Best Matthew Denby Podcasts (2024)

1
Ep 77: The Love I Lost 51:51

3d ago51:51

51:51

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 …

1
SNEAK PEEK: 1993 preview and Greatest Hits by Kylie Minogue track-by-track teaser 15:36

10d ago15:36

15:36

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 c…

1
Ep 76: Did I Say Ti Amo, Last Thing On My Mind, Celebration and Slam Jam 1:00:24

22d ago1:00:24

1:00:24

To wrap up 1992, Stock and Waterman worked with two new artists and two returning favourites. In the case of Kylie Minogue, it was to be her final single released with PWL. Fittingly, her version of "Celebration" was lifted from Greatest Hits and gave her a final UK top 20 hit before departing for new musical adventures. We hear from Phil Harding &…

1
Ep 75: Summer Holiday, What Kind Of Fool (Heard All That Before), Higher And Higher and Movin' On 52:59

1M ago52:59

52:59

Summer 1992 didn't yield much in the way of Stock and Waterman productions. But in August that year, there was a sudden rush of releases, kicked off by a curious novelty record: a remake of "Summer Holiday" by Fat Slags, characters from Viz. Former PWL engineer Pete Day helps us get to the bottom of who exactly performed on the track. Meanwhile, Ky…

1
Luka McCabe insists that food should never be the enemy 40:20

1M ago40:20

40:20

Luka McCabe is a realist when it comes to food. Sure, in an ideal world we'd all eat wholefoods 100% of the time, but the busy, expense-laden reality is far from it. On this ep, the author, midwife, business owner and mother gets frank about slinging meals on the table, squeezing in gym sessions, the art of making small, cost-efficient changes and …

1
Alyssa Healy has stepped up to the captaincy 39:50

1M ago39:50

39:50

Alyssa Healy is equal parts chilled, equal parts focussed. For someone who helms the dominant Australian women's cricket team, Healy had big boots to fill when she took the post at the end of 2023, but the wicket keeper is doing it in calm, level style. And not only behind the stumps. On this ep, Alyssa Healy talks about leading from within, naviga…

1
Ep 74: All You Have To Do to Finer Feelings 1:15:28

2M ago1:15:28

1:15:28

In early 1992, Boy Krazy were still a year away from their belated massive success in the US with "That's What Love Can Do" and they followed up that debut single in the UK with "All You Have To Do". Now a four-piece, the girl group shifted musical gears, releasing a more club-influenced track, but once again it failed to connect. Ruth Ann, Kimberl…

1
Rachael Finch stopped self-restricting and found the balance 31:48

2M ago31:48

31:48

Rachael Finch had a glamorous life as a model and tv presenter in her 20s. She lived in London, New York, Germany, Singapore and New Zealand, but somewhere along the way the former Miss Universe Australia began self-restricting and competing with herself. Thankfully, a change in career and location changed the trajectory. Here's how Rachael found w…

1
Here's how Brooke Hogan came out on top 37:13

2M ago37:13

37:13

Brooke Hogan is a beacon of gold. Her Instagram shows a grid of family, retriever, Pilates and composure. But, like all stories in life, it's taken hard work to get there: a sometimes confronting modelling career, a first business that didn't cut the mustard and, most importantly, an arduous but ultimately successful IVF journey. Here's how Brooke …

1
BONUS: Get Ready For This — The 2 Unlimited Story with Ray Slijngaard 49:45

2M ago49:45

49:45

Following their launch in 1991 with debut single "Get Ready For This", Eurodance duo 2 Unlimited enjoyed a string of more than a dozen hits around the world. What does that have to do with Stock Aitken Waterman? Well, in the UK, the act fronted by Ray Slijngaard and Anita Doth was signed to PWL Records at a time when the Hit Factory's in-house prod…

1
Everyone wants to be Paralympian Ellie Cole's best mate 44:52

2M ago44:52

44:52

Numbers are a big part of Ellie Cole's life. She lost one leg at the age of three, has won 17 - yes, 17 - medals in swimming and is Australia's most decorated Paralympian. But what's Ellie's biggest achievement? Beyond the joy of co-parenting her five-month-old son Felix, it's how humble, candid and lovable she is. Tune in to meet a woman who is a …

1
Tiff Hall is tackling 'bounce-back' culture head on 43:50

2M ago43:50

43:50

After two pregnancies, weight gain, a couple of mum tums and feeling a bit lost in the process, Tiff Hall has something to say. The ex-Gladiator, author, tv personality and fitness trainer talks to head of brand for Women's Health, Scarlett Keddie, about postpartum repression, women supporting women and the power of a good Winston Churchill quote. …

