Stock Aitken Waterman, sometimes known as SAW, were a British songwriting and record producing trio who had great success during the late 1980s and early 1990s with many of their productions.

The trio consisted of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman.

On January 15, 1984, shortly after meeting Aitken and Stock, Waterman asked them to work with him and his recently formed production company, Pete Waterman Limited (PWL).

The three were considered by many to be the most successful UK songwriting partnership of all time, scoring over 200 top 40 UK hits in the mid 1980s to early 1990s.

SAW's successful formula, was to make a distinctive style of catchy (some would say annoying) bubblegum synth pop, with attractive singers.

Their most successful artist was Kylie Minogue, a young actress from Melbourne, Australia who was well known for her role in the soap opera, "Neighbours". Her first 13 singles reached the UK top 10 and her debut "I Should Be So Lucky" spent 5 weeks at number one. The album "Kylie" was the highest selling album of 1988, and 5th highest selling album of the decade. They were also responsible for the 1987's highest selling single - Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up"

In 1988 they wrote and produced the highest selling album of the year - Jason Donovan's "Ten Good Reasons". Donovan was Minogue's costar in "Neighbours" and his success for a time equalled hers.

Another of SAW's most successful hit singles was the 1989 number one single Ferry 'cross the Mersey (Along with The Christians, Holly Johnson, Paul McCartney and Gerry Marsden.)

Pete Waterman's career as a record producer preceded his collaborations with Stock and Aitken, and continued after the demise of the trio as an entity.

In 1988-'89 they recorded 3 tracks with Judas Priest. These tracks were never released, and are said to be in Judas Priest's possession.

List of some of the acts who have performed songs written or produced by SAW

• Kylie Minogue
• Rick Astley
• Jason Donovan
• Laura Branigan
• Bananarama
• Dead Or Alive
• Deborah Harry
• Cliff Richard
• Samantha Fox
• Donna Summer
• Mel and Kim
• Roland Rat
• Sonia
• Taco Ockerse

External links

• Stock Aitken Waterman & PWL | cafe80s (http://www.stockaitkenwaterman.com/)
• http://mitglied.lycos.de/thehitfactory/English-Home/english-home.html
• http://members.chello.at/mobius/main.html