The Official Websiteof a pop music phenomenon
The Official Website
In a similar style to Pete's old magazine columns, every now and again the Hitman himself will fill you in on what has been going on in his life and what is currently the hot topic of conversation at PWL! Enjoy!
Yes I'm BACK!
It's Wednesday 8th August and I'm writing this update in a bit of a hurry as
I have to get ready for some filming we are doing later on today.
Some folks from 'The Box' group of music channels are coming to County Hall
to film me for a brand new two-hour special which is going to be called 'Pete
Waterman's World Of Pop!' - isn't that a great title, ha ha ha!
The show is going to be fantastic!
For half of it I'm going to be introducing my own selection of classic pop tunes
from the 80s and 90s - as well as throwing in a few PWL favourites (well, let's
face it, we did make a great many of those masterpieces ourselves so why not
play them!)
The second hour will be fun too. I'm going to be presenting to the UK some of
the hottest music videos that are currently being played around the world! I've
chosen songs that I think are going to be the next 'Big Things' over here and
I'm really excited about sharing them with you all.
The whole idea took me back to the time when I used to be a DJ and imported
then-unknown dance tracks from the USA - it's great to be able to share with
people some pieces of music they may not have heard otherwise.
I'm a lucky man and I love my job!
The programme will also be of interest to those of you out there who like to
know what goes on behind closed studio doors. I am going to give the film crew
a guided tour of County Hall and we are planning to take them into the studio,
show off some of the equipment and even hopefully dig out some of our old master
tapes; I'm gonna have a ball!
Sadly I've not got the transmission date yet, but I'll get Lee to put it up
on the site when everything is confirmed. I do know it's going to be in the
next couple of weeks though, so keep a look out on The Box schedules!
I also presume you've all seen me on The Sheila's pop video? I couldn't resist
appearing on it - the video was such fun to make and we spent the whole day
laughing!
The guy who played the game show host was totally mad and the members of the
public who turned up to be in the audience were great. I met lots of lovely
people that day and hopefully some of them are reading this page right now!
Time seems to be flying by right now and we are all busy getting ourselves ready
for the release of "(I'm So) Happy Happy (You're Mine)" . Although September
17th seemed like a long way off when we held the media launch at County Hall,
I can't believe that it is only a few weeks now! County Hall was packed with
people that day who were all wanting to see and hear The Sheilas perform.
As usual they put on an amazing show and the whole building seemed to turn pink
for the day!
If you'd like to see some photos of the launch they are available below. I need
to tell you all that a LOT of photographs were taken that day and many of the
ones we have included here are EXCLUSIVE to our PWL website! I'm on a couple
of them if you look hard enough!
OK, I think that's me just about finished!
I'll try and update this page before The Sheilas single is released and
fill you in with all the latest gossip!
Until next time;
B'have!
Yes,
yes, yes – I know its been a long time since I last updated my diary; but
let’s be honest – you guys know more about what I am doing than I do!
As usual I’m busy, busy, busy. There’s not a minute that goes by when I’m
not on the phone, down in the studio or involved in some sort of meeting,
so I jumped at the chance of going with the Sheilas to Popshow last week!
It’s funny, but at one stage I was sat in a tiny dressing room backstage
with the girls and instantly memories of 1984 came flooding back to me;
it was just like the time when I travelled round with Hazell Dean! Nothing
seems to have changed much…well, not as far as dressing rooms go!
By the way, for those of you that haven’t seen The Sheilas – they are amazing!
You are gonna love them - and their Happy Happy dance!
I think that the best comment made to me that night came from someone who
said that pop music has now gone underground. That made me stop and think
for a while – but they were spot on. Many people now seem to be a bit scared
of coming out and saying that they like happy, happy songs – but secretly
play them in the car! So, from now on I’m gonna try and get people to refer
to me as an underground record producer! Wish me luck!
Did any of you get to see ‘This Is Your Life’ the other weekend? Thank goodness
that wasn’t me sat in the chair! Simon loved it, but it’s not my thing at
all! Although it is nice to look back at the past you’ve still gotta keep
looking forward.
Finally, many of you may have read about me getting involved with the NorthernTrax
talent competition. The musical styles that get submitted to that site are
wide and varied and help get some very talented kids some well-deserved
exposure...and it's also a great way of getting a really important message
across;
keep out of trouble and stay away from playing on railway tracks…making
music at home with a group of mates is much more fun – and you can make
a lot of money from it…
I mean; look at me, ha ha ha!
I thought I'd share with you a few photographs that were taken of me at
an event I attended last week up in Manchester.
