The Ultimate Christmas Party...

Live Nation are thrilled to announce the Hit Factory Live - Christmas Cracker. Set to be the ultimate Christmas party this once in a lifetime concert will take place at London’s O2 arena on December 21.

Pete Waterman said: “Hit Factory Live - Christmas Cracker will be the biggest and best celebration of SAW and PWL ever. This will be the perfect party to commemorate our 25th anniversary. We were devastated when Hyde Park's Hit Factory Live had to be cancelled but now the party is back on with an epic line-up of our classic artists!". 

Set to perform at this unique event are the classic artists from the PWL Hit Factory who will be performing on the same bill for the very first time. Steps, the multi-million selling group responsible for hits including ‘One For Sorrow’, ‘Tragedy’, ’Deeper Shade of Blue’ and ‘Stomp’, have had an incredible 12 months. They reformed last year and have since played a sold out a twenty-date UK arena tour and had their very own TV documentary. 

Rick Astley’s international success secures his place in the Hit Factory Live - Christmas Cracker line-up. Rick holds the record as the first British male artist to have his first eight solo singles reach the UK Top 10 – including the global No. 1 ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’, ‘Whenever You Need Somebody’ and ‘Together Forever’.

Entertainment megastar Jason Donovan takes his place on the bill following massive success with SAW in the late 80s. His hits include the No. 1s ‘Too Many Broken Hearts’, ‘Sealed with A Kiss’ and the bestselling SAW single ever with UK sales of over a million – ‘Especially For You’, an unforgettable duet with Neighbours co-star Kylie Minogue.

With such classic hits such as ‘Venus’, ‘Love In the First Degree’ and ‘I Want You Back’, the UK’s most-charted girl group Bananarama are an essential addition to the Hit Factory Christmas Cracker bill. Dead Or Alive, fronted by the inimitable Pete Burns, also join the line-up, their timeless single ‘You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)’ was the first No. 1 for SAW in 1985.

Also appearing are Pepsi & Shirlie, Princess, Sinitta, Hazell Dean, Sonia, 2 Unlimited,Lonnie Gordon and Brother Beyond. With such signature smash hits between them as ‘Heartache’, ‘Say I’m Your Number One’, ‘Toy Boy’, ‘Whatever I Do (Wherever I Go)’, ‘You’ll Never Stop Me Loving You’, ‘No Limit’, ‘Happenin’ All Over Again’ and ‘The Harder I Try’. TheHit Factory Live - Christmas Cracker is set to be a truly unmissable spectacular.

Tickets go on sale this Friday (October 19) at 9am from www.livenation.co.uk and www.ticketmaster.co.uk.

Evergreen Dean...

A new best of CD from Hazell Dean is coming out on September 10th. It looks like a nice package - two CD's, including all the hits and a bonus disc filled with remixes. Oh, and it costs just 5 pounds on Amazon UK. Here is the info:

Hazell Dean has remained one of the world s leading Hi-NRG & Dance-pop artists throughout her ongoing 35+ year career. The gay and lesbian icon and chart heroine has had twelve UK chart hits, all included on her first 2 CD collection Evergreen: The Very Best of Hazell Dean.

CD 1 features chart blockbusters Whatever I Do (Wherever I Go) , Who s Leaving Who and Searchin' (I Gotta Find A Man) as well as more hits and 3 previously unreleased mixes from the PWL archive.

CD 2 features a host of material available for the first time on CD including rare and unreleased mixes of Maybe (We Should Call It A Day) and No Fool (For Love) and more making this the essential Hazell Dean collection.

Disc1:

1. Whatever I Do (Wherever I Go)

2. Who's Leaving Who?

3. Searchin' (I Gotta Find A Man)

4. Maybe (We Should Call It A Day)

5. Turn It Into Love

6. Back In My Arms (Once Again)

7. No Fool (For Love)

8. Love Pains

9. They Say It's Gonna Rain

10. Evergreen

11. Jealous Love

12. Better Off Without You

13. Stand Up

14. Always Doesn't Mean Forever

15. E.S.P. (Extra Sensual Persuasion)

16. Keeping It Together

17. Call And Say

18. Can't Help The Way That I Feel

19. More Than Words Can Say

20. Are You Man Enough?

21. Tell Me (You'll Wait For Me)

Disc 2:

