|  For a man who famously stated that everything he touches turns to gold, you could be excused for having certain assumptions about Pete Waterman. But as the Audiotube team grilled him on everything from John Travolta to reality TV and reforming bands, Pete displayed more of a knowing confidence than a celebrity ego. Nevertheless, for someone who’s amassed unit sales of over 500 million, he could be forgiven for a bit of shameless name dropping ...
Born in Coventry in 1947, Pete Alan Waterman OBE spent the early part of his career DJing in and around his hometown where he used his collection of imported music to gauge what appealed to the younger generations. From here he moved to the States and took a job as an A&R man and quickly set about bringing Philly soul band ‘The Three Degrees’ back to British shores. Careful not to miss an opportunity to make his mark on music, Pete began producing John Travolta’s music during the Grease pandemonium of the late 1970’s. Following this Pete had some small successes with producer Peter Collins, before setting up his own record company PWL (Pete Waterman Limited) in 1984. Alongside producers Matt Aitken and Mike Stock, (known collectively as Stock Aitken Waterman), PWL became one of the most successful production teams of all time. Pete’s career sky rocketed in the late 80’s as his artists Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Rick Astley, Sinitta and Banarama dominated the charts. When asked who he’d sign to his record label (now Pete Waterman Entertainment), if money was no issue, Pete eagerly responds: “The Beatles! They’re the greatest band of all time. They were an inspiration for what I did, I loved their records.” He is equally enthusiastic when asked about his impressive star encounters, claiming his various encounters with Paul McCartney as the most notable. Talk quickly turns to reality TV and the staying power of reality graduates Leona Lewis and Girls Aloud. After fronting two seasons of UK Pop Idol, Pete went on to star in 2002’s ‘Popstars The Rivals’ where he was put in charge of boy-band One True Voice whilst rival music svengali Louis Walsh was awarded Girls Aloud. 
At the time Pete was quoted as saying that he’d commit suicide if his band didn’t claim the Christmas number one spot. Sadly for Pete, Girls Aloud stole the Christmas crown with their smash hit ‘Sound of the Underground’ and in the process all but finished One True Voice’s five minutes of fame. As I point out that it wasn’t exactly a fair fight (five gorgeous lasses competing against five gawky looking guys), Pete says rather smugly: “Well, I had the number, 1, 2 and 3 spots at Christmas so I was happy with that.” Despite his personal success with reality shows, we’re unlikely to see Pete gracing our Saturday night TV screens anytime soon. He seems almost dejected by the whole reality TV addiction, stating that: “What I’ve learnt is that the public can’t pick a group of people. They don’t know what they’re talking about.” While Pete may dislike these tried and tested formulas, he has no problem acknowledging their huge success, stating simply that: “The public seem to enjoy these shows but they don’t buy the singles.” A quick glance through today’s charts illustrates that whilst many share Pete’s sentiments about reality TV shows (that they’re predictable and created more for entertainment purposes then real music nourishment), there are millions more who voted and downloaded in their droves, pushing stars such as Leona Lewis, Carrie Underwood and Jordin Sparks into the mainstream arena. I ask Pete if he thinks that the likes of Leona Lewis - who previously attended Sylvia Young Theatre School, Italia Conti Academy and BRIT School - would have made it without the X-Factor and he’s quick to respond, stating: “No and that’s the problem. She wouldn’t have made it without the show, the show was crucial to her success. Those types of shows work for some artists.”  Leona Lewis, Shanye Ward, Carrie Underwood, Jordin Sparks, Kelly Clarkson, Will Young, Girls Aloud; the list of reality graduates continues to grow and grow. In an already over-saturated market, I wonder how some artists manage to maintain a successful career whilst others falter at the first hurdle. Pete believes that it all depends on the person. As he tells me about his fallout with One True Voice (apparently due to their prematurely inflated egos), it becomes apparent that even the most miniscule celebrity can get a little ahead of themselves.
Pete believes that it’s the artists who stay true to themselves and their roots (Leona still lives in Hackney, Carrie Underwood continued on the country path and Will Young was open about his sexuality) that continue to evolve past the shows that made them. When asked who his favourite reality graduate is, Pete says matter of factly: “Will Young. He’s the only one with any integrity left.” After putting the world of reality TV to rights we begin discussing Pete’s personal accomplishments. When I ask Pete what his biggest achievement is, I’m expecting him to recall the moment he was awarded an OBE or maybe the less meaningful, but highly gratifying, purchase of a £3.5 million Ferrari but he’s adamant that his music is his greatest achievement, stating: “That’s dead simple. The fact that I’m still here after 40 years is amazing. It keeps me going. I can’t explain how I feel when I like something, it’s phenomenal. I’m working on some stuff now that people are excited to hear.” With over 40 years of experience it’s difficult to ignore Pete’s huge contribution to music. While today’s teenagers may know very little about his 80’s domination– Pete has amassed an impressive 22 UK number one singles and unit sales of 500 million to date - there’s no denying that Pete has helped shape today’s pop industry. Pete’s penchant for cheesy pop (yes that was him in the shiny blue jacket in Steps ‘Tragedy’ video) helped Kylie become the huge star that she is and has opened doors for the likes of Mika and the Spice Girls. With the Spice Girls in mind, I ask Pete for his thoughts on reforming bands (Take That, New Kids On The Block to name but a few) and you get the distinct sense that he’s not one for reminiscing: “It’s not for me, I think people should just move on. Give someone else a chance.”  As our interview draws to a close, I finish by asking Pete if he’s concerned about the state of today’s music scene. I’m intrigued to find out if he’s worried about the public’s decision to purchase away from the major labels and concentrate on smaller, more independent music. In his typically no fuss fashion Pete responds: “It goes through phases and it’s going through a phase right now. I’ve seen this happen 4 or 5 times before and it’s alright because people will start returning to the majors once they start putting out the right music.” With today’s music scene summed up in a short few sentences, I say goodbye to Pete and thank him for our insightful chat. While many have tried to define Pete into just one bracket: trainspotter, reality TV star, music mogul, to me, Pete defies all odds and assumptions. He is simply a hugely talented producer, a forward thinking music lover and a thoroughly nice man. Words by: Carly Hand Research & Questions: Carly Hand, Anna Browell Black and white image: Karl Grant Copyright Audiotube |
