Mike Stock - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Michael Stock is an English songwriter

Songwriter

A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...

, record producer

Record producer

A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...

and musician

Musician

A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....

best known for being a member of the songwriting and production team Stock Aitken and Waterman

Stock Aitken Waterman

Stock Aitken Waterman, sometimes known as SAW, were a UK songwriting and record producing trio consisting of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman. They had great success during the mid to late 1980s and early 1990s...

that achieved huge success in the 1980s and 90s. He has written and/or produced numerous worldwide hits including 18 #1 records in America and the UK, and over a hundred Top 40 hits.
Stock is one of the most successful songwriters of all time as recognised by the Guinness Book of Records

Guinness World Records

Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...

. As part of Stock Aitken and Waterman

Stock Aitken Waterman

, he is acknowledged as the most successful producer/songwriter in British chart history and holds the record for the most #1 records with different acts, with 11.

Biography

Stock was born in Margate

Margate

-Demography:As of the 2001 UK census, Margate had a population of 40,386.The ethnicity of the town was 97.1% white, 1.0% mixed race, 0.5% black, 0.8% Asian, 0.6% Chinese or other ethnicity....

, Kent

Kent

Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

in 1951. He was self- taught in playing the piano and guitar and began writing songs at the age of seven. Inspired by The Beatles

The Beatles

The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...

he soon became fixated with pop music and put together his first band at age 13, playing bass guitar and singing. Fascinated by the popular songwriting styles of Rodgers and Hammerstein

Rodgers and Hammerstein

Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II were a well-known American songwriting duo, usually referred to as Rodgers and Hammerstein. They created a string of popular Broadway musicals in the 1940s and 1950s during what is considered the golden age of the medium...

, and writers such as Irving Berlin

Irving Berlin

Irving Berlin was an American composer and lyricist of Jewish heritage, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history.His first hit song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band", became world famous...

and the energy and freshness of The Beatles

The Beatles

, he established a deep love of pop music. Stock signed a publishing contract when he was nineteen after earning a reputation as a budding songwriter, although no one had suggested a full time career in the music world was a possibility.

In 1970 Stock earned a placement at the University of Hull

University of Hull

The University of Hull, known informally as Hull University, is an English university, founded in 1927, located in Hull, a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire...

to study Drama

Drama

Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...

and Theology

Theology

Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...

and formed a band with a fellow student, the later acclaimed Oscar-winning director, Anthony Minghella

Anthony Minghella

Anthony Minghella, CBE was an English film director, playwright and screenwriter. He was Chairman of the Board of Governors at the British Film Institute between 2003 and 2007....

. Whilst at Hull, Stock met his wife Bobbie and left university when she graduated to concentrate his efforts in making it in music. In 1975 they married and soon after, sold their house in Bury

Bury

Bury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester...

, Lancashire

Lancashire

Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...

to move back south Stock played his first paid, solo gig at Aveley

Aveley

Aveley is a place in the Thurrock unitary authority in Essex, England and one of the traditional parishes in Thurrock. It is a suburban development located 16.3 miles east of Charing Cross in London and within the eastern bounds of the M25 motorway.-Location:Aveley is roughly bounded to the north...

Working Men’s Club in Essex

Essex

Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...

in 1976, earning twenty five pounds. By the late 1970s Stock, now living in Blackheath

Blackheath, London

Blackheath is a district of South London, England. It is named from the large open public grassland which separates it from Greenwich to the north and Lewisham to the west...

, South London, was performing up and down the country. Performing solo, in a duo or with bands ‘Mirage’ and 'Nightwork', Stock gained a good reputation for his live perfomances and was regularly booked for venues like the Hilton Hotel

Hilton Hotels & Resorts

Hilton Hotels & Resorts is an international chain of full-service hotels and resorts founded by Conrad Hilton and now owned by Hilton Worldwide. Hilton hotels are either owned by, managed by, or franchised to independent operators by Hilton Worldwide. Hilton Hotels became the first coast-to-coast...

, Grosvenor House

Grosvenor House Hotel

Grosvenor House is a large and luxurious hotel. The iconic Mayfair, London hotel is owned by the Sahara Group. The name has also been licensed to a property in Dubai....

and the Dorchester

Dorchester Hotel

The Dorchester is a luxury hotel in London, opened on 18 April 1931. It is situated on Park Lane in Mayfair, overlooking Hyde Park.The Dorchester was created by the famous builder Sir Robert McAlpine and the managing director of Gordon Hotels Ltd, Sir Frances Towle, who shared a vision of creating...

in Mayfair

Mayfair

Mayfair is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster.-History:Mayfair is named after the annual fortnight-long May Fair that took place on the site that is Shepherd Market today...

. Throughout 1979 to 1981 Stock was gigging every night of the week in various bands embracing; pop, dance, old standards, rock or funk.

