A Journey Through Stock Aitken Waterman

Chart Beats
  • 5.0 (47)
  • MUSIC COMMENTARY
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Hosts Gavin Scott (from Chart Beats: A Journey Through Pop) and Matthew Denby work their way through all the singles produced by Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman (SAW), starting in 1984 with "The Upstroke" by Agents Aren't Aeroplanes and taking in hits by Dead Or Alive, Hazell Dean, Bananarama, Princess, Mel & Kim, Rick Astley, Kylie Minogue, Sinitta, Jason Donovan, Divine, Sonia and more, as well as lesser known chart misses. Bonus interviews and discussion: chartbeats.com.au/saw (Theme music: Switch Me On by Shane Ivers at www.silvermansound.com)

  1. FEB 1

    FINALE: Ultimate Stock Aitken Waterman Singles Countdown top 20

    To mark reaching the end of the journey through every single produced by Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman from 1984-1993, Gavin and Matt celebrate the music of the Hit Factory by counting down our listeners' favourite 20 singles from the list of 200 we have discussed on the podcast. What will be number 1?  (Subscribers, numbers 50-21 are counted down in the bonus material at chartbeats.com.au/saw-bonus) Support the show Subscribe for bonus material at chartbeats.com.au/saw Instagram: @chartbeatsau Threads: @chartbeatsau, @matthew_denby360 Bluesky: @chartbeatsau, @matthewdenby.bsky.social Facebook: Chart Beats: A Journey Through Pop Email: chartbeats.au@gmail.com

    1h 11m

  2. 12/21/2024

    Epilogue 2: Love This and beyond

    Shortly after Mike Stock left PWL in 1993, he purchased a building to house a brand-new studio complex and record label, Love This, and reunited with Matt Aitken to resume their songwriting and production work together. Although, over the next few years, the duo would release many more cover versions than original songs, having success with the likes of Nicki French, Jocelyn Brown & Kym Mazelle, John Alford, Newton (in Australia) and Robson & Jerome. Mike Stock joins us for one final time to recap the highlights from the Love This era and give his rationale for the emphasis on remakes, He also discusses working with Simon Cowell on quite a few projects, including the theme to kids' TV show Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers and how the problems plaguing Love This, such as a dispute with the London Underground over rail work that compromised his studios and issues surrounding the release of "Santa Maria" by Tatjana, resulted in the label being shut in 1997. Mike goes on to talk about some of the work he's done since, such as tracks by pop acts Scooch and Girls@Play, and what he would like his overall musical legacy to be. Matt Aitken, Miriam Stockley and Julian Gingell also feature to share their memories of this era.  Support the show Subscribe for bonus material at chartbeats.com.au/saw Instagram: @chartbeatsau Threads: @chartbeatsau, @matthew_denby360 Bluesky: @chartbeatsau, @matthewdenby.bsky.social Facebook: Chart Beats: A Journey Through Pop Email: chartbeats.au@gmail.com

    1h 18m

  3. 12/08/2024

    Epilogue 1: PWL 1994-96

    Although both Matt Aitken and Mike Stock had left the building, PWL Records continued to release music — and in this epilogue episode, we look at some of the artists who succeeded and some that didn't hit the mark in the few years after the demise of Stock Aitken Waterman. Former PWL MD David Howells joins us to discuss the challenges of starting afresh with new talent to replace Mike and Matt, and talks about what prompted his own departure from the business he had helped steer since the mid-'80s. With a strong focus on dance music at PWL in the '90s, one of the more consistent acts — in terms of quality and chart success — was Loveland. Paul Taylor returns to explain how the group behind hits like "Let The Music (Lift You Up)" and "I Need Somebody" came about, and how PWL's Manchester business received much of Pete Waterman's attention at this point. Paul also discusses his own unceremonious exit from the group. Meanwhile. Slamm remained signed to PWL and were put to work with Gary Miller on increasingly poppy music, with singer Johnny Wilks recapping that era of the band's journey for us. Then, we finish by looking at how Pete's initial run with PWL ended in 1996 and who the songwriters and producers were that would provide him with a second wave of success in the following years with acts like Steps, Tina Cousins and Westlife. Support the show Subscribe for bonus material at chartbeats.com.au/saw Instagram: @chartbeatsau Threads: @chartbeatsau, @matthew_denby360 Bluesky: @chartbeatsau, @matthewdenby.bsky.social Facebook: Chart Beats: A Journey Through Pop Email: chartbeats.au@gmail.com