1. Searchin' (I Gotta Find A Man) [Mega-Mix]

2. Whatever I Do (Wherever I Go) [1987 Extended Remix]

3. Who s Leaving Who? [Alternative 12 Mix]

4. Maybe (We Should Call It A Day) [Alternative Extended Version]

5. Turn It Into Love [Extended Version]

6. No Fool (For Love) [Dance Version]

7. Evergreen [Extended Version]

8. Jealous Love [Extended Version]

9. Can't Help The Way That I Feel [12" Master]

10. Love Pains [Rawhide & Bullwhip Mix]

11. Better Off Without You [A Touch Of Leather Mix]

Another Place And Time...

An excellent documentary about Stock/Aitken/Waterman was shown on British TV last night.

Known as PWL or The Hit Factory, the boys introduced Kylie Minogue to the music world. The also worked with Bananarama, Rick Astley, Divine, Jason Donovan, Dead Or Alive, Brother Beyond, Sinitta, Samantha Fox, Mel & Kim, Sabrina, Hazell Dean and even the queen of disco, Donna Summer.



After dominating the UK charts for the latter part of the 80s, thing started to go downhill when all their biggest artists left the company in 1991-1992. But what remains in an incredible body of successful work, done in a very short time. The music may not recall Motown, but the success does.




Now, step back in time and watch the documentary...

Together Forever...

Bananarama, Jason Donovan, Sinitta and Sonia are among a host of Stock Aitken Waterman acts that will perform at a special reunion concert this summer.

The gig will bring together nearly all the artists who found fame on the PWL record label to mark its 25th anniversary. Rick Astley, Sinitta, Pepsi and Shirlie and Brother Beyond will also feature on the line-up.
The concert will take place in London's Hyde Park on 11 July.



Fans can also expect appearances from Dead or Alive, Princess, Hazell Dean, Sybil, Lonnie Gordon and 2 Unlimited, while the concert will be headlined by Steps. Organisers said the gig would be a "celebration of the hit single" as the performing acts have between them sold 250 million singles.



They also said a "very special duet" which was last performed 23 years ago would form part of the show.
Jason Donovan and Kylie Minogue's hit "Especially For You" was a hit for the pair at the end of the 1980s. More acts set to join the bill will be announced shortly, while some proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to Cancer Research UK.

Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman are considered one of the most successful songwriting and producing partnerships of all time, scoring more than 100 UK top 40 hits during the 1980s and 1990s.
Waterman said: "I've been saying no for years to a Hit Factory concert but now, 25 years on, the timing feels right."

Tickets go on sale on March 23rd.

Always...

A re-release is on the way of the 1988 album Always by Hazell Dean. Here is the tracklist:

CD1:

1/ They Say It's Gonna Rain - 7" Version
2/ Who's Leaving Who - 7" Version
3/ Turn It Into Love
4/ You're My Rainbow
5/ Always Doesn't Mean Forever - 7" Version
6/ Maybe (We Should Call It A Day) - 7" Version
7/ Walk In My Shoes
8/ Nothing In My Life
9/ Danger
10/ No Fool (For Love) - Murray 7" Mix
11/ Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing
12/ Stand Up - 7" Version
13/ Can't Get You Out Of My Mind
14/ Love Ends, Love Parts
15/ Walk In My Shoes - Original Version
16/ E.S.P. - 7" Version
17/ Who's Leaving Who - The Boys Are Back In Town Mix
18/ Stand Up - 12" Version


CD 2:

1/ E.S.P. - Extended Version
2/ Image In The Mirror
3/ They Say It's Gonna Rain - Indian Summer Mix
4/ Always Doesn't Mean Forever - My-Ami Mix,
5/ Turn It Into Love - Danae Jacovidis Edit
6/ Walk In My Shoes - Nightmare Mix
7/ Who's Leaving Who - Bob's Tambourine Mix
8/ Maybe (We Should Call It A Day) - Extra Beat Boys Remix
9/ Turn It Into Love - House Mix
10/ They Say It's Gonna Rain - Zulu Mix
11/ Turn It Into Love - Alternative Mix