The Hit Factory : The Stock Aitken & Waterman Story
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ส.ค. 2024
- Documentary charting the success of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman, the songwriting and record-producing trio who scored more than 100 top 40 hits in the 1980s and 90s, including a string of number ones, with acts including Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan and Rick Astley. Featuring contributions by Waterman, Simon Cowell, Sinitta, Pete Burns, Sonia, Steps and many more. Suranne Jones narrates.
Originally aired on ITV1, Monday 6th August 2012.
"In 20 years people will look back and say 'they were geniuses' ..." ... so true.
7 years have passed since your comment and you are right already, not even 10 years we know they were geniuses
The golden era. No social media, just fantastic music ! Best of times.
YES! ABSOLUTELY!
Your words are GOLD!!!
Hi, Erik 👍
When I first heard of Rick Astley’s ‘Never gonna give you up’ instantly loved it. So I bought the album ‘Whenever you need somebody’ that whole album was something new I never heard before. It was the different r&b sounds and textures mixed with Rick Astley’s amazing vocals during that time was like gold to my ears. Classic era of the 80’s for me.
What ever happened to Rick Astley?
@@alishaygan9844 He still makes music, but what I heard was he was burned out after his first 3 albums and took a break.
@@alexandergrandePeople thought Rick was Black whent hey first heard him and when they saw what he looked like they were stunned.😊
I didn't know the extent of how many songs Stock, Aiken & Waterman were responsible for! They have literally wrote and produced the soundtrack to my teen years.
Now the tradition continues in it's own way with Xenomania who wrote virtually every Hit Record for Girls Aloud. Pete Waterman must have felt like two bits when One True Voice from Popstars: The Rivals didn't make it. You learned a very important life lesson. You don't always get guaranteed Hit Records. Duran Duran learned that with Justin Timberlake and Timbaland, David Foster Record Producer with Eden's Crush (Popstars US), even Michael Bivins with Sudden Impact who were supposed to be The "New Kids".
love them so fun ok not high art o.k. but high art can be quite dull !😣
Sox : you are fucking old. And decrepid. England condemns old fossils like you!
@@bobbobson4069 that comment is clearly ageist and probably racist too
Hey Bobby bollocks get a life. You missed out on the best music ever the 80's rules. Bob bobson that's a made up name should of choosen a Better name than that. Ok rant over
From the USA , this is the first time I have ever heard of Stock, Aiken & Waterman, these gentlemen produced the music of my first speeding ticket and first time first time at a Dance Club.
I honestly was at the brink of crying my eyes out during the segment on Mel & Kim especially when Mel's cancer diagnosis was brought up. One love to PWL/SAW! We miss you Mel!
Some people call their stuff cheesy, I loved it. Great fun, inoffensive pop music of the best quality.
Till today in 2019, their music still being danced and as a DJ, I play them regularly from time to time. Really a floor filler every time without fail. Miss you guys.
120 BPM was every DJ's goal back then. S.A.W basically took underground euro house music and watered it down, made it G rated and made a whole lot of money.
They were the soundtrack of my youth. Thanks for the best songs guys.
what a great time for music...regardless of what the critics say, the records sold, people danced and memories were made!
I agree !😎
can I say he signed up musical youth they think wrote their own music etc
Tammy, happy songs for happier times. Vale the 80s. 90s music was borderline putrid; the 00s not any better.
I love their style of production.
Mel will always live through the songs and videos the girls created - something so special will never die
Special Android what happened to Mel?
Cancer.
Special Android pneumonia too that was what ultimately killed her;(
@@tarlankasra5350 Well yes that did get her but kim has said that the cancer was terminal s o it was always just a matter of time before mel passed to think she wanted to record That's the way it is .. and kim knew she was dying still shocking 30 + years later love the music and loved the girls wish kim would do a book but maybe its to painful to write ..
To be in one's 20s, in the 80s, with this music (among other great 80s music), was a very special kind of blessing.
The music of Stock, Aiken and Waterman always takes me back to the 80's. I was one of those young people who would go out and buy the singles and albums. I have nostalgic moments listening to these great hits and I have alot of these songs downloaded to my Spotify playlist 😀 I thank these 3 men for the music ❤
Although I prefer Rock music, I absolutely love the 80's Pop. Great doc, thank you
Me too, i am glad to have lived the 80' like i did well maybe 2 or 3 years older but not older or younger.
