|
Reproduced from DMA July, 1995. Vol 3 - Issue 7
The House Of Fun Divided
A Stock/Aitken & PWL Update - Part Two
BY MARK R. MCCANN
"It's never too late, we've still got time,
... it's never too late, to change your mind."
It has been an interesting year over at what Kylie Minogue once called the
"House Of Fun" - PWL. Numerous high-level defections resulted in gossip
as to PWL's imminent demise. Some said that Warner Brothers would swallow
PWL whole, while others speculated that PWL would remain solely as a Warner
Brothers imprint of sorts. To all of the above, a hearty "not true, thank
you". Pete Waterman proved, once again, that he is the consummate businessman,
returning PWL to prominence. While the resignations of such long-standing
PWL luminaries as David Howells, Tilly Rutherford, and Phil France surely
clouded the future of the Hit Factory, the arrival of new blood, such as
Almighty's Gary Miller, Craig Hardy, and John Mayoh, not to discount the
"arrival" of Loveland, secured PWL's position as a major player. Immediately
after Mike's departure, PWL continued to ride the waves of success it created
by licensing foreign product (2 Unlimited, Clubhouse, Schwarkopf, and the
like), rather than producing their own, in-house music. Pure, perfect
pop/dance was traded for the trendy sounds of screaming divas, and techno
grinds and blares. After moderate success in this area, the powers that
be at PWL have realised that a healthy combination of the two can co-exist
peacefully, as well as successfully. From the ambient moodiness of Atlantic
Ocean, and the club-ready drama that is Loveland, to the shameless disco
(no longer a dirty word) of International Chrysis and the "girlie-bloke pop"
of Slamm, PWL is serving up a musical smorgasbord, proving that variety is
truly the spice of life. It was reported in the UK music press that PWL's
plan for the '90's success would be in returning to the philosophy of
'yore, concentrating on a talented stable of in-house artists. So, how
does one explain the fact that both Erik and FKW, two of PWL's most popular
post-Stock offerings, were given their walking papers? FKW's debut LP was
both finished and mastered, while Erik had at least six tracks completed.
Undercover's sophomore LP "Ain't No Stoppin' Us", never saw UK release
(although it did release in Europe and Japan), due to the poor showings of
the singles off that LP. In fact, it seems that only Slamm have survived
the PWL eviction equation of
FLOP + FLOP = DROP!!
(remember Delage, Paul Varney, Nancy Davis, Boy Krazy, etc.) as they prepare
to issue their sixth single "Just Can't Stop". The planned sixth
single, "Like Right Now" was pulled just prior to its release, with
promo copies selling for major "poundage" in the UK collector's circles.
Various formats contained tracks produced by PWL success story Craig Hardy.
Craig, who joined PWL as part of the promotions staff, worked his way up to
a studio position, proving to be a major talent in the making. His Slamm
tracks are excellent, while his remixes (available on limited-edition vinyl
only) of Frash's "Here I Go Again" remain sought-after by PWL
collectors 'round the globe.
Among PWL's many off-shoot labels (Eastern Bloc, Peach, Flip), it is the
Public Demand imprint that seems to coming into its own. Original acts and
major signings combine to form a label with which to be reckoned. Robbie
Craig, a former Polydor-UK artist (who worked with Brother-In Rhythm
Steve Anderson) releases his Public Demand debut "Special" in the
days ahead, featuring both classic and underground mixes. New mixes of
the Mandy Smith classic "I Just Can't Wait" are circulating now,
with rumours of new Mandy music to follow. One Family continues to build
its pop/soul/dance following with its sophomore single. As well, they are
contributors to a new single credited to "VPD" - the Voices of Public Demand,
featuring most of the Public Demand rooster (Mandy Smith, Robbie Craig,
et al).
In the coming months, PWL promise the debut LP by former Dead or Alivers
"International Chrysalis", once red-tape is cleared. However, the LP will see
Japanese release before hitting UK shelves. Johnna Cummings, former lead
singer of Boy Krazy, cut six tracks at PWL earlier this year, and is there
again, as I write this, to complete more material. Slamm's debut LP should
see release soon, as well as Loveland's highly anticipated debut collection.
Loveland's front-woman, Rachel McFarlane, will release solo material on
PWL proper. Most anticipated, however, is Donna Summer's return to the Hit
Factory. She cut at least one track with Gary Miller and co., earlier this
year, -which should appear on her next solo LP. PWL's future is certain, and
will continue to succeed in the fashion that it always has for, quite simply,
Pete Waterman does not follow trends - he creates them.
Finally, we can only hope that by some meeting of the minds, that some of
the unreleased material will see the light of day. Lonnie Gordon's
"How Could He Do This To Me" has become an underground hit of sorts,
with 9th and 10th generations copies circling the globe. Delage's
"Ain't No Cure" and "I Can't Wait", Paul Lekakis' "Fruit
Machine", Johnnie O's "You're My Everything", Sinitta's
How Can This Be Real Love", Kylie's "Shame On Me", LPs by
Wanda Dee, Cool Notes, and FKW, and ALL OF THE SUZETTE CHARLES tracks NEED
to be released. The fans have spoken, and hopefully, Mike, Matt and Pete
will respond. We'll take a box set, or two ...
LATE BREAKING NEWS - The aforementioned "Unchained Melody"
b/w "The White Cliffs Of Dover", by Robson Green and Jerome Flynn, has sold
over 300,000 copies in its first week of UK release, a sure sign that it
will debut at #1 ... the legend continues!!!
|
