90s music

She was our very first interviewee back in Episode 1 — and we finally reach the conclusion of Hazell Dean's Stock Aitken Waterman journey with her version of "Better Off Without You", which was released in 1991. The Queen of Hi-NRG joins us once again to discuss recording a song previously cut by Lonnie Gordon and her thoughts about the SAW sound struggling in the early '90s. Girl group Delage were also finding it hard to land a hit with original SAW tune "Running Back For More" missing the mark. Karina and Emma from the group return to chat about the track and Delage's metamorphosis into Eden once they left the Hit Factory. Pat Sharp and Mick Brown also pop in to talk about their 1991 charity cover, "Gimme Some", and we hear from Jason Donovan, Mike Stock and Sharon McPhilemy about "R.S.V.P." — the song that gave Jason's sound and image a makeover. We also look at his first foray into musical theatre and the ramifications of that on his working relationship with SAW.

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While "What Do I Have To Do" by Kylie Minogue stands on its own two feet as a song, the impact of the single was increased greatly due to the striking imagery on display on the single cover and in the music video. Celebrity stylist David Thomas takes us right back to the early years of his career and tells the story of how he was hired to style the video. His desire to take Kylie into a much more fashionable direction was something she was right on board with and their collaboration produced some of the most iconic visual images of her career. Video director David Hogan, who also joins us on the podcast, delivered an edgy, stylish, exciting music video that remains a fan favourite — and he recalls how it came together and some of the challenges posed by particular scenes. Responsible for the phrase "SexKylie" being coined, the video for "What Do I Have To Do" was a huge step in Kylie's career that further proved how in control of her image she now was. 

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You can have the best single in the world, but there's little chance of it being a hit if no one hears it. That's where pluggers come in — taking songs to radio and convincing programmers to playlist them. In 1987, Ron McCreight and his business partner, Robert Lemon, joined forces with PWL's Pete Waterman and David Howells in a plugging company that became known as Sharp End. In this special episode, Ron talks about how the music industry power players teamed up and the role Sharp End had in not only taking Stock Aitken Waterman's music to radio and TV but also handling publicity and promotion for many of the artists to work at the Hit Factory, including Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Sinitta, Sonia, Hazell Dean, Mandy Smith, The Reynolds Girls, Big Fun, Boy Krazy and more.

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Check out previews of two of our most popular bonus track-by-track episodes. Gavin and Matt discuss Kylie, the debut album by Kylie Minogue, and, with special guest Barry Stone, talk about the first SAW-produced album by Dead Or Alive, Youthquake. As well as giving our thoughts on every song, we count down listeners' favourite tracks. If you enjoy these sneak peeks, you can subscribe to hear the full bonus episodes and all the other extra content at chartbeats.com.au/subscribe.
Meanwhile, existing subscribers can now listen to the bonus track-by-track episode for If I Have To Stand Alone by Lonnie Gordon, which has been added to the bonus content.
Thanks to everyone for listening and supporting the podcast — see you in 2024 for more of A Journey Through Stock Aitken Waterman.

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It wasn't a given that Deni Hines would pursue a career a music. Despite her mother, Marcia Hines, being one of the most recognisable pop stars in Australia, Deni had other interests and suffered from performance anxiety in her younger years. But her vocal talent soon got her snapped up as a backing singer for artists like Wa Wa Nee, Peter Blakeley and Kylie Minogue. It was her voice that also saw her hired as the latest frontperson for funk/dance band Rockmelons. In a frank and unflinching interview, Deni shares exactly what she thought of their collaboration and the hits that ensued. She also recalls guesting on "Not Enough Time" by INXS and what Michael Hutchence was like to work with in the studio. Then, after a solo deal in the US fell apart for reasons beyond her control, Deni landed at Mushroom Records and scored a top 5 hit with "It's Alright". She describes the process of putting together her debut album, Imagination, in London and follow-up singles like "I'm Not In Love" and "Delicious", a duet with Don-E that was added to the UK version of the album (retitled Pay Attention). When her time at Mushroom came to an end — following early 2000s single "Frenzy" — Deni went independent, and she talks about her various projects over the past couple of decades, including Water For Chocolate, The Soul Sessions and her upcoming album, due in 2024.

