Jason Donovan reminisces about 1989 - a pivotal year for the singer
He left Neighbours and had his breakthrough record
Last updated 19th Jan 2024
Singer and actor Jason Donovan recently announced he would be going on tour in 2025, so after more than 35 years in the entertainment business, we thought it was only right to get him into Greatest Hits Radio for Ken Bruce's Golden Years.
The 'Too Many Broken Hearts' singer, who has had huge success as a singer, TV actor and West End performer, explained to Ken when he chose 1989.
"I don't always look back, but one can't ignore is how significant that moment was for me," Jason explained to Ken, talking about how he left Neighbours to pursue a career in music.
"I guess coming out of Neighbours, I must have been 21... It seemed to just be a magic moment, with obviously my music career with Stock Aitken and Waterman, I decided to leave Neighbours. I wasn't quite sure of the future, and then I had this massive album ('Ten Good Reasons'), and life began again!"
'Ten Good Reasons' was a massive hit in the UK, reaching Number 1 in the albums chart, and spawning five Top 5 hits, and several Number 1s including the iconic duet with Kylie Minogue, 'Especially for You', and his breakthrough solo song 'Too Many Broken Hearts'.
The 55-year-old went on to reveal how he became "obsessed" with wanting to be a pop star, turning down several acting opportunities after he left Neighbours.
Jason explained: "I knew that even if my music career didn't go off, that I could follow an acting career. In fact, I turned down a number of acting roles, because I just got obsessed by the music, and wanting to become a pop star, you know? Which I kind of managed to tick a box quite successfully."
Jason recorded two albums with Stock Aitken and Waterman, and revealed what it was like working with The Hit Factory.
"Working with someone like Stock Aitken and Waterman obviously meant it was quick slick and well produced and you know, people talk about 'The Factory'," Jason explained.
Continuing: "To me, it was really important to get stuck in and play live, even if at the time, that music wasn't really being played live too much."
The singer chose three great songs from his Golden Year, including Donna Summer's 'This Time I Know It's For Real', another song crafted by Stock Aitken and Waterman. And Jason explained why he chose that song: "I think Stock Aitken and Waterman were one of the greatest melody writers of a generation, you know, Mike Stock particularly knew how to carve a wonderful melody.
"If you listen to songsmiths, they will say that's a great song... Chord structures pretty much stay the same, but melodies always have to change. This is one of those songs, I'll be honest with you, that I wish I had from the top of their cassette cupboard."
He went on to reveal that actually, Stock Aitken and Waterman didn't have a bank of songs ready to go.
"They tended to create their songs on the day, so there was no such thing as, when you go to publishers back in the day, saying I want your song from the top of the shelf, I want your best song. They were just working at it, and they just worked towards the artist themselves. I think they knew with Donna Summer, they had to come up with an absolute smash."
During the interview, Jason also spoke about his upcoming tour 'Doin' Fine 25', which will start in February 2025. He said: "It goes back to my world tour in 1990, and I'll be honest with you, I haven't really drafted the landscape of the show, but I just want to go back to the optimism and the spirit of that time.
"I think that there's a lot of tracks in my catalogue and through my theatre career, that I haven't used in tours that I've done in the past. I really enjoy touring live and I enjoy the connection, the emotional connection."
Tickets are now available for Jason Donovan's tour
Take a look at tours coming up in 2024 and beyond:
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The Eagles
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Wet Wet Wet with special guest Heather Small - 2025
Wet Wet Wet have announced they will be going on touch in 2025 with special guest Heather Small. The band will be touring in January, February and October 2025.
Jason Donovan - 2025
Jason Donovan has announced a huge tour for 2025 to celebrate 35 years in entertainment. Shows begin in February 2025, running through to the end of March.
Mike + The Mechanics - 2025
Mike + The Mechanics have announced their 'Looking Back - Living The Years 2025 Tour', performing across the country in March and April 2025, including dates in Glasgow, Aberdeen, Manchester, Sheffield, and Birmingham, before finishing in London at the Royal Albert Hall.
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Gabrielle has announced a tour for 2025 called 'A Place In Your Heart'. The singer will be playing 10 UK dates, starting in Glasgow on 2nd April 2025, playing at locations such as Newcastle, Birmingham, Manchester, and more before ending in Bournemouth on 19th April 2025.
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Simply Red have announced they will be going on tour to celebrate their 40th anniversary in 2025. The band will be performing 12 gigs in September and October 2025.
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