England prefers today's music including Sheeran and Bieber, not to mention Stormzy. England condemns you unreservedly.
@@bobbobson4069 sheeran ( "don't want no scrubs') rip-off artist? seriously ?
@@bobbobson4069 todays music suck that lame sheeran haha
its always good to extend musical range. being stuck in one is boring and depriving urself the joy of music. but ofcourse there are types that u never ever dare to listen lol
Here in USA we had MTV every other video was Bananarama but mostly my Rick! My four year old daughter would dance and hug the TV when he came on.🤗
This documentary was WAYYYY overdue. SAW was among the best music producers in history. Thanks a million for sharing!.
Thank you very much for posting this documentary!!! I live in France and would never have the chance to see it otherwise. I loved their music. I still do by the way. I listen to these great song on a regular bases. Thanks SAW for making the best music of my childhood!!!
These Guys Did Some Incredible Work!! Got To Donna Summer And Almost Teared Up, Thanks Sooooo much for This Post!!
80's were awesome ! thanks again for the documentary !
Eighties are fucking shit. England condemns you unreservedly. England condemns glorification of the eighties. England prefers Bieber and Sheeran!
I can't think of another pop sound that simultaneously sounds so dated and timeless.
I also don't know anyone who still listens to their songs. But I love that sound, and the songs
were superb examples of bubblegum pop done right.
Take away the innocent smiles and cheerful colours, and you're left with songs that would be great
in any era. You could update the sound to whatever new style you want, and they could all be hits all
over again today. I mean, it's easy to write long pieces of music or very complex stuff. But to write simple,
catchy melodies that linger in people's ears for 30 years (and counting), that takes serious skill.
I STILL listen AND sing Kylie
I was (and am) a big fan of Mel & Kim and Dead Or Alive. I still listen to their music in 2019!!😎👍🏽🔊🔊🔊
I listen many of them: Kylie, Mel & Kim, Dead Or Alive, Hazell Dean, Bananarama.. Have most of their records. Fantastic stuff.
very interesting doc,wish banana Rama was singing still . RIP Divine. one fab drag queen!
I went to one of their concerts: it was terrific!!!
Still upsets me that Mel Appleby was gone too soon. X
yeah really sad
That part put me down. *:sad*
David Howells in every documentary he's in when being interviewed about Kylie Minogue ALWAYS describes her change in image/sound post Better The Devil You Know negatively. After that point her appeal skyrocketed FAR beyond SAW's target market and Pete Waterman was supportive (they remain friends to this day) of her when she left PWL and signed with dance/house label Deconstruction which was seen by critics as a risk but it paid off in the long term. Kylie Minogue is far more intelligent and shrewd than people give her credit for.
Yes but the truth is, her two last PWL albums and singles sold a lot less than the first two and both the change of music tastes and her image change were to blame. Although nowadays the Rhythm Of Love era is certainly the most revered by fans of her PWL days without a doubt, all 4 singles were and still are the freshest-sounding of her PWL days. In fact I think if they had given that sort of material with a bit more edge to the rest of their artists during the 90's instead of pure pop they would have lasted longer IMHO.
Cristian Amargós jj
I always wonder why she never became as big in the states. Love Kylie and this is coming from a Cajun guy from Louisiana.
D.J. Menuet too many home girls in the market maybe. If she wasn't signed to an American company, there's no way Madonna and Co were gonna let her through.
Ben Stevens ooh, very good point. Kylie would have been Madonna and Janet's biggest competition if she had made it big here.
My dearest friend and soul sister Tracey Jane Broom died, then Mel passed away. Miss both and always remember the laughs and dance routines. Love you girl xxx
Thanks so much for posting this. So many memories of great music. :)
I kept watching the video and I think I've just been RICK ROLLED ---- again!
Love em or hate em, there is no doubt that these guys knew exactly what they were doing. Personally, I love them
Andy Mangele :-D
Peter Schofield well said Peter :)
Couldn't have put it better myself!