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What a tumultuous year 1990 had been for the Hit Factory — and the final four singles produced by Stock Aitken Waterman that year certainly highlight that. What should have been Lonnie Gordon's second SAW-produced single, "If I Have To Stand Alone", came out as her third, but despite being in the same vein as top 5 hit "Happenin' All Over Again", it under-performed on the UK chart and the If I Have To Stand Alone album wasn't even released there at the time. Lonnie joins us for one final time to discuss the disappointment she faced as a result and the US dance hits she recorded with Black Box in the following years. New girl group Delage was launched in December 1990 with a remake of disco classic "Rock The Boat" — and Karina and Emma from the group reveal how the project came about. Meanwhile, one final single was belatedly released from Donna Summer's Another Place And Time album. Mike Stock tells us about the lyrical change Donna requested for "Breakaway" and the late singer's husband and manager, Bruce Sudano, talks about the song's success in South America and why Donna ultimately decided not to return to PWL. And we take a look at "Send A Prayer (To Heaven)" by Errol Brown — an often-forgotten Christmas song by the late former singer of Hot Chocolate.

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Born to parents who both worked in the entertainment industry, Dannielle Gaha grew up surrounded by singing and dancing, training and helping out at the talent school run by her mother, Janice Breen. She made her first steps into the industry herself by appearing on TV talent contest Star Search, which led to ongoing singing work with judge Glenn Shorrock and, through that, her big break — being picked to record duet "Communication" with John Farnham. Dannielle, who now goes by her married name DeAndrea, recalls those early stages of her career and what it was like performing with the biggest male singer in the country on the anti-drugs hit. She also discusses the music she released as a solo performer, Australian single "I Like It" and the three tracks through her deal with Epic Records in the UK: "Stuck In The Middle", "Do It For Love" and "Secret Love", most of which involved input from Wa Wa Nee's Paul Gray. Although that solo pop career didn't take off as she hoped, she landed on her feet in the mid-'90s with an ongoing gig as one-half of The Nissan Cedrics on Roy & HG's series, Club Buggery, and since then has carved out a diverse career in a range of musical styles.

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After the big creative risk that was previous single and video "Better The Devil You Know", Kylie Minogue and Stock Aitken Waterman went for something more playful with follow-up "Step Back In Time". With its fun lyrical nod to '70s disco music and a video dripping in retro style, the song was pure pop joy — and another big hit at a time when the Hit Factory sorely needed one. Mike Stock and Matt Aitken recall pulling the lyrics together for the nostalgic tune, while Phil Harding and Ian Curnow provide insight into the mixing stage, which was a crucial part of the process in delivering a single that satisfied Kylie's desire to be relevant in clubs. Phil and Ian also discuss the track they wrote with Kylie in 1990, "I Am The One For You", as part of PWL's efforts to accommodate her eagerness to develop her songwriting skills. Over in the US, Kylie also wrote with Michael Jay, who returns to the podcast to talk about Rhythm Of Love track "The World Still Turns", while former PWL engineer Peter Day also shares memories of working on the album, in particular the track "Always Find The Time". And on the visual side of things, Nick Egan details how he came to work with Kylie on both the "Step Back In Time" video and the cover for Rhythm Of Love. 

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It was inevitable that singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Rick Price would forge a career in the music industry, but rather than jumping at any offer of a record deal that came his way, he took his time to ensure the situation was just right. Before signing to Sony Music and releasing debut album Heaven Knows in 1992, he worked for many years as a session singer, appearing in a national ad for Australia's Bicentennial in 1988 and on charity single "You're Not Alone" by Australian Olympians. He was also involved in the early stages of Girlfriend's career as a songwriter. When his own deal did fall into place as he wanted it to, he hit the ground running with back-to-back top 10 hits "Not A Day Goes By" and "Heaven Knows". Ever conscious of doing things his way, Rick switched up his sound for second album Tamborine Mountain — and he talks about his label's response to a less commercial approach and how they convinced him to come back to pop for third album Another Place. Rick also discusses his more recent independently released albums, his move to Nashville and collaboration with fellow early '90s star Jack Jones.

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Although she had been signed to PWL in the UK for a while and scored a couple of hits with remakes of "Don't Make Me Over" and "Walk On By", Sybil went into the studio with Stock Aitken Waterman in 1990 to record soulful ballad "Make It Easy On Me". The American singer/songwriter joins us to discuss starting out with US label Next Plateau in 1986, her string of club hits that caught the attention of PWL, those Bacharach & David covers with Tony King's pivotal remix work and what it was like working with SAW themselves. Earlier in the episode, Matt Aitken helps us unpack "Wow Wow Na Na" by Grand Plaz and "Ole Ole Ole" by LA Mood — two SAW-produced dance tracks that were released anonymously. And as we reach Jason Donovan's final single from Between The Lines, "I'm Doin' Fine", we hear from him and his tour backing singer Dannielle Gaha about life — and love! — on the road.

