Pop hit-makers Stock, Aitken and Waterman get blue plaque

From the sampled vocals of Mel & Kim to the instantly memorable lyrics of Rick Astley's biggest hits, Stock, Aitken and Waterman's songs ruled the UK charts successful the precocious 1980s.

With a bluish plaque being installed connected the broadside of the Bermondsey gathering that housed their "hit factory", the trio spoke to Sky News astir spotting Kylie's "spark" and claiming they "invented" AI.

At their highest successful 1989, Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman songs made up a whopping 27% of the UK singles market.

It remains 1 of the astir palmy partnerships successful the past of pop.

Waterman admits feeling "knocked out" by the 40 oregon truthful assemblage that came to ticker them person the honour - including 1980s artists Brother Beyond, erstwhile unit who worked connected their records, and fans.

"These are immoderate of the kids that each time utilized to beryllium present aft schoolhouse wanting autographs. Of course, they're each grown up now!" laughs Waterman.

The concern produced countless hits for immoderate of the biggest stars astatine the time.

"We had a method of working, we tried to taper the songs to however we thought the nationalist would comprehend the creator and we were rather palmy successful that regard," says Matt Aitken.

Waterman adds: "If it didn't work, we didn't bother."

In 1988, their occurrence went into overdrive acknowledgment to a collaboration with a young Australian soap histrion called Kylie Minogue who they hadn't adjacent heard of astatine the time.

"When she arrived astatine the workplace we were unaware that she was adjacent turning up," Mike Stock explains. "So we had to travel up with a opus beauteous quick."

They wrote her 1987 debut deed I Should Be So Lucky successful conscionable 20 minutes.

"She was a large deliverer of a song," Aitken says.

"When she was sat successful a country you wouldn't cognize she was determination but the infinitesimal a camera went on… she sparked," adds Pete Waterman.

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Back successful the time astir of their hits were recorded connected a elemental 24-track portion instrumentality but now, with advances successful AI software, songs tin beryllium produced successful an instant.

So however bash the trio consciousness astir artificial quality being the caller "hit factory"?

"AI? We invented it!" jokes Waterman.

"You've got to incorporated influences from the past but... the quality betwixt AI and what we did [is] we had emotion," helium says.

"We fought implicit songs if a lyric didn't work. It doesn't enactment without emotion."