72: Phil Swern - Capital, Radio 1 and 2 producer

He was the music-loving hair stylist who became responsible for an array of huge seventies pop hits – and then some of the UK’s iconic radio programmes. 

In this hour of #radiomoments ‘Conversations’, Phil Swern talks of his break into the record industry and then how he ventured into music production. From the contacts he’d made in the radio world, Phil tells of how he graduated to a young Capital Radio and Capital Gold, before being tempted to BBC Radio 1. He relates tales of producing the greats - from Alan ‘Fluff’ Freeman and Roger Scott to Brian Matthew and Tony Blackburn on the much loved ‘Sounds of the Sixties’ and ‘Pick of the Pops’.

Phil tells of his enthusiasm for music, reflected in his unrivalled record collection and his involvement in the Broadchart/I Like Music company which supplies much of UK radio with digitised back catalogue – and his assembling of the questions for Ken Bruce’s famous ‘Popmaster’ quiz.

In his own words – this is the story of Phil ‘Collector’ Swern.

Enjoy the whole Conversations series here. Theme music by Larry Bryant.