Kean Canter Mattowski: Kylie Minogue

Showing posts with label Kylie Minogue. Show all posts

Monday, 25 December 2017

7 Days of SAWmas! #7: Every Day’s Like Christmas (A Stock Aitken Waterman Remix) – Kylie Minogue

In the run up to Christmas, what better way to get into the festive spirit than to take a look at 7 Yuletide tracks Stock Aitken Waterman came up with between 1987 and 2015? Join Kean Canter Mattowski for 7 blogposts during December as we take a look back at some seasonal gems…

On the seventh day of SAWmas!, the DJ played for me….

Every Day’s Like Christmas (A Stock Aitken Waterman Remix) – Kylie Minogue

Ever since Stock & Waterman parted ways in 1993, fans have hoped that Mike, Matt and Pete would reunite to make music. Sure, Stock & Aitken did team up again in 1994 in a successful partnership which lasted until the early 2000s, whilst Waterman found new partners to work with and also enjoyed success. However, court cases and public spats over the years suggested that relations (on a business level at least) between the two factions were strained.

There was a glimmer of hope when the trio came together in 2005 to publicise the Stock Aitken Waterman Gold collection, with the three talking about making a comeback. Alas, this promise did not reach full fruition; Aitken abstained, leaving Stock & Waterman to team up on a one-off single for girl band The Sheilas (and, latterly, the 2010 UK Eurovision entry).

But December 2015 saw fans get the Christmas present they had been waiting for.

And, even better, it was all thanks to Kylie Minogue.

Minogue had been working on material for a Christmas album, Kylie Christmas, for release in late 2015. She had been working with various collaborators, including Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin.

In an interesting move, Coldplay had hooked up with hit Norwegian record production team Stargate (comprising Mikkel Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen) to create the band’s seventh album A Head Full of Stars in 2015.

It would appear that this collaboration led to Martin, Eriksen and Hermansen writing a Christmas song for Kylie Christmas. As per modern recording technology, Stargate produced the original track, with longtime Kylie collaborator Steve Anderson recording and producing the lead vocal track.

The resultant track, Every Day’s Like Christmas, is an atmospheric mid-tempo ballad, and was singled out as one of the highlights of the album, thus marking it out as a candidate as Kylie’s Christmas single.

However, no-one expected that Kylie and her record label Parlophone had approached Pete Waterman to ask if he, Mike Stock and Matt Aitken would come together again to remix the track in the trademark style.

The original triumvirate had not made a record together for 24 years, and whilst Stock & Waterman had collaborated in the meantime, the prospect of all three working together again had seemed unlikely.

But Mike, Matt and Pete agreed to reunite to work on this Kylie project; the brief was that the SAW version should be “dead retro” with “nothing modern”.

The full title of the release is Every Day’s Like Christmas (A Stock Aitken Waterman Remix) but the use of the word “remix” is misleading. Stock asserts that SAW did not merely remix the track; this was a new production with a new arrangement and instrumentation. It was Parlophone which stipulated that the track was credited as a SAW remix rather than a SAW production.

Certainly, comparing the SAW version with the original Stargate version, it is clear that this is not simply a remix; it would appear that all that was retained from the Stargate production were Kylie’s vocals and Chris Martin’s whistling motif. For one thing, the SAW version is faster, with a new drum and percussion track (courtesy of A Linn!), a throbbing DX7 bass, Stock’s synth pads and strings, plus Aitken’s distinctive guitar. Backing vocals were provided by Kirsten Joy and Mike Stock.

This arrangement and production really lifts the song and takes it in a different direction to the Stargate version; the Norwegian producers, it is fair to say, did a lovely job on the original’s contemplative vibe, but SAW bring a real sense of Christmas joy to proceedings.

The recording took place at Stock’s own MPG Studio. It’s not clear how the three worked together; the credits suggest that Stock took the lead on pre-production, keyboards and programming work, with Aitken only credited for guitar. That’s not to say that Aitken did not have any further input into the arrangement and production, and one would expect all three partners to have the final say on the end product.

One thing is clear; whilst Stock’s studio is state of the art, SAW did use some vintage equipment on this project, including a Yamaha DX7 synth, a Roland D-550 synth and a Linn Drum 9000 drum machine. Today’s Sound, Yesterday’s Technology, if you like!

Stock’s team at MPG filmed parts of the session and released a short video on social media – this showed Stock and Aitken working together in the studio, and it was a real thrill for fans to see the pair collaborating again. And whilst Waterman does not appear to have been at that session, it was even better to know that all three had reunited for this unique project.

And the icing on the cake was that the track was mixed by longtime SAW/PWL mix engineer and producer Dave Ford (who had been doing mix work at that time for Stock’s solo productions). Ford is a skilled mix engineer who brings out the best in the material and that is the case here – it’s a terrific mix that shows off the old SAW sound in a new way.

And a new way is correct: whilst the track clearly has the SAW DNA stamped right through it, it doesn’t quite sound like it is from 1988 – and actually I mean that as a compliment. What SAW achieved with this track was to knit various elements of their signature sound together, but give it an up-to-date slant. In that sense, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts – it sounds retro and modern at the same time.

SAW and Mike Stock expert Paul Smith advises that, whilst Parlophone did not request a 12” mix, Dave Ford completed an extended version as “good housekeeping” at SAW’s request; this mix became known, winningly and accurately, as The Three Wise Men Extended Version! Whilst a clip of this mix can be heard on the behind the scenes video of Mike Stock’s Facebook page, it frustratingly remains unreleased. Now that Minogue has now left Parlophone, there is probably no great impetus for this extended version to be released anytime soon – but hopefully it will surface at some point.

In the run up to release, there was little signal that the SAW reunion had happened, until a few days before when Stock hinted that there was big news coming up, culminating with him posting an old SAW pic as his Facebook profile pic the night before the news broke.

The track itself got its first play on 2 December 2015 and was immediately released on digital download and streaming formats. This unexpected SAW reunion received a warm reception, and this positive feedback far outweighed any naysayers.

