Tag Archives: Channel5

1984 ➤ How SAW pumped up the volume during the Swinging Eighties

Channel5, Mike Stock, Pete Waterman , Matt Aitken, TV, documentary

Matt Aitken, Pete Waterman and Mike Stock in their heyday. (Photo: PA)

❚ DO CATCH THE SIZZLING NEW TV DOCUMENTARY about Stock Aitken Waterman, the three musical geniuses who only had to press all the right buttons for an unknown singer, and inject a dance beat into their music to create one Top 10 hit after another. From 1984 the writing/producing team of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman were to publish over 100 hit singles, producing and launching the pop careers of Hazell Dean, Dead or Alive, Bananarama, Sinitta, Princess, Mel & Kim, Rick Astley, Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan. International stars such as Diana Ross and Michael Jackson, Chic and Depeche Mode became external clients.

The detail of how SAW evolved their production line with Phil Harding at PWL Studios makes for awesome viewing in two programmes of 90 minutes each, the second going out on Channel 5 next Saturday. Pete Waterman compared their output to Motown in the 1960s: “Every five days we had to churn out a hit.”

➢ Stock Aitken Waterman: Legends of Pop – Catch up with the first episode on the C5 website now

FRONT PAGE