Matt Aitken

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Matt Aitken is an English songwriter and producer. He was born in 1956 and grew up in Astley, near Manchester. He began as a guitarist and played in all kinds of bands and on cruise ships, where he learned to adapt to any style of music. Around 1980 Mike Stock brought him into his band. The two bought a mixing desk and a tape recorder, and from January 1984 they worked only in the studio, as writers and producers for others. That same year they joined forces with Pete Waterman. Thus Stock Aitken Waterman, SAW for short, came into being.

Music and breakthrough

The trio began at small labels in Hi-NRG, the fast dance music of the gay clubs. In 1985 came the first number 1 hit, You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) by Dead or Alive. They then built their own studio in the Borough in south London, which was called the Hit Factory. There hits were made for Bananarama, Mel and Kim, Rick Astley, Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan. The songs had a fixed formula: a tight electronic beat, synthesizers and a cheerful melody that stuck immediately. Aitken played guitar and keyboards and helped with the writing and the production. According to Waterman he was a perfectionist, especially when it came to his guitar solos.

Influence

In 1991 Aitken left the trio. He spent a few years looking after his daughters and took up motor racing. In 1994 he started again with Mike Stock and had success with, among others, Nicki French, Scooch and Robson & Jerome. Around 2002 he withdrew from music again.

Listening

In School of Rock

The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.

• Mixtape 7: The 1980s^NL Reader
• Mixtape 12: The Hit Factory^NL Reader