The press release quoted Waterman as saying that “I wasn’t sure Chris Martin and Stock Aitken Waterman would be easy bedfellows but he said it was fine”. And indeed Martin was fine with it… although it appears he only found out about after the event when Cameron Adams of News Corp Australia Network informed him in an interview (published on 24 December 2015):

Cameron Adams: Everyone’s worried about Guns N’Roses and Oasis reforming and you’ve played a part in Stock Aitken Waterman reforming, congratulations

Chris Martin: What are you talking about?

Cameron Adams: Stock Aitken Waterman have reunited to remix the Christmas song you wrote for Kylie Minogue, Every Day’s Like Christmas

Chris Martin: Is this a joke?

Cameron Adams: Nope.

Chris Martin: I don’t think you’re being serious. Stock Aitken Waterman have remixed that Kylie song? No way! That’s great if it’s true!

Whilst it may have been news to Martin, the news of the Stock Aitken Waterman & Kylie reunion was fairly well publicised in TV, radio and press. Many UK newspapers ran articles on the project, whilst Stock and Waterman teamed up to carry out promotional duties for the release, including items on ITV News and Channel 5 News.

Aitken was unavailable for this promo, and fans would have to wait until 2016 to see all three together at the same time, when Mike, Matt and Pete were interviewed together in the Sky Arts Masters of Pop documentary. (They had also made another joint appearance on stage with Jason Donovan at the latter’s London gig in 2016).

All three apparently enjoyed the experience of reuniting for this project, and whilst they indicated that they’d be keen to work together again, they avoided making a firmer commitment as they did at the time of the SAW Gold release. (Stock and Waterman did of course reunite, but not Aitken).

As the official line goes, Stock Aitken Waterman would consider working together again if the right project came along, rather than on an ongoing basis. Of course, this makes sense; whilst all three are now in their 60s, they are pursuing their own interests inside and outside of music (Stock is the only member still actively writing and producing) and the music industry is a very different beast these days.

That said, many fans find the possibility of further collaboration hugely tantalising, and if SAW fans have learned anything over the past 30 years, never rule anything out when it comes to Mike, Matt and Pete!

In the meantime, we fans have a rich legacy of music to enjoy, and hopefully you have enjoyed this look back at the Christmas output of Stock Aitken Waterman.

Check back on 27 December 2017 for a special Kean Canter Mattowski Christmas treat: TWO new articles about EMI Records’ 1985 act Spelt Like This and their collaboration with SAW. One is my in-depth overview of the band’s time with SAW, whilst the second article is a lengthy and detailed first person account of the entire Spelt Like This story from the band’s lead singer and songwriter Alin Karna.

Saturday, 16 December 2017

7 Days of SAWmas! #5: Do They Know It's Christmas? - Band Aid II

Gearing the staff and studios up for recording and production of the track was one thing, but it was quite another for Waterman to cancel his wedding to Denise Gyngell, which had been scheduled for that weekend!

Waterman appears to have spent Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd December collating a list of artists to invite to participate; his initial approach was to consult the chart and identify potential contributors. Artists who were available and agreed to participate included Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Bros, Wet Wet Wet, Lisa Stansfield, Chris Rea, Cliff Richard, Sonia and Bananarama (the latter the only artists to return from the original version).

The recording day was set for Sunday 3rd December. Mike Stock and Matt Aitken arrived at PWL Studios at 5am to commence work on the backing track; whilst this arrangement and production work would continue well into Monday 4th December, the initial requirement was to have a backing track for the performers to sing to, and this needed to be ready for midday.

Whilst Chris Rea was the first artist to arrive (at 11.30am), most of the other artists arrived around 2pm to start recording their parts. Whilst Lisa Stansfield & Wet Wet Wet were delayed by fog (but would ultimately arrive), other acts were forced to send apologies – such as Grace Jones (who missed her flight in the US), the London Boys (who were unable to travel from Hamburg) and Soul II Soul (who were actually holding a party for the children who sang on their recent Get A Life single). Phil Collins, Eric Clapton and Paul McCartney were unable to attend the recording session but all three pledged their support, with McCartney offering to pay for the catering.

Whilst the keyboards, guitars and other instrumentation was in the main played and programmed by Stock and Aitken, Chris Rea contributed additional guitars, whilst a drum kit was set up to allow Luke Goss to play drums and percussion; Goss’ contribution would be combined with the standard Linn drum programming, but the inclusion of real snare sounds gave the track an organic feel.

Recording would continue throughout the afternoon and into the evening, when at 8pm the final group chorus would be recorded. Vocal recording was completed by 9pm, with the artists finally vacating the studios by 11pm. Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, Pete Waterman and the studio staff would continue working on the track until 3am Monday morning.

Stock Aitken Waterman recommenced work on the track at 10am on Monday 4th December 1989, with work mainly focused on assembling the vocals and finalising the arrangement. Smash Hits reported that Stock and Aitken tried different variations of the arrangement; at one point, the track opened with a Soul II Soul-style drum pattern, but that was removed, whilst various guitar elements were tried out. The team carried on through the whole of that Monday, and finally handed a completed multi-track to Phil Harding at midnight; Harding would work through the night on the final mix.

This final mix was approved on Tuesday 5th December, with Capital Radio getting the first exclusive play of the track that same day.

The track is well-produced, especially considering the quick turnaround involved – the track took 2 long days from pre-production to final mix – and is arguably more polished than Ure's production of the 1984 version (a clear sign of how much technology and recording techniques had developed in 5 years – and don’t forget that Ure was a highly-talented and experienced producer by that point).

The arrangement is relatively restrained for a SAW track of that era; whilst there is the use of synth pads and chimes, the track has a reliance on rhythm guitar and real drums, rather than synth brass and rattling percussion. The instrumental version is worth a listen, and highlights the playing from Stock and Aitken, plus the contributions Rea and Luke Goss.