Stock’s band had gone through several guitar players before he was alerted to Matt Aitken

Matt Aitken

Matthew James Aitken , is a British songwriter and record producer, brought up in Astley, Greater Manchester, best known as the creative force behind the 1980s songwriting/production trio Stock Aitken Waterman....

; a guitarist who had been spotted by another member of his band working on a cruise ship. Stock contacted Aitken to offer him a role in the band. Playing on cruise ships and in various bands of his own, Aitken was an accomplished guitarist whose style could adapt to any type of music. In 1982 Stock moved to Abbey Wood

Abbey Wood

Abbey Wood is a district of South-East London, England, located mostly in the London Borough of Greenwich, and partly within the London Borough of Bexley. It is situated east of Charing Cross.-Development:...

, South London where, along with Matt Aitken

Matt Aitken

he acquired a recording desk and tape machine and formed his first record label. During the break of one of ‘Mirage’s’ sets on New Year’s Eve 1983, Stock informed the band he would be leaving and was going into the studio to pursue his career as a songwriter and producer. Matt Aitken

Matt Aitken

agreed to join him and from January 1984 onwards the pair worked exclusively in recording studios.

Formation and Early Hits: Divine, Hazell Dean, Dead or Alive (1984-85)

Stock had briefly worked with Pete Waterman

Pete Waterman

Peter Alan Waterman OBE is an English record producer, occasional songwriter, radio and club DJ, television presenter, president of Coventry Bears rugby league club and a keen railway enthusiast. As a member of the Stock Aitken Waterman songwriting team he wrote and produced many hit singles...

in 1980 when Stock and his brother Mark wrote the song -‘One Nine for a Lady Breaker’ – for a CB radio club. A version of the track found its way to Pete Waterman

Pete Waterman

who managed Peter Collins

Peter Collins (record producer)

Peter Collins is a record producer, born January 15, 1951, in London.In 1976 Collins was signed to Magnet Records and formed a group called Madison, along with Ziggy, Peter Spooner and Page 3 girl Cherri Gilham, to perform his pop song "Let It Ring"...

, then a successful producer with acts like Musical Youth

Musical Youth

Musical Youth are a British reggae band. The group originally formed in 1979 at Duddeston Manor School in Birmingham, UK. They are best remembered for their successful 1982 Grammy-nominated single, "Pass the Dutchie". The group featured two sets of brothers, Kelvin and Michael Grant, plus Junior...

and Nik Kershaw

Nik Kershaw

Nik Kershaw is an English singer-songwriter. The one time jazz-funk guitarist was a mid-1980s teen idol. His 50 weeks on the UK Singles Chart in 1984 beat all other soloists...

. The track was re-recorded and produced by Collins; Stock sang on the track under the alias Chris Britton. In January 1984 Stock and Aitken arranged to meet Waterman at his office in the Stiff Records

Stiff Records

Stiff Records is a record label created in London in 1976, by entrepreneurs Dave Robinson and Andrew Jakeman , and active until 1985. It was reactivated in 2007....

building, Camden

Camden

- Australia :* Camden, New South Wales** Camden Council ** Electoral district of Camden- England :* London Borough of Camden** Camden Town, an area in the borough* Camden School for Girls- United States :* Camden, Alabama* Camden, Arkansas...

. Waterman was seeking a new partnership and in February 1984 they went into the Marquee Studio in Wardour Street

Wardour Street

Wardour Street is a street in Soho, London. It is a one-way street south to north from Leicester Square, up through Chinatown, across Shaftesbury Avenue to Oxford Street.-History:...

Soho

Soho is an area of the City of Westminster and part of the West End of London. Long established as an entertainment district, for much of the 20th century Soho had a reputation for sex shops as well as night life and film industry. Since the early 1980s, the area has undergone considerable...

to record the song ‘The Upstroke’ for 'Agents Aren't Aeroplanes'- a front for their concept of a female Frankie Goes To Hollywood

Frankie Goes to Hollywood

Frankie Goes to Hollywood were a British dance-pop band popular in the mid-1980s. The group was fronted by Holly Johnson , with Paul Rutherford , Peter Gill , Mark O'Toole , and Brian Nash .The group's debut single "Relax" was banned by the BBC in 1984 while at number six in the charts and...

. The record was released on Proto Records run by Barry Evangeli

Barry Evangeli

Barry Evangeli is a British-Greek Cypriot music producer who has produced records for such artists as Gloria Gaynor and the Divine Record Album Collection. He was the Executive Officer for Proto Records, an independent British label with guaranteed distribution deals...

and Nick East and distributed by RCA

RCA Records

RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...

. ‘The Upstroke’ achieved popularity in the gay clubs and discos where many new records were being found and subsequently promoted into the mainstream as Hi-NRG

Hi-NRG

Hi-NRG describes a form of high-tempo disco music as well as a genre of electronic dance music originating in the United States during the late 1970s...

.

