Rick Astley has recreated the music video for his debut single Never Gonna Give You Up.
Originally released in 1987, the Stock Aitken Waterman penned and produced single topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic and helped launch the Brit’s pop career.
As part of his ongoing 35th anniversary celebrations, Rick took inspiration from the clip for a one-minute CSAA (California State Automobile Association) Insurance Group ad, which shows him reenacting scenes from the iconic visual.
After performing in three scenes reminiscent of the original, one of the Ricks asks the other two, ‘Is this still a thing?’, referencing the lasting success of the track and video, which became popular once more in the noughties thanks to ‘RickRolling’ – an online trend when users would click on a seemingly-legitimate link only to be taken to footage from the video.
As a result, the song has notched up over 1.2 billion views on YouTube alone.
Looking back on his time at The Hit Factory, Rick told the June 2022 issue of Retro Pop’s cover feature how working with Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman helped him flourish into the star we see today.
Recalling signing on with Pete on a Youth Opportunities Programme, Rick smiles: “It worked out really well, because I got to do an apprenticeship.
“I got to sit in, go and get the sandwiches, make the tea, reset the desk every morning, like all the other kids did,” he notes. “But I’m doing it for producers and engineers, and we’re making No. 1 records.
“I was dual. I was an artist one minute, and the next minute it was like, ‘Go and get the tea, Rick. Go and put the kettle on, will ya?’
“So, I sort of snuck into areas that gave me an apprenticeship you couldn’t possibly have had. All the other artists weren’t around to see that.”
Read the full retrospective in the June 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.
READ MORE: Rick Astley: ‘Pete Waterman gave me an education in pop music like no other!’