Tonally, the arrangement and production is upbeat, in comparison to the dour and serious atmosphere of the original Band Aid version. This move was the cause of most of the criticism of this version, but one could argue that the SAW arrangement reflects the hope in the song’s lyrics. I think is fair to say that the original version delivers the message more effectively, but I would argue that the Band Aid II version is stronger from a sonic perspective.

Another clear difference was the structure of the song. The original 1984 version built up verse by verse to a final grand chorus at the end, but SAW changed this structure so that the chorus recurred throughout the song (as per a standard pop song structure) as well as the final grand chorus. Some would argue this affected the narrative flow of the song and perhaps weakened the impact of the final chorus, but again, it emphasised that this was a different take on the song.

Vocally, the track is well-performed in the main; true, like many multi-artist records like this, some performers are perhaps not as effective as others, but there are many good performances on show here.

The combination of Minogue and Donovan’s vocals on the “Where the only water flowing / Is the bitter sting of tears” line is especially effective, whilst The Pasadenas section is really nicely arranged and performed. Strong performances also from both Lisa Stansfield and Sonia, whilst Chris Rea, Jimmy Somerville and Cliff Richard are also typically solid.

Marti Pellow and Matt Goss both make impressive contributions, even if the latter’s take on the “well tonight thank god it’s them/instead of you” line was quickly dismissed as inferior to Bono’s take on the same line in the 1984 version. In fairness to Matt Goss, he performs the line well but, given the power of Bono’s delivery and the emotive force of that lyric, any vocalist would have found it almost impossible to follow Bono’s performance.

As with the original, the record closes with a grand group performance of the “Feed the World” chorus, with the arrangement dropping out at one point to leave the vocals accompanied by drums only.

The track was released on Monday 11 December 1989, in 7”, CD single and cassette format. All formats carried two mixes – a 7” vocal version and a 7” instrumental; no extended or remixed versions were issued.

As expected, the single went straight to number one the following week, thus becoming Christmas number one. This left Jason Donovan’s When You Come Back To Me at number 2, but given that SAW produced Do They Know It’s Christmas? and that Donovan sang on it, one could argue that both SAW and Donovan actually did reach number one that Christmas – though perhaps not in the manner original envisaged.

Band Aid II would hold the number one position for 3 weeks, and would sell over 600,000 copies, but despite this success, there has been much dismissive criticism of this version.

It goes without saying that, irrespective of whether you like the record or not, the original Band Aid version of Do They Know It’s Christmas? is the definitive version. This is widely accepted, and there won’t be many arguments to the contrary.

However, that does not justify the attempts made over the years to eradicate the Band Aid II version from history. It is little played, was unavailable for many years and rarely mentioned, to the point that those of us around at the time must sometimes wonder if it actually happened at all!

(In fairness, the CD single for the Band Aid 30 version did carry the Band Aid II version (along with all other versions) so at least the Band Aid organisation appears to have softened its view).

There is a whole separate article to be written on the treatment Band Aid II has received over the years (and I’ll write that at some point) but briefly, the main criticisms appear to be that:

a) the calibre of artists was poor compared to the original version, and
b) the SAW production was too upbeat for such a serious subject matter

These are effectively subjective arguments, but my responses would be:

a) SAW picked artists who were popular at that time, just as Geldof did in 1984 – the key difference is that the original record was THE first big collaboration of huge musical artists; sure, there had been supergroups before, but nothing on this scale, and in many ways, this in itself made the original Band Aid record a significant cultural event. In addition, it appears that Geldof had a lead-in time of at least 10 days to recruit artists; Waterman had a day and a half.

b) The Band Aid II version may be a radically different take on the original, but surely, that instantly makes it more interesting than a carbon copy of the original (which SAW could have easily done, and in fact, that was the thing Geldof didn’t want).

My position on Band Aid II is: yes, you can’t beat the original version, but that doesn’t make the Band Aid II version (or for that matter, the Band Aid 20 and Band Aid 30 versions) worthless. If anything, it was the right record for that time. Band Aid II simply had the disadvantage of following the original version, a problem that the Band Aid 20 and 30 versions did not have to deal with.

For my money, SAW and the participating artists made a really good record, and this version is actually my favourite. A contrarian view perhaps, but then this entire site, dedicated to putting a positive spin on Mike, Matt & Pete's work, is a contrarian exercise in itself!

So, that was 1989 and Stock Aitken Waterman had finally achieved a Christmas number one. Whilst 1990 would be a year of mixed fortunes for the hitmaking trio, they would team up with an established soul singer to make a further attempt at Christmas number one…

Based upon and expanded from the entry in 80s UK Christmas Singles (available on Kindle here)

Monday, 11 December 2017

7 Days of SAWmas! #2: Especially For You – Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan

PWL’s marketing manager Tilly Rutherford came up with the title, and as the main songwriter of the trio, Stock set to work on the composition. The only problem was that both Kylie and Jason had returned to Australia, so SAW recorded a demo version of the track (a short clip can be found below), with Mae McKenna performing the Kylie parts and Stock singing the Jason parts.

It fell to Aitken and Waterman to fly out to Sydney to record Kylie and Jason’s vocals, with the full track being completed upon their return.

Given how successful the track was, it seems surprising to discover that there were some misgivings about the track once the initial mixes came in. Waterman states that he hated the initial version, suggesting that it lacked passion, and added that Stock also disliked it.

In an interview with Paul Smith, Waterman states that the problem with the initial version was that SAW had “tried to make it Peaches and Herb but it didn’t work”. (Note: Peaches and Herb were a 70s soul duo, who recorded Reunited, a ballad about a couple getting back together, as is the case with Especially for You).

Waterman goes on to say that Stock carried out a further remix, but “it still wasn’t wonderful, so I thought I’d have a go. Somehow it all came together at the last moment…”

This is a great story delivered with typical Waterman bonhomie, but a glance at the record sleeve will tell you that it was in fact Pete Hammond who was responsible for the final mix.

In his memoir Get Down Here Quick And Mix Yourself A Hit!, Hammond states that several mixes had been done by various engineers, but PW rejected them all on the basis that the track “just didn’t feel right” and eventually got Hammond to do it.