In 1983 Stock had been approached by Andy Paul, a Greek Cypriot, to write a song for Cyprus

Cyprus

Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...

in the Eurovision Song Contest

Eurovision Song Contest

The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...

. ‘Anna Maria Elena’ was voted by the Cypriot public to represent their country in the competition and the re-recorded version would be Stock and Aitken’s second collaboration with Waterman. The team were then asked to produce a song for Divine and they recorded ‘You Think You’re a Man

You Think You're a Man

"You Think You're a Man" is the fifth single from the album The Story So Far by Divine. It was also covered by The Vaselines in 1987 and appeared on the EP Son of a Gun.-Chart performance:...

’ at the Marquee Studio which was released by Proto Records in July 1984 reaching number 16 in the UK charts

UK charts

UK charts may refer to* UK Albums Chart* UK Dance Chart* UK Official Download Chart* UK R&B Chart* UK Rock Chart* UK Singles Chart records* UK Classical Chart* UK Indie Chart* UK Music Charts* UK Singles Chart...

. Soon after, the team recorded Hazell Dean’s

Hazell Dean

Hazell Dean is a British dance-pop singer, who achieved her biggest success in the 1980s as a leading Hi-NRG artist. She is best known for the top ten hits "Searchin' ", "Whatever I Do " and "Who's Leaving Who"...

‘Whatever I Do, (Wherever I Go)

Whatever I Do (Wherever I Go)

"Whatever I Do " is a Hi-NRG song written and produced by British hitmaking team Stock Aitken & Waterman, which became a hit for singer Hazell Dean in 1984....

’. The song became SAW’s

Stock Aitken Waterman

first top 10 hit, reaching number 4 in the UK. In September 1984 they were approached by Dead or Alive

Dead or Alive (band)

Dead or Alive were a British New Wave band from Wirral, England, United Kingdom, Europe. The band rose to fame in the 1980s with their number one single on the UK Singles Chart, "You Spin Me Round ". They were the first group to have a number one single under the production team Stock Aitken Waterman...

to produce the song You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)

You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)

"You Spin Me Round " is a song by British band Dead or Alive on their 1985 album Youthquake. The song was the first UK number-one hit by the Stock Aitken Waterman production trio. Released in November 1984, the record reached number one in March 1985, taking seventeen weeks to get there...

which became Stock Aitken and Waterman’s

Stock Aitken Waterman

first UK number 1 in March 1985.

The Hit Factory: Bananarama, Mel and Kim, Princess (1985-86)

In 1985 the trio built a new studio at ‘The Vineyard’ recording studio complex, London Bridge

London Bridge

London Bridge is a bridge over the River Thames, connecting the City of London and Southwark, in central London. Situated between Cannon Street Railway Bridge and Tower Bridge, it forms the western end of the Pool of London...

that would later be dubbed 'The Hit Factory'. Whilst working with the band Brilliant

Brilliant (band)

Brilliant were a British pop/rock group active in the 1980s. Although not commercially successful and mauled by the critics, they remain notable because of the personnel involved - Martin Glover aka Youth, formerly of Killing Joke and subsequently a top producer/remixer; Jimmy Cauty, later to find...

, Stock wrote a song for their backing singer Desiree Heslop

Desiree Heslop

Princess is a British singer who found chart success in the mid 1980s. In the late 1970s she worked with the group Osibisa....

called ‘Say I’m Your Number One’, which became a hit in the UK under her stage name ‘Princess’. Towards the end of 1985 the group Bananarama

Bananarama

Bananarama are an English female pop duo who have had success on the pop and dance charts since 1982. Rather than relying on a two part harmony, the duo generally sings in unison, as do their background vocalists. Although there have been line-up changes, the group enjoyed their most popular...

approached SAW

Stock Aitken Waterman

to record a cover of ‘Shocking Blue’s

Shocking Blue

Shocking Blue was a Dutch rock band from The Hague, the Netherlands, formed in 1967. Their biggest hit, "Venus", went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1970, and the band had sold 13.5 million discs by 1973, but the group disbanded in 1974.-Members:...

’ Venus. The track became a huge hit in the UK and went to #1 in America in July 1986. Bananarama

Bananarama

would continue to enjoy success with SAW

Stock Aitken Waterman

with hits such as Love in the First Degree

Love in the First Degree

"Love in the First Degree" is a song written and recorded by English girl group Bananarama. It is included on their fourth studio album Wow! and was released as its second single except in the U.S., where it was the album's third single...

, I Heard a Rumour

I Heard a Rumour

"I Heard a Rumour" is a 1987 song recorded by English girl group Bananarama, featured on their Wow! album. It was also featured in the film Disorderlies and included on its soundtrack....

and I Want You Back

I Want You Back (Bananarama song)

"I Want You Back" is a song written and recorded by English girl group Bananarama. It is included on their fourth studio album Wow! and was released as its fourth and final single. with the 1988 compilation album Greatest Hits Collection...

