Stock, Aitken & Waterman

[heartmightmelt]

And they were hated by everyone.

In 2023, the only people who care about producers being musicians on the records they produced, being successful at it, and becoming household names are the crusty folk stuck in the "credible music press" mindset of small man leather jacket bald head journalism. In the 1980/90s it must have kept a lot of journalists awake at night seething. I can understand why SAW were hated. And also, Pete's ego, story embellishments and obvious chip on his shoulder also likely rubbed people up the wrong way.

And they were #1 on the Indie Charts all the time. That would have been the salt in the wound.

 

[Dr Pop]

Pete H features in quite a few of the episodes of A Journey Through SAW. He wasn’t always given the credit he was due (see particularly: Heartache)

You just need to listen to the songs that he has written, produced or remixed in the last 25 years to know that his input was much more than that of an ‘engineer’ back in the day.

 

[AcerBenII]

Does anyone know where this bit of footage comes from? Is it on YouTube?

 

[Booers]

Does anyone know where this bit of footage comes from? Is it on YouTube?

View attachment 39206

Possibly Going Live (the Saturday morning BBC kids show from the mid to late 80s).

 

[Booers]

The second part was good, but covering the difficult years it wasn't as fun as the first part.

Sybil was adorable! And that Ian man with the beard, hi! He was lovely.

I didn't know Rick had hated Nothing Can Divide Us. It's not my fave Jason song, but I'd say it's more mature sounding than Take Me To Your Heart.

Oh, and Matt Aitken saying Lonnie was too old, according to Discogs she was born in 1965 so was 25 at the time of Happening All Over Again. Hardly ancient!!

 

[blod]

Oh, and Matt Aitken saying Lonnie was too old, according to Discogs she was born in 1965 so was 25 at the time of Happening All Over Again. Hardly ancient!!

25 in dog years maybe.

 

[Booers]

I'm just watching the SAW hits now, and it'sCross My Broken Heart, and that diner set up is straight out of What Have You Done For Me Lately!

Last night I was talking with my best friend
She said she had something to say to me and then ..
"I know he used to do a lot of nice things for you but what. has. he. done. for. you. lately?"

 

[AcerBenII]

What did Pete Waterman actually do between the end of Stock and Waterman in 1993, and him signing Steps in 1997?

I think PWL International would've kept him busy in that period. They were still releasing records with varying degrees of success by the likes of 2 Unlimited, Loveland, Happy Clappers, Johnna, Slamm and Bianca Kinane.

Banger:

 

[letuinmybackdoor]

I think PWL International would've kept him busy in that period. They were still releasing records with varying degrees of success by the likes of 2 Unlimited, Loveland, Happy Clappers, Johnna, Slamm and Bianca Kinane.

Banger:

Johnna's album 'Pride' is banger after banger.

 

[Booers]

25 in dog years maybe.

Which is 3!

 

[letuinmybackdoor]

Accordingly to Wiki she is now 57, so yeah she was around 25 then.

 

[heartmightmelt]

Does anyone know where this bit of footage comes from? Is it on YouTube?

View attachment 39206

Honestly, the BPI produce quite possibly the most boring looking sales awards in the world. That display just looks like a metal samples shelf in B&Q. For one of the world's major music markets it's appalling. If we could just swivvel round the camera and look at whatever wall has all the discs from Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Europe, a world of difference in design and creativity.

 

[nanafan]

I think PWL International would've kept him busy in that period. They were still releasing records with varying degrees of success by the likes of 2 Unlimited, Loveland, Happy Clappers, Johnna, Slamm and Bianca Kinane.

Banger:

Absolute banger. As is Johnna’s whole album

 

[Deleted member 10466]

Second part of the documentary was another brilliant watch, even if it did feel like a few sound bites were repeated.

Pete describing the whole thing as ‘FLM’ at the end was absolutely perfect.

 

[Booers]

Second part of the documentary was another brilliant watch, even if it did feel like a few sound bites were repeated.

Pete describing the whole thing as ‘FML’ at the end was absolutely perfect.

FLM (fuckin’ lovely mate), not FML (fuck my life!).

 

[Deleted member 10466]

FLM (fuckin’ lovely mate), not FML (fuck my life!).

Autocorrect did me in there.

 

[Booers]

Autocorrect did me in there.

I once suggested it stood for Funny Looking Mullets as per their hairdos on the album cover.

 

[WhatKindOfKylie?]

What an absolute triumph that documentary was. Biased I know, but nice to see alot of Kylie content in part two and have her talk so complimentary of them and vice versa. They truly were the greatest songwriters and producers in Pop of all time in my view. Long live the legacy of the Hit Factory.

 

[PeteM]

The second part was good, but covering the difficult years it wasn't as fun as the first part.

Sybil was adorable! And that Ian man with the beard, hi! He was lovely.

I didn't know Rick had hated Nothing Can Divide Us. It's not my fave Jason song, but I'd say it's more mature sounding than Take Me To Your Heart.

Oh, and Matt Aitken saying Lonnie was too old, according to Discogs she was born in 1965 so was 25 at the time of Happening All Over Again. Hardly ancient!!

I think that was a case of Matt going with her true age and not her stage age. She didn't look 25...

 

[WhereIsTheFeeling]

I enjoyed the 2nd part but the first part was more interesting to me. Which is surprising since I really got into music properly late 88/early 89. I had my parents visiting and they were chatting so may need to watch it again… plus their predictable commentary of “it all sounds the same” made me smile - felt just like when I was a kid loving the music with parents trapped in eras before!