.
Search

Follow Us

Edit Content
  • News
  • Exclusives
  • New Music
  • Reviews
  • Caught Live
  • Future Pop
  • News
  • Exclusives
  • New Music
  • Reviews
  • Caught Live
  • Future Pop
Facebook Instagram Spotify Tiktok
RPM031 Menu-3
  • NEWS
    • All
    • 1980s
    • 1990s
    • 2000s
    • Pop
    • R&B / Hip-Hop
    • Dance
    • Rock
    • All
    • 1980s
    • 1990s
    • 2000s
    • Pop
    • R&B / Hip-Hop
    • Dance
    • Rock
    Howard Jones Dream Into Action Artwork-4

    Howard Jones announces 40th anniversary Dream Into Action tour

    The seminal record delivered Howard Jones global hits including Things Can Only Get Better, which featured in Netflix’s ‘Stranger Things’.

    Natalie Imbruglia Left Of The Middle Artwork BMG-4

    Natalie Imbruglia’s Torn named most-played song of 21st century

    Lifted from her debut LP, ‘Left Of The Middle’, Natalie Imbruglia’s classic track tops Greatest Hits Radio’s latest Countdown.

    Cyndi Lauper Farewell Tour Credit Ruven Afanador-4

    Cyndi Lauper ‘humbled’ by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction

    Time After Time hitmaker Cyndi Lauper is among the Class of 2025, alongside artists including Bad Company, OutKast and Soundgarden.

    Mariah Carey Handout Press-4

    Mariah Carey to headline Capital Summertime Ball 2025

    We Belong Together hitmaker Mariah Carey will top the bill at London’s Wembley Stadium on June 15, marking her first UK show in six years.

  • EXCLUSIVES
    • All
    • 1980s
    • 1990s
    • 2000s
    • Pop
    • R&B / Hip-Hop
    • Dance
    • Rock
    • All
    • 1980s
    • 1990s
    • 2000s
    • Pop
    • R&B / Hip-Hop
    • Dance
    • Rock
    Cascada Studio 24 Handout-4

    Cascada on her Studio 54-inspired new album and 20 years of global hits [Exclusive]

    As they return with their fifth album, Cascada’s Natalie Horler looks back on 20 years of hits and reacts to her recent interview that went viral online.

    Nicki French Who, What, Where Handout Energise-4

    Nicki French considered Eurovision return with new album track: ‘Would they really go for a 60 year old singer… again?’ [Exclusive]

    As she returns with her new album, Nicki French reveals she almost submitted one track into the running for next year’s Eurovision.

    Pixie Lott Encino Press Handout-4

    Pixie Lott talks new album Encino: ‘When you fall into your authentic self, that’s when the magic happens’ [Exclusive]

    A decade after releasing her self-titled third album, Pixie Lott returns with a body of work that reflects the place she’s at in her life today.

    Betty Boo Rip Up The Rulebook Credit Sandro Hyams-4

    Betty Boo: ‘It’s a philosophy that I have to not let anybody tell you that you can’t be who you want to be!’ [Exclusive]

    As she returns with her epic new album ‘Rip Up The Rulebook’, Betty Boo opens up about creating her most diverse work to date.

  • NEW MUSIC
  • REVIEWS
    • All
    • 1980s
    • 1990s
    • 2000s
    • Pop
    • R&B / Hip-Hop
    • Dance
    • Rock
    • All
    • 1980s
    • 1990s
    • 2000s
    • Pop
    • R&B / Hip-Hop
    • Dance
    • Rock
    Kim Wilde Closer Artwork Cherry Red

    Kim Wilde – Closer

    Gwen Stefani Bouquet

    Gwen Stefani – Bouquet

    Cascada Studio 24

    Cascada – Studio 24

    Pixie Lott Encino Tag 8 / BMG

    Pixie Lott – Encino

  • CAUGHT LIVE
  • FUTUREPOP
  • RELEASE RADAR
Home News Exclusive

Stock Aitken Waterman reflect on life at The Hit Factory: ‘The overall feeling is it was just too exciting for words!’

Connor Gotto by Connor Gotto
February 9, 2023
in Exclusive, News
STOCK AITKEN WATERMAN Credit Press

Press

24
SHARES
240
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman have reunited to share their memories of working at The Hit Factory. 

Formed in 1983, the trio dominated the latter half of the eighties with a run of more than 100 chart hits, scoring more than 100 UK Top 40 placements and selling 40 million records.

Don't Miss...

Kylie Minogue surprises cast of I Should Be So Lucky musical during rehearsals

Pete Waterman celebrates PWL legacy with epic new compilations: ‘My eyes – and ears – were very firmly focussed on the dancefloor’

Revisiting an iconic era in British pop history, Stock Aitken Waterman look back for RETROPOP’s March 2023 cover feature, with Mike admitting: “The overall feeling is it was just too exciting for words. I’d know Donna Summer was coming in on Wednesday morning and on Tuesday evening I’d be thinking, ‘What am I gonna do with her?’.