. in 1986 Mel and Kim's

Mel and Kim

Mel and Kim were a British pop duo, comprising sisters Melanie and Kim Appleby. They achieved success between 1986 and 1988 before Melanie succumbed to cancer.-Biography:...

first single ‘Showing Out (Get Fresh at the Weekend)

Showing Out (Get Fresh At The Weekend)

"Showing Out " is the debut single released by sister duo Mel and Kim in 1986. The song was originally intended to be a B-side to the group's first chosen single, "System", but was later flipped to be the A-side, and became a hit....

went to number 3 in the UK charts and their follow-up Respectable

Respectable (Mel and Kim song)

"Respectable" was a UK number one single for one week in March 1987 for Mel and Kim. Written and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman, it was the team's second number one...

reached number 1.

Rick Astley, Ferry Aid (1987)

In 1987 Rick Astley

Rick Astley

Richard Paul "Rick" Astley is an English singer-songwriter, musician, and radio personality. He is known for his 1987 song, "Never Gonna Give You Up", which was a #1 hit single in 25 countries...

recorded what would be one of the team’s biggest hits-Never Gonna Give You Up

Never Gonna Give You Up

A group of London dance producers, called The Rickrollerz made a house music cover version of "Never Gonna Give You Up" on that day, and in honor of that event....

, though initially Stock and Aitken were unsure of its appeal with Astley’s unorthodox but strong voice. When it was released by RCA

RCA Records

, Never Gonna Give You Up

Never Gonna Give You Up

A group of London dance producers, called The Rickrollerz made a house music cover version of "Never Gonna Give You Up" on that day, and in honor of that event....

went straight to #1 in 17 different countries including America and the UK where it became the biggest selling record of 1987. Astley's

Rick Astley

Richard Paul "Rick" Astley is an English singer-songwriter, musician, and radio personality. He is known for his 1987 song, "Never Gonna Give You Up", which was a #1 hit single in 25 countries...

fourth single, Together Forever also topped the Billboard Hot 100

Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

. That year SAW

Stock Aitken Waterman

produced Let It Be

Ferry Aid

Ferry Aid were a British-American ensemble group, brought together to record the song "Let It Be" in 1987. The single was released following the Zeebrugge Disaster, which had occurred on 6 March 1987 involving the capsizing of the MS Herald of Free Enterprise ferry, which killed 193 passengers and...

in aid of the victims involved in the Zeebrugge Ferry disaster, and Stock got the chance to work with his musical inspiration Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney

Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...

whose original recordings of The Beatles

The Beatles

classic were sent to the production team by producer George Martin

George Martin

Sir George Henry Martin CBE is an English record producer, arranger, composer and musician. He is sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle"— a title that he often describes as "nonsense," but the fact remains that he served as producer on all but one of The Beatles' original albums...

. ‘Let It Be

Ferry Aid

’ went straight to #1 where it stayed for three weeks knocking Stock’s own ‘Respectable

Respectable (Mel and Kim song)

"Respectable" was a UK number one single for one week in March 1987 for Mel and Kim. Written and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman, it was the team's second number one...

’ by Mel and Kim

Mel and Kim

Mel and Kim were a British pop duo, comprising sisters Melanie and Kim Appleby. They achieved success between 1986 and 1988 before Melanie succumbed to cancer.-Biography:...

off the top spot. Two years later Stock would again collaborate with McCartney

Paul McCartney

on the Gerry and the Pacemakers hit-Ferry Cross the Mersey

Ferry Cross the Mersey

"Ferry Cross the Mersey" is a song written by Gerry Marsden. It was first recorded by his band Gerry and the Pacemakers and released in late 1964 in the UK and in 1965 in the United States. It was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic, reaching number six in the United States and number eight in the...

, recorded to raise funds for the victims and their families of the Hillsborough Disaster

Hillsborough disaster

The Hillsborough disaster was a human crush that occurred on 15 April 1989 at Hillsborough, a football stadium, the home of Sheffield Wednesday F.C. in Sheffield, England, resulting in the deaths of 96 people, and 766 being injured, all fans of Liverpool F.C....

in 1989 which also went straight to #1.

Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Band Aid II (1988-89)

In 1987 Pete Waterman

Pete Waterman

formed PWL

PWL

Pete Waterman Entertainment is the production company one-time pop and dance record label owned by pop mogul Pete Waterman. The label, originally PWL, is most famous for being the home of hit record producers Stock Aitken Waterman....

the in-house label of SAW

Stock Aitken Waterman

and one of the first artists to be released on the label was Australian soap star, Kylie Minogue

Kylie Minogue

Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...

