Never Gonna Give You Up: Iconic Pop Production Team Stock Aitken Waterman Celebrated with New Box Set

It may have been the “flavor of the month” as European ’80s pop went, but the distinctive sounds of Stock Aitken Waterman and the PWL label was one heck of a flavor, earning a rather generous compilation/box set treatment, Pete Waterman Presents The Hit Factory: Soundtrack to a Generation in the U.K. this summer.

Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman began working for Waterman’s PWL production company in 1984, specializing in Hi-NRG dance music by U.K. pop artists like Hazell Dean and Dead or Alive; the latter group’s “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record),” produced by the SAW team, was a No. 1 hit in the U.K. and peaked at No. 11 in the States, the first step in solidifying the team’s popularity.

When they attracted the attention of girl group Bananarama, however, things really started to take off. The SAW/PWL collective turned into England’s equivalent of the Motown assembly line, with an array of fresh-faced young talent performing peppy originals and synthed-up covers of pop classics. Several of the artists, including Rick Astley and Kylie Minogue, enjoyed major international success.

While the mainstream press usually dismissed their works as fluff, those who came of age among ’80s and ’90s pop charts do love what they heard, and have been well-suited by the odd wave of nostalgia for that sound in the form of reissues and compilations (Cherry Pop has overseen expansions of many PWL albums in recent years, along with this compilation from longtime SAW partner and engineer/mixer Phil Harding).

A PWL “Hit Factory Live” Concert to be held in London next month will feature a good amount of the artists on this new set, which will be available from Sony in the U.K. as a double-disc compilation or a triple-disc box set with a bonus CD of rare and unreleased dance mixes. Both sets will be released in England on July 9, two days ahead of the anticipated live event.

Hit the jump to take a look at all the hits on The Hit Factory!

Pete Waterman Presents The Hit Factory: The Soundtrack to a Generation (Sony Music CMG (U.K.), 2012)

Disc 1

1. Respectable – Mel & Kim
2. Never Gonna Give You Up – Rick Astley
3. I Should Be So Lucky – Kylie Minogue
4. You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) – Dead or Alive
5. Love in the First Degree – Bananarama
6. Too Many Broken Hearts – Jason Donovan
7. You’ll Never Stop Me Loving You – Sonia
8. Happenin’ All Over Again – Lonnie Gordon
9. Let the Music (Lift You Up) - Loveland featuring Rachel McFarlane
10. When I’m Good and Ready – Sybil
11. The Harder I Try – Brother Beyond
12. Whatever I Do (Wherever I Go) – Hazell Dean
13. You Think You’re a Man – Divine
14. Toy Boy – Sinitta
15. Blame It on the Boogie – Big Fun
16. Heartache – Pepsi & Shirlie
17. Say I’m Your Number One – Princess
18. Especially for You – Jason Donovan & Kylie Minogue
19. Heartbeat – Steps

Disc 2

1. Hand on Your Heart – Kylie Minogue
2. Venus – Bananarama
3. Who’s Leaving Who? – Hazell Dean
4. I Just Don’t Have the Heart – Cliff Richard
5. Together Forever – Rick Astley
6. Cross My Broken Heart – Sinitta
7. Nothing’s Gonna Stop Me Now – Samantha Fox
8. Lover Come Back (to Me) – Dead or Alive
9. It’s a Fine Day – Opus III
10. Roadblock – Stock Aitken Waterman
11. I’ll Keep On Loving You – Princess
12. Beyond Your Wildest Dreams – Lonnie Gordon
13. Sealed with a Kiss – Jason Donovan
14. The Love I Lost – West End featuring Sybill
15. He Ain’t No Competition – Brother Beyond
16. Listen to Your Heart – Sonia
17. I’d Rather Jack – The Reynolds Girls
18. Showing Out (Get Fresh at the Weekend) – Mel & Kim
19. Tragedy – Steps
20. The WIP 2 Tribute Mix

Disc 3 (exclusive to box set edition)

1. Say I’m Your Number One (Princess to a King Mix) – Princess
2. New York Afternoon (Extended Version) - Mondo Kané
3. The Heaven I Need (Extended Version) – The Three Degrees
4. Looking Good Diving (with the Wild Bunch) – Morgan/McVey featuring Neneh Cherry
5. I Just Can’t Wait (Alternative 12” Mix) – Mandy Smith
6. Only the Strong Survive (Extended Version) – Precious Wilson
7. When I’m Good and Ready (Original 12” Mix) – Sybill
8. Too Many Broken Hearts (Party Hearty Mix) – Jason Dononvan
9. What Do I Have to Do? (Billy the Fish Mix) – Kylie Minogue
10. What a Night (Party Night) (12” Remix) – Dolly Dots
11. You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) (Buzzing Bees Mix) – Dead or Alive

