View source for Matt Aitken

{{this|the songwriter|the special effects artist|Matt Aitken (special effects artist)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = Matt Aitken
| birth_name        = Matthew James Aitken
| birth_place       = [[Coventry]], England
| birth_date        = {{b-da|25 August 1956}}
| occupation        = {{hlist|Songwriter|record producer|musician}}
| genre             = {{hlist|[[Pop music|Pop]]|[[disco]]|[[dance-pop]]|[[hi-NRG]]}}
| instrument        = Guitar 
| current_member_of = [[Stock Aitken Waterman]]
| label             = [[RCA Records|RCA]]
}}
'''Matthew James Aitken''' (born 25 August 1956) is an English songwriter and record producer, brought up in [[Astley, Greater Manchester]], best known as part of the 1980s/early-1990s songwriting/production trio [[Stock Aitken Waterman]].

== Biography ==
He began his musical career as a musician and was a member of many bands before joining [[Mike Stock (musician)|Mike Stock]] to write and produce music for other artists. They both later teamed up with [[Pete Waterman]], and went from small independent record labels to the major [[RCA Records]], producing myriad [[hit record|hits]].<ref name="Bronson2003">{{cite book|last=Bronson|first=Fred|title=Billboard's hottest hot 100 hits|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mEIfDZtsVyAC&pg=PA129|access-date=30 May 2010|year=2003|publisher=Watson-Guptill|isbn=978-0-8230-7738-0|page=129|chapter=The Top 10 Songs Produced by Stock-Aitken-Waterman }}</ref> According to Waterman, Aitken was a noted perfectionist, particularly when it came to his guitar solos.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/feb09/articles/classictracks_0209.htm|title=Classic Tracks: Rick Astley – Never Gonna Give You Up|publisher=Soundonsound.com|access-date=2011-12-31}}</ref>

After the partnership split up in 1991,<ref name="guardian2005">{{cite news|author=Alexis Petridis |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2005/dec/03/popandrock |title=Alexis Petridis meets Stock, Aitken and Waterman &#124; Music |work=The Guardian |date= 3 December 2005|access-date=2011-12-31 |location=London}}</ref> Aitken went into a period of retirement, raising his daughters, and pursuing hobbies such as [[auto racing]]. He later returned to the music industry in 1994<ref name="guardian2005"/>—partnering with Mike Stock once again and having success with acts such as [[Nicki French]], [[Scooch]], and [[Robson & Jerome]]—before seemingly retiring again in 2002.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Stock Aitken Waterman}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aitken, Matt}}
[[Category:1956 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Musicians from Coventry]]
[[Category:English male songwriters]]
[[Category:English record producers]]

{{England-musician-stub}}