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"A Journey Through Stock Aitken Waterman" discussed on Today: Kylie Minogue, Rick Astley, Bananarama

This podcast is available on the following platforms: ChartBeats Spotify - ourney Through Stock Aitken Watermanurn Apple Podcast - A Journey...

Monday, March 31, 2008

Minogue's parents pay to watch her perform

The parents of the Aussie pop superstar Kylie Minogue will have to buy tickets to watch her perform though she is headlining this year's Glastonbury Festival.

Mirror.co.uk reports that her record company EMI...

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Rick returns to the hits

Rick returns to the hits Paul Taylor (24/3/2008): IT ALL goes to prove that you should never say never. Year after year, Rick Astley said he had no desire to get on stage and sing the likes of Never Gonna Give You Up in the time-honoured fashion.

There was a tentative return to the performing fray three years ago, with Astley singing smoochy standards, but he fought shy of reprising his old hits in the bouncy Stock Aitken Waterman style.

Saturday, March 29, 2008

DISCOTHEQUE IN DREAM (DEAD OR ALIVE) You Spin Me Round

DISCOTHEQUE IN DREAM (SINITTA) - Toy Boy Live

DISCOTHEQUE IN DREAM (SINITTA) TOKYODOME LIVE

Sinitta - Love On a Mountain Top

Sinitta on Dannii Minogue

Sinitta adopts child - Sinitta, Kylie and Dannii Minogue, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt

Sabrina Salerno - All Of Me -

This was a Stock, Aitken, Waterman production. But this video is recent.



and also this is recent:



this was an old video:



Sabrina's original video produced by S.A.W.

Sabrina Salerno - Boys (live at top of the pops 1987)

This wasn't a S.A.W. production, she was produced by italian Claudio Cecchetto:

Sinitta - Toy Boy - Top of the Pops 1987

Linn Drum LM-2 Demo w/ Powder Trail

S.A.W. used a lot "A.Linn" as drums! At the beginning I thought it was a person, probably a japanese musician! No, it was an electronic drum as these two:



Kylie on The Wide Awake Club, Aug 1988 (#2)

Kylie Minogue - Star Academy - I Believe in You Live

Kylie Minogue - Two Hearts

Kylie Minogue - Two Hearts - Live from Germany




Kylie Minogue 2 Hearts Live on Star Academy


Kylie Minogue - In My Arms

This Video is Wonderful, Kylie is at her best! But I don't like very much the song. I prefer the old days, the old S.A.W. productions or the "Fever" sound, but here it is:

Kylie Minogue - In My Arms (Official Video with Lyrics)




Kylie Minogue - In My Arms [Live @ the NRJ Awards]

Kylie Minogue Apparently Needs MIMS To Show America Why She's Hot


Idolator.com: "And that guest star is... MIMS. You remember him, yes? The "This Is Why I'm Hot" guy, who hasn't had a hit since, well, "This Is Why I'm Hot"? Yes, he'll be featured on the first single from the reworked-for-American-ears X, "All I See." Because apparently a dance-pop record (gasp!) by a woman who's almost 40 (noooo!) needs an already-flashed-in-the-pan hip-hop artist to... well, to do what exactly is still unclear, given that by the time X comes out "This Is Why I'm Hot"'s No. 1 run will have been more than a year past...."

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Stock, Aitken & Waterman BBC Radio 2 Special


I received this message from Stoney (from The Hit Factory Forum) and I'm going to post it!