. Stock was contacted by Terry Blamey, Kylie Minogue’s

Kylie Minogue

manager informing him that she had been in London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

for ten days waiting to work with SAW

Stock Aitken Waterman

though Pete Waterman

Pete Waterman

had not informed Stock. By the time Kylie

Kylie Minogue

entered the studio she was due on a plane back to Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

later that day. In 40 minutes Stock and Aitken had written the song, I Should Be So Lucky

I Should Be So Lucky

"I Should Be So Lucky" is a pop-dance song performed by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. The song was written and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman for Minogue's debut album Kylie .The song was released as the album's second single in December 1987...

, recorded a backing track and Kylie’s vocals. I Should Be So Lucky

I Should Be So Lucky

was released by PWL

PWL

in February 1988 and climbed to the #1 spot in March where it stayed for five weeks, the joint longest running #1 of 1988. It also went to number 1 in 25 other territories including Kylie Minogue’s

Kylie Minogue

native Australia

Australia

. With demand for a follow up single, Kylie

Kylie Minogue

wasn’t keen on returning to England to work with SAW

Stock Aitken Waterman

again after the rushed treatment she had received. Stock flew to Australia to meet Kylie and her parents at her home to apologise and successfully convinced her to record a follow-up single Got to Be Certain

Got to Be Certain

"Got to Be Certain" is a dance-pop song written and produced by British songwriting team Stock, Aitken and Waterman And included on Minogue's debut studio album Kylie . The song had been originally written for singer Mandy Smith, but her recording was never released until 2005. The song received a...

which reached #2 in the UK charts. When her debut album Kylie
Kylie (album)
Kylie is the debut album by Australian singer and songwriter Kylie Minogue, released by PWL on 4 July 1988. Stock, Aitken and Waterman produced and wrote eight of the ten tracks on the album....

was released in August 1988 it sold 2.8 million copies and she spent more weeks on the singles chart than any other artist. Kylie

Kylie Minogue

went on to record three more studio albums with SAW

Stock Aitken Waterman

scoring 15 successive top 10 hits including; Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi

Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi

"Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi" is a pop song written by British production team Stock Aitken and Waterman for Kylie Minogue's debut album Kylie . It was produced by Stock, Aitken and Waterman, and received a mixed reception from music critics...

, Hand On Your Heart

Hand on Your Heart

"Hand on Your Heart" is a dance-pop song performed by Australian singer Kylie Minogue and written by Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman...

, Wouldn’t Change A Thing

Wouldn't Change a Thing

"Wouldn't Change a Thing" was the second single released from Australian singer Kylie Minogue's second album Enjoy Yourself. The single was released on 24 July 1989 and was written by Stock Aitken Waterman.-Song information:...

, Tears on My Pillow

Tears on My Pillow

"Tears on My Pillow" is a doo-wop song written by Sylvester Bradford and Al Lewis in 1958. The composition was first recorded by Little Anthony and the Imperials on End Records and was that group's debut recording under that name. Their original recording of the song became a Billboard Top 10 Pop...

, Better The Devil You Know

Better the Devil You Know

"Better the Devil You Know" is a dance-pop song written by Stock, Aitken & Waterman for Kylie Minogue's third studio album Rhythm of Love.-Background:...

, Shocked

Shocked

"Shocked" is a dance pop song written by Stock, Aitken & Waterman for Kylie Minogue's third studio album Rhythm of Love . It was produced by Stock, Aitken & Waterman and received a positive reception from music critics...

among many others.

Soon after, Jason Donovan’s

Jason Donovan

Jason Donovan is an Australian actor and singer. He initially achieved fame in the Australian soap opera Neighbours, before beginning a career in music in 1988. In the UK he has sold over 3 million records, and his début album Ten Good Reasons was one of the highest-selling albums of 1989...

first single- ‘Nothing Can Divide Us’ became a top 5 hit. Donovan’s next single, Especially For You

Especially for You

"Especially for You" was the fifth international single released from singer Kylie Minogue in time for the Christmas 1988 market and is a duet with Jason Donovan. It did not appear on her debut album but was included on Jason Donovan's 1989 debut album Ten Good Reasons. The track did appear on the...

, a duet with Kylie Minogue

Kylie Minogue

went to number 1 in January 1989. A duet had not initially been planned by SAW

Stock Aitken Waterman

until retailer Woolworth’s

Woolworths Group

Woolworths Group plc was a listed British company that owned the high-street retail chain, Woolworths, as well as other brands such as the entertainment distributor Entertainment UK and book and resource distributor Bertram Books...

had taken huge orders for hundreds of thousands before the song had even been written. Stock wrote Especially For You

Especially for You

, sang the demo with a SAW

Stock Aitken Waterman

backing singer and Matt Aitken

Matt Aitken

flew to Australia to record Kylie

Kylie Minogue

and Jason’s

Jason Donovan

vocals in time for a Christmas release. Donovan returned to the studio to record the song Too Many Broken Hearts

