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Episode details

World Service,01 Oct 2019,26 mins

John Saunderson: The number one hitmaker

In the Studio

Available for over a year

He’s not a singer, writer or a musician but he’s earned a reputation as a Number One hitmaker across the globe with credits like “Bonkers” by Dizzee Rascal. John Saunderson has been in the music business for over 40 years and has an uncanny knack of working with his team of songwriters and colleagues at Notting Hill Music to choose exactly the right song for the right artist. He has had over 30 number one hits in 15 countries around the world and is always looking for the next big thing. Anna Bailey follows John to find out what the different processes are in the life of a hitmaker. She watches as his team work on composing with the former Pussycat Doll singing star Melody Thornton and hears how a song is created, often in a very short space of time. Anna also follows the initial steps of choosing a song for the South Korean pop phenomenon J.Fla who is looking for something to appeal to a Western audience. Her team have a very specific set of requirements, including wanting a “hook” or earworm that will be distinctive. Will John and the team be able to deliver? Presenter: Anna Bailey (Image: John Saunderson. Credit: Gary Thomas KYPA)

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