1
What's Melissa Leong's next move? 48:31

3M ago48:31

48:31

We're back! Uninterrupted is live, and for the first ep of the season Melissa Leong chats about life at the moment, managing anxiety and depression from a young age, her love of perfume and mixed martial arts, and locking herself out of the house (relatable). CREDITS: This podcast was hosted and produced by WH head of brand Scarlett Keddie with sou…

1
Ep 73: Keep On Pumpin' It to Give Me Just A Little More Time (and Do You Dare) 1:06:59

4M ago1:06:59

1:06:59

There was no denying the popularity of rave and techno in the UK in 1991, and Stock and Waterman went all clubby as the year drew to a close — with help from some key collaborators. DJs Paul Taylor and Danny Bennett (aka Danny Hibrid) from Angels nightclub visited PWL to work with Tony King on remixing Kylie Minogue album track "I Guess I Like It L…

1
Ep 72: Make This A Special Night to So Proud Of You 1:07:33

4M ago1:07:33

1:07:33

Late in 1991, PWL was trying all sorts of things to get back in the charts on a regular basis, including working with '80s funk/soul band Cool Notes. Single "Make This A Special Night" harked back to some of SAW's earliest releases when they dabbled in R&B — and was one of several tracks recorded with the group, which was now a trio. Singer Laurain…

1
Ep 71: Happy Together to Word Is Out 59:14

5M ago59:14

59:14

They were the pop stars that changed everything for the Hit Factory — and in this episode we discuss pivotal singles for Jason Donovan and Kylie Minogue. In Jason's case, his remake of "Happy Together" was his final single with PWL, as he made the leap to musical theatre and a new record label. The cover version was also the first Stock and Waterma…

1
BONUS: Remixing The Hits with Tony King 45:34

5M ago45:34

45:34

To mark the third anniversary of A Journey Through Stock Aitken Waterman, former PWL remixer Tony King joins us to share his story of going from Phil Harding's assistant to being responsible for a Billboard Hot 100 smash hit thanks to his remix of "Don't Make Me Over" by Sybil. Tony recounts the "weird" way he landed a job at PWL and how his first …

1
Ep 70: That's What Love Can Do 1:04:58

5M ago1:04:58

1:04:58

The Boy Krazy story is one of the most interesting — and complicated! — in the SAW history. The American girl group was put together through auditions in New York, going through a few line-up changes before the final five-piece, Johnna, Josselyne, Kimberly, Renee and Ruth Ann, signed a deal with PWL Records and flew to London to start recording wit…

1
Ep 69: Roadblock 91 to All Mixed Up and Matt Aitken's departure 56:35

6M ago56:35

56:35

It had to happen at some point. In May 1991, the Stock Aitken Waterman era ended when Matt Aitken walked away from his role as one third of the songwriting and production trio. In this episode, he explains what prompted his decision and we explore the changing nature of PWL at the time, which was a contributing factor in the split. Mike Stock also …

1
Ep 68: Shocked 1:12:40

6M ago1:12:40

1:12:40

The fourth in arguably the best singles run in pop music history was also a first for Stock Aitken Waterman, as external mix team DNA took care of the 7" remix of "Shocked" by Kylie Minogue, Neal Slateford from DNA tells us how the unprecedented remix came about following the runaway success of his and production partner Nick Batt's reinvention of …

1
Ep 67: Better Off Without You to R.S.V.P. 1:06:14

7M ago1:06:14

1:06:14

She was our very first interviewee back in Episode 1 — and we finally reach the conclusion of Hazell Dean's Stock Aitken Waterman journey with her version of "Better Off Without You", which was released in 1991. The Queen of Hi-NRG joins us once again to discuss recording a song previously cut by Lonnie Gordon and her thoughts about the SAW sound s…

1
Ep 66: What Do I Have To Do Part 2: the styling and video 48:21

7M ago48:21

48:21

While "What Do I Have To Do" by Kylie Minogue stands on its own two feet as a song, the impact of the single was increased greatly due to the striking imagery on display on the single cover and in the music video. Celebrity stylist David Thomas takes us right back to the early years of his career and tells the story of how he was hired to style the…

1
Ep 65: What Do I Have To Do Part 1: the song and mixes 47:13

7M ago47:13

47:13

In 1991, it was another bold step forward for Kylie Minogue, and in the decades since, "What Do I Have To Do" has cemented its place among fans' all-time favourites from her extensive back catalogue. But the third single from Rhythm Of Love didn't come together easily, with a lengthy period of time spent mixing the club-influenced track — and remix…