Hammond comments that he called up the master to prepare his mix, and was of the opinion that there was a drum timing problem. He fixed this and changed the kick sound, but apparently the main change he made was to the intro. The original mix opened with a two-part drum hit, followed by Kylie’s first line. Hammond took some backing harmonies from the bridge (performed by Mae McKenna, Miriam Stockley and Mike Stock), and put them right at the start of the song, creating that evocative opening.

One of those early mixes has been released (see below); this particular mix fades in with a drawn out synth pad before the two-part drum hit, and straightaway it’s clear that Hammond’s clever cut and paste creates an impact the early mix perhaps lacks. In addition, the drum track lacks the punch of the final mix, whilst the synth pads of the early mix are swapped for some nice guitar work in the final version.

All that said, it is clear that the final version has other instrumentation the earlier version lacked, so it appears that Stock and Aitken did some overdub work prior to Hammond’s final mix, which may be the 4 hour mixing session Waterman refers to.

If I’m totally honest, I wasn’t crazy about the record at the time (I think I felt it a bit slushy when in fact many SAW ballads have a bit of an edge to them) but listening to that final version now, there is much to appreciate about both song and the record. The backing vocals bring real warmth, as do the strings and the Spanish guitar solo, creating a lighter-than-usual backing for the main vocals. Kylie probably sounds the most comfortable here; whilst Jason’s voice would improve considerably with each release, he was still new to recording at this time. That said, his voice is pleasant here and does not detract from proceedings. Lyrically, it’s great to have a SAW song about two former lovers reuniting (rather than splitting up, or worse, not getting together at all!), whilst the fluid melody of the verses sells the tentative nature of these two lovers getting back together. The chorus is joyous and memorable, and both vocalists sound great here.

The B-side carried another Kylie and Jason duet, All I Wanna Do Is Make You Mine, which is a fun, upbeat number with Grease leanings. I probably preferred this at the time, with its clattering drums, rumbling bass, chugging guitars and horn blasts really selling the catchy melody, most notably its wonderful bridge.

As it was, Especially For You was issued in time for Christmas, but, just like the 1987 battle for Christmas number one, SAW were thwarted by EMI Records, as Cliff Richard’s Mistletoe and Wine claimed the Yuletide number one. Whilst widely derided, it is clear that Cliff’s tribute to a traditional British Christmas appealed to a large section of the record buying public. It wasn’t all bad news for Kylie, Jason and SAW, as Especially For You was the first number one single of 1989, selling just short of a million copies.

And as 1989 would prove to be SAW’s most commercially successful year, they would go on to have two records vying for the Christmas number one that year. However, it turns out that there would be a third Christmas track from SAW that would go unreleased for over 20 years…

Sunday, 30 July 2017

Ten SAW B-Sides I'd Have Made The A-Side! [Part 2]

So -- after an unplanned hiatus! -- here is the second part of my list of the 10 SAW B-sides which I would have made the A-side!

In case you missed part one, the criteria for the list is:

• Written (and/or co-written) by SAW
• Standalone tracks not belonging to an original artist album
• A full song with lyrics

So, without further ado, here's my Top 5!

5) Closer – Kylie Minogue
[B-side to Finer Feelings]

As Kylie Minogue approached the end of her tenure with PWL Records, she clearly had a growing influence on her material. Certainly, the whole Let’s Get To It album demonstrated this, even if the singles chosen to promote the album did not necessarily reflect this change in style. This new direction was probably more keenly felt in the B-sides of those singles; Say The Word – I’ll Be There (previously covered in part one of this article), the house-techno pastiche I Guess I Like It Like That, the storming Do You Dare?, and this track, the B-side to adult ballad Finer Feelings. Kicking off with a hypnotic metallic synth and heavy breathing, Closer sets out its stall from the outset – a spooky and sensual deep house track that takes Kylie and Stock & Waterman into new territory. The robust house beat and the vocal locs show a more mature, less tricksy approach to Stock’s arrangement than previously demonstrated, with an amazing squelching synth workout in the middle. Minogue’s vocals appear to have a filter applied in places, which adds to the trippy sense to proceedings. But Stock (with Waterman and Minogue on co-writing duties) also takes an alternative approach with the song’s construction; it only has two verses (as opposed to the usual three), with the chorus tacked on to the end of each – with quite a gap between both of those verses. There is also no bridge as such (a key part of many SAW tracks). The lyrics have a pleasingly elliptical style to them, hinting towards the pleasure of sexual union (which actually complements the lyrics of the A-side), and these are of course reinforced by the heavy breathing which punctuates the track. Overall, it’s a refreshingly adult track in term of theme and sound; whilst there would be a year and two further PWL single releases before Minogue released the post-PWL Confide In Me, Closer actually indicates the mature stylised direction Minogue would take with her initial DeConstruction material. As much as I love and admire Finer Feelings, Closer was actually an utterly contemporary track that would have set a new course for both Minogue and Stock & Waterman – and arguably, the producers would have benefited more from such a re-evaluation at that time.

4) Never Knew Love Like This Before – Nancy Davis
[B-side to Higher And Higher]

Pizza-waitress turned karaoke-contest-winner turned pop-star Nancy Davis was a real missed opportunity for Stock & Waterman and PWL; her strong soulful voice and striking looks made her a real candidate for a new star for the 90s, and her debut track If You Belonged To Me was a strong classy house/pop crossover. However, when this track missed the top 40, her follow-up (and sadly, final release) took safer ground with a cover of Jackie Wilson’s Higher and Higher; whilst a joyful take on that classic, it took Davis away from the credible house/soul path and towards pure pop. The B-side was more interesting; again, more pop than house, but Never Knew Love Like This Before at least went some way into creating a new style that could be Davis’ own. The arrangement is a strange brew of both the 80s and 90s S(A)W sound; the house piano and brass base the track in 1992, whilst the vocal locs and incidental chime sounds hark back to the producer’s golden period. The elasticity of Stock’s melody allows Davis’ voice to shine, with her tackling the almost conversational lyrics, which present Davis telling the world how happy her new relationship has made her. One striking element of this track is that Mike Stock is on solo backing vocals here, and you can hear his isolated vocals just after the instrumental break. As with Say The Word – I’ll Be There, Stock cites this as another favourite B side, classing it as a bit of an experiment. And I guess that’s a good description. It sounds like Stock trying to forge a new pop sound for the 90s; if anything, he was a bit early – whilst this sound would have played better later in the decade, it didn’t really fit with the chart fare of 1992. As such, I’m not sure Never Knew Love Like This Before would have been a hit at that time, but, as per the challenge I set myself with this article, I’d have chosen this as the A-side over Higher And Higher.

