LISTEN: Stones, U2 & Gallagher - Mega Producer Spills On Working With World's Biggest Acts

Part two of The Music's Producer Series podcast from the Studios 301 relaunch is finally here for your listening pleasure, where host Neil Griffiths is joined by mega producer, Steve Lillywhite.

Having worked with the likes of U2, The Rolling Stones, XTC, Peter Gabriel, Liam Gallagher and Chris Cornell to name a few, the multiple Grammy Award-winning UK producer looks back on his inspiring career and working with some of the world's biggest acts. 

As well as his infamous Axl Rose story, Lillywhite spills on his time in the studio with Mick Jagger, Jared Leto and many more. 

Check out the full podcast and some highlights below.

jared leto & 30 seconds to mars (this is war, love, lust, faith & dreams)

"One of my good friends... [2013's Love, Lust, Faith & Dreams] didn't do so well. Still a pretty good album." 

"His demos were pretty much all electronic for that album. He was going towards that way and my instinct with him was 'Hang on, you're a rock band. I don't feel the rock in this.' This Is War and things like Kings & Queens, this is a great album and I wanted to build on top of that rather than pull that all apart."

liam gallagher (beady eye)

"I've worked with mad people. There are very few madder people than Liam Gallagher."

"I ended up falling out with him... honestly, we started off great and then I started questioning him and, of course, you don't question Liam."

u2 and 2017's 'songs of experience' lp

"Bono's whole thing is he only wants to do things he's not good at. And this is amazing. He is an incredible man."

"He is fearless and he will try and do things he can't do. He's fantastic for that. But when you try and do things you can't do you sometimes leave what you've already done behind. I'm excited to see the tour because I love the way their songs evolve when they play them live. I've always said 'Play them live first, then we go and record them.'"

recording the rolling stones' 'dirty work' during jagger/richards fall out 

"In the total time that album took, I think they were both together no more than a couple of hours. I was brought in by Mick. Mick always is like, looking at what's current. And in 1986-87 I was doing a lot of things and... I think Elton [John] said, 'You should check out Steve Lillywhite'. So they flew me to Paris and I hung out with them.. and they chose me. So I was brought in by Mick, Keith didn't know who I was and then after about a week, I was definitely on Keith's team because he was just more cool..."

chris cornell (2007's 'carry on')

"He never had a roadie. I never saw any crew. He would arrive at the studio on his own. I never saw a manager, I never saw anyone else."

"He would be in the green room and I'd  see him on his Blackberry and I'm thinking he's running this big organisation, he's telling people what to do. And I walk past him and he's playing the brick game."