DS Forums

 
 

Stock, Aitken & Waterman


Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 30-09-2011, 16:03
Razor61289
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Sussex
Posts: 519

Anyone else a fan of their stuff? its a bit formulaic but its a proven format. The likes of Jason Donovan, Kylie Minogue, Mel & Kim etc, all great acts imo.
Razor61289 is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
Old 30-09-2011, 16:07
oh vienna
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Kent
Posts: 1,171
I am! I can't help myself, as I was about five when Kylie launched her singing career and it seemed every little girl back then worshipped her by default. There was also Sonia, and, a bit earlier on, Princess.

I think Princess was the best singer they had on their label, with songs that still sound amazing today. She should have been a much bigger star than she was.
oh vienna is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 30-09-2011, 18:16
smfan123
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 3,190
yep me too! I'm a massive kylie fan and some of my favourite songs of hers are from her SAW era (better the devil you know, never too late, what do i have to do)

I also really like

Donna Summer 'this time i know it's for real'
Sonia 'You'll never stop me from loving you'
Brother Beyond 'the harder i try'
Kim Appleby 'don't worry'
smfan123 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 30-09-2011, 18:23
Gaditano
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Sussex by the sea
Posts: 2,068
I don't think Kim's 'Don't Worry' was SAW, though it was certainly produced to sound LIKE them. Great track!

Lonnie Gordon's 'Happening All Over Again' was an SAW classic, though I think either S or A had left the team!!
Gaditano is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 30-09-2011, 19:00
_Venger_
Inactive Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 3,150
I download a S A & W greatest hits the other day

So many cheesetastic classics

Dead or Alive's You Spin me Round being one of their best moments
_Venger_ is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 30-09-2011, 19:05
andymc35
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 75
This is definitely the best SAW collection around http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gold-Stock-A.../dp/B000BM7U0K It's one of my prized possessions.

Great feel-good music - Divine's You Think You're A Man, Sinitta's Toy Boy, Sam Fox, Donna Summer, even SAW Cliff Richard was great.
andymc35 is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 30-09-2011, 19:39
oh vienna
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Kent
Posts: 1,171
Touch Me is such a ridiculous, terrible song. But I love it anyway.
oh vienna is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 30-09-2011, 19:52
Gaditano
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Sussex by the sea
Posts: 2,068
Don't forget Big Fun!!!

Although many would like to.......
Gaditano is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 30-09-2011, 21:01
player1
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Glasgow
Posts: 2,456
"Turn it into love" ( both the SAW Kylie and Hazel Dean versions ) are right up there on my cheese-fest list
player1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 30-09-2011, 21:06
rybev
Inactive Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Beverley
Posts: 1,820
I love SAW!!!
Perfect singalong pop.

I do a bit of Dj mixing and recently did 3 SAW megamixes which are fantastic even if I do say so myself.

Best "obvious" track: Donna Summer - This Time I Know It's For Real.

Best "less obvious" track: Sabrina -All Of Me
rybev is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-10-2011, 04:56
mickmars
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: 1984
Posts: 7,109
SAW are what they are - some of those songs were epic and some not so much.
I always say to critics,if it was that easy to have so many hits,then why hasn't anyone else done it
mickmars is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-10-2011, 05:17
CeeO
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Suffolk, UK
Posts: 747
I'm actually a fan of their less successful or at least less well known stuff such as Brilliant - Love Is War (superb), Three Degrees, and the stuff they produced on Haywoode's LP.
Also PWL remixes of songs were often creative and gave a mundane track a fresh lick of paint.
As mentioned already in this thread, Princess was always a fave.

Mainstream stuff I liked includes Rick Astley (first time I heard NGGYU I thought it was Michael McDonald!) Mel And Kim, Donna Summer and probably loads more if I think hard enough.
I think I can appreciate a lot of that stuff more now in the current context than I did back then.
CeeO is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-10-2011, 07:11
mushymanrob
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: derby
Posts: 14,765
oh lord wheres miles?.... lol

hate everything about them, their 'un'music music, cheap tacky repetitive rubbish that heralded the death of real pop music (as in pop music made by and performed by pop stars). manufactured pap is the lowest form of 'music' removing all artistry, creativity, from the 'artist' who is in effect nothing more then a figurehead for some old mans money making venture. pop music shouldnt be about that, it should be about successive generations creating their own style, not being nothing more then a karaoke singer for watermans pocket filling.
mushymanrob is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-10-2011, 10:33
too_fast_4_u
Inactive Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: inside the PS3
Posts: 1,080
SAW left there mark on the music industry and no matter how much people including myself hate manufactured pop, most people in that era no the words to i should be so lucky and never gonna give u up.

