Pete WATERMAN Part 1-THE HITMAN HITS BACK RICK ASTLEY KYLIE BANANARAMA

Britain’s production team Stock, Aitken & Waterman (SAW) used the new technology of the 1980s to make a string of contagious hits for many pop artists including Kylie Minogue (I Should Be So Lucky, Better The Devil You Know), Jason Donovan, Mel & Kim (Showing Out, Respectable) Bananarama (Love In The First Degree, I’m Your Venus) and Rick Astley. Astley’s warm baritone voice gave SAW rare transatlantic successes with two #1s in America including Never Gonna Give You Up).

Pete Waterman produced and co-wrote over 200 hit singles in the 1980s. While most critics dismissed the music as worthless, the public, who bought many million records, and Pete Waterman’s bank manager, knew the exact worth of it. Was the music formulaic? Yes, but that could be said for much of pop. Was it tuneful and danceable? Absolutely. Did it accurately reflect the ‘dress up & dance’, ‘showing out’, ‘loadsamoney’ spirit of the 80s? Oh yes, indeed!

Here is the first part of my interview with the man who said he had “Woolworths EARS”, Pete Waterman.

Pete WATERMAN Part 1-THE HITMAN HITS BACK RICK ASTLEY KYLIE BANANARAMA

#petewaterman #richardniles #radiorichard #sawteam #kylieminogue #jasondonovan #malandkim #bananarama #rickastley

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[thuydoan]

Pete Waterman is a great music producer. I wished he produced music for me. I would make him proud and stick with him until he retired.

[MyOwnWayMusic]

Best interview with Pete Waterman I've heard where he talks about music composition, use of pedal, importance of melody and passion in the performance.. Thank you Richard for bringing this out.

[martineyles]

Love hearing the French Horn mentioned! (A little biased as an amatuer player of the instrument) Lots of other interesting things in there too.

[michaeldunne]

His comment on Donna Summer was interesting. This Time I Know It’s For Real is one of the best SAW records. I wonder to what extent she wrote it?

[Somedei]

Great interview, thanks for bringing him, please try to ask Matt Aitken and or Mike Stock on an interview because as I read Waterman didnt play a single note on any reocrd neither put a finger on a desk, he did a WONDERFUL and unique work as a manager, getting those tunes out and ready. Without him there wouldnt be SAW but the writers and producers were always Stock and Aitken. Peter reminds me of a manager I knew that phoned you up, sung the first thing that cross his mind and you have to do a whole song from a vague idea that he never recall hahaha but genious anyway, his gift is in making everyone around falling in love of an idea. Wish I had that !!

[ryanfoxsongs]

Super interview Richard, thanks for bringing this to us. I wonder, do you agree that melody is most important, lyric second?