Best Stock Aitken Waterman Podcasts (2024)

1
09 How Come You Tell So Many Lies? (Amityville Horror / Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me) by Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel / Jeremy's First Gigs 1:00:49

8d ago1:00:49

1:00:49

We're Back! We said we would make another show and we have done what we said we would do. Not out of contractual obligation, but - to be clear - it was absolutely the right thing to do. It's Episode 9, and this month finds Vince sailing very close to the wind as he trashes The Amityville Horror franchise. Jeremy gets all misty eyed as he recalls hi…

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

1M 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
Bonus Episode June 2024 9:05

1M ago9:05

9:05

In lieu of us releasing an episode in May or June (we hope to be back in July!) here's a short and sweet bonus episode about... frogs and Englishness and animation and things. . Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/vinceandjergrowup/By Rainbow Alley Productions

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

2M 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

2M 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

3M 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

3M 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

3M 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
08 Countryside Special (Hedgerow Porn / "First Time" by Robin Beck, 1988 / White Dog Poo) 54:10

3M ago54:10

54:10

Spring is in the air! We don wellies, raincoats and natty hats to take a gentle stroll through the verdant splendour of the English countryside. Jeremy wonders why the fields and hedgerows were littered with discarded top shelf porn mags in various states of destruction, and traces the decline of the paper smut industry. Our randomly picked UK Numb…

1
Ep 68: Shocked 1:12:40

4M 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

5M 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
07 Accidentally Putting on Glitter (The launch of Channel 4 in 1982 and its first year of broadcasting / Rock Your Baby by George McCrae from 1974 / Glam Rock from 1970 - 1974 and the Chinn and Chapman ... 1:06:34

5M ago1:06:34

1:06:34

Vince enthuses about the launch of the UK's fourth channel back in November 1982, and how exciting Channel 4 was in its infancy, with its remit of providing alternative programming and showcasing contemporary art. Plus scary animations! Our randomly-selected UK Number 1 is 1974's proto-disco Rock Your Baby by George McCrae. Jeremy dons platforms an…

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

5M 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

5M 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
06 Hey! Gotta No Respect? ... (The Death Of John Lennon 1980, There's No One Quite Like Grandma 1980 and Stock, Aitken, and Waterman 1984 Onwards) 1:02:20

6M ago1:02:20

1:02:20

We have reached the halfway point of Season 1, and Jeremy brings the dreadful events of December 1980 to the show. The death of John Lennon and how it affected him at the age of 10. Vince recalls the heady days of Stock, Aitken, and Waterman when they were omnipresent and every other song in the charts was helmed by them. As always, we discuss a ra…

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

6M 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
05 Put The Needle On The Record ... (A Ghost Story For Christmas 1971-79, Pump Up The Volume by M/A/R/R/S 1987 and Betamax vs VHS 1975-84) 54:58

7M ago54:58

54:58

This time around, Vince discusses his fondness for the 'A Ghost Story For Christmas' strand that made its welcome, annual tv appearance when he was young. Meanwhile, Jeremy remembers the warring formats at the heart of the home recording epoch at the beginning of the 80's. This month we head to the 1980's for the first time as our randomiser select…

1
Bonus Christmas Stocking 2023 17:51

7M ago17:51

17:51

Merry Christmas! As a little bonus, we've recorded a Christmas-themed mini episode, in which Jeremy waxes nostalgically about his childhood family Christmas routine, and Vince deep dives into his mum's favourite Christmas chockies as delivered by the intrepid and mysterious Milk Tray Man. Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/vinceandjergrowup/…

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

7M 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
04 Quicker Than The Human Eye ... (Ninjas, Kung Fu and David Soul) 1:06:13

8M ago1:06:13

1:06:13

'Everybody was Kung Fu fighting' (according to Carl Douglas) in 1974. But were they really? Most of the populous were trying to create a diversion so they could get the hell out of there before testing out their rudimentary martial arts skills in a gang warfare scenario. This month Vince takes a look into the burgeoning disciplines that really took…

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

9M 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
03 Songs Our Daddies Taught Us ... (My Parents' Record Collection and Grandstand) 1:06:28

9M ago1:06:28

1:06:28

On this show, we both bring something in to remember our parents by. In Jeremy's case, it's the scattergun musical taste of his parents and his Dad's shifty demeanour when discussing the provenance of his record collection . In Vince's, Saturday afternoons spent marking time, watching Grandstand, (and watching out for his Dad!) until something bett…

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

9M 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

9M 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
02 Oh No It Isn't! ... (The Big Snow of 1982 & School Pantomime) 54:55

