PWL Hit Factory Live: Watch Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Rick Astley & Others At The O2 Arena

No, the world didn't end on Friday, December 21, 2012. The delayed PWL Hit Factory Live concert at London's O2 Arena went down instead, and featured performances by, well, everybody listed below — basically all the big artists associated with Pete Waterman from the mid-'80s to the late-'90s.

And because I got bored for 40 minutes this evening, I decided to round up as many of the videos that made their way onto YouTube as I could find. Enjoy yourself!

2 Unlimited — "Get Ready For This"



Lonnie Gordon — "Happening All Over Again"



Hazell Dean — "Who's Leaving Who"



Sonia — Medley: "Can’t Forget You / Counting Every Minute / Listen To Your Heart / You’ll Never Stop Me From Loving You"



Pepsi & Shirlie — "Heartache"



Sinitta — Medley: "Cross My Broken Heart / Right Back Where We Started From / Toy Boy"



Princess — "After The Love Has Gone"



Princess — "Say I'm Your No. 1"



Dead Or Alive — "Something In My House"



Dead Or Alive — "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)"



Rick Astley — "Together Forever"



Rick Astley — "When I Fall In Love"



Rick Astley presents Pete Waterman with Official Charts Company commemorative Number One award



Rick Astley — "Never Gonna Give You Up"



Bananarama — "Venus"



Bananarama — "I Heard A Rumour"



Bananarama — "I Want You Back"



Jason Donovan — "Nothing Can Divide Us"



Steps — "Deeper Shade Of Blue"



Steps — "Last Thing On My Mind"



Steps — "Tragedy"



Kylie Minogue & Jason Donovan — "Especially For You"

Steps & Everyone Else, finale — "Merry Christmas, Everybody"

Read More

PWL Hit Factory Live Gig In London Canceled: They Say It's Gonna Rain

Yesterday Kylie Minogue tweeted the above pic of herself while rehearsing with Jason Donovan for their PWL Hit Factory Live reunion, but this morning brought news that the entire fest had to be called off due weather conditions (and last weekend's Wireless Festival) making the Hyde Park  grounds in London unsafe.

Pete Waterman told the BBC the following:

"People have come from all over the world to make this happen. We're trying to work out what we can do. Police, parks and safety people have said it's completely unsafe at the moment. We saw the damage caused by the Wireless festival at the weekend, but we can't get lorries on to the site to dump bark and mulch on the ground. What can I say? We've had exceptional weather. If it's not safe, it's not safe and you can't control that."

As expected, the mood on the official PWL Facebook page of those who planned to attend the event reflects disappointment.

Hazell Dean, who was due to perform at Hit Factory Live — and who recorded the ironically-titled tune "They Say It's Gonna Rain" — passed this message along:

"Dear All. As you can imagine I am absolutely devastated.
I arrived for rehearsals earlier and was told the news by the guys from Dead Or Alive.
I don't know what else to say, as I only know as much as you which is what is reported on the BBC News website.
I'm sure PWL and Live Nation will make and announcement as soon as they can.
Hopefully with a rescheduled date.
Iam as gutted as you guys.

Read More

Kylie Minogue Covers 'Glamour' UK, Talks About PWL Days

My friend/travel companion AGirlAndHerCity picked up a copy of the July issue of Glamour UK at Heathrow — the one with Kylie Minogue on the cover, where she talks about performing at the upcoming Hit Factory Live fest — and she gave it to me upon meeting up in Paris yesterday.

Here's an excerpt:

"I can't divulge...oh, I'll tell you," she blurts. "At the PWL Hyde Park gig...I'm going to sing 'Especially For You' with Jason Donovan. I don't think we'll even need to sing it; I'm sure the audience all went through the Neighbours wedding; it's going to bring the house down! Even though it's outdoors..."

...She is, let's face it, too good, too big and too contemporary to headline Pete Waterman's nostalgia-led pop-fest, but, she notes, "I would like to thank him in some way."

...Back in1997, I saw the singer's crystal-blue eyes brim with tears. Her "Indie Kylie" phase was fraught with nerves and confusion: while her then-collaborators, the Manic Street Preachers and Nick Cave, had "embraced [her] past," she herself had not, always feeling "creatively knee-deep in concrete" at Pete Waterman's perky Hit Factory. This year, by contrast, her Anti Tour celebrated those very days...

"It was torturous inside me," she says, of her '97 self. "I just thought, 'I can't be that person, she's not accepted, she's so uncool,' and it transpires I was none of those things. The coolest people were just, 'No, we love those songs, we love you from that time!' But I had to go through my own process to embrace it."

Read More

'Pete Waterman Presents The Hit Factory': Tracklisting

The Facebook page for that Pete Waterman Presents The Hit Factory compilation (out July 9) finally got 1,000 likes, and the tracklist was posted yesterday. If you already own the 2005 Stock Aitken Waterman Gold set, this three-disc package is worth it for the third CD only.

I will say that it's bizarre to include Steps' "Heartbeat". True, it went to #1 as a double A-side with "Tragedy," but the latter proved to be the far more popular of the two, and "One For Sorry" is surely the band's other widely-recognized signature song, no?

Another random choice: Loveland's "Let The Music (Lift You Up)." Not complaining, though. Loveland's entire 1995 The Wonder Of Love LP is pretty spectacular.

