Pete Waterman Entertainment (PWE) is the production company one-time pop and dance record label owned by pop mogul Pete Waterman. The label, originally PWL (Pete Waterman Limited), is most famous for being the home of hit record producers Stock Aitken Waterman.
History
After producing many hits for other record companies, PWL launched its own label in 1987 (PWL Records) with the single "I Just Can't Wait" by Mandy Smith. The next single was the biggest selling single of the year: "I Should Be So Lucky" by Kylie Minogue.
As a record label, PWL enjoyed success with Australian artists such as Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan and Dutch dance group 2 Unlimited. As a production house they produced hits for English artists such as Rick Astley, Dead or Alive and Bananarama on other record labels.
In the US, PWL America was established in 1989 and specialized primarily in hip-hop music, launching the careers of MCs Ed O.G. and Diamond D. In 1992, it was renamed Chemistry Records Ltd., but it shut its doors in 1993. It was distributed in that territory by Mercury/PolyGram Records.
In the early 1990s, Pete Waterman formed a new label called PWL International in partnership with Warner Music; one of the artists that recorded for the label, Opus III, would score two number ones on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs Chart through a US deal with Warner’s EastWest Records. However, with other projects taking up Waterman's time, his involvement in the label decreased, and PWL International Ltd. became the Warner label Coalition.
The record label is still in operation today and operates the label EBUL through former labels Jive Records and Zomba (now labels by Sony Music Entertainment).
As of March 2017, most of the PWL catalogue is now distributed by BMG Rights Management.[1]
Notable former PWL artists
Some of these acts were produced at the PWL Hit Factory and were signed to PWL Records, whilst others were licenced to PWL from other European independent dance labels (e.g. Media or Byte):[2]
- Anticapella
- Jason Donovan (left in 1991)
- Kakko
- Kylie Minogue (left in 1992)
- Lonnie Gordon
- Loveland
- Mandy Smith
- Mel & Kim
- Niki Evans
- One True Voice
- Opus III
- Pop!
- The Reynolds Girls
- Steps
- Strange Nature (left in 1995)
- Sybil
- Tina Cousins
- 2 Unlimited
- Undercover
Acts produced by Stock Aitken Waterman
These acts were produced at the PWL Hit Factory, but were not signed directly to PWL Records:
- Rick Astley (left in 1990)
- Sabrina Salerno
- Samantha Fox
- Same Difference
- The Sheilas
- Sinitta
- Sonia (left in 1991)
- London Boys
- Bananarama (signed to London Records)
- Big Fun (left in 1991)
- Bobby Farrell, Maizie Williams and Marcia Barrett of Boney M. for the unauthorised single "Everybody Wants to Dance Like Josephine Baker"
- Boy Krazy
- Brother Beyond (signed to EMI's Parlophone label)[3]
- Cliff Richard
- Dead or Alive (left in 1988) (signed to CBS' Epic Records, now Sony Music)[4]
- Princess
- Divine
- Donna Summer
- Hazell Dean
Chemistry/PWL America artists
- Kim Appleby
- B.O.X.
- Diamond and the Psychotic Neurotics
- Ed O.G. & da Bulldogs
- Poizon Posse
- Sylk Smoov
See also
References
- ^ "BMG moves distribution of 8,000 albums to Warner's ADA". Musicbusinessworldwide.com. 7 March 2017. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
- ^ https://www.byterecords.com/catalogue/2unlimited/
- ^ https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/24015/brother-beyond/
- ^ https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/28630/dead-or-alive/
External links
- Official website
- Stock Aitken Waterman & PWL at cafe80s