SAW had hits and had some terrible songs but cheesy pop isn't all bad, no matter what the old timers think
too_fast_4_u is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-10-2011, 11:39
CeeO
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Suffolk, UK
Posts: 747
SAW had hits and had some terrible songs
Yep agreed! But also (some) decent singers placed over pretty good contemporary pop/dance music, after all you could argue that anyone who doesn't make their own music completely unassisted from scratch is 'manufactured' to some degree. I think it's demeaning to some of the talent that recorded at PWL to dismiss it all as creatively flawed just because of the production team behind it. Or, quite simply just because the end result is not to an individual's personal taste - as ultimately that's what counts; does it float your boat or not?

Don't get me wrong I'm not a fan of everything they did (by far) but just because music is not made by 'real people playing real instruments' (*yawn*) doesn't make it any less legitimate or negate the value of the talent, or popularity of the end result.
CeeO is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-10-2011, 12:09
Brummy Girl
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Birmingham
Posts: 7,613
SAW was my favourite era of pop, mid-late 80s. I also loved other artists from that era too i.e. Prince, Madonna, Michael Jackson etc but SAW's cheesy pop was so appealing to a child like myself who was Primary School age.

Yes the music was formulaic and predictable but there were some gems from them as well: Roadblock (their own hit), Say I'm Your Number One (Princess), You Spin Me Round (Dead Or Alive), Respectable & That's The Way It Is (Mel & Kim), What Do I Have To Do & Better The Devil You Know (Kylie).

I believe there was one year (I think it was 1988) where they had at least one song in the Top 40 every week of that year.
Brummy Girl is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-10-2011, 13:21
leosw4
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: London
Posts: 2,667
Prior to becoming mainstream pop act producers, they churned out some decent stuff which was in part aimed at the dance club's, Princess, Three Degrees, early Hazel Dean stuff like that.

There was occasional works of pop brilliance after this period, Donna Summer, Mel & Kim, the Rythm of Love period of Kylie, but most of it was chuff-1989 output being truly shocking.

They did actually work with Mandy Smith, who had the relationship with Bill Wyman during their lets sign anyone who has a high profile in the media period-and the track although not a big commercial hit crossed over into the clubs and was a big Ibiza anthem.

Of course its unsurprising given these type signings, that Waterman himself was responsible for moulding and mentoring the ultimate act of terror to hit the music industry-Simon Cowell.
leosw4 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-10-2011, 20:29
Mike_1101
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Lancs
Posts: 7,928
Prior to becoming mainstream pop act producers, they churned out some decent stuff which was in part aimed at the dance club's, Princess, Three Degrees, early Hazel Dean stuff like that.

There was occasional works of pop brilliance after this period, Donna Summer, Mel & Kim, the Rythm of Love period of Kylie, but most of it was chuff-1989 output being truly shocking.

They did actually work with Mandy Smith, who had the relationship with Bill Wyman during their lets sign anyone who has a high profile in the media period-and the track although not a big commercial hit crossed over into the clubs and was a big Ibiza anthem.

Of course its unsurprising given these type signings, that Waterman himself was responsible for moulding and mentoring the ultimate act of terror to hit the music industry-Simon Cowell.
I've never seen the Mandy Smith CD in this country but I found a copy in a supermarket bargain bin on the continent.

It's not great but she makes a fair stab at "Duel" originally recorded by Propaganda.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rF5JoDSyDLw

SAW also recorded some material by Divine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pd2Gzkkwe9Q
although I think his Bobby Orlando material was better
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GvUp7bHa2M
Mike_1101 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-10-2011, 01:13
Mystic Dave
Inactive Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,152
........ should be jailed for crimes against music along with DJ Eric Pryzd.
Mystic Dave is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-10-2011, 10:11
mushymanrob
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: derby
Posts: 14,765
SAW left there mark on the music industry and no matter how much people including myself hate manufactured pop, most people in that era no the words to i should be so lucky and never gonna give u up.

SAW had hits and had some terrible songs but cheesy pop isn't all bad, no matter what the old timers think
that depends upon what standard you think music should be set at... ok, i like some cheesy manufactured pop, but its a case of quantity. they made manufactured pop acceptable to an audience who had previously scourned such 'non music'.. the legacy is around today and id suggest the poor state of the singles chart is down to the rot that begun with these characters. pop should be youth lead, not lead by old businessmen intent on only making money.

Prior to becoming mainstream pop act producers, they churned out some decent stuff which was in part aimed at the dance club's, Princess, Three Degrees, early Hazel Dean stuff like that.