And bravo for the remastered "Looking Good Diving" and "Heartache." Pity about no Donna Summer, however.

Full tracklisting:

CD 1
1. Mel & Kim – Respectable
2. Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up
3. Kylie Minogue - I Should Be So Lucky
4. Dead or Alive – You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)
5. Bananarama – Love In The First Degree
6. Jason Donovan - Too Many Broken Hearts
7. Sonia - You'll Never Stop Me Loving You
8. Lonnie Gordon – Happenin’ All Over Again
9. Loveland Featuring Rachel McFarlane – Let The Music (Lift You Up)
10. Sybil – When I’m Good And Ready
11. Brother Beyond – The Harder I Try
12. Hazell Dean – Whatever I Do (Wherever I Go)
13. Divine – You Think You’re A Man
14. Sinitta – Toy Boy
15. Big Fun – Blame It On The Boogie
16. Pepsi & Shirlie – Heartache
17. Princess – Say I’m Your Number One
18. Kylie & Jason - Especially For You
19. Steps – Heartbeat

CD 2
1. Kylie Minogue - Hand On Your Heart
2. Bananarama – Venus
3. Hazell Dean – Who’s Leaving Who?
4. Cliff Richard – I Just Don’t Have The Heart
5. Rick Astley - Together Forever
6. Sinitta – Cross My Broken Heart
7. Samantha Fox – Nothing’s Gonna Stop Me Now
8. Dead Or Alive – Lover Come Back (To Me)
9. Opus III – It’s A Fine Day
10. Stock Aitken Waterman – Roadblock
11. Princess – I’ll Keep On Loving You
12. Lonnie Gordon – Beyond Your Wildest Dreams
13. Jason Donovan – Sealed With A Kiss
14. West End featuring Sybil – The Love I Lost
15. Brother Beyond – He Ain’t No Competition
16. Sonia – Listen To Your Heart
17. The Reynolds Girls – I’d Rather Jack
18. Mel & Kim – Showing Out (Get Fresh At The Weekend)
19. Steps – Tragedy
20. The WIP 2 Tribute Mix

CD3
1. Princess – Say I’m Your Number One [Princess To A King Mix]
2. Mondo Kane– New York Afternoon [Extended Version]
3. The Three Degrees – The Heaven I Need [Extended Version]
4. Morgan McVey featuring Neneh Cherry – Looking Good Diving (With The Wild Bunch)
5. Mandy Smith – I Just Can’t Wait [Alternative 12” Mix]
6. Precious Wilson – Only The Strong Survive [Extended Version]
7. Sybil – When I’m Good And Ready [Original 12” Mix]
8. Jason Donovan – Too Many Broken Hearts [Party Hearty Mix]
9. Kylie Minogue – What Do I Have To Do? [Billy The Fish Mix]
10. Dolly Dots – What A Night (Party Night) [12” Remix]
11. Dead Or Alive – You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) [Buzzing Bees Mix]

Read More

Kylie Minogue To Duet (Not Do It) With Jason Donovan

No one will be surprised to find that "very special duet 23 years in the making" set to happen at the PWL Hit Factory Live fest in London's Hyde Park on July 11 is going to be Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan doing "Especially For You." According to the grapevine that is PopJustice via Contactmusic via Glamour magazine, Kylie confirmed she'll be taking the stage with her old Neighbours mate.

Meanwhile, the above box set, Pete Waterman Presents The Hit Factory: The Soundtrack To A Generation, is being released on July 9. The full tracklist isn't being released until this Facebook page gets 1000 "likes" or something (it's currently up to 815), but judging by the cover art, it's going to be very similar to the three-disc Stock Aitken Waterman Gold compilation from 2005. Which, of course, was ages ago, so who even remembers that, right?

Read More

Steps Promote Hit Factory Live Concert At PWL Studios With Pete Waterman

Steps update #1: That Hit Factory Live concert featuring all the PWL acts you can shake a stick is going full-steam ahead. Here's a video of Steps and Pete Waterman doing a press conference and various promo about it:



Steps update #2: To tie in with the band's tour next month, Sky Living will air a whole new series of Steps Reunion titled, aptly enough Steps Reunion: The Ultimate Tour. This will later be followed by Steps Reunion: The Next Step.

Steps update #3: Still no word on new music from the band. And I'll no longer be going to their gig in London on April 19, due to a scheduling conflict. Sigh. But I will be going to Paris in June, so there is that.

Read More

Hit Factory Live To Bring Steps, Jason Donovan, Bananarama To London's Hyde Park In July

Bloody hell! PopJustice posted the official press release this morning for Pete Waterman's Hit Factory Live event at Hyde Park in London on July 11.

On the roster:
Steps
Rick Astley
Bananarama
Jason Donovan
Dead Or Alive
Pepsi &Shirley (!!)
Princess (!!!)
Sinitta
Hazell Dean
Sonia
Sybil (!!!!)
2 Unlimited (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Lonnie Gordon
Brother Beyond

Jesus. That kind of makes the Stock Aitken Waterman Gold night at G-A-Y (Sonia, Sinitta, Jason Donovan) I flew to see back in November  of 2005 look like dinner theater in Leeds.

There is also mention of a "very special duet 23 years in the making." Hmmmm. Kylie Minogue and Jason's "Especially For You" was released 23 years ago, were it not?

Read More