Hi guys,

Make sure you don't miss this brand new tribute radio special dedicated to SAW. It was broadcast on easter monday, but what's great, especially if you're living abroad, is that you can listen to it here:

"The Record Producers returns on Easter Bank Holiday Monday with a profile of one of the most successful British production & songwriting teams of the late 80s and early 90s - Stock Aitken Waterman. Modelled on Motown's Hit Factory of the 1960s,they produced a seemingly endless stream of hits for Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Rick Astley, Sonia and Mel & Kim as well as bringing continued chart success to Bananarama and re-igniting the career of Donna Summer amongst others. For many, their commercial success has overshadowed any critical appraisal of their craft, but this edition in the series of documentary specials adjusts that balance. Richard Allinson and Steve Levine assess the musicianship, prolific songwriting and major changes to the recording and mixing technology that lay at the heart of the production team, exploring Mike Stock and Matt Aitken's backgrounds in various bands as well as Pete Waterman's pre-S.A.W.success in the record industry, which included work wit!
h Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff in Philadelphia, early entrepreneurial skills with Lee 'Scratch' Perry and production sessions with his songwriting hero Lamont Dozier - all of which contributed to the formation of PWL, modelled on the self-sufficient label attitude of Philadelphia International But as with every programme in the Record Producers series, the main focus is the music.With brand new interviews from not only all three members of the team but also Jason Donovan, Rick Astley and Kim Appleby, Richard and Steve assert Stock Aitken and Waterman's position as major contributors to the sound of British pure-pop."

Enjoy!
Stoney

Regards,
The Hit Factory Forum Dot Com | All about Stock Aitken Waterman team

Monday, March 24, 2008

Paula Abdul: Spinning Around, which I gave to Kylie Minogue


The American Idol judge's vocal chords were accidentally cut

Paula Abdul has revealed the full extent of a terrible accident that kept her out of the public eye for 6 years. ...

'Rehabilitation was an enlightening experience because it taught me how strong I am,' she says. 'I grew up a lot. I got very creative in the hospital and wrote some of my best songs including Spinning Around, which I gave to Kylie Minogue.'

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Bananarama - Look On The Floor

This is a recent single, it's not a S.A.W. production, but I love it!

Bananarama - I Heard A Rumour TOTP 1987

I Heard A Rumour (BHM)


Bananarama - I Heard A Rumour TOTP 1987

Bananarama - I Don't Care

Haywoode - Getting Closer (Minute by Minute)

O'Chi Brown - Whenever you need Somebody

Kylie Minogue - TOTP X-Mas 'Rhythm of Love Medley'

Kylie Minogue - Shanghai Medley H&M Launch Party

Kylie Minogue - Medley - Live at Royal Variety 2002

I Should Be So lucky - Kylie Minogue live from Japan

Kylie Minogue - ラッキー・ラヴ / カイリー・ミノーグ


Hand On Your Heart 1989 / Kylie Minogue [ Japan TV ]

Live walking from Japan streets

I Only Wanna Be With You 1989 / Samantha Fox [ Japan TV ]

Samantha Fox Live - Reason Is You (Video Remix)




Mandy Smith - Terry (Unreleased pwl/saw track)

Sonia Evans Live - 1994 - Hopelessley Devoted To You

Fast Food Rockers - Say Cheese! Smile Please

A wonderful Mike Stock production! FFR!

Say Cheese!
- Fast Food Rockers



Fast Food Song - Fast Food Rockers




From Wikipedia: The Fast Food Rockers were a British pop group, known for their novelty music. The band met at a fast-food convention in Folkestone.[1]

Their most successful hit was their 2003 release, "The Fast Food Song", originally an American children's song parodying the traditional folk melody "A Ram Sam Sam". A Dutch version of the song, "De Pizzadans," by DJ Eric Dikeb had been a hit in Europe in 2002 for the Belgian band Dynamite. It also topped charts with the German version, "Burgerdance," by DJ Otzi.

The Fast Food Rockers' version, adapted by Mike Stock and Sandy Rass, was the first release of independent record label Better The Devil Records. The song managed to reach #2 in the UK charts in June 2003 (beaten to the top spot by Evanescence's Bring Me to Life) despite the criticism of cultural analysts who lamented the "collapse of culture into product placement.".

The song mentions by name, Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and McDonald's. It is believed that, although none of the companies gave permission for their names to be used, they declined to take action since the song mentions them in a positive way. This in sharp contrast to the attitude taken by Mattel against the song "Barbie Girl" by Aqua in 1997, whose legal action, and resultant negative publicity may also have contributed to the fast food firms' decision not to act.