Disc 1, Track 1 and Disc 2, Track 18 from F.L.M. (Supreme, 1987)
Disc 1, Track 2 and Disc 2, Track 5 from Whenever You Need Somebody (RCA, 1987)
Disc 1, Track 3 from Kylie (PWL/Mushroom, 1987)
Disc 1, Track 4 and Disc 2, Track 8 from Youthquake (Epic, 1984)
Disc 1, Track 5 from Wow! (London, 1987)
Disc 1, Tracks 6 and 18 and Disc 2, Track 13 from Ten Good Reasons (PWL/Atlantic, 1989)
Disc 1, Track 7 and Disc 2, Track 16 from Everybody Knows (Chrysalis, 1990)
Disc 1, Track 8 and Disc 2, Track 12 from If I Have to Stand Alone (Supreme, 1991)
Disc 1, Track 9 from The Wonder of Love (PWL, 1995)
Disc 1, Track 10 and Disc 2, Track 14 from Good N’ Ready (PWL, 1993)
Disc 1, Track 11 and Disc 2, Track 15 from Get Even II (Parlophone, 1988)
Disc 1, Track 12 from Heart First (Proto, 1984)
Disc 1, Track 13 from The Story So Far (Proto, 1984)
Disc 1, Track 14 and Disc 2, Track 6 from Sinitta! (Fanfare, 1987)
Disc 1, Track 15 from A Pocketful of Dreams (Jive, 1990)
Disc 1, Track 16 from All Right Now (Polydor, 1987)
Disc 1, Track 17 and Disc 2, Track 11 from Princess (Supreme, 1987)
Disc 1, Track 19 and Disc 2, Track 19 from Step One (Jive, 1998)
Disc 2, Track 1 from Enjoy Yourself (PWL/Mushroom, 1989)
Disc 2, Track 2 from True Confessions (London, 1986)
Disc 2, Track 3 from Always (EMI, 1988)
Disc 2, Track 4 from Stronger (EMI, 1989)
Disc 2, Track 7 from Samantha Fox (Jive, 1987)
Disc 2, Track 9 from Mind Fruit (PWL, 1992)
Disc 2, Track 10 from PWL single PWL3, 1987
Disc 2, Track 17 from PWL single PWL25, 1989
Disc 3, Track 2 from Lisson Records 12″ single DOLEQ 2, 1986
Disc 3, Track 3 from Supreme Records 12″ SUPETX102, 1985
Disc 3, Track 4 from CBS 12″ single MORGT1, 1986
Disc 3, Track 6 from Jive 12″ single JIVE T146, 1987
Disc 3, Track 7 from PWL 12″ single PWLT 260, 1993
Disc 3, Track 8 from Atlantic 12″ single DMD 1363 (U.S.), 1989
Disc 3, Track 9 from What Do I Have to Do? Original Synth Mixes EP (digital only) (PWL/Mushroom, 2010)
Disc 3, Track 10 from RCA 12″ single PT 41614, 1987
All other tracks previously unreleased

So it'll be like just one big long 12'' mix then!!!

It's a shame they left off "Shattered Glass" by Laura Branigan from 1987. It was one of SAW's finest produced singles.

[Edited 6/13/12 7:36am]

They excluded "I Heard A Rumour'', one of Banarama's finest songs. The producers' own funky "Roadblock'' is on the compliation, and that's very pleasing.

Identity said:

They excluded "I Heard A Rumour'', one of Banarama's finest songs. The producers' own funky "Roadblock'' is on the compliation, and that's very pleasing.

It makes absolutely no sense to release this compilation without "I Heard a Rumour."

where is "This Time I Know It's For Real",Donna Summer's excellent 1989 comeback hit?

How could I forget that one? It was a hit for Donna on both sides of the Atlantic way back in '89.

Identity said:

Identity said:

How could I forget that one? It was a hit for Donna on both sides of the Atlantic way back in '89.

it was a much-needed comeback hit for her.One of her finest 80s singles.

SoulAlive said:

where is "This Time I Know It's For Real",Donna Summer's excellent 1989 comeback hit?

It made the cut for Stock Aitken Waterman: Gold, a compliation album from 2005.

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Left to right: Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman, at PWL studios in the late ’80s.

late-80s/early-90s mainstream garbage

the beginning of the end...

[Edited 6/14/12 8:50am]

I believe the ''beginning of the end'' can be traced to the emergence of gangsta rap and the unholy alliance of corporate radio and pop.

Identity said:

I believe the ''beginning of the end'' can be traced to the emergence of gangsta rap and the unholy alliance of corporate radio and pop.

that's another different world

by beginning of the end I meant that S,W&A are the spiritual ancestors of The X Factor, American Idol, Simon Cowell, shit-dance, auto-tune, etc, and similar shit

the early-80s scene of the UK/US was completely different than the late-80s scene...

3 CD's of pure unadulterated cheese? Hook me up.

Actually, take a lot of their songs away from the production style and they're very well written. Clever little chord changes and modulations with catchy melodies. It's not rocket science why it worked.

I've worked as a producer with Pete Waterman over the past few years, but I'm not defending the SAW tracks because of that. They're genuinely really good songs.

Right after Prince, Stock Aitken Waterman are the greatest Linn LM-1 drum machines programmers of all time.

As much as I like Pete Waterman when interviewed, SAW's productions were mainly watered down euro/italia disco with catchy chorus that all sounded the same.

Seriously, they flooded the Uk market for a few years in the 80's and whilst I could never expect all of it to be good, alot of their stuff was so bland and safe. Even the few good songs often had boring drum programming and keyboards.

But still, heres my top 5 SAW in no particular order

1) "Respectable"-Mel and Kim. Love the production on this one. And who could resist the "tay-tay-tay-tay..."

2) "Until you come back to me"-Jason Donavan. Somewhat bland and typical SAW production but I let it slide with this one. The xmas bells are a nice touch LOL

3) "Better the devil you know-Kylie. Like the verses more then the chorus, but at least SAW psuedo house sound was an improvment on Kylie's earlier records with them.

4) "never gonna give you up"-Rick Astley. Occasionally, they wrote a great pop song. Add a decent voice and a very catchy chorus, and you have a song that has somehow stood the test of time. Even the bland production suits it in this rare case

5) "Roadblock"-SAW. Seems unusual for them. Obviously ripe for remixes

Awesome idea. Put all this stuff in one place. Next step, dig a really really really deep hold and deposit the entire print run there.