Too Many Broken Hearts

"Too Many Broken Hearts" is a popular song by Australian singer Jason Donovan.Written and produced by Stock, Aitken and Waterman it was Donovan's first solo number one single for two weeks in March 1989, though he had made number one with his duet with Kylie Minogue "Especially for You" in January...

which went to number 1 in March 1989. His debut album Ten Good Reasons
Ten Good Reasons
Ten Good Reasons is the debut album by Australian pop star and actor Jason Donovan. Released in 1989, it became one of the biggest selling albums in the UK that year, and yielded two solo #1 singles and also featured a duet with Kylie Minogue, "Especially for You", which had reached #1 in January...

also held to the top spot for three weeks selling 1.5 million copies. Donovan

Jason Donovan

went on to have numerous hits with SAW

Stock Aitken Waterman

including the number 1 Sealed With A Kiss

Sealed with a Kiss

"Sealed with a Kiss" is the title of a song written by Peter Udell and Gary Geld. It was first recorded by The Four Voices in 1960 as a single, but their recording was not a hit....

, Every Day (I Love You More)

Every Day (I Love You More)

"Every Day " is a 1989 song recorded by Australian singer Jason Donovan. It was the fifth and last single from his debut album Ten Good Reasons. It was also the least successful from this album, remaining at the bottom of many European charts, although it hit number two in the UK...

and the Christmas number 2 record When You Come Back To Me

When You Come Back To Me

"When You Come Back To Me" is the first single from Edyta Górniak's second album Edyta.-Background:The song was written by Christopher Paul Pelcer, Nicol Smith and Robert White Johnson and produced by Christopher Neil....

-kept off the top spot by the Band Aid II record –Do They Know It’s Christmas?, also produced by Stock Aitken and Waterman.

Stock Aitken Waterman

Donna Summer, Cliff Richard and later work (1989-93)

1989 became Stock Aitken and Waterman's

Stock Aitken Waterman

most successful year having helmed seven UK #1s (a feat equalled only by George Martin in 1963) and 15 top 5s. During 1989 Stock wrote and produced over seven albums’ worth of material for artists such as Kylie Minogue

Kylie Minogue

, Jason Donovan

Jason Donovan

, Bananarama

Bananarama

, Donna Summer

Donna Summer

LaDonna Adrian Gaines , known by her stage name, Donna Summer, is an American singer/songwriter who gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s. She has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Summer is a five-time Grammy winner and was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach...

, Cliff Richard

Cliff Richard

Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....

and Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney

. The team supplied Donna Summer

Donna Summer

with her most successful hit single since the 1970s with This Time I Know It's for Real

This Time I Know It's for Real

"This Time I Know It's For Real" is a song originally recorded by Donna Summer, and released in 1989 as the first single from her album Another Place and Time...

and Cliff Richard's

Cliff Richard

Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....

#3 I Just Don't Have the Heart

I Just Don't Have the Heart

"I Just Don't Have the Heart" is a single from UK artist Cliff Richard's 1989 album Stronger. It was written and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman and became another UK Top 10 hit for him, peaking at #3....

. SAW also gave 18 year old singer Sonia a debut #1 with You'll Never Stop Me Loving You.

You'll Never Stop Me Loving You

"You'll Never Stop Me Loving You" is a debut single by Sonia.Written and produced by Stock, Aitken and Waterman, it was the first and only number one single for the Liverpudlian singer. The song reached number one on the Billboard Dance/Disco Chart...

Stock became the first person to receive the Ivor Novello Award for 'Songwriter of the Year' three times in a row between 1988 and 1990. In 1990 SAW

Stock Aitken Waterman

picked up three “Ivors”: for ‘Songwriter of the Year’, ‘Most Performed Work’ for Donna Summer’s

Donna Summer

‘This Time I Know It’s for Real

This Time I Know It's for Real

"This Time I Know It's For Real" is a song originally recorded by Donna Summer, and released in 1989 as the first single from her album Another Place and Time...

’ and ‘Best Selling A-Side’ for Jason Donovan’s

Jason Donovan

Too Many Broken Hearts

. They received the Brit Award for Best Producers in 1987, eight ‘Ivor Novellos

Ivor Novello Awards

The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Cardiff born entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They are presented annually in London by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors and were first introduced in 1955.Nicknamed The Ivors, the awards take place...

’ many Music Week

Music Week

Music Week is a trade paper for the UK record industry.Founded in 1959 as Record Retailer, it was relaunched on 18 March 1972 as Music Week . On 17 January 1981 the title was again changed, owing to the increasing importance of sell-through videos, to Music & Video Week...

awards and more. Despite continued success in the 90s with the likes of Kylie Minogue’s

Kylie Minogue

Better The Devil You Know

Better the Devil You Know

"Better the Devil You Know" is a dance-pop song written by Stock, Aitken & Waterman for Kylie Minogue's third studio album Rhythm of Love.-Background:...