10M ago54:55

54:55

This time we are discussing the Big Snow of '82. Vince's memory plays tricks on him, as he waxes lyrical about the early 80's and an imagined, continuous, Winter Wonderland. Jeremy remembers the smell of greasepaint, the roar of the crowd, the whiff of methane, and ripping his trews, as he reminisces about his days treading the boards in '83. We ra…

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

10M 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

10M 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
01 Take a Little Good Advice... (The Goodies & Jon Pertwee's cloak) 54:18

11M ago54:18

54:18

Funky Gibbon Jeremy gets on his trandem and hunts down a gigantic kitten with The Goodies. Vince dons Jon Pertwee's cloak to become a vampire Time Lord in an Amicus portmanteau horror film. The number one hit single we randomly selected is In The Summertime by Mungo Jerry Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/vinceandjergrowup/…

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

11M 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

12M 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

12M 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

1y 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

1y 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

1y 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

1y 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

1y 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 …

1
BONUS: The Look Of A Bright Young Britain 52:13

1+ y ago52:13

52:13

In this special episode focusing on the PWL look, we hear from former PWL MD David Howells, who was responsible for the label's visuals, stylist Sharon "Shazza" McPhilemy and hairstylist Lino Carbosiero. The three members of the PWL team talk about working with the label's roster of artists and what the approach to image and style was. Support the …

1
Ep 47: Hand On Your Heart to I Don't Wanna Get Hurt 57:08

1+ y ago57:08

57:08

After blitzing the Australian and UK charts with her debut album, it was time for Kylie Minogue to move onto her follow-up, Enjoy Yourself, and thanks to the chart-topping success of its lead single, "Hand On Your Heart", there would be nothing difficult about this second album. Mike Stock returns to the podcast to discuss the inspiration and enthu…

1
Ep 46: Too Many Broken Hearts to I Haven't Stopped Dancing Yet 58:55

1+ y ago58:55

58:55

By early 1989, Jason Donovan had a couple of hits under his belt, but his music career went into overdrive with the release of "Too Many Broken Hearts" and the mass hysteria that followed his every move in the UK. Jason has been the first to acknowledge it took him a while to warm up as a singer and we hear from engineer Karen Hewitt and long-term …

1
Ep 45: This Time I Know It's For Real 44:46

1+ y ago44:46

44:46

She was the queen of disco; they were an unstoppable pop music force. Together, Donna Summer and Stock Aitken Waterman made some of their best music together. In this look at the first single from the Another Place And Time album, we chart Donna's landmark run of hits in the 1970s and difficult transition into the 1980s thanks to a deal with Geffen…

1
Ep 44: I'd Rather Jack 46:16

1+ y ago46:16

46:16

A protest song. A novelty record. A camp classic. The beginning of the end. "I'd Rather Jack" by The Reynolds Girls has been called a lot of things over the years and it remains one of the Stock Aitken Waterman singles that is most fiercely debated by fans. A swing at restrictive radio playlists, the record was fronted by teenage sisters Linda and …

1
Ep 43: Help! (and Pop Life) 38:18

1+ y ago38:18

38:18

Thanks to a little help from comedy trio Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders and Kathy Burke (aka Lananeeneenoonoo), Bananarama's hit streak continued as their remake of The Beatles' "Help!" took them back to the UK top 3 in early 1989. Released in support of Comic Relief, the cover version was true to the song's pop roots musically, but came with added…

1
Ep 42: Samantha Fox on I Only Wanna Be With You and beyond 57:09

1+ y ago57:09

57:09

Samantha Fox joins us to kick off our look at the singles produced by Stock Aitken Waterman released in 1989, with her remake of "I Only Wanna Be With You" the first track to hit the chart that year. We go right back to the start of Samantha's career and hear from her about becoming famous as a glamour model, being approached by Jive Records to aud…

1
Ep 41: Looking Back with Matt Aitken 1:03:27

1+ y ago1:03:27

1:03:27

Before we continue our journey into the singles released in 1989, Matt Aitken joins us for a special episode recapping the era from 1984-88. We go way back to SAW's first single, "The Upstroke", and talk about the record that brought Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman together, as well as some of the hi-NRG tracks that followed (including pr…

1
Ep 40: Especially For You 45:09

2y ago45:09

45:09

It was the single no one wanted to record. Not Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan, who thought the idea of doing a duet would confirm the off-screen relationship they had been denying for months. And not Stock Aitken Waterman, who feared releasing a track by two of their biggest stars would seem cheesy and like a crass cash-in. But public demand in th…

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