3) Made In Heaven – Kylie Minogue
[B-side to Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi]

You might say this is a slight cheat, as Made In Heaven was originally intended as a double A-side single with Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi. This French-styled classic track was the fourth single from the massive Kylie album, so there many have been concerns over its chart performance given that so many people already owned it on the album and that is why new track Made In Heaven was appended to the release. As it was, Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi was another smash hit, peaking at #2 in the UK Singles Chart – and as a result, the single was never “flipped” to make Made In Heaven the A-side. A great pity, cos this one’s a little gem that deserves to be better known. Heavy on plucked strings and luscious synth pads, this tale of a girl building up to a first kiss is brought alive by an irresistible melody. The verses and bridge are exquisite enough, but that chorus just knocks it out of the park. It just shows the confidence and the winning streak of SAW at that point that such a belter of a pop track could be consigned to the flipside of another bona fide hit. Most SAW fans will know this one, but well worth checking out if you don’t.

2) You Changed My Life – Mel & Kim
[B-side of That’s The Way It Is]

Back in 1988, there was a lot of anticipation regarding a second Mel & Kim album. Whilst there was talk of recording taking place with other producers (notably Prince alumni David Z), further recording with SAW was anticipated. Alas, Mel Appleby tragically lost her fight against cancer and the full potential of Mel & Kim was never realised. The only tantalising glimpses of that second album were the hit single, the bold, classy That’s The Way It Is, and its B-side, You Changed My Life. A co-write between SAW and the Appleby sisters, You Changed My Life is a full-on pop frenzy, yet still possessing the cool dance edge of previous material. The chorus is solid gold A-side material, whilst the verses are perhaps even better, with an intoxicating melody, moody synths and winning vocals. Lots of lovely incidental synth sounds make this a proposition that’s hard to turn down. It appears there are two mixes of this track; the sparse, funky version that was actually the B-side, and a warmer, poppier version that features on the 2010 Cherry Red Deluxe Edition of the FLM album.

And in pole position is…

1) She’s In Love With You – Jason Donovan
[B-side to Happy Together]

In many ways, this track was the last hurrah for Donovan’s work with the original SAW team; it featured on the B-side of the Stock & Waterman-produced Happy Together, which was Donovan’s final single release on PWL Records. As good as the A-side was (a lovingly created take on The Turtles classic), few knew of the absolute belter that lay hidden on its B-side. You could almost class She’s In Love With You as the definitive Jason SAW track; it kicks off with a cracking electric guitar riff (a la Too Many Broken Hearts); it features soaring strings which evoke the emotion of Jason’s tale of thwarted love (“No matter what I planned / She never let me hold her hand”), and it has The Chorus To End All Choruses. Seriously, this chorus is WASTED on a B-side but then it’s so amazing that had the track been an A-side, it would have punched a hole through the universe. I can’t really find the words to describe how catchy the chorus is, but of particular note are the three last lines – “There’s nothing more to say / I’m gonna walk away / And live to love another day” – which are delivered in a breathless rhyming triplet and is yet further proof if any were needed) of Mike and Matt’s songwriting skills. It is a crime that this track was not an A-side; okay, I get that it was a nod back to Jason’s 1989 sound and may not have been deemed as truly contemporary in 1991, but this is a solid gold 24 carat pop smash that never got the chance to prove it.

+++++

Again, I stress this is my personal list and that, crucially, it is not necessarily a list of the best or my favourite B-sides -- this is a list of B-sides that I would have swapped with the A-side track for single release.

I'll be exploring the other SAW B-sides in a future article, as there are some fascinating tracks included in that canon.

Monday, 8 May 2017

Ten SAW B-Sides I'd Have Made The A-Side! [Part 1]

As a Stock Aitken Waterman fan in the 1980s and early 1990s, one would become resigned to the fact that the B-side of many single releases would be an instrumental version of the A-side. As my love of all things SAW has deepened over the years, I’m now delighted to have so many instrumental versions that allow me to listen closely and pick out the different elements which make up the song.

As a teenager desperate for original SAW material, I was a bit frustrated by this reliance upon the instrumentals – but I guess this made the appearance of a brand new original SAW track on the B-side a VERY EXCITING EVENT!

Sure, some tracks would impress more than others, but every so often you’d get a SAW B-side which was just as good as the A-side, and in some cases, even better than the A-side.

So here is my – admittedly personal – list of the 10 SAW B-sides which I would have made the A-side!

The criteria for the list is:

Written (and/or co-written) by SAW
Standalone tracks not belonging to an original artist album
A full song with lyrics

The latter point means that tracks such as I Wanna Be Your Everything by Delage, Just Call Me Up by Jason Donovan, and Do You Dare? by Kylie Minogue are excluded. As are the instrumental pieces SAW created for the Pat & Mick B-sides (although a separate article on these will follow).

Likewise, instrumental and dub mixes of the A-side are also excluded.

Hopefully, you will find some of your favourites in this list, but I’m equally as certain that you may be aggrieved that I have missed some obvious choices out. Yes, I’ve left out certain Kylie and Jason tracks which I love, but I don’t want this to be a list full of their tracks.

So here goes, in reverse order!

