Blast from the Past: Stock Aitken Waterman’s Hit Factory
Stock Aitken Waterman’s domination of the charts lasted a decade, but the music press’ revulsion towards their work has lasted much longer. Derided as formulaic, cheesy and grating, they have received little serious critical attention, despite having worked with some of the most popular (Kylie, Rick Astley, Bananarama, Steps) and most respected (Donna Summer, Depeche Mode, Erasure) artists of the past half-century. Whilst SAW may have put out too many similar-sounding singles in their lifetime, the production team’s commitment to discovering new artists and genres, ways of producing and consistent hits deserves its time in the spotlight.
Right from the start in the mid-eighties, SAW experimented with new ways of production and brought exciting marginal figures into the mainstream. Like their highly regarded contemporary Trevor Horn, SAW were working at a time when the pop charts and club scene had begun to mix in the post-punk atmosphere, favouring lush production and danceable tunes to the austereness of acts such as Joy Division. However, their early acts pushed the boundaries to an even greater extent than Horn’s Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Divine, the outrageous drag-queen featured in John Waters’ movies, and LGBTQ icon Hazell Dean were early signings, SAW creating high-NRG songs for them that found acceptance both in clubs and on the charts. Similarly, a remix of popular club act Dead or Alive’s song ‘You Spin me Round’ found success on the dance floor due to the inclusion of the sounds of dogs rutting, but then became a chart-topping hit for the band in 1984. From day one, SAW were producing work that was able to attract mainstream and fringe audiences, while pushing the boundaries of what was acceptable in a pop song and making full use of the synths and drum machines which would form the basis of their house style.
This house style is another important aspect of SAW that has been overlooked. Although it did admittedly begin to sound like an ‘assembly line’, as the contemporary music press saw it, SAW were one of the first production companies to fully commit to a style of songwriting and production consistent across many of their artists, now standard industry practice for producers such as Dr. Luke. SAW were also much more flexible than has been recognised as to how to market their performers. They were responsible both for Kylie’s Neighbors-derived ‘girl next door image’, as well as the pounding club hit reinvention of tracks such as ‘Step Back in Time’ and ‘Better the Devil you Know’. SAW should be applauded both for the consistent strength of their songs and for their flexibility, in adapting both to the times and the demands of the artist. There is no shame in producing strong, mainstream hits that make chart history, and SAW did this in spades.
They should also be commended for the range of performers they discovered, and their willingness to develop them. SAW talent came from everywhere, from working on dance mixes of established acts like Erasure or Depeche Mode, to recruiting their tea boy, Rick Astley, on the strength of his voice. When the unknown Sonia demanded an audition, SAW respected her moxie and recognised her talents. This seems much more similar to the practice of Rough Trade than to a modern production company, and shows a marked desire to discover new talent and give them the benefit of SAW’s experience. Even if this may have been a marketing move which many of these artists resisted, it shows both the influence of their indie experience on how to discover new acts regardless of background, and provides a forerunner of the ‘open auditions’ mechanism of talent shows like The X Factor. In short, SAW bridges the gap between the mainstream and the fringe.
And what of the songs themselves? They spanned multiple genres and styles, providing frameworks for future hits. The gentle synths and relaxing beats of ‘Especially for You’ can be seen as a basis for dreampop and low-fi beats, whereas ‘You’ll Never Stop Me Loving You’ prefigures the joyous, danceable and friendly energy of teenage stars like Britney or Billie Piper. The sheer camp of ‘So Macho’ or ‘Love in the First Degree’ have been gleefully accepted by the LGBT community, and have influenced modern camp classics like ‘Flying the Flag for You’ or ‘It’s Chico Time’, for better or worse. Regardless, the commitment to production and strength of songwriting have been copied by myriad producers, and can still be seen in acts like Little Mix today.
Lumped in with the Rubix Cube and Thatcher as an 80s misstep, Stock Aitken Waterman are in fact one of the most misunderstood production teams of all time. Able to produce work that balanced fringe acts and mainstream hits, innovative sampling on instrumental tracks and songs for soap stars, and with a legacy that has produced some of the most recognisable artists of the era and a blueprint for the future, their influence on the landscape of pop is immeasurable. They deserve our respect, even if we can’t say, hand on heart, that we love them.
Words by Issy Flower
Originally published at https://www.indiependent.co.uk on January 21, 2021.
