Stock Aitken Waterman at the BBC
11:15 pm - 12:45 am, Saturday, February 7 on BBC Two England (2)
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About this Broadcast
Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman were the producers who conquered the UK charts in the 1980s, with their instantly recognisable brand of disco floor-filling pop hits. They divided the nation between those who loved their high-energy sound and the singers they transformed into cheesy pop sensations, and a music press that loathed them for turning music-making into a production line. This selection celebrates some of their most memorable hits, from acts including Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Rick Astley, Dead or Alive, Donna Summer, Bananarama, and Mel and Kim
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General
Music/Ballet/Dance
Cast & Crew
Kylie Minogue
(Performer)
Jason Donovan
(Performer)
Rick Astley
(Performer)
Simon Goretzki
(Series producer)
Shelley Talton
(Producer)
More Information
Did You Know..
Kylie Minogue
(Performer)
Born:
May 28, 1968
in
Melbourne, Australia
Best Known For:
Neighbours and years of chart hits
Early-life:
Born Kylie Ann Minogue on May 28, 1968, in Melbourne, Australia. Her parents are from Maesteg, Wales. The eldest of three children, her sister Dannii is also an actress and singer, while brother Brendan is a cameraman. She wanted a career in showbusiness from an early age. At 10, she had a role in Australian wartime soap The Sullivans and played Jason Donovan's sister in Skyways. She hasn't looked back since.
Career:
Playing tomboy Charlene in Neighbours turned her into a star in 1986. Two years later, after becoming one of the show's biggest stars, she left. Minogue settled in the UK and began a successful music career, topping the charts with I Should Be So Lucky. Big-screen offering The Delinquents also boosted her profile. In 2001 she enjoyed her most successful era for years with No 1 album Fever and No 1 single Can't Get You Out Of My Head. She also sang at the Sydney Olympics and provided a voice for the Magic Roundabout movie in 2005. She's successfully battled breast cancer and continues to tour and release albums.
Quote:
"If someone feels they have to live up to a certain image, then I can kind of understand that pressure because I'm considered to be one of those images, and I know how unreal they are."
Trivia:
She has worked as a coach on The Voice UK and The Voice Australia.
Jason Donovan
(Performer)
Born:
June 01, 1968
in
Melbourne, Australia
Best Known For:
Playing Scott Robinson in Neighbours.
Early-life:
Jason Sean Donovan was born in Melbourne, Australia, on June 1, 1968, to actor Terence Donovan and newsreader Sue McIntosh. They split when Jason was a child; he was raised by his father, and as a result spent much of his childhood on TV sets. Jason made his TV debut at the age of 11 in the drama Skyways, which led to parts in shows such as Home and Golden Pennies. His half-sister, Stephanie McIntosh, played Sky Mangel in Neighbours from 2003 to 2007.
Career:
Donovan got his big break when he replaced actor Darius Perkins as Scott Robinson in Neighbours in 1986. His three-year stint in the soap gained him international stardom and helped launch a music career. He starred on stage in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and The Rocky Horror Show, but his star waned during the 1990s. He took part in the 2006 series of I'm A Celebrity… Get Me out of Here! It gave his profile a huge boost and landed him a role on ITV's soap Echo Beach. More recently, he has continued to appear in stage productions, traced his family roots on Who Do You Think You Are? and in 2011 took part in the ninth series of Strictly Come Dancing.
Quote:
"I'm older, weathered. But the lines have made me a more interesting person."
Trivia:
He's written an autobiography and returned to the stage in various musical productions.
Rick Astley
(Performer)
Born:
February 03, 1966
in
Newton-le-Willows
Best Known For:
His chart-topping single Never Gonna Give You Up
Early-life:
Rick Paul Astley was born in Newton-le-Willows on February 3, 1966. As a child he attended St Peter's Primary School and Selwyn James High School, earning respect and acclaim for his vocal skills from a young age. As well as singing, he learnt how to play the drums, guitar, keyboard and saxophone. As part of the boyband FBI, he performed at local venues. During one of these sets in 1985, he was spotted by music mogul Pete Waterman who became the catalyst for his early career.
Career:
Two years after his first meeting with Waterman, Rick released his debut single, Never Gonna Give You Up. It went straight to number one, making him a household name. Other hits followed, including Together Forever, She Wants to Dance With Me, and his acclaimed cover of Nat King Cole's When I Fall in Love. In 1988 he was nominated for a Best New Artist Grammy Award, but as the decade drew to a close, success waned. He returned in 1993 with a new album, but this failed to set the charts on fire, so following the birth of his daughter, he unofficially retired from the industry. In 2004, he toured for the first time in 14 years.
Quote:
On his career to date and new album, Portrait: "I've come full circle. I'm so removed from 1987, I can look back on it myself and say 'Wasn't that a bit of fun?'"
Trivia:
He has sold more than 40 million records worldwide.
Simon Goretzki
(Series producer)
Shelley Talton
(Producer)