10) I Wanna Shout About It – Delage
[B-side to Running Back For More]

This infectious slab of dance pop from early 1990s SAW girl band Delage appears to have had an interesting genesis. As lovely as the A-side Running Back For More is, this meaty, utterly contemporary banger is probably the more commercial cut of the two tracks, and it is a mystery why this was consigned to B-side status. That said, the recent re-issue of Running Back For More carries additional mixes of I Wanna Shout About It, including 7” and 12” mixes, which suggests that it was considered as an A-side. So we have two key versions: a full vocal single version, and the version that made the B-side of Running Back For More, which omits the verses. The full vocal version is just glorious, with a strong lead vocal and some great backing harmonies, but the official B-side version heads more in the direction of the limited vocal style of contemporaneous dance tracks. A big dirty synth riff and some frantic house piano kicks off proceedings, whilst the solid beat and shifting synth pads give this track a real edge which takes it away from the standard SAW sound of the time towards the tough dance sounds dominating the charts at the time. A great marriage of pop sensibilities and house influences, this was a real missed opportunity for both the band and producers. One of the emerging themes from this top 10 list of B-sides is how S(A)W were able to demonstrate they were still more than capable of remaining current and up-to-date in the early 1990s, but maybe there was a lack of confidence somewhere in terms of being more adventurous in choices of single material.

9) Say The Word – I’ll Be There - Kylie Minogue
[B-Side to Word Is Out]

Whilst Word Is Out still appears to be a polarising song for S(A)W and Kylie fans, its B-side Say The Word – I’ll Be There garners a much warmer reception. Composed by Stock, Waterman and Minogue, this smooth, mature mid-tempo ballad is worlds away from the beat-led and brass-boasting affair on the A-side. Underpinned by rich, rolling piano and made all the sweeter by the glorious backing vocals, Say The Word sees Kylie in pining mode as she makes her case to the object of her affections. It’s a further development of the Kylie sound; however, where the listener can hear the S(A)W DNA deep within Word Is Out, one could be forgiven for thinking that Say The Word had been produced by a different production team. It’s lush, with a real organic feel to its arrangement and production, with little in the way of electronic sounding synths and percussion to betray the trademark sound of its producers. Certainly Mike Stock, in his recent interview with Nick Moon, cited this track as one of his favourite B-sides. Whilst it perhaps wouldn’t have been the best choice for the first single of Kylie’s fourth album campaign, it would have made for a good third or fourth single and perhaps indicated a new direction for S&W and Kylie had they continued to work together. I would add though that it is almost a crime that the track didn’t make the Let’s Get To It album.

8) Story of My Life - Jason Donovan
[B-side of Rhythm of the Rain]

B-sides often allowed SAW to try something a little different, and during their imperial pure pop phase of 1988-1990, such experimentation was very welcome. So it was that the B-side of Jason’s Rhythm of the Rain gave us Baggy Jason (baggy, of course, being the early 1990s term to describe what would later be called indie). Story of My Life is a standard Jason tale of bad luck in love (“And by the way, if you’re looking for sunshine, I ain’t the luckiest one / If you come with me, there’d be cloud in the desert / or a total eclipse of the sun”), but the arrangement and production presents a real change to the SAW sonic palette of the time. Kicking off with wailing guitars, Jason’s tale of woe is backed by a solid electric guitar riff, honky-tonk piano and a thumping beat, whilst the inclusion of brass and organ enlivens proceedings further. As Tom Parker points out in his excellent sleeve notes for the Between the Lines Deluxe reissue, this track finally gives Jason the Happy Mondays-style track he’d coveted for some time, and surely he must have been pleased with the outcome. That’s why I think it’s a crying shame this languished on a B-side; it’s a million times more adventurous than the pleasant cover version that made the A-side. This track would have really benefited Donovan’s profile – it’s poppy enough to keep the SAW and Jason fanbase, but also different enough to pull in a wider audience – and would have been a good direction for both parties to head for.

7) Another Lover – Bananarama
[B-side of Last Thing On My Mind]

Please Yourself, Bananarama’s 1993 album with Stock & Waterman, received mixed reactions upon its original release, and actually remains a polarising collection amongst S(A)W and Bananarama fans to this day. I can’t help but wonder if that reception would have been improved at all by the inclusion of this track, which was on the flipside of Last Thing On My Mind but omitted from the album. It’s a decision which beggars belief, as this is a superior slab of 70’s disco-styled pop. The use of real strings (no doubt recorded in the same sessions as those for Give It All Up For Love and Is She Good To You?) creates an authenticity of the sound, whilst the addition of brass, funky rhythm guitar and rattling drums just adds to the joyous feel – even if lyrically it’s a tale of Keren and Sara telling a straying lover to pack their bags and go. Happily, the track eventually made it to the album on subsequent reissues, thus righting the original wrong, but for my money, this should have been an A-side back in 1992/1993.

6) Better Than Ever - Sonia
[B-side to Listen To Your Heart]

This sparky uptempo track had a former life, planned as it was to be a fourth Stock Aitken Waterman-branded single in 1989, featuring sometime PWL singer Lisa Fabien as guest vocalist. That version was never released at that time (although was finally issued as part of the PWL iTunes releases many years later), but you can’t keep a good SAW tune down, so it was eventually recorded by Sonia – but insanely was consigned to B-side status. It only takes one listen to know this is a hit record not given the chance to be one. Driven by a solid beat and a mean bass, the track is a perfect concoction of synth fx, brass riffs and guitar licks, providing a thrilling backdrop to Sonia’s tale of her sickeningly perfect relationship. As much as I love the A-side – a moody, house-influenced affair and much underrated – I do think Better Than Ever was a missed opportunity for another hit for Sonia.

Next time: we count down from 5 to 1…

Monday, 3 April 2017

If Only We Had Worked It Out Somehow…

The melancholic majesty of Kylie's If You Were With Me Now

Ask the general public about Stock Aitken Waterman and they will tell you that they made catchy, happy three minute pop records. Which, in fairness, is palpably true.