“The excitement was palpable everywhere, because every time somebody walked out of the door they had a hit. In 1989 specifically, we had about 35 Top 10s and seven No. 1 singles – which are wonderful statistics, but the songs have to be written and there’s a lot of work involved.”

Insisting they treated the job like a 9 to 5, Matt elaborates: “Part of the key was we had a standardised studio day; we’d down tools at 10, go for a pint and then go home and sleep. And we had the weekends off. If we’d have gone tooth and nail and done it six days a week, that would have killed us.”

In addition to penning massive hits like I Should Be So Lucky, Love In The First Degree, Never Gonna Give You Up and Too Many Broken Hearts, the trio were never opposed to a cover version and throughout their later years together especially, SAW worked on many remakes, including Blame It On The Boogie (Big Fun), Sealed With a Kiss (Jason Donovan), Celebration (Kylie Minogue), and End of the World (Sonia), all of which resulted in hits, despite the songs’ origins being decades prior. 

“It cut out half the work because we didn’t have to write it,” Matt insists, “but you didn’t want to be doing covers every day. The challenge of writing was a big part of it…” 

Mike laughs: “I used to feel an enormous sense of relief if Pete said, ‘Should we do a cover?’

One of their biggest successes, of course, was with Kylie Minogue, and Pete Waterman insists he had no choice but to sign her to his PWL label because no other record company wanted to work with her.

“When we recorded Kylie Minogue from this television series [‘Neighbours’], Mike was really the only person who knew what Kylie was about because he had a family at that point,” he says.

“We made the record and we went to every record company to take that record – including Simon Cowell, which is why he makes all these comments… Nobody would touch her! Everybody said, ‘You can’t make records with TV stars.’ So in some ways, we didn’t have a choice; we had to go and do it ourselves. It really was that simple.”

At the time, Kylie had already topped the charts in Australia with her debut single, but Pete insists the industry was blind to her potential. 

“That’s the record industry, isn’t it,” he adds. “They’ll tell you all these things, but they never see the facts in front of them.”

It was to work on a remix of Kylie’s 2015 single Every Day’s Like Christmas and when it comes to potential future reunions, they maintain nothing’s off the table.

“We never said at the time that we wouldn’t do anything again and I haven’t said I never want to see the two guys again,” hints Mike. “If something came up that we all thought was a good idea and it had a meaning behind it, then we probably would!”

“Yeah,” says Pete, as Matt affirms, “I’d go along with that.”

Read the full interview in the March 2023 edition of RETROPOP, out now. Order yours or subscribe via our Online Store, use our Store Finder to locate your nearest stockist, or get Digital Copies delivered direct to your devices.

Tags: Matt AitkenMike StockPete WatermanStock Aitken Waterman
Connor Gotto

Connor Gotto

Founder and editor of RETROPOP. Self-proclaimed pop aficionado. Usually seen with a wine in hand.

More Like This

Kylie Minogue I Should Be So Lucky Stock Aitken Waterman Credit Marc Brenner
News

Kylie Minogue surprises cast of I Should Be So Lucky musical during rehearsals

by Connor Gotto
October 9, 2023
Pete Waterman Press Shot
News

Pete Waterman celebrates PWL legacy with epic new compilations: ‘My eyes – and ears – were very firmly focussed on the dancefloor’

by Connor Gotto
September 27, 2023
I Should Be So Lucky Musical Stock Aitken Waterman
News

Kylie Minogue confirmed for Stock Aitken Waterman musical I Should Be So Lucky

by Connor Gotto
July 21, 2023
Stock Aitken Waterman Credit Mike Stock MPG
News

Stock Aitken Waterman musical I Should Be So Lucky sets world premiere for January 2024 

by Connor Gotto
March 16, 2023
Rick Astley Credit Press
News

Rick Astley talks retiring from music in the early ‘90s: ‘I wasn’t born to be a pop star’

by Connor Gotto
January 30, 2023

Follow Us

The RETROPOP Edit

Never miss a story - sign up to RETROPOP's Daily Edit newsletter for free!

Please wait...

You're in! Keep an eye on your inbox for all the latest!

The Latest

Howard Jones Dream Into Action Artwork-4

Howard Jones announces 40th anniversary Dream Into Action tour

May 7, 2025
Natalie Imbruglia Left Of The Middle Artwork BMG-4

Natalie Imbruglia’s Torn named most-played song of 21st century

May 7, 2025
Cyndi Lauper Farewell Tour Credit Ruven Afanador-4

Cyndi Lauper ‘humbled’ by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction

April 29, 2025
RETROPOP No. 31 : Sept '24
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
Change privacy settings
MEDIA KIT

RETROPOP participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.

Copyright © 2024 Irresistible. All rights reserved.

  • Home
    • Home – Layout 1
    • Home – Layout 2
    • Home – Layout 3
  • News
  • Fashion

© 2025 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.

CloseMenu

New issue out now

SHOP HERE