1
BONUS: Promoting PWL — Sharp End's Ron McCreight on Kylie, Jason, Sinitta, The Reynolds Girls and more 46:29

9M ago46:29

46:29

You can have the best single in the world, but there's little chance of it being a hit if no one hears it. That's where pluggers come in — taking songs to radio and convincing programmers to playlist them. In 1987, Ron McCreight and his business partner, Robert Lemon, joined forces with PWL's Pete Waterman and David Howells in a plugging company th…

1
SNEAK PEEK: Kylie by Kylie Minogue and Youthquake by Dead Or Alive track-by-track previews 20:55

9M ago20:55

20:55

Check out previews of two of our most popular bonus track-by-track episodes. Gavin and Matt discuss Kylie, the debut album by Kylie Minogue, and, with special guest Barry Stone, talk about the first SAW-produced album by Dead Or Alive, Youthquake. As well as giving our thoughts on every song, we count down listeners' favourite tracks. If you enjoy …

1
Ep 64: If I Have To Stand Alone to Breakaway 57:40

11M ago57:40

57:40

What a tumultuous year 1990 had been for the Hit Factory — and the final four singles produced by Stock Aitken Waterman that year certainly highlight that. What should have been Lonnie Gordon's second SAW-produced single, "If I Have To Stand Alone", came out as her third, but despite being in the same vein as top 5 hit "Happenin' All Over Again", i…

1
Ep 63: Step Back In Time (and Rhythm Of Love) 1:03:55

11M ago1:03:55

1:03:55

After the big creative risk that was previous single and video "Better The Devil You Know", Kylie Minogue and Stock Aitken Waterman went for something more playful with follow-up "Step Back In Time". With its fun lyrical nod to '70s disco music and a video dripping in retro style, the song was pure pop joy — and another big hit at a time when the H…

1
Ep 62: Wow Wow Na Na to Make It Easy On Me 1:02:58

12M ago1:02:58

1:02:58

Although she had been signed to PWL in the UK for a while and scored a couple of hits with remakes of "Don't Make Me Over" and "Walk On By", Sybil went into the studio with Stock Aitken Waterman in 1990 to record soulful ballad "Make It Easy On Me". The American singer/songwriter joins us to discuss starting out with US label Next Plateau in 1986, …

1
Ep 61: Hey There Lonely Girl to Rhythm Of The Rain 57:07

12M ago57:07

57:07

Although they'd achieved some hits with ballads that they had produced, Stock Aitken Waterman were better known for their uptempo pop/dance tracks, but in mid-1990, four ballads in a row emerged from the Hit Factory. Three of those were the latest releases in the jukebox era series of remakes, with Big Fun ("Hey There Lonely Girl"), Sonia ("End Of …

1
Ep 60: One Thing Leads To Another to Another Night 1:02:50

1y ago1:02:50

1:02:50

When they came to work with Stock Aitken Waterman, pop act Yell! had one top 10 hit under their belt already — a remake of Dan Hartman's "Instant Replay". Signed to Simon Cowell's Fanfare label, the duo comprised of Daniel James and Paul Varney recorded their follow-up, "One Thing Leads To Another", with SAW, but it was not the success anyone hoped…

1
Ep 59: One Love One World to You've Got A Friend 58:24

1y ago58:24

58:24

They'd been on the verge of breaking through for a couple of years, and sisters Romi & Jazz had their hopes up when their record label paired them with Stock Aitken Waterman for their latest single in 1990. The siblings join us to share their musical journey — from their first steps into the industry with a bhangra meets hi-NRG remake of The Four T…

1
Ep 58: Better The Devil You Know Part 2: the video and legacy 1:08:58

1y ago1:08:58

1:08:58

As great a song as it is, "Better The Devil You Know" would not have been anywhere near as impactful as it was without its accompanying music video. A landmark in Kylie Minogue's career, the video transformed her image from that of girl-next-door to "sex kitten", according to director Paul Goldman, who joins us to detail the before, during and afte…

1
Ep 57: Better The Devil You Know Part 1: the song 1:05:07

1y ago1:05:07

1:05:07

After two very successful albums at PWL, but little in the way of artistic control, Kylie Minogue was ready for a change. And in this first part of a two-part special looking at landmark release "Better The Devil You Know", we hear from those closest to her about the strategy taken to compel Stock Aitken Waterman to agree to a more collaborative ap…