    1h 4m

  4. 11/03/2024

    Ep 80: Free To Love Again to Virginia Plain and Mike Stock's departure

    Every journey has an ending, and in this episode, we reach the final three singles produced by Mike Stock and Pete Waterman in 1993 — and discuss the events surrounding the termination of the partnership as Mike left PWL. Former Miss America Suzette Charles joins us to talk about her singing/acting/pageant career and how she turned up at PWL demanding an audience with Pete. Her eventual collaboration with Mike yielded underrated gem "Free To Love Again" and five other fan favourite tracks that went unreleased at the time. She also fills us in on her studio reunion with Mike in the past few months and what we can expect from their recent work together. Sybil returns to discuss her final Stock and Waterman single, "Stronger Together", and reflect on her pop career. Plus, Johnny Wilks from Slamm talks about releasing a remake of "Virginia Plain" — the final SW production in the '90s. Then, we hear from Mike about his decision to leave PWL and what brought him and Pete, and then all of SAW back together again in the 2000s and beyond. Support the show Subscribe for bonus material at chartbeats.com.au/saw Instagram: @chartbeatsau Threads: @chartbeatsau, @matthew_denby360 Bluesky: @chartbeatsau, @matthewdenby.bsky.social Facebook: Chart Beats: A Journey Through Pop Email: chartbeats.au@gmail.com

    1h 21m

  5. 10/20/2024

    Ep 79: Looks Like I'm In Love Again to Energize

    The top 40 resurgence was over, with the next few Stock and Waterman singles released in 1993 struggling on the UK chart. But it wasn't for want of trying. Tapping into the same piano house sound that had yielded hits for Sybil (with and without West End), "Looks Like I'm In Love Again" by Key West featuring Erik had come to PWL via Eddie Gordon's Sanctuary imprint. The man behind Key West (and the writer of the song), music industry legend Richard Hewson joins us to discuss his decades-long career, working as an arranger for some of the biggest names in music and as an artist in his own right as The RAH Band. He reveals the story behind "Looks Like I'm In Love Again" and how Erik ended up taking over from the original vocalist. Eddie also shares his memories of that project and reveals how girl group Eternal almost signed to PWL. Meanwhile, Sybil returns to discuss her next single, a remake of "Beyond Your Wildest Dreams", and how she navigated her career in both the UK and the US. For something completely different, PWL snapped up five-piece band Slamm — and their vocalist, Johnny Wilks, talks us through that unexpected decision and recalls the making of their first single for the label, "Energize". Plus, there's the final Pat & Mick release and one last WWF Superstars single. Support the show Subscribe for bonus material at chartbeats.com.au/saw Instagram: @chartbeatsau Threads: @chartbeatsau, @matthew_denby360 Bluesky: @chartbeatsau, @matthewdenby.bsky.social Facebook: Chart Beats: A Journey Through Pop Email: chartbeats.au@gmail.com