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Although they'd achieved some hits with ballads that they had produced, Stock Aitken Waterman were better known for their uptempo pop/dance tracks, but in mid-1990, four ballads in a row emerged from the Hit Factory. Three of those were the latest releases in the jukebox era series of remakes, with Big Fun ("Hey There Lonely Girl"), Sonia ("End Of The World") and Jason Donovan ("Rhythm Of The Rain") all reinterpreting golden oldies. In the cases of those first two artists, it would be their final singles with SAW — and we discuss what became of both Big Fun and Sonia after they parted ways with PWL. Also this episode, Lonnie Gordon's long-awaited follow-up to "Happenin' All Over Again" finally hit stores, but it was a complete change in style from the song that had taken her into the UK top 5. Mike Stock, Julian Gingell and Lonnie herself talk about the situation involving soulful ballad "Beyond Your Wildest Dreams" being chosen over clubbier tracks "How Could He Do This To Me" and "If I Have To Stand Alone".

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When they came to work with Stock Aitken Waterman, pop act Yell! had one top 10 hit under their belt already — a remake of Dan Hartman's "Instant Replay". Signed to Simon Cowell's Fanfare label, the duo comprised of Daniel James and Paul Varney recorded their follow-up, "One Thing Leads To Another", with SAW, but it was not the success anyone hoped it would be, despite being a fresh new sound from the Hit Factory and the guys both being talented singers. Paul joins us to discuss his start in the entertainment industry and Yell!'s short-lived career, while we explore the external factors that impacted their success, including record company wrangling and negative press that took a particularly cruel tone. As it would turn out, not even Jason Donovan was able to live up to his previous successes in mid-1990 as his latest single, "Another Night", became his first to miss the top 10. Jason talks about the reaction to that chart shock and why going out on the road later in the year would prove essential to his longevity. Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, Peter Day and David Howells also share their thoughts on the Between The Lines era of Jason's career. 

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They'd been on the verge of breaking through for a couple of years, and sisters Romi & Jazz had their hopes up when their record label paired them with Stock Aitken Waterman for their latest single in 1990. The siblings join us to share their musical journey — from their first steps into the industry with a bhangra meets hi-NRG remake of The Four Tops' "Reach Out", which was co-produced by former SAW associate Pete Ware, to their two initial singles with Chrysalis Records, "People In The House" and "Love Crime". Romi and Jazz talk about their aim of breaking down barriers with their fusion sound and rewriting the rule book for Asian women, despite some resistance from men in their culture to them even being onstage in the first place. Their collaboration with SAW, "One Love One World", was a club-influenced, socially conscious track born out of Romi and Jazz talking to Mike Stock and Matt Aitken about the struggles they'd faced as young Indian women. Another song with a more serious theme than you'd expect from the Hit Factory was "You've Got A Friend", a collaboration between Sonia and Big Fun (featuring Gary Barnacle on saxophone) for UK charity Childline. With help from Matt Aitken, we discuss the record and why the original track was chosen over a cover of the Carole King song of the same name, which the pop stars also recorded.

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From their beginnings holding warehouse parties in Sydney's inner city to their string of chart hits in the late '80s and early '90s, Rockmelons always stood out from the rest of the Australian music scene by championing genres that few others did — and taking them mainstream. Formed by the core trio of Ray Medhurst and brothers Bryon and Jonathon Jones, the funk/soul/R&B/hip-hop/dance-influenced band also welcomed a series of regular and guest vocalists to their line-up, including John Kenny (the singer of "Rhymes" and "New Groove", among others), Sandi Chick, Peter Blakeley, Wendy Matthews and Deni Hines (who fronted "Ain't No Sunshine", "That Word (L.O.V.E.)" and "It's Not Over"). In an in-depth interview, Bryon and Ray recall the hurdles they surmounted on first two albums Tales Of The City and Form One Planet — lack of radio support, friction with certain collaborators, recording delays — and their against-the-odds success. They also talk about 2002's comeback album, Rockies 3, and the spanner in the works that prevented that enjoying a higher profile. 

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After two very successful albums at PWL, but little in the way of artistic control, Kylie Minogue was ready for a change. And in this first part of a two-part special looking at landmark release "Better The Devil You Know", we hear from those closest to her about the strategy taken to compel Stock Aitken Waterman to agree to a more collaborative approach. From directly influencing the style of tracks — edgier, clubbier — to veto power on the final mixes, Kylie gained input to an extent way beyond any other Hit Factory artist. In turn, SAW delivered what is widely regarded as one of their all-time best tracks. The lead single from eventual third studio album Rhythm Of Love, "Better The Devil You Know" was SAW tapping back into their club roots, but in a way that was still pure pop. And while the song has gone down as a landmark release in Kylie's career, not everyone was thrilled with the way the working relationship or the musical output was developing. In Part 2 (coming soon), we'll focus on the game-changing music video. Interviews in Part 1: Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, Yoyo, Pete Hammond, Julian Gingell, Miriam Stockley, Karen Hewitt and one more very special guest connected to Kylie, who features on the podcast for the first time.