I was invited to be guest speaker at a Pro-Manchester function and whilst
there I managed to raise a staggering £1046 for their cause by auctioning
off various CDs and DVDs that I had signed! I was gobsmacked at the total
amount raised at the end of the evening!
All in all it was a great event and I had a really nice time there. I first
heard about this evening via our firm of accountants who have offices in
Manchester, and when I found out that it was all to take place within the
beautiful surroundings of the Bridgewater Hall I just couldn't refuse!
Click Here to see the photos of this event!
If you'd like to find out more about Pro-Manchester, please visit their
website here.
Sorry about the lack of updates to my diary recently, things have been
a bit mad around here! The studio is taking longer than expected to get
ready, which is a bit frustrating however I really want to get this thing
right and there are also lots of different rules and regulations you have
to stick to when you are in a building as magnificent as the one that we
are lucky enough to now be in! It's gonna be fabulous when it's all finished!
I thought that you might like to see what I've been up to in the last week,
so I've given you an EXCLUSIVE peek into my own personal photo album…you
won't be able to see these pictures anywhere else, so enjoy them whilst
you can! The first photos are of me unveiling a plaque at Elstree Television
Studios to commemorate the work of Simon Cowell! By all accounts Simon was
the 21st recipient of the award; and my old mate is in good company…other
people to have been given this special accolade include Eizabeth Taylor,
George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Stanley Kubrick! Of course Simon didn't
know I was to be surprise guest; but things like that keep him on his toes!
Click Here to see the photos of this event!
The other photos are of me at the Anne Frank Exhibition in London and I'd
like to say a special 'Hello' to the wonderful young winner of the Anne
Frank Award, Adam Fouracre. I had a really lovely time there and was honoured
to be invited as a guest; it was also quite moving to see all the photographs
of Anne which had never been seen by members of the public before. It was
quite a posh event and it was held at St Paul's Cathedral.
Other guests there included Cherie Blair, who presented the awards that
evening.
Click Here to see the photos of this event!
You can find out more about the work of the Anne Frank Trust by visiting
www.annefrank.org.uk
Finally I'd like to say 'thanks' to Robert Finlay of Previsualisation for
kindly taking the photographs of myself and Simon at Elstree Studios.
Well the New Year is just flying by; I can't believe
we are nearly in February already!
Things are coming together nicely at our new home in County Hall; all the
boxes are unpacked and the new studio is being built as I write this!
It's very exciting to think that this will be the fourth studio we have here
and I can't wait to see it being used...we are all fighting fit and ready
for action! Please don't expect anything earlier than April though; things
like this do take time if we are to get them right.
Thanks to everyone who sent me a birthday card the other week too... thankfully
most people here at PWL forgot about it and just carried on as normal! Next
year's birthday should be fun though; goodness knows what they will have planned
for me! Luckily though, getting old is something that has never worried me!
As the old saying goes, you are only as young as you feel - and I still feel
21!
Hope you are all well, and I'll write again soon!
Christmas came early to the PWL offices this week when Lee (the strange bloke
who runs this website) gave us all our own personalised lanyards (neck cords
to you and me!) for our new PWL passes!
Sadly I am unable to tell you what many of the messages on them said as this
is a family website...however they did cause MUCH merriment to the visitors
who came to the offices whilst we were busy packing everything into boxes
ready for the big move over to County Hall. Helen Dann also spent much of
last week showing off her latest present; a pet tree from Japan (No, I don't
understand it either!) but at least it kept her amused!
If I don't get to speak to you before the 25th, make sure you have a great
Christmas!
Blimey; what a weekend! I think that I’ve only
just gotten over Saturday night! I have to say that it was a bit unusual;
another surreal chapter in the life of Peter Waterman! Playing all Stock Aitken
Waterman hits back to back felt very strange – it’s not something
I am used to doing. In the old Radio City or Hitman and Her days I’d
play some of the PWL hits, but I would spread them out in between other people’s
tracks. It made me very proud though, listening to them all again back to
back and seeing the reaction of the crowd. Just to set the record straight;
no I did not wear a gold lamé suit or anything like that; I was very
respectable. Sadly the guys at G.A.Y did not give me a microphone, which meant
that I was unable to heckle the crowd and camp it up…but in the end
they probably made the right decision!
Later this week I'm back in the studio with Mike and Matt - which I am really
looking forward to - and also I'll be doing a bit more press for the 'Gold'
album!
Until
next time;
B'have!
Online Journal By Pete Waterman. London; 2005-2007