There was occasional works of pop brilliance after this period, Donna Summer, Mel & Kim, the Rythm of Love period of Kylie, but most of it was chuff-1989 output being truly shocking.

They did actually work with Mandy Smith, who had the relationship with Bill Wyman during their lets sign anyone who has a high profile in the media period-and the track although not a big commercial hit crossed over into the clubs and was a big Ibiza anthem.

Of course its unsurprising given these type signings, that Waterman himself was responsible for moulding and mentoring the ultimate act of terror to hit the music industry-Simon Cowell.
agreed, and illustrates my hatred for them and the damage they started after some ok tracks.

........ should be jailed for crimes against music along with DJ Eric Pryzd.
lol... agreed!
mushymanrob is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-10-2011, 10:37
unique
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 8,036
they were to the 80s what the x factor was to the 00s. the worst things to happen to music
unique is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-10-2011, 13:28
leosw4
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: London
Posts: 2,667
I should have added, that apart from giving Cowell a break, they could have been arrested alone for the abomination that was the cover of 'Blame it on the Boogie'. Truly shocking that what was a joyous piece of music by the Jacksons, could be turned into an abomination 'by three Jason Donovan wannabes'-which in itself is a joke. (Still I should saw this coming when they remixed I Want You Back 12 months earlier.
leosw4 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-10-2011, 14:20
DaveMusicCharts
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 232
It also depends on the artists
Donna Summer's collaboration with SAW ('Another Place And Time') was a great album

http://www.musicchartheaven.com/donn...otherplace.htm
DaveMusicCharts is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 02-10-2011, 18:14
Eraserhead
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Holodeck 4
Posts: 21,476
oh lord wheres miles?.... lol

hate everything about them, their 'un'music music, cheap tacky repetitive rubbish that heralded the death of real pop music (as in pop music made by and performed by pop stars). manufactured pap is the lowest form of 'music' removing all artistry, creativity, from the 'artist' who is in effect nothing more then a figurehead for some old mans money making venture. pop music shouldnt be about that, it should be about successive generations creating their own style, not being nothing more then a karaoke singer for watermans pocket filling.
+1

Couldn't agree more. I think perhaps pop music was heading into the black hole of talent oblivion anyway but SAW certainly pushed it right down there and slammed the lid shut.

The beginnings of the Hit Factory was ground zero for modern cheesy, manufactured bubblegum pop and that would not necessarily have been a bad thing (cheesy manufactured pop has existed at least since the heyday of pop impresario and murderer Phil Spector) were it not for the fact that profit came before talent or anything else. Musicianship was pushed almost completely to the background - you have to pay musicians and songwriters, so forget about instrumentation and just use a cheap backbeat and synthesised rhythms. No-one will notice as long as there's a strong vocal and a simple melody to hook the kids with.

Their legacy two decades on is a pop chart brimming with vocalists and barely any musical accompaniment to the songs, made as cheaply as possible for maximum profit.

The SAW era sounded like a zero-effort enterprise because it was. To their credit they created some catchy tunes - they found a formula which the public liked and they stuck to it. Unfortunately it was the aural equivalent of a Big Mac.
Eraserhead is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-10-2011, 18:33
Mike_1101
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Lancs
Posts: 7,928
+1

Couldn't agree more. I think perhaps pop music was heading into the black hole of talent oblivion anyway but SAW certainly pushed it right down there and slammed the lid shut.

The beginnings of the Hit Factory was ground zero for modern cheesy, manufactured bubblegum pop and that would not necessarily have been a bad thing (cheesy manufactured pop has existed at least since the heyday of pop impresario and murderer Phil Spector) were it not for the fact that profit came before talent or anything else. Musicianship was pushed almost completely to the background - you have to pay musicians and songwriters, so forget about instrumentation and just use a cheap backbeat and synthesised rhythms. No-one will notice as long as there's a strong vocal and a simple melody to hook the kids with.

Their legacy two decades on is a pop chart brimming with vocalists and barely any musical accompaniment to the songs, made as cheaply as possible for maximum pr
ofit.

The SAW era sounded like a zero-effort enterprise because it was. To their credit they created some catchy tunes - they found a formula which the public liked and they stuck to it. Unfortunately it was the aural equivalent of a Big Mac.
To be fair to SAW, real instruments seemed to disappear from recordings before they started. I'm struggling to think of any records made after 1982 that included brass or string sections.

This Culture Club song is the last one I can think of
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74LOcw-ap-g
"Time (Clock Of The Heart)"

I think the synthesized equivalents just sound cheap, but there's probably no going back.
Mike_1101 is offline   Reply With Quote
 
Reply




 
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 15:10.