The unassuming Southwark studio of music producers Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman was a mecca for pop fans throughout the 1980s and 90s.
From these premises, the trio - who achieved 13 UK number one singles - launched the careers of stars including Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Rick Astley and Bananarama.
This week, they reunited at London's Vine Yard Studios, known as 'The Hit Factory' from 1984 to 1993, to unveil a blue plaque. Among the attendees were former teenage fans who once gathered outside hoping to glimpse their pop idols.
Stock and Waterman agree it all felt surreal, especially when they thought back on their humble beginnings.
“We were ensconced in that building five to six days a week working until nine or ten o’clock at night every day. It was a workplace,” Waterman, 78, told The Standard.
“A lot of the kids that were youngsters then were there from the neighbourhood that used to come around the door when they knew that Kylie or Jason were in and ask for autographs because where we were, Borough was an unholy place, south of the Thames! I mean now we take that as a silly comment, but going back to the 80s, the music industry was not south of the Thames, it was all north of the Thames and all we could afford was south of the Thames so we were already sort of in the boondocks before we started.”
Despite the attention that they attracted, Waterman was adamant that they “never had any problem at all” - the police even handed out cups of tea to some authograph hunters!
“When we did BandAid the police were there and said it was the best thing they’d ever done,” he explained. “They didn’t have to stop anybody, they just said this is how far you go and they’ll sign autographs for you when they come out. It was great, the police were serving the kids cups of tea. That’s the way it really was then.
“People knew if they came and waited they’d get the autograph. It wasn’t you can’t do this, you can’t do that. It was ‘listen, we’re in a session, Kylie or Jason or Banarama will be out in about 45 minutes if you want to wait.”
However, Stock, 73, can recall at least one ocassion when that open door policy “did work again us”.
He said: “We were recording with Jason on a Friday night and it was pouring down with rain and I noticed on the CCTV there were two little figures in the doorway opposite the studio and I went out there and there were these two girls who were absolutely drenched and I sort of picked up that they were not local kids and they’d come all the way down from Manchester to get Jason’s autograph but they hadn’t told their parents. I took them down the police station and the police really looked after them. They came and sat in the studio until their parents had got there from Manchester, that was the sort of family atmosphere it was. The parents weren’t angry because the police said they’re with Stock Aitken Waterman at the studio, they give them a cup of tea, just take your time, the studio is open all night and all day and they’ll be safe.”
To mark the unveiling of our Blue Plaque the wonderful @kylieminogue sent us these! You can't go wrong with cup cakes. pic.twitter.com/EdWWeSPpEE
— Mike Stock (@mikestockmusic) January 24, 2025
A number of their former protégés who were unable to be at the plaque unveiling sent messages, Minogue went the extra mile with cupcakes.
Donovan - who released two albums with Stock Aitken Waterman and will perform many of the hits including Too Many Broken Hearts and Especially For You during his upcoming Doin’ Fine 25 UK tour - told The Standard that he was “grateful” for their role in his early chart success.
Launching his pop career in the late 80s off the back of his success on soap Neighbours, the Australian star had the biggest selling song in the UK in 1989.
He said: “There’s only one Stock Aitken Waterman. I’m very grateful, very lucky, with respect to what they achieved - it changed my life that connection.”
Stock Aitken Waterman’s wider back catalogue also includes hits such as Never Gonna Give You Up, Better The Devil You Know, This Time It’s For You and I Just Don’t Have The Heart.
Asked why he thinks their popularity endures, Donovan - who presents his 80s Rewind on Heart Radio show every Sunday from 7pm - had a simple response: “They’re just f-ing great pop songs!”