But Mike, Matt and Pete were equally adept at balladry too. Witness the beautiful pain on display in Rick Astley’s Spanish-guitar-led It Would Take a Strong Strong Man, as Rick agonises over whether he should end his relationship. Likewise, Kylie tugs at the listener’s heart-strings as she puts a brave face on losing the love of her life in the desperately sad I’ll Still Be Loving You. And don’t get me started on the heartbreaking tale of two people who can’t be together in Donna Summer’s In Another Place and Time.

There’s more where they came from too. Lonnie Gordon’s Beyond Your Wildest Dreams, Sybil’s Make It Easy On Me and Jason Donovan’s I Guess She Never Loved Me are among the numerous ballads that the trio helmed.

What I especially like about most of the SAW ballads is that they are not slushy American-styled affairs; they are a very British take on the slow love song, whether that is down to a spikier production or a melancholic approach to the lyrics. Certainly, I’ll Still Be Loving You is actually mid-tempo, with possibly the saddest (in the truest sense of the word) synth sounds ever ramming home the emotional melody.

But we did finally get a slushy American-style ballad from the Hit Factory in 1991, when Mike Stock & Pete Waterman crafted If You Were With Me Now for Kylie Minogue and Keith Washington.

The track was recorded for Kylie’s fourth and final PWL studio album, Let’s Get To It. The album was among the first original Stock & Waterman material issued following Matt Aitken’s departure, and it could be taken very much as a statement of intent from Mike Stock. The album was a real departure in sound and songwriting for Stock, as much as it was an assertion of Kylie taking real control of her career.

The album showcased different genres, from New Jack Swing to acoustic guitar pop to techno, with possibly only the cover of Chairman of the Board’s Give Me A Little More Time the only track that sounded anything like a “typical” SAW production.

But one of the album’s crowning glories is If You Were With Me Now, a moving duet about two former lovers ruminating over their failed relationship and reaching the conclusion they’ve made a big mistake.

As the male voice, US singer Washington was not a well-known figure in the UK, but had established himself in the soul & R&B fraternity with releases such as 1991’s Kissing You. Minogue was a big fan of Washington, and as legend would have it, Pete Waterman approached Washington to duet with Minogue on this track.

The track is credited as a Stock / Waterman / Minogue / Washington co-write, although it is fair to suggest that the majority of input was Stock’s. Washington did travel to London to record his vocals at PWL, so perhaps he contributed additional lyrics at this point. He and Minogue, as is generally the case with modern day duets, did not record the track at the same time, with Minogue recording her vocals a few days later.

Lyrically, the song is a song of lost love, with a real melancholic edge to it. “Without you standing by my side,” opines Washington in the opening lines, “love and good fortune passes me by”. Quite a powerful line, and things don’t get much brighter from there on in.

The track hints at the male having cheated on the female; Washington sings “I know I may go astray…” whilst Minogue stresses that “If I’m sure of one thing / One love at a time”.

There’s plenty of wistful longing; “How different would the world be now?” offers Washington, whilst Minogue adds the plaintive “If only we had worked it out somehow”.

One possible reading of the song is that the closing lines hint at a possible reconciliation: “If loving you is right / then turn back the hands of time” begs Minogue, whilst Washington counters with “I'll do anything to make you mine”, and then both adding “There's nothing that i wouldn't do / I could make you feel my love for you” as the melody takes a hopeful turn.

Minogue sings her heart out here and has probably never sounded better, whilst Washington also impresses with a powerful yet smooth performance.

Stock provides a typically fine melody, big on emotion whilst holding back on sentimentality. The verses are measured and thoughtful, with the chorus (such as it is) restricted to three lines, with the title of the song as the final line.

The arrangement and production is gorgeous. Waterman arranged for the string section to be arranged by legendary Motown arranger Paul Riser in New York. This creates a rich, lush sound to this epic ballad, and Stock’s own instrumentation is in fitting, featuring a doleful piano and neat percussion.

Phil Harding was responsible for the immaculate mixes, and makes the song shine.

As I indicated before, I’m not really a fan of the American-style slushy ballad, but full marks to Stock & Waterman for their take on that sound. They take that late-night soul sound, and bring their own British melancholy to it.

If You Were With Me Now became the second single single taken from Let’s Get To It, released in October 1991 on 7”, 12”, cassingle and CD single. Apparently, one of the reasons it became a single is that DJ Pat Sharp (of SAW act Pat & Mick) loved the track and played it on his Capital Radio show – the response from listeners made it a contender for single release.

At the time, I was slightly disappointed; although I liked the track, I was hoping that a more radical track like Let’s Get To It, Right Here Right Now or Too Much Of A Good Thing would be issued – a track that would show a new modernity to the Hit Factory sound. But looking back, it was a good single choice, reaching #4 in the UK Singles Chart.

I’ll be honest; it’s only fairly recently that I have fully realised how great this track is. I’ve been listening to it a lot over the past few days, and aside from it being yet another example of S(A)W’s diversity, it’s such a sincere piece of music – although I accept it may be too sweet for some tastes. Maybe it’s an age thing, maybe it’s cos I’ve been through a tough few years relationship-wise, but I think it’s so powerful in its simplicity. If you ask me today, then I’d probably say it’s the best S(A)W track ever. I’ll probably give you a different answer tomorrow, but go with it for today and give it a play below.

References:

Mike Stock, "25 years ago today...", Facebook post, 21 October 2016

Monday, 13 June 2016

KCM Hotshot #2: Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi - Kylie Minogue

Kylie Minogue was enjoying huge success with Stock Aitken Waterman in 1988, with the tour de force that was I Should Be So Lucky followed by the introspective, perfect pop of Got To Be Certain, not to mention the SAW reworking of The Loco-Motion. When it came to the fourth single, the Kylie album had been released to huge sales, so PWL hedged its bets by issuing a double A-sided single, comprising one of the most popular tracks from the album and a brand new track.