MsCharlieBrown78 (Charlie Rae) she destrpys band like bangles you listen prestoke and after
Motown had more "Humble" beginnings. Berry Gordy Jr., had to borrow $800.00 US Dollars (671.51 Euro), to create Motown Records. He also had a Staff of Choreographers, Etiquette Teachers, Songwriters and of Course The Funk Brothers. PWL didn't have that needless to say their ripple effect continued in North America. Banarama was the only Girl Group from the UK to do American Bandstand, Say I'm Your Number One was played at The R & B Clubs I went to back in the Day and now Pete Waterman helped create Girls Aloud who are the most successful "Reality Group" in the History of UK Music.
Really was a fun time for music... this type of music or nirvana type it was all great.... our kids and grandkids will never know the feeling we got out on the weekends listening to this at a club... they get rap which isn't all bad but doesn't give you the same light happy feelings..... lots of amazing memories from my youth🦋🇨🇦
I remember walking into Woolworths North Shields to buy whatever 7" single i was after and was just faced with a wall of 40 seperate records. £1.79 was the price. 😆
I loved so many of their songs..especially Mel & Kim! They were my favorites. It broke my heart when I heard that Mel died of cancer back in 1990.
The 1980s synth pop fun times happened and was good for its time. Perhaps something new may arise again in the future. May those whom have passed rest in peace.
enjoyed their music so much..respect to the trio
Thanks for posting this. I hope you never take it off. Super documentary. I love Stock Aitken Waterman forever.
Rick Astley appeared on the US Morning Show "Good Morning America" and the folks were so happy many of which grew up on The Second Wave Of The British Invasion (Like Me).
Thank God for these 3, they made the most memorable music.
then took the american route and sued each other!
Watching in 2019 and still feeling so well, love most of all the hits they produced.
These songs were my "soundtrack" of my teen years. Thank you SAW.
A great,comprehensive doco and tribute to the Hit Factory artists
from the 80''s and 90's and to the SAW team at PWL studios.
back at the time.
RIP Mel Appleby
Miss Mel & Kim 💗 xxx
A really enjoyable documentary. Fab music.
Thank you Hit Factory :-) love listening to this songs back in the day when I was 10 and till now in my late 30s
Fantastic Documentry with alot of artists I love, Princess, Mel & Kim, Rick Astley, Brother Beyond and the beautiful Donna Summer. Loved it! :)
Always loved their awesome music. I spent my youth with SAW cassettes.
The best music ever in the eras we grew up although some songs we gave a wide berth but 8/10 was fab we miss Pete Burns he had a classic voice and sadly others have since passed to sing in God's disco and music halls
There is no "Best" in music. It's subjective and you are using your own nostalgia and bias. Say "my favourite" instead of "The best" as there is no quantifiable way to measure quality in music.
Back in the day when you had to go down to your local record shop and pay for a song. Now a days you can come on TH-cam and download it for free.
A shame thus time i know.
Best part was goin to the record shop
I really enjoyed this "trip down memory lane". Most of the songs featured I bought as 45's and or 12" singles. I'd visit disco or dance record stores where I first heard Mel & Kim here in Toronto, Canada. Others I would hear on Much Music television. Until recently, I had never heard of Steps. Their new CD is on my want list. Anyway, I've often thought of PWL as the 80's version of Holland-Dozier-Holland (Motown) or Gamble-Huff (Philadelphia International) or Mann & Appell (Cameo-Parkway).
parkway811 steps are great
I swear Sinitta is a vampire, she hasn't aged a day. I wouldn't mind being her Toy Boy even know.
Even now.
Black don't crack.
Know..?
@@mgdiaz2158 even flow..
She probably *is* one.
I know the elites who run the world certainly are.
This is the key change, the key change. It's a standard device to stop us sounding mundane.
Highly interesting, thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much for posting this! I love music history!
I miss the 80's :-(
I miss this kind of music!
they'll be back in 63 years
SuperYutoober So much talent
Me too ,young married ( to same guy) great music , our first home. Had 3 kids, finished college, made some friends for life and most of all,MTV was invented finally a tv station 24/7 for when I was up nursing and rocking babies back to sleep. When my oldest was about 18months I could swear if he woke up during the night he "wanted my MTV" lol for reals the best. Then I had to grow up and help support a growing family ( for that comment I'm totally being sarcastic)
We'll get it back. I'm planning to put together a Retro Decade Revival Project. Our goal is to bring real entertainment, true talent, old school, pure originality and diversity and more back into the public mainstream, starting with the 1980s.
kylie minogue gets more coverage on this because after 25 years since her first hit with SAW PWL she is the only one still around and whose success has gone from big to bigger!! More than 60M albums, 20M dollars production shows it makes more sense from a documentary editing point of view.