    1h 17m

  6. 10/06/2024

    Ep 78: More, More, More, When I'm Good And Ready, Wrestlemania and One Voice

    The commercial resurgence at PWL continued in 1993, with all four of the singles covered in this episode becoming UK hits. Still on her hot streak following the success of "The Love I Lost" with West End, Sybil returned to the top 5 with original tune "When I'm Good And Ready", which was credited to her alone. Sybil tells us what she thought of the song, which was poppier than her usual efforts, and Mike Stock shares his thoughts about the single coming together and its various mixes and remixes. After the disappointment of "Last Thing On My Mind", Bananarama were back in the top 30 with their remake of "More, More, More". Mike also discusses that track and the Please Yourself album. Meanwhile, another track was made with the World Wrestling Federation Superstars, with "Wrestlemania" reaching the top 20, and Coronation Street star Bill Tarmey visited the Hit Factory for a successful charity remake of "One Voice". Pete Day recalls working on both those singles, which came to PWL courtesy of Simon Cowell.  Support the show Subscribe for bonus material at chartbeats.com.au/saw Instagram: @chartbeatsau Threads: @chartbeatsau, @matthew_denby360 Bluesky: @chartbeatsau, @matthewdenby.bsky.social Facebook: Chart Beats: A Journey Through Pop Email: chartbeats.au@gmail.com

    49 min

  7. 09/22/2024

    Ep 77: The Love I Lost

    Things were looking up at the Hit Factory in early 1993. Mike Stock and Pete Waterman found themselves in the UK top 5 with back-to-back singles — something that hadn't happened in three years. And the latest of those big hits came from a remake of "The Love I Lost" released by West End featuring Sybil. The story behind the single is an intriguing one, with various mixes and multiple people having input on the track along the way. Significant among those people was Eddie Gordon, who'd spent the previous few years working on major hits for record companies like MCA, Motown and Atlantic. With his background in soul, funk and R&B, he was employed by PWL both to find songs and artists for new imprint Sanctuary Records and to develop his idea to cover "The Love I Lost" as West End (a name he'd used as a pseudonym for various projects). Eddie joins us to talk about the selection of Sybil as vocalist for the single and how he, Tony King and Asha Elfenbein (as AKA) remixed the original production, with their mixes becoming hot property in clubs before the track was reworked yet again for commercial release. He also provides insight into the business of PWL in the early '90s with new sub-labels and imprints. Plus, Sybil returns to the podcast to share her memories of "The Love I Lost" coming together, the elements of the track she insisted be changed and its success. Support the show Subscribe for bonus material at chartbeats.com.au/saw Instagram: @chartbeatsau Threads: @chartbeatsau, @matthew_denby360 Bluesky: @chartbeatsau, @matthewdenby.bsky.social Facebook: Chart Beats: A Journey Through Pop Email: chartbeats.au@gmail.com

    52 min

  8. 09/15/2024 · BONUS

    SNEAK PEEK: 1993 preview and Greatest Hits by Kylie Minogue track-by-track teaser

    Before we begin our journey through Mike Stock's final year working with Pete Waterman at PWL, we have a preview of what's still to come. Plus, we share the first 10 minutes of our recent Greatest Hits by Kylie Minogue bonus episode To hear the full Greatest Hits by Kylie Minogue bonus episode and all the other extra content, you can subscribe at chartbeats.com.au/subscribe Support the show Subscribe for bonus material at chartbeats.com.au/saw Instagram: @chartbeatsau Threads: @chartbeatsau, @matthew_denby360 Bluesky: @chartbeatsau, @matthewdenby.bsky.social Facebook: Chart Beats: A Journey Through Pop Email: chartbeats.au@gmail.com

    16 min
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Hosts & Guests

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Hosts Gavin Scott (from Chart Beats: A Journey Through Pop) and Matthew Denby work their way through all the singles produced by Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman (SAW), starting in 1984 with "The Upstroke" by Agents Aren't Aeroplanes and taking in hits by Dead Or Alive, Hazell Dean, Bananarama, Princess, Mel & Kim, Rick Astley, Kylie Minogue, Sinitta, Jason Donovan, Divine, Sonia and more, as well as lesser known chart misses. Bonus interviews and discussion: chartbeats.com.au/saw (Theme music: Switch Me On by Shane Ivers at www.silvermansound.com)

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