A Journey Through Stock Aitken Waterman

A Journey Through Stock Aitken Waterman

Author: Chart Beats Language: English Episodes: 92
Gavin Scott from the Chart Beats network and Matthew Denby invite you to join their deep and often surprising chronological exploration of one of pop music's most defining production houses. This podcast, A Journey Through Stock Aitken Waterman, is exactly that: a meticulous, episode-by-episode trek through every single released under the SAW banner. It begins in the mid-80s with obscure early works like "The Upstroke" and follows the trail through the explosive hits that dominated charts worldwide. You'll hear the stories behind massive records from Dead or Alive, Bananarama, Mel & Kim, Rick Astley, and of course, Kylie and Jason, but the show also shines a light on the fascinating misses and lesser-known curiosities that complete the picture. The conversation blends music criticism, chart history, and technical commentary on the trio's iconic production techniques, creating a rich archive for both dedicated fans and the casually nostalgic. It’s more than a nostalgia trip; it’s a reassessment of a factory-hit machine that, for better or worse, crafted the soundtrack of an era. Tune in to Chart Beats' A Journey Through Stock Aitken Waterman for a detailed, engaging, and thoroughly researched appreciation of pop's most efficient hit-making operation.
Episodes
Ep 22: Respectable [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:43
The journey through SAW gets back underway with another game-changing hit produced by Stock Aitken Waterman. Breaking the team's follow-up curse, Mel & Kim's second single, "Respectable" bucked the usual trend by becomin…
Ep 21: A Detour With Harding & Curnow Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:37
In the second episode dedicated to Phil Harding and Ian Curnow's PWL years, we discuss more of the projects the songwriting and production team worked on at the Hit Factory, including the first single released by Rick As…
Ep 20: A Detour With Harding & Curnow Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:27
In the first of two special episodes, we take a look at some of the other music coming out of PWL from 1987 onwards. With Stock Aitken Waterman's workload increasing, long-time mixmaster Phil Harding and new recruit Ian…
Ep 19: Looking Good Diving to I Just Can't Wait [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:57
Duo Morgan McVey might not have had a hit, but not only did Jamie Morgan and Cameron McVey go on to incredibly successful careers individually, but their Stock Aitken Waterman-produced single, "Looking Good Diving", had…
Ep 18: Heartache [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:40
They'd become household names as part of Wham!, and in 1987, Pepsi & Shirlie kicked off their pop career as a duo with smash hit single "Heartache". In this episode, we hear from the pair, who have just released their au…
Ep 17: Ain't Nothing But A House Party to Something In My House [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:17
As we reach the end of the Stock Aitken Waterman-produced singles from 1986, we hear for one last time from Phil Fearon, about his remake of "Ain't Nothing But A House Party", and Youth and June Montana from Brilliant ab…
Ep 16: Living Legend to Samba [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:02
What a mixed bag of SAW-produced singles we have in this episode, including the fifth and final PWL release by Princess, a Latin-flavoured tune by music legend Georgie Fame, the second single by pop/rock singer Jeb Milli…
Ep 15: Showing Out (Get Fresh At The Weekend) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:10
In an exclusive interview, Kim Appleby reveals all the details behind Mel & Kim's debut single. From the story of how she and sister Mel were discovered to the song they almost released instead of "Showing Out (Get Fresh…
Ep 14: I'm The One Who Really Loves You to Brand New Lover [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:12
It was meant to be the song that launched his solo career, but things didn't go to plan for Austin Howard, who recorded "I'm The One Who Really Loves You" with Stock Aitken Waterman for the soundtrack to ill-fated film K…
Ep 13: I Can Prove It to More Than Physical [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:48
We discuss a trio of new artists working with Stock Aitken Waterman for the first time, as well as a trio who were coming off the back of a massive SAW-produced hit. First up, it's Galaxy frontman Phil Fearon, who reveal…