Pete Waterman

[dynatech]

We all know the old goat isn't backward at coming forward and loves to talk about himself, but the yarn he was spinning on the Ken Bruce show before christmas staggered even me. On picking "Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth" by Bing Crosby and David Bowie as one of his favourite christmas tunes he went to explain why he loves it so much. He was at the Top Of The Pops studios with one of his acts when Crosby and Bowie were performing this on the show live, and nobody was taking much notice of Bing cos he was an old man (even Bowie) so Pete went to chat with him and subsequently Crosby took him to dinner and told him some stories about the good old days... blah blah blah. Lovely story I'm sure you'll agree, the trouble being the song was recorded live in Elstree studios in September 1977 for a Crosby xmas special shown in December of that year, and old Bing died playing golf in the October! The song wasn't a hit until xmas 1982, by which time I doubt Crosby would have been up for TOTP

Which begs the question... Pete Waterman - bullshitter or in the first throes of dementia? I caught him on tv bleating about how under-appreciated Steps still are and how in time people will recognise they were as good as Abba the other day, so perhaps it's time the men in the white coats were called!

[dave78]

well you have to wonder why he was never chosen to do the x-factor series, even though he was a judge on pop idol, pop stars etc.! pete has always been a bit economical with the truth, i reckon, though it wouldn't surprise me if he is on the same slippery slope as mike baldwin these days! it's a shame though that his dementia could limit his appreciation of the comeback of one-time blazer-wearing, chino-donning, king of newton-le-willows, mr rick astley!!!