1
Ep 56: Hang On To Your Love (and the journey so far) with Jason Donovan 56:54

1y ago56:54

56:54

His journey with Stock Aitken Waterman was one of the most successful, with multiple UK number 1 hits and the highest-selling album in Britain in 1989. And now, Jason Donovan joins the podcast to talk about his time at the Hit Factory. From his first steps into the music industry with Mushroom Records in Australia to his early sessions with Pete Ha…

1
Ep 55: We Should Be Dancing to Use It Up And Wear It Out 1:09:55

1y ago1:09:55

1:09:55

Her time at PWL might not have yielded any hits, but the short-lived pop career of Japanese singer Kakko is the stuff of legend. We take a deep dive into the story behind her debut single, "We Should Be Dancing”, hearing from PWL’s David Howells and Nicki L’Amy Brée about how the aspiring performer learnt the ropes at the label before being sent in…

1
Ep 54: Happenin' All Over Again 50:16

1+ y ago50:16

50:16

New year. New artist. New hit. Stock Aitken Waterman's hit streak continued in 1990 with the breakthrough single for American club artist Lonnie Gordon, who had relocated to the UK in the 1980s and made a name for herself with a series of personality-filled anthems like "No Regrets", "Love Eviction", "(I've Got Your) Pleasure Control" and "It's Not…

1
Ep 53: Tears On My Pillow (and We Know The Meaning Of Love) 54:13

1+ y ago54:13

54:13

Any fears that the public had tired of Stock Aitken Waterman were dismissed as 1990 got underway and the latest single by Kylie Minogue became the next UK chart-topper for the trio. Taken from the soundtrack to her feature film debut in The Delinquents, Kylie's remake of 1950s classic "Tears On My Pillow" got the new decade off to a great start in …

1
BONUS: Yoyo on the '80s: Kylie Minogue, Mel & Kim, Dead Or Alive, Rick Astley, Bananarama and more 46:33

1+ y ago46:33

46:33

The name Yoyo is well known to Stock Aitken Waterman fans, appearing on the back covers of dozens of hit singles and albums. The long-time PWL engineer was an integral part of the team from May 1986 when he earned a job as an assistant at the new studios at the Vineyard, London. Yoyo (real name: Boyowa Olugbo) quickly established himself as a studi…

1
Ep 52: Listen To Your Heart to Do They Know It's Christmas? 45:50

1+ y ago45:50

45:50

And so our journey reaches the end of the '80s and the conclusion of Stock Aitken Waterman's most commercially successful year. The final three singles released in 1989 were all top 10 hits, including "Listen To Your Heart" by Sonia, which saw a return to the poppy fare of her debut and caught the attention of comedy duo French & Saunders, who sent…

1
Ep 51: Never Too Late to When Love Takes Over You 44:25

1+ y ago44:25

44:25

Kylie Minogue. Big Fun. Donna Summer. The last time we encountered these three artists, things were going swimmingly for each of them. In the case of Kylie, she had just racked up her seventh UK top 2 hit in a row — a run that was broken by "Never Too Late", the third single from Enjoy Yourself. As well as discussing why a tune as good as "Never To…

1
Ep 50: I Just Don't Have The Heart to Can't Forget You 45:23

1+ y ago45:23

45:23

Teen heartthrobs past and then-present rubbed shoulders as Stock Aitken Waterman wrote and produced the latest hit for music industry veteran Cliff Richard and the final single was lifted from Jason Donovan's debut album, Ten Good Reasons. Matt Aitken reveals what it was like to work with an artist as well-established as Cliff and how the song they…

1
Ep 49: Wouldn't Change A Thing to Love's About To Change My Heart 1:01:07

1+ y ago1:01:07

1:01:07

As we hit the second half of 1989, we take a look at the latest singles from Kylie Minogue and Donna Summer. On "Wouldn't Change A Thing", PWL's pop princess took another step towards a cooler sound and, in the video, a more grown-up image. Stylist Sharon McPhilemy fills us in on how the looks in Kylie's first UK-shot music video came together. We'…

1
Ep 48: Sealed With A Kiss to Tell Him I Called 1:03:07

1+ y ago1:03:07

1:03:07

The UK chart-toppers continued for Stock Aitken Waterman as another two singles reached the top spot in 1989. First, there was Jason Donovan's remake of a much-covered tune. Part of SAW's series of '50s and '60s covers performed by their teen-friendly artists, "Sealed With A Kiss" had the potential to widen Jason's appeal even further, but was the …

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