of creating her truly epic "Circus" tou...
Nov 01, 2021•1 hr 24 min•Season 2Ep. 8