The band had its own mascot, a giant blue dog called "Hotdog" who followed the band around, and appeared in all three music videos.

Their second single, "Say Cheese (Smile Please)" reached #10 and showed the first signs that people were beginning to think the band's novelty was wearing off.

In 2003, there were rumours that the band didn't sing on their own records. However, in an interview with CBBC Newsround, Lucy stated she "trained for three years at a performing arts school, Ria's been in the business for a long time, Martin's been in the business for a long time and we're very proud to say we do sing on [this] song".

After their attempt at a Christmas single only reached #25, and an album that failed to make the top 200, their management company decided to drop the band in March 2004.

Big Fun - Can´t Shake The Feeling '90s

from Wikipedia: Big Fun were an English boyband (1989-1994), founded by Phil Creswick, Mark Gillespie and Jason John (a.k.a Jason Herbert), and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman.

Their only album, A Pocketful of Dreams (released in 1990), reached the Top 10 in the UK Albums Chart; and contained the hit singles "Blame It on the Boogie", "Can't Shake the Feeling", and "Handful of Promises".

Their final single "Stomp" was issued in 1994, although this failed to obtain the commercial heights of their earlier work, it reached the dance chart in the United States.

After sales cooled, Gillespie and Creswick became painter and decorators and John returned to being a model booker.

Big Fun's second video



Live!

Big Fun - Handful Of Promises (1990)

After scoring 2 big hits in 1989 with "Blame It On The Boogie" and "Can't Shake The Feeling", Big Fun opened the 90's with another Top 30 hit - "Handful Of Promises"..



And Live!

You'll Never Stop Me Loving You 2008 - Sonia Evans

A sample clip of Sonia performing her number one hit single 'you'll never stop me loving you' for the Number One Project concert in 2008, Paul wrote about it:

Hey All-I was lucky enough to go to the massive concert in Liverpool in Jan.
Sonia was one of the many act's on that nite, as always Sonia was brillant.
Sonia sang You'll Never Me Loving You and She Love You. Here's a link to youtube with some footage I took. Hope you enjoy
Paul


I Only Wanna Be With You - Live - Samantha Fox "Arsenio Hall" (Live)

Celebrity - Samantha Fox Let Me Be Free



Podge and Rodge 2008 Interview Samantha Fox

Rick Astley - Giving up on love

This song wasn't very famous in Italy, but the Video is nice!

Rick Astley - Where Do I Begin (Live 2005)

A wonderful voice, a classical song.


Kylie Minogue to hit Geneva

After recovering from breast cancer, the dance-pop singer is rebounding with a tour that will see her in Switzerland at the end of May:Australian pop star Kylie Minogue is coming to Geneva. The date at the Arena concert hall in Le Grand Saconnex (next to the airport) is set for May 30. But tickets for the concert went on sale in early December.

Her appearance, organized by Opus One, is part of a world tour called “KylieX 2008” to support her 10th album, titled X, which was relased in late 2007. For the uninitiated, Minogue, 39, is a singer and dancer who rose to fame in her home country in the 1980s because of her role in a television soap opera called Neighbours. She has sold more than 40 million records. Locally, she is known for her modelling appearances for such clients as H&M department stores.

Turkey to welcome Kylie for first-ever concert

Australian pop icon Kylie Minogue, who won the best international female solo artist award at last month's Brit Awards in the UK, is scheduled for a concert in İstanbul on May 20. Tickets for the concert will go on sale March 21 at 10 a.m. through www.biletix.com...

Monday, March 17, 2008

'X' Marks the Pop: The glam-tastic return of Kylie Minogue

Music News by AOL: Has the 21st century produced another hit as sleek, seductive and unabashedly synthetic as Kylie Minogue’s “Can’t Get You Out of My Head”?

Synthesizing several strains of European electronic music—from Krautrock pioneers Kraftwerk and disco godfather Giorgio Moroder to more modern Berlin techno and Ibiza-ready trance anthems—into four crafty minutes of pop, the diminutive Australian singer’s 2001 single claimed the No. 1 spot in 40 countries.