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As vocalist of Do-Ré-Mi and as a solo artist, Deborah Conway has received critical acclaim and mainstream success, but in this wide-ranging interview, the singer/songwriter reveals her music career hasn't always been smooth sailing. From the unexpected success of Do-Ré-Mi's debut single for Virgin Records, "Man Overboard" — a song without a chorus — to the detour into a solo dance project that mostly remains locked away in the record company vault to that time in the early 2000s when she and musical and life partner Willy Zygier played in fans' lounge rooms, Deborah's story is one with surprising twists and turns. For every up, like her ARIA Award win for debut solo album String Of Pearls (which included hits "It's Only The Beginning" and "Under My Skin"), there's the tale of Do-Ré-Mi being pressured to go more pop on second album The Happiest Place In Town (which featured top 30 single "Adultery"). It's all delivered with Deborah's renowned dry wit and sharp sense of humour.

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A song that was originally intended just to be used in a dream sequence on soap opera E Street became the highest-selling Australian single of 1991 when it was released as the debut for then-teenage actress and singer Melissa Tkautz. That song was "Read My Lips" and in a frank and at times raw interview, Melissa reveals her naivety about the track's sexual overtones and how its success took everyone by surprise. She also talks about follow-ups "Sexy (Is The Word)" and "Skin To Skin", recording debut album Fresh and how she juggled her TV work with her music commitments. Melissa opens up about some of the experiences she had as a young pop star that were less than enjoyable and how she would have liked more creative input and control over her recordings — something she was able to achieve with her music comeback in 2005 with the Lost And Found album and her remake of "The Glamorous Life". As well as touching on personal tragedy and lessons learnt during her decades in the entertainment industry, Melissa celebrates her pop star experience and the whirlwind she was unexpectedly swept up in.

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Her time at PWL might not have yielded any hits, but the short-lived pop career of Japanese singer Kakko is the stuff of legend. We take a deep dive into the story behind her debut single, "We Should Be Dancing”, hearing from PWL’s David Howells and Nicki L’Amy Brée about how the aspiring performer learnt the ropes at the label before being sent into the studio with both Mike Stock and Matt Aitken, and Phil Harding and Ian Curnow, all of whom also recall the project. After an aborted first attempt with a song called "Stop The Clock”, Stock and Aitken settled on “We Should Be Dancing”, which is one of the most polarising SAW singles of all time. While Kakko didn’t trouble the UK chart, the latest releases from Big Fun, Sonia and Pat & Mick kept the Hit Factory in the top 40, although not always at positions the artists had become accustomed to. As musical trends changed dramatically in 1990, we hear from engineer Peter Day about SAW’s latest trick to keep their tracks club-friendly: the ubiquitous “woo! yeah!” sample, which featured on both Big Fun’s “Handful Of Promises” and “Counting Every Minute” by Sonia. Pat Sharp and Mick Brown also join us again to reflect on the unexpected achievements of their remake of “Use It Up And Wear It Out”.

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New year. New artist. New hit. Stock Aitken Waterman's hit streak continued in 1990 with the breakthrough single for American club artist Lonnie Gordon, who had relocated to the UK in the 1980s and made a name for herself with a series of personality-filled anthems like "No Regrets", "Love Eviction", "(I've Got Your) Pleasure Control" and "It's Not Over". We hear from Lonnie about those early records — and their spoken sections — and how she targeted SAW as the producers she wanted to take her to the next level. After signing a deal with Supreme Records, home of Mel & Kim and Princess, Lonnie found herself working with PWL soon enough, with the Black Box-inspired "Happenin' All Over Again" the vehicle to take her to a more mainstream audience. Lonnie recalls the experience of working with Mike Stock and Matt Aitken on the UK top 5 track, while Mike, PWL's Julian Gingell and Supreme Records' Nick East all give their memories of the redoubtable singer.

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Any fears that the public had tired of Stock Aitken Waterman were dismissed as 1990 got underway and the latest single by Kylie Minogue became the next UK chart-topper for the trio. Taken from the soundtrack to her feature film debut in The Delinquents, Kylie's remake of 1950s classic "Tears On My Pillow" got the new decade off to a great start in terms of UK chart success, although the single was not as embraced in Australia, where it became her lowest-charting hit to date. As well as looking at the cover version, we talk about the film it was released to support and the controversy at the time about the more grown-up content in The Delinquents. We also hear from Kylie's Australian-based stylist Nicole Bonython-Hines about the star's iconic look for the film's Sydney premiere. Then, we welcome Mike Stock back to the podcast for a special chat about B-sides in general and, specifically, "We Know The Meaning Of Love", the track which appeared on the flip side of "Tears On My Pillow" and just may have been considered as a duet at one point.

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