, Step Back in Time

Step Back in Time

"Step Back in Time" is a dance-pop, disco song written by Stock, Aitken & Waterman for Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue's third album, Rhythm of Love .-Background:...

and Shocked

Shocked

, and Lonnie Gordon’s

Lonnie Gordon

Lonnie Gordon is a female Hi-NRG, house and soul singer-songwriter from New York's Bronx, who has scored many chart hits during the 1990s and 2000s.-Early life and career:...

Happenin’ All Over Again

Happenin' All Over Again

"Happenin' All over Again" is a song written and produced by Stock Aitken & Waterman for Lonnie Gordon's first album If I Have to Stand Alone . It was released as the album's second single in January 1990 and reached #4 on the main UK singles chart...

, the partnership began to disband. When Matt Aitken

Matt Aitken

left in 1991 Stock stayed with Waterman to write and produce Minogue’s fourth album, Let’s Get to It

Let's Get to It

Let's Get to It is the fourth album by Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue. It was released by PWL on 14 October 1991 and was a top twenty album in both Minogue's native Australia and the United Kingdom.-Album information:...

and Sybil's

Sybil Lynch

Sybil Lynch is an American R&B/pop singer, more popularly known as Sybil.-Career:Sybil has been recording since 1986 and is best known for her covers of Dionne Warwick's hits "Don't Make Me Over" and "Walk On By," which were released in 1989 and 1990, respectively...

1993 hits, The Love I Lost

The Love I Lost

"The Love I Lost" is a soul/disco song by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. Originally written as a ballad by Philly soul songwriters Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, the song was transformed into a disco song. It was released from the Black & Blue album in late 1973...

and ‘When I’m Good and Ready’, and Boy Krazy’s

Boy Krazy

Boy Krazy was a New York City-based girl group that saw brief fame in 1993 with their hit single "That's What Love Can Do".-Career:The group was put together through auditions by a management company in New York. Boy Krazy featured female singers Kimberly Blake, Josselyne Jones, Johnna Lee...

That’s What Love Can Do

That's What Love Can Do

"That's What Love Can Do" is a hit song by American female pop group Boy Krazy. The song was produced by British hitmaking team Stock Aitken & Waterman, and first released in 1991 as Boy Krazy's debut single. Lead vocals were performed by group member Johnna Cummings...

went top 20 in the US. Later that year, Stock ended his relationship with Waterman; by the end of their partnership, Stock had written and/or produced over three hundred top 75 hits and over thirty platinum selling albums.

Post SAW

In 1993 Stock formed ‘Love This Records’, and built a brand new multi million pound recording studio in London.

London

The first record released with ‘Love This Records’ was a dance cover of the track Total Eclipse of the Heart

Total Eclipse of the Heart

"Total Eclipse of the Heart" is a song written and produced by Jim Steinman and recorded by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler for her fifth studio album, Faster Than the Speed of Night...

. It was a worldwide hit for Nicki French

Nicki French

Nicola S. French is a female English singer and dancer. She is best known for her 1995 dance cover version of "Total Eclipse of the Heart", and for representing the United Kingdom in 2000 at Eurovision in Stockholm.-Career:French provided backing vocals on Rose-Marie's 1992 album, Emotional Exposure...

, reaching #2 in America and #1 in seven countries selling over 2 million copies. In 1994 Simon Cowell

Simon Cowell

Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...

asked Stock to produce the record for the popular kid’s TV show ‘Mighty Morphin Power Rangers’ which was a top 5 hit in the UK. Cowell had worked with Stock on previous occasions with artists such as Sinitta, for whom Stock wrote and produced various hits like Toy Boy

Toy Boy (song)

"Toy Boy" is a Pop song by American-British singer Sinitta. The song was released in 1987 as the her self-titled debut album's fourth single.-Song information:"Toy Boy" reached number 4 in the UK in July 1987, staying on the charts for 14 weeks...

in 1987. Stock again collaborated with Cowell in 1993 on the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) album Wrestlemania

WrestleMania: The Album

WrestleMania: The Album was an album released by World Wrestling Federation Superstars in 1993.Mike Stock and Pete Waterman oversaw the project as producers and co-composers for RCA Records, with British A&R executive Simon Cowell serving as the executive producer...

which spawned the #4 hit ‘Slam Jam’.

In 1994 Stock produced several artists for Simon Cowell

Simon Cowell

including Kym Mazelle

Kym Mazelle

Kym Mazelle is an American dance-pop, Hi-NRG, soul, and house singer. She was brought up and lived on the same street as the Jackson family and knew Michael Jackson's mother and uncle.-Career:...

, Jocelyn Brown

Jocelyn Brown

Jocelyn Lorette Brown is an American R&B and dance music singer...

and Robson and Jerome. Their cover of Unchained Melody

Unchained Melody

"Unchained Melody" is a 1955 song with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret. It has become one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century, by some counts having spawned over 500 versions in hundreds of different languages....

produced by Stock and Aitken became the highest selling non-charity single of the decade, remaining at #1 for 7 weeks in 1995 selling 2.5 million copies. Stock produced a further two #1 singles with Robson and Jerome and two #1 albums.