The track’s other achievements are nothing if not varied. It was named song of the year by both the New Musical Express and Top of the Pops. It was Minogue’s first U.S. Top 10 hit since her 1988 cover of Little Eva’s “The Loco-Motion.” In Canada, the album that contained it, 'Fever,' went triple platinum. The Flaming Lips liked the song so much, they covered it. Even weirder, mash-up master Richard X famously wrapped it around the beat to New Order’s “Blue Monday.”

What with the thin and breathy quality of her voice, ...

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Mandy Smith - AJ's PWL VIDEO MIX 1

A very nice Mix! She's Mandy!

Kim Appleby interview on the Trisha Goddard show 2005

Mel & Kim - FLM (live performance)

BBC Live performance: F.L.M.

Mel & Kim interview on German TV show 'Formel Eins'

Mel & Kim interview on German TV show 'Formel Eins'. They were #1 in Germany

Bananarama Don't Throw It All Away

Images from different 'nanas videos and the typical S.A.W. sound! I read this was an unreleased track, I don't know if it's true or if it was a b-side.

Bananarama - Ain't No Cure

A rare version:



The Pop Life album version:

BANANARAMA - A Trick of the Night - PWL remix

A rare Bananarama video:

Steps - Say You'll Be Mine

It was #4 on U.K. single charts (December 1999) and it's one of my favourite song! Let's see the video, "Come on!!"

Steps - Say You'll Be Mine - Live TOP OF THE POP



Steps - Say you'll be Mine - Official Video



"Say You'll Be Mine"

Baby I was hypnotised
When I looked into your eyes
Saw the love I'd been waitin' for
Couldn't help but fantasize
'bout a world where you and I
Stay together for evermore

Don't hesitate
'cos I can't control my feelings
Just can't wait
Now I know where this is leadin'

Baby please, this heart's on the line
Don't waste this precious time
Say you'll be mine
It's not hard to do
Just tell me you feel it too
Baby it's time
Say you'll be mine (say you'll be mine)

Took a spark to start the fire
Fan the flame of my desire
Turn the light on my destiny
An' it took me by surprise
All the love I felt inside
Now I know it was meant to be

An' step by step
I can feel how close we're getting
Can't stop yet
'cos I know where this is headin'

Baby please, this heart's on the line
Don't waste this precious time
Say you'll be mine
It's not hard to do
Just tell me you feel it too
Baby it's time
Say you'll be mine (say you'll be mine)

Baby it's time (it's time)
(Say you'll be mine

Say it, All you gotta do is say it (just say it)
You're the one I've been waiting for
Say it, All you gotta do is say it (just say it)

Baby please, this heart's on the line
Don't waste this precious time
Say you'll be mine
It's not hard to do (not hard to do)
Just tell me you feel it too (feel it too)
Baby it's time
Say you'll be mine (say you'll be mine)

Say, say you'll be mine (say you'll be mine)
Say, say you'll be mine (say you'll be mine)
Say, say you'll be mine
Baby it's time
Say you'll be mine (say you'll be mine)

Baby please, this heart's on the line
Don't waste this precious time
Say you'll be mine
It's not hard to do (not hard to do)
Just tell me you feel it too (feel it too)
Baby it's time
Say you'll be mine (say you'll be mine)

Baby it's time
Say you'll be mine

Saturday, March 15, 2008

STEPS GOLD TOUR ONE FOR SORROW

This was the beginning of last Steps concert. It was n.2# on uk charts. It was ONE FOR SORROW, produced by Pete Waterman. They are STEPS!




Steps - One For Sorrow



Steps - One for Sorrow - Us Remix

Wow - Kylie Minogue X Xfactor Live Music Video

28Kylie MinogueWow Dec 2007
5Kylie MinogueWow (re-entry) Jan 2008


Remembering Girls@Play produced by Mike Stock

I liked very much Airhead but I didn't like their "Respectable" version.