Thank you digivoka. I had no idea this special even existed. SAW were such a major part of my life it was truly wonderful to watch this special and see them celebrated. Certainly they were soundtrack to my life from 84-90. I spent sooo much money on singles, 12", CDs, magazines and so on because of SAW. And they really did make a lot of people very, very happy.
Thanks for uploading this :)
Rick Astley,with his incredible voice,Never gonna give you up and the wonderfull Cry for help,with a marvelous gospel choir
Pete Burn was so bloody hansome in the 80`s, I could marry him at once
weather you liked it or not it happened and i loved almost every thing they put out
it aint the 80s without this lot bloody great
Donna Summer is a Goddess! 💕🙌🏻💕
and thats even an understatement.....
Unknown people with half-decent voices turned into popstars, wow that's certainly a critic.
I have to say that Kylie is my most favourite, I discovered her through an 80s collection tape I bought in the mid-90s as a HS student. I Should Be Lucky was the song.
Watching this in 2018. I think another compelling reason for their success was that they carried over into pop a lot of the Chicago house music sounds which were mostly underground/club hits before 86. Many of the 12 inches they did for Mel and Kim and Rick definitely have that house music foundation that was becoming very prevalent by 1988. By then house music had proliferated into more than just one type (Chicago house, acid house, hip house, Italo house etc...) Needless to say, growing up in this period, I had become a house music fan for life.
The 90's totally killed SAW (and house music with it IMHO). I can't say I like music after the 80's, especially when radio stations began forcing that garbage from Nirvana and REM down my throat and clubs migrated to Euro trance and techno. But I will always enjoy a good Silk Hurley house track or SAW 12 inch.
Yep... it was an underground sound initially
The 90's was huge for house music, not only in terms of musical evolution, but being heard around the world.
You've been Rick'Rolled since 1987! LOL I remember 99% of these songs
This is part of my youth...thanks for posting.
Little white guy with the big voice. Loved him
You mean Rick Astley right?
SAW were outstanding. The Donna Summer songs were terrific.
It pissed me off when Essence magazine in the U.S. panned the album solely because it was produced by a white English production team. That seemed to be the only criteria used in their review. Pathetic and short-sighted as usual.
@@Tre404 It just happened to be a return to form for Donna. Chock full of great songs, and arguably her best album of the 80's.
That album is just magnificent. If those songs don’t move you then I’m sorry, you must be comatose.
This was my childhood..best years of my life. Loved all SAW songs 👏👏
"You'd walk into any of the rooms at PWL, and everyone would be oozing positiveness." What do you expect, when the vast majority of these songs just made you feel good on first listen? Their products are timeless, and the quality speaks for itself. :)
Donna Summer's "Another Place and Time" is a masterpiece... not a bad track on the album.
Mel and Kim, Kylie. Most of all Donna Summer. My heart weeps for those years. AND I'M A METAL MAN!
Admittedly, I own some of their artists today and still sing along. It was my grade 5 through grade 7 years. Very formula, but very catchy
It's such a sad feeling when you look back, and realize, that nothing is _supposed_ to last forever. Kind of like certain events and history we get to share, are meant to happen, so that they have there time, then fade away, so that the future can begin to take there place. Without the past, there couldn't be a future
Thank SA&W [PWL] for the musical trip you created.
Producers Stock, Aitken and Waterman music defined the eighties for me. Their early years being their most creative and my favorite period. After that the sound became a little too familiar and repetitive. Like a factory. And of course it was.
SAW discovered many great singers. However, no one compared to Rick Astley. One of the most powerful voices ever heard. Rick Roll!!! :)
I only wish Rick Astley had become a success OUTSIDE of S.A.W. - He has a great voice and it's such a shame it had to be propped up by this bland synthetic monotonous backing track (more or less the same for all SAW records).
As an unabashed 'Canadiophile' from the States, i have always surmised that many Anglophone (English-speaking) Canadians would be so heavily into British pop music (especially the streak of catchy pop hits from the late 1980's - early 1990's by Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, and Pete Waterman).
I love the 80's, I'm so glad that my preteen an teenage years where in the 80's and miss the 80's
Damn where the time went it felt like i just heard this yesterday.