After several years producing hits for Stock’s own label ‘Love This Records’ and with Simon Cowell

Simon Cowell

for BMG

BMG

Bertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...

/RCA

RCA

RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...

, the structural integrity of Stock’s studio became compromised by the tunnelling of the Jubilee Line extension

Jubilee Line Extension

The Jubilee Line Extension is the extension of the London Underground Jubilee line from to through south and east London. An eastward extension of the Jubilee line was first proposed in the 1970s and a modified route was constructed during the 1990s...

, and the damage forced Stock to pursue legal action against the London Underground

London Underground

The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...

. As a result Stock was forced to pull out of a joint deal with Cowell and BMG

BMG

to produce several artists including the band Westlife

Westlife

Westlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one...

in 1996.

In 1998 Stock and Aitken teamed up with Steve Crosby who had created the group Steps, to form the band Scooch

Scooch

Scooch are a British bubblegum dance group, comprising performers Natalie Powers, Caroline Barnes, David Ducasse and Russ Spencer.Scooch represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 in Helsinki with their song "Flying the Flag ", finishing 23rd out of 24 entries after...

. Their first single ‘When My Baby’ reached #29 and their follow up, ‘More Than I Needed To Know’, was a top 5 hit in the UK in 2000 and went to #1 in Japan. Scooch’s album ‘Four Sure’ spawned two more top 20 singles. Stock also scored a top 20 with ‘Airhead’ by girl band Girls@Play

Girls@Play

Girls@Play were a British five-piece girl group, consisting of Vicky Dowdall, Lisa-Jayne White, Rita Simons, Lynsey Shaw and Shelley Nash. They were signed to GSM Records and produced by Stock & Aitken ....

, with Eastenders

EastEnders

EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...

’ star Rita Simons that toured with Steps.
In 2003 Stock formed the label Better the Devil Records and had a huge hit with the Fast Food Song selling 200,000 CD singles. Stock wrote and produced two further singles for the Fast Food Rockers

Fast Food Rockers

The Fast Food Rockers were a British pop group known for their novelty music. The band claim to have met at a fast-food convention in Folkestone.-Career:...

including the top 10 ‘Smile Please’.

Recent

In 2005 Stock briefly teamed up with Pete Waterman

Pete Waterman

to write and produce a single for ‘The Sheilas

The Sheilas

The Sheilas are a pop girl group who found fame with Stock Aitken Waterman, after they were featured in an advertising campaign for the car insurance company Sheilas' Wheels.The Sheilas are Emma Robbins, Carly Romain and Cathi Ogden...

’ of the Sheila’s Wheels car insurance brand and again in 2010, collaborating on the UK’s entry in the Eurovision Song Contest

Eurovision Song Contest

, That Sounds Good To Me

That Sounds Good to Me

"That Sounds Good to Me" is a song written and composed by Pete Waterman, Mike Stock and Steve Crosby that finished last when it represented the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 held in Oslo, Norway...

.

Most recently Stock formed the company ‘The Show 4 Kids’, in response to the sexualisation of pop music, citing the unsuitable sexual nature of pop videos for young children. Stock created the pop musical-The Go!Go!Go! Show

Go!Go!Go!

Go!Go!Go! is a British musical group. It is part of a cross-media project comprising the pop group, theatre show and interactive website , aimed at primary-age children.-The Go!Go!Go! Show:...

with Steve Crosby to popular and critical acclaim, featuring new songs written and produced by Stock and Crosby. The Go!Go!Go! Show debuted at the Leicester Square Theatre, London in July 2010 and was performed daily at Alton Towers

Alton Towers

Alton Towers is a theme park and resort located in Staffordshire, England. It attracts around 2.7 million visitors per year making it the most visited theme park in the United Kingdom. Alton Towers is also the 9th most visited theme park in Europe...

through the entirety of their 2011 season as their resident attraction. During the summer of 2011 The Go!Go!Go! Show began a regional tour of theatres across the UK finishing at the Garrick Theatre

Garrick Theatre

The Garrick Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Charing Cross Road, in the City of Westminster. It opened on 24 April 1889 with The Profligate, a play by Arthur Wing Pinero. In its early years, it appears to have specialised in the performance of melodrama, and today the theatre is a...

, London

London

in October.

External links

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Biography

Formation and Early Hits: Divine, Hazell Dean, Dead or Alive (1984-85)

The Hit Factory: Bananarama, Mel and Kim, Princess (1985-86)

Rick Astley, Ferry Aid (1987)

Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Band Aid II (1988-89)

Donna Summer, Cliff Richard and later work (1989-93)

Post SAW

Recent

See also

External links