At PWL studios - The main Borough studio used by Stock / Aitken / Waterman.

I fell in love with music in the mid 1980’s. At the same time I began to have a passion for the recording and mixing process of music. I read and gained as much knowledge on how recording studios operated, with the intention of getting a job in a studio when I left school at 16.

Me at school around 15 years old, learning with a 4 track cassette recorder.

I set my sights on working at Pete Waterman Limited. The world famous PWL Studios, branded ‘The Hit Factory’ in the late ‘80s and early ‘90’s, was only 10 miles away from my home in Southeast London. 

I also became aware of the songwriters and producers Stock / Aitken / Waterman whose names appeared on many of the records I was buying, I fell in love with their sound and their songs and I knew it would be an amazing place to work.

I sent a CV every week and called them nearly every day. Eventually I was successful in getting my dream job at age 16 as an assistant engineer (tape operator / tape op).

I would go onto work 10 years at PWL Studios (1988-1998), progressing from studio assistant to sound engineer and finally mix engineer. During this time I mixed one of Kylie Minogue’s final songs, recorded at PWL ‘What kind of fool’. I learnt the recording process and mixing techniques from the legendary producer and mixer Phil Harding.

When I wasn’t working with Phil during the days, you could find me on the night shift, when PWL opened its doors during down time to house music producers like Tony Humphries, Kerri Chandler, Lenny Fontana and Ricky Morrison for their productions and remixes. I also worked nights with Chris McDonnell on PWL remixes under the name Safe Hands.

Engineering a Lenny Fontana remix - PWL Bunker studio.

When I left PWL In 1998, I set up a home studio and began producing house and dance productions under various aliases. I found success under the name Big Time Charlie with my dear friend Arron Gilbert. Our first single ‘On the run’ was a national UK hit and peaked at No. 22 in the main UK charts. The follow up ‘Mr Devil’ peaked at No. 39 and became a No.1 club record in Mixmag. All 3 Big Time Charlie single were signed to Inferno records.

Big Time Charlie ‘On the run’ sleeve - Inferno records

I also signed a record to Edel records

In 1998, under the name Viva!, I signed the track ‘Makossa Magic’ made with Craig Hardy, to Edel Records. We were even sent to Cuba to make a video for the single.