Peter Wilson is keen to hit the studio with Mike Stock. 

The Aussie star returns this summer with his latest LP ‘The Great Unknown’ – out July 8 – featuring a mix of PWL-inspired pop classics and Italo disco numbers. 

Speaking in the July 2022 edition of Retro Pop, Peter opens up about being a massive fan of Stock Aitken Waterman – an “obsession” that began at a young age.

“I remember when I was listening to Divine and Dead or Alive when I was 11 years old, I would instinctively – and I don’t know how many 11 year olds would do this – turn over the back cover and look at the credits,” he recalls. 

“Back then it would say ‘Directed by Mike Stock and Matt Aitken. A Pete Waterman production.’ I knew both records sounded similar and then I saw that the names matched, and I realised, ‘Well, every record that I see with their name on it is going to be great’.”

At 17, he began calling the PWL offices and reached Pete Hammond – who would become a frequent collaborator, most recently co-writing and producing Peter’s single Point of No Return. 

And while his new album features a cover of Never Knew Love Like This Before – a Mike Stock and Peter Waterman song that appeared as the B-side of Nancy Davis’ single Higher and Higher – Peter is hopeful he’ll get to record a track directly with Mike one day. 

“Mike Stock has generously allowed me to record a lot of his unreleased material, and he’s been extremely supportive of me, so that’s been great,” he admits.

“As an artist, I think the only thing that I would ever want to do that I haven’t done would be to record a song directly with Mike Stock,” Peter smiles. “If I can ever do that, then I can retire happy.”

Read the full interview in the July 2022 edition of Retro Pop, out now. Order yours or subscribe via our Online Store or use our Store Finder to locate your nearest stockist.