Stock Aitken Waterman have shared that they turned down the chance to work with Take That, because the three of them “didn’t really see that for what it was”.
The English songwriting and record production trio – comprising Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman – shared the news during a new interview with the Daily Star newspaper’s Wired column, sharing that they walked away from an offer to join forces with the boy band in the ‘90s.
The offer came when the band was comprised of Robbie Williams, Gary Barlow, Mark Owen, Jason Orange, and Howard Donald, and seemingly before they went on to sell over 45million records globally and secure 12 Number One UK hits.
“We did turn down Take That. We didn’t really see that for what it was,” Stock said, and Waterman agreed: “We turned it down because of the management. The terms they were offering were derogatory.”
“I think that you have to have a value for your talent, otherwise there’s no point you doing it,” he added, “We were as hot as pistols at the time, so we just said no. That wasn’t against Gary and the boys. It was just that it didn’t work.”
The trio have collectively achieved 13 Number Ones in the UK thanks to their work with big names in pop, including Kylie Minogue, Rick Astley, Bananarama, Dead Or Alive, and Jason Donovan.
Also in the Daily Star interview, they shared another artist that they wish they could have worked with during their heyday: Pet Shop Boys. Speaking of the band, comprised of duo Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, Waterman said: “I still think Stock Aitken Waterman and The Pet Shop Boys would have been quite amazing.”
The interview with Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman comes just months after they made divisive comments about pop star Sabrina Carpenter, who they described as “throwing away” women’s rights.
“To see Sabrina Carpenter dressed as a little girl is quite offensive. She doesn’t need that,” said Waterman, aged 78. “She’s got great talent, and yet the whole of the industry, these girls come out in as little as possible because they know they’re driving young boys to their websites.”
“They’ve won all of their freedoms and their rights, women. They fought for everything they’ve got and now they’re throwing it away, is the way I would look at it,” Stock, now aged 73, added.
“It’s just crazy. If you’re asking to be respected, don’t come on in a G-string,” Waterman chimed in, before Stock dismissed Carpenter’s sexualised lyrics as “lazy”.
Carpenter then hit back at the comments, saying: “My message has always been clear – if you can’t handle a girl who is confident in her own sexuality, then don’t come to my shows.”
The singer was one of the most successful artists of last year, particularly thanks to her hit album ‘Short N’ Sweet’. Singles on that record, including ‘Espresso’, ‘Please Please Please’ and ‘Taste’, spent a collective 21 weeks at the top of the singles charts.
Around that same time, Waterman revealed that he is “still sad” about his collaboration with Judas Priest being scrapped, and Stock –a co-writer for the second version of Band Aid – criticised Bob Geldof for leaving the single out of the 2024 ‘Ultimate Mix’ edition.
Released in 1989, that second version of the hit charity song was created by the trio, and included vocals from Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Cliff Richards, Wet Wet Wet, Bros, Bananarama and more. It went on to top the charts for three weeks and became the ninth best-selling song of that year.
Back in 2023, Waterman made headlines again when he took part in NME’s Does Rock ‘N’ Roll Kill Braincells?! quiz, and said that there would be no Oasis without him, as he supplied a young Noel Gallagher with guitar strings.
“When he was a gas fitter in Manchester, my studio was across the road from him, so he’d nip over at lunchtime and steal my guitar strings because he couldn’t afford them,” he shared. “He always credits me with giving him his start. Without my free guitar strings, he couldn’t have carried on.”