18Girls @ PlayAirhead Feb 2001
29Girls @ PlayRespectable Oct 2001

Here theirs history:

Girls@Play were a British five-piece girl group, consisting of Vicky Dowdall, Lisa-Jayne White, Rita Simons, Lynsey Shaw and Shelley Nash.[1] They were produced by Stock & Aitken (Mike Stock and Matt Aitken).

Each member of the band had a different character that they played in their music videos. Dowdall played a cowgirl, White an executive, Simons a mechanic, Shaw a New York City traffic cop and Nash a pilot. Vicky Dowdall is also known as a girl that cheats on her long term partner and lies about it to everyone including her close friends. She actually goes as far as try and cause serious trouble for the other man involved even though she pursued him and told him that she would dump her boyfriend for him.

The group released two singles; "Airhead"[2] on 12 February 2001[1] and "Respectable", a cover version of "Respectable" by Mel and Kim, on 1 October 2001. "Airhead" reached number 18 in the UK Top 40 chart on 18 February 2001, while "Respectable" reached number 29 on 7 October 2001.[3] They also supported Hear'Say and Steps on their arena tours in 2000/2001.[3]

The group decided to disband on 18 November 2001.[3]


Girls@Play - Airhead



Girls@Play - Respectable

Thursday, March 13, 2008

COWELL IS A 'DESTRUCTIVE INFLUENCE', SAYS SINITTA

AMERICAN IDOL (2008-02-26) star SIMON COWELL is a "destructive influence" on his godchildren - according to the kids' mother.
British singer Sinitta - a former girlfriend and fiancee of the music mogul insists having Cowell around her two adopted children...

SINITTA - SINITTA: 'DANNII MINOGUE IS JUST A MINI SHARON OSBOURNE'

Eighties' pop star SINITTA has hit out at THE X FACTOR judge DANNII MINOGUE, insisting she is nothing more than a SHARON OSBOURNE "copycat". Sinitta, 40, was denied the chance to become the fourth addition to the judging panel on the hit British talent show by her former mentor Simon Cowell...

Rick Astley: The pop idol returns (2005 interview)

He was the biggest singing star of the Eighties, with 19 million album sales and eight consecutive number ones. Then, aged just 27, Rick Astley dramatically left the stage. In his first interview in a decade, he reveals to Ed Caesar why he turned his back on fame

In 1987, a debut single called "Never Gonna Give You Up" went to number one in 16 countries. An unremarkable looking 21-year-old boy from Cheshire was about to become wildly famous.

"I did enjoy it," he says. "But it was very, very weird. You can blab on about seeing the other side of fame, but it doesn't mean shit until it happens to you. It wasn't so much the going on TV, or going to award ceremonies, or having a camera focused on your face. It was being famous in the supermarket, being famous in a restaurant. Fame is not just about being able to get out of a limo in Leicester Square, it's about trying to get into your house when there are eight photographers outside. When you think about being famous, you don't think about all that stuff. You think about the glamour. I wanted to turn the tap off when I'd done my job. But you can't." ...

Monday, March 10, 2008

Lindsay's New Sound: Kylie Minogue-Meets-Rihanna

Music News By David Caplan: Lindsay Lohan is seeking inspiration from two major pop stars for her upcoming album, she tells PEOPLE in an exclusive interview.

"I want it to be dance," she tells PEOPLE. "I want it to be kind of Kylie Minogue-meets-Rihanna. I hope to tour with it and I hope to really promote it." ...

Saturday, March 8, 2008

Sonia - You'll Never Stop Me Loving You #1 Uk

Do you remember Sonia and this song? It was #1 on U.K. charts and Sonia came from Liverpool as you can read from Wikipedia Uk:

Her singing career was launched by the music producing trio Stock Aitken Waterman in 1989. She was signed after badgering Pete Waterman to listen to her sing outside the recording studio in Liverpool. Waterman did a regular weekly radio broadcast. He called her bluff and had her sing live on his show, and she later had several hits in the UK Singles Chart over the following years, including the UK number one single "You'll Never Stop Me Loving You" and a hit "You've Got a Friend" (credited to Big Fun & Sonia featuring Gary Barnacle), plus some other Top 20 hit singles, including "Can't Forget You" and "You To Me Are Everything".