The lead track of this double A-side -- Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi -- clearly took a French influence, not simply in the use of the well-known phrase (which translates in English as I Don't Know Why) but also in its sound. The UK pop charts of 1987 and 1988 had seen a number of Euro Pop hits from the Continent, such as Spagna's Call Me, Vanessa Paradis' Joe Le Taxi and Desireless' Voyage Voyage -- and their success led Pete Waterman to indulge in what he later referred to as his "French phase". Not only was Waterman credited as remixing (with Pete Hammond) Voyage Voyage for UK release, he also arranged for a number of French pop hits to be remixed by PWL staffers and issued in the UK. Whilst Dave Ford & Waterman's remix of France Gall's Ella Elle L'A and Pete Hammond's remix of Jakie Quartz's A La Vie A L'Amour gained fans when played on Waterman's Saturday morning radio show on Liverpool's Radio City station, they -- along with PWL remixes of Debut De Soiree tracks -- could not replicate the success of Voyage Voyage.

Nevertheless, there is something of the feel and the sound of those French tracks present in Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi. For one thing, it has a maturity and sophistication which arguably Kylie's other tracks of that time do not possess; that's not a criticism, more to say that this grown-up track is a pleasant diversion. It's also a double dip in melancholy; as often stated on this blog, SAW had a trick of combining downbeat lyrics with upbeat arrangements -- but not so here. The lyrical and thematic matter -- about Kylie finally realising that her lover will never reciprocate the depth of feeling she has for him -- is matched in equal measure by a sombre mid-tempo backing; it's crisp and stoic as opposed to slushy and emotional -- and all the better for it.

I often marvel at Mike Stock and Matt Aitken's songwriting abilities, especially at their clever use of chords and their melodic abilities, but also at their quirky touches (of which there are plenty, despite what their critics may have you believe). In this case, I'd love to know how they hit upon the use of the Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi phrase in this track -- though whatever the reason, it works. It really lifts the song and makes it even more interesting.

Opening with a undulating piano motif -- which bizarrely fades out quickly -- the song kicks in properly with some pounding drums, soon joined by a mournful synth lead and wistful chimes. Proceedings are kept in order by the driving bass line, with moody synth pads accentuating the descending chords in the verse.

The opening lines -- "Rain falling down / Another minute passes by" -- evoke the setting and situation with minimal fuss. Kylie's been here before -- but "this time (she) won't cry".

Kylie's delivery of the second verse is punctuated by welcome blasts of Matt Aitken's guitar, which add to the gloomy air as Kylie ponders where her lover is -- "Are you with another love?".

A clever contrasting turn of phrase from Stock & Aitken -- "You've stood me up and let me down" -- takes us into the bridge, underpinned with effective wailing of Aitken's guitar as Kylie cries "I... I... I'm wondering why...".

The first part of the phrase which takes us into the chorus, completed by "...I still love you / Je ne sais pourquoi / I still want you / Je ne sais pas pourquoi".

"Lights about town" opines Kylie in the third verse, before letting down an exasperated cry, "Expect me just to hang around?". This is the closest Kylie comes to losing her composure, regaining her control with a "You just stand me up and let me down".

The instrumental break makes a knowing nod back to I Should Be So Lucky, with it's "I... I... I" motif; whereas Lucky utilises an excitable, trigger-sampled "I-I-I-I -- I-I-I-I" vocal loc, Pourquoi gives us the plaintive "I... I... I..." of a wiser, resigned Kylie, backed by haunting synth pads.

Instead of ending on a repeat of the chorus, we are treated to a lovely instrumental coda -- which very much befits the song.

For all I've said about the French influence, there is another European influence at play here -- and it's Swedish. There are a number of SAW songs which have an ABBA feel, but there's a strong nod to Benny and Bjorn here, which is no bad thing. The chord progression and melody -- not to mention the melancholy! -- recall the more mature, sadder latter-day ABBA tracks, and you may find yourself trying to imagine what it would sound like had it been sung by Agentha and Anni-Frid.

Not to detract from Kylie's vocal -- it's one of her more assured performances, certainly of that early period, and she gives the song her all.

There is little of the full-blown exuberance of what is typically considered as the SAW house style here; no incessant percussion or tricksy drums, no ebullient brass or ingenious overdubs. Stock & Aitken's arrangement matches the maturity of the song; it's still pure pop, certainly, but the change of pace is welcome. It's a lovely backing track with some nice playing; it's not as dense as some SAW arrangements, and it's great to pick out some of the component parts, thanks in no small part to Dave Ford's excellent and typically crystal-clear mix.

Alongside Dave Ford's original mix, there are two extended mixes; the Moi Non Plus Mix which is a straight extension of the single, again by Ford; and the Revolutionary Mix, by Phil Harding, which adds more of a dance element to the track. Both worthy versions, but the original single/album mix is the definitive version.

The promo video too is worth a watch, placing Kylie in 1940s France with some clever use of isolated colour within black and white footage as a full colour Kylie dances with her black and white suitor; whilst perhaps a literal take on the lyrics, it's evocative of the song and suits it well.

As with her preceding two singles, Kylie would frustratingly stall at #2 with this wonderful track. Obviously, #2 is an amazing chart position, but frustratingly close to pole position. Unfortunately, the downside of the song's success was that it's fellow A-side track Made In Heaven was not flipped as planned, and became a B-side by default. Whilst a definite fan favourite, this joyous heady concoction is a lesser-known track as far as the general pop fan is concerned -- a shame, as it's deliriously, intoxicatingly catchy.

That said, I would argue that Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi itself has suffered from lack of exposure since 1988, and tends to be overlooked in favour of the previous three singles. As such, it's something of an underrated track which actually stands up better than many of the late 80's Kylie tracks. Listening to it repeatedly tonight whilst writing this blogpost, I'm almost ashamed to admit that I'd forgotten how good this track is. I mean, it's brilliant. It's emotive without being overly emotional, and I think Kylie carries such melancholy well. So my parting shot to you, mon ami, is to recommend you give Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi another listen, with fresh ears, and soak up a bit of classic SAW magic...

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Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi - Kylie Minogue
PWL Records - PWL 21, #2, 1988
Written, arranged & produced by Mike Stock, Matt Aitken & Pete Waterman
Mixed by Dave Ford