Nothing lasts forever. It kind of reminded me of Phil Spector's Wall Of Sound. He and his Associates had an unforgettable string of hits but when The Beatles took America by Storm, everything ended.
I recall hearing Dead Or Alive for the first time at my Club (I had just bought the 12 single) I had already been a DOA fan since their first Album so picked it up without hearing it. I filled the Dance floor on the First Play! I liked Princess too especially the track "After the love has gone". Gorgeous Kylie is actually more beautiful today IMHO (Incredible I know) :-)
Love these trio of producer. They made great music of the 80's -90's n I still play them
They deserve nothing than respect!
Try watching this and knocking back a shot every time a mullet appears onscreen. I got as far as Samantha Fox before throwing up.
👍🤮🤮
Great watch, thanks for posting this, true talent in the SAW stable, I have a massive SAW CD collection so their song writing talent wasn't lost on me.
We don't get to see this stuff "down under" :)
Great video! Glad I never knew K.M. did give me just a little more time. No one can touch Angela Clemons version and I'm glad I was a part of the success of that record!
As a 80's dj I still play all these songs and people still love them
r.i.p mel
thank you for uploading this!
I'm 54 years old, I know most if not all 80's stuff, and after a full 10 minutes in I still haven't even heard of any of the songs they've produced, much less the singers or bands...
...finally 11 minutes in, and the first song I've heard of?... a COVER from Shocking Blue!!!... not even one they wrote. What a joke. Thumbs down.
I have lots of PWL records. Good times!
R.I.P Mel, Divine, Donna, and now Pete.
BrickToyTrains WHY DIVINE ;-; I still can't believe he is dead. He feels so modern to me. He was such a good actor and person, and a good club performer. RIP
Look up Divine wiki
BrickToyTrains yeah I know. I'm a big fan of him for a while. He died 7th March 1988 the day before he was to start filming Married With Children on fox. The cause of death was lose of breath. Due to his weight and the fact that he slept on his back, and should not have done that, he would often wake up in the middle of the night to grab a breath, but that night failed to do so...
DGM always sleep on your tummy
Omg this was a fast upload..was not expecting this so soon..THANK YOU SO MUCH !!
YOU MADE MY NIGHT.. :-)
Kirk..Montreal, Canada
There will be a meeting next week for all those who grew up to these hits, 1980s - 90.
For those that have left us, fare thee well. Those that are still here, we were offered the best, in life and in music. Be blessed wherever you’re on this earth. 🌍
So they're responsible for Meatspin and Rickrolling. Cool.
much more than that
I liked many of these artists back in the day and I bought many of their albums. I'm sure I helped Stock-Aitken-Waterman make their millions.
So did I, buy many of Stock-Aitken-Waterman records.
+Jeffrey Lyons I bought the records too but .......... only cos I had to as a Mobile DJ and I hated them really ( Apart for Dead or Alive ) but at least I took some personal solace in Thrash Metal of the day. I think that 90`s Pop was way better
Yes. The Group Musical Youth were once called The Jackson Five Of England by Ebony America's longest running African American Magazine now the legacy continues with Xenomania
Those were the years I was dancing the night away in disco houses !
Last Year Rick performed at The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in November in The US and the fans loved it. He also guest starred on the Morning Show Good Morning America and he was a hit there too since many of the audience members grew up on his music (including myself).
Mel and Kim: very sad story.
Niels : happy story! Some cretins are better off dead. England condemns you unreservedly. England prefers Bieber and Sheeran
Bob Bobson ugh
I had no idea that Mel B and Kim Kardashian sang together...
God, I didn't know that Pete Waterman worked with Princess. That was the Jam back in the Day when I was out Clubbing. There were a lot of British R & B Singers never got the recognition that they should have. Johnny Kemp, Loose Ends, Soul To Soul.
laminage Sade Billy ocean junior
Johnny Kemp was Bahamian-American. Not British.
@@oholm09Billy Ocean did American Bandstand, he was a favorite. Needless to say they were amazing.
Their music was the soundtrack to my childhood and teens. Cheesy? Yeah and I loved it!
What amuses me the most is that all of the music they made was on a fairlight music computer. Still a beast to be reckoned with really. But everything sounds the same. It’s the quintessential sound of the 1980’s. Worryingly, I remember it well. I still feel like I’m in my 20’s. I suppose that’s how it goes!