She sang on two charity singles, Band Aid II's "Do They Know It's Christmas" in 1989 (peaked at #1 in the UK) and Gulf Aid's "As Time Stood Still" in 1991.

She also sang the Dean Collinson and Red composition "Better the Devil You Know" for the United Kingdom in the 1993 Eurovision Song Contest, where she finished in second place.

In 2003, Evans took part in the reality television show Reborn in the USA alongside Elkie Brooks and Tony Hadley, but was voted off in its fifth week.

In January 2007 she starred in the pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk, as Jack in Horsham, West Sussex, alongside Mark Curry. Late 2007 saw her greatest hits album released only featuring recordings from Sonia's time with BMG Music (1991-1993).

Sonia has also acted during her career, having been an extra in Brookside and in the television comedy Bread as the girlfriend of the youngest Boswell child, Billy. This was before her singing career took off and she is credited as Sonia Evans. She has also played alongside Lily Savage as her wayward daughter Bunty Savage, both on the BBC series The Lily Savage show and live shows.


PositionArtistTitle DateDetails
1SoniaYou'll Never Stop Me From Loving You Jun 1989
17SoniaCan't Forget You Oct 1989
10SoniaListen To Your Heart Dec 1989
16SoniaCounting Every Minute Apr 1990
18SoniaEnd Of The World Aug 1990
10SoniaOnly Fools (Never Fall In Love) Jun 1991
22SoniaBe Young Be Foolish Be Happy Aug 1991
13SoniaYou To Me Are Everything Nov 1991
30SoniaBoogie Nights Sep 1992
15SoniaBetter The Devil You Know May 1993

She's Sonia, and she's Live on You Tube, "You'll Never Stop Me Loving You" as you can see:





Visit Sonia's Officials Sites on MySpace and SoniaontheWeb

Scent trail leads here

KYLIE Minogue, Kate Moss and Celine Dion are some of the stars who have launched their own fragrance...

Minogue's family selling Aussie hideaway

MELBOURNE, March 1 (UPI) - The family of Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue is selling the island home where the "X" singer recuperated from breast cancer treatment.

The French Island estate is for sale for more than $1.8 million, the Melbourne Sun-Herald said in its Friday edition. Minogue and her former boyfriend, Olivier Martinez, had stayed at the island farmhouse in Western Port Bay while she recovered from her medical treatment...

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Kylie's Career

This week Anna salutes the videographical career of Kylie Minogue, especially the 'doing the same video over and over again' bit

There are some general and insurmountable rules. You don't kid a kidder. You don't bet against the spread. And you don't knock Kylie Minogue. Ever.

But why? Because she's Kylie. She's a star. She's a legend She's an icon. She is, apparently, a little teapot....

Saturday, March 1, 2008

Krazie Minogue: Singer dances on table

Daily Mail - UK - And Kylie Minogue certainly celebrated in style at an all-night private bash. After accepting the Best International Female award, the normally ...

OMG! Fan buys Kylie Minogue £35000 diamond cocktail

Now Magazine Online - London,England,UK -

After being named International Female Solo Artist at the Brits, Kylie
Minogue headed for London's Movida nightclub to party. And to help her
celebrate, ...

Kylie Minogue shrugs off 40th

Courier Mail - Australia: POP star Kylie is approaching 40, and looking more ageless than ever - probably thanks to more than a little help from a plastic surgeon. Minogue appeared ... [article]

Kylie Minogue on her 40th birthday plans Fametastic - UK
Kylie Minogue has revealed she's not yet made any plans about how
she'll celebrate her 40th birthday in May. She said recently: "I'm
not looking forward to ...


Kylie 'cold-blooded'


Kylie Minogue is feeling the squeeze from animal rights campaigners who have called her cold-blooded for carrying a python purse.

Minogue is one of a number of celebrities singled out by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) for wearing fur or other animal products.

"What does Kylie Minogue have in common with her python purse?" Peta asks on its website. "They are both cold-blooded."