Phil Swern
English radio and record producer (1948–2024)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Anthony Philip Swern (30 June 1948 – 31 August 2024) was an English radio producer, record producer and collector.
30 June 1948
- Radio producer
- music collector
- record producer
- songwriter
Phil Swern | |
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| Born | Anthony Philip Swern 30 June 1948 Ealing, London, England |
| Died | 31 August 2024 (aged 76) |
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Career
Born in Ealing, London, Swern was a record producer[1] and songwriter,[2] and also wrote for television.[3] He earned the nickname "The Collector" from working on Sounds of the 60s with Brian Matthew. He produced Pick of the Pops for BBC Radio 1 in the late 1980s and early 1990s and produced the show for BBC Radio 2 from 1997 to 2023. He also produced Sounds of the 60s for Radio 2 from 2007 until his death and formerly produced the Saturday night Bob Harris Show for the same station, also producing Harris's Radio 1 shows in the early 1990s.[4] He also devised the questions for the PopMaster quiz on Radio 2's Ken Bruce Show until this role was assumed by Neil Myners and Simon Bray. Swern co-wrote the quiz show Pop the Question with Jeremy Beadle and co-created another quiz show, That's Showbusiness, with screenwriter Jeremy Pascall.
His first record production work was Horace Faith's recording of "Black Pearl" for Trojan Records in 1970.[5] He went on to produce for many other musicians, including the Pearls,[6] Polly Brown[7] and R&J Stone,[8] whose "We Do It", released in 1976, reached number 5 on the UK Singles Chart.[9] In 1972, he formed the studio group Blue Haze with Johnny Arthey; their reggae cover version of "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" reached number 27 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number 32 on the UK Singles Chart.[10][11]
Swern had the world's only complete collection of every UK Top 40 chart hit since records began in 1952.[12] His extensive work within the music industry led to him being awarded a BASCA Gold Badge Award in October 2010.[13][14]
On 26 August 2024, Swern presented his Bank Holiday special Phil Swern’s Hidden Gems[15] on Boom Radio,[16] which would be his last radio show, as he died five days later following a long illness with cancer, on 31 August 2024, at the age of 76.[17][18][19]