Rick Astley has achieved what most people dream of doing. What, to the outside world, looks like overnight stardom has actually taken quite a long time.

Rick was born in a small town in the North West of England called Newton-le-Willows which, before Rick Astley, was famous for making railway locomotives and for being the first place in the world where anyone was killed by one.

Rick grew up in this small town and during his last few years at school formed several bands. On leaving school, he drove a van for his dad, but his burning ambition was to make music his livelihood. Rick joined a band made up of friends called FBI and went onto the government supported Enterprise Allowance Scheme, receiving a grant from the government to become a pop star and he was one of the first to do so. Rick and his band were spotted by Pete Waterman of the production team Stock Aitken Waterman in a working men's club in Warrington. Pete was obviously impressed and within three months Rick had signed to PWL as an artist and then joined the Studio Empire as a tape op to gain experience in the recording world at PWL.

During the next fourteen months Rick made tea and worked with some of the biggest pop stars and people in the record industry, and became friendly with them all.

Rick's career really started to blossom with "Never gonna give you up" recorded in October 1986 and mixed on New Year's Day 1987, but Stock Aitken Waterman did not feel that the market was right for it until the middle of the year.

The record was picked up instantly by radio and ten weeks later it became the biggest selling record so far in 1987 and has since gone on to be No. 1 all over Europe.

There have been many parallels drawn between Rick and other pop stars. Tom Jones had been mentioned as well as Luther Vandross and Frank Sinatra. With company such as this, the red headed kid from Newton-le-Willows seems destined to achieve musical greatness.

Despite all his success Rick is still the quiet unassuming person who joined PWL in 1985. Perhaps that says a lot about his character and how little his future success is likely to affect him.

The album contains three new Stock Aitken Waterman songs written especially for him, four of Rick's own songs and Rick's tribute to one of the greatest singers of all time Nat King Cole. The album illustrates the many facets of Rick's voice.

1. Tanya you are the only girl for me. I made some stupid decisions but that doesn't mean I don't love you and you should know that if you know me at all. That other girl was lying when she said I was going to marry her because I would never say that. I only want to be with you so you should come home.
   
2. Sexless, dour, post-menopausal female "with issues" (so I'm told) wants to meet fun-loving, free-spirited, and broadminded male who enjoys a challenge. It might be worth it, you never know, big boy...
   
3. Why do all the women who write personals say they like bushwalking, good conversation and men with a sense of humour? Ultra pretty femme wants to meet male who's as hopeless at all that as I am. I just like sex.
   
4. Creative-type lady is looking for creative-type man. Let's do karaoke and then go to the zoo dressed in clown costume. We can laugh at the world while they laugh at us.
   
5. Old fashioned gentleman would like to meet a true lady for civilised relationship. Dinner and candles a must first meeting, followed by a slow walk through the park. I am a mature man, I have three grown children and two German Shepherds.
   
6. Male 24, second in like to the UK throne and devastated by recent heartbreak. My Dad's a bit strange but he won't live forever.
   
7. Why am I advertising in Ciao? The sort of man I want to meet reads the Fin Review - but you'll do for now. I've been banned from poker nights at the Bald Faced Stag (because I always win), so I'm at a loose end Monday nights. No workaholics, please.
   
8. Vegan goddess (38) would like to meet pale, iron-deficient male cyclist for nights of touring the high moral ground together. I'm deeply troubled by global warming and need comfort, cuddles and tofu (in that order).

Just before Mardi Gras, one of its big events - Azure - was shut down after 40 charges were laid relating to the possession and trafficking of ecstasy, cocaine, ketamine, speed, GHB and cannabis.
Coming just one week after the death of 20-year-old Annabel Catt, who took what she thought to be ecstasy at the Good Vibrations festival, the police action was entirely predictable. Except to the partygoers, apparently. Who were "forced" to scoff their stash in panic as the sniffer dogs went into action. Many were outraged, convinced that they were being victimized. Web site bulletin boards and letter writers in the gay press were in meltdown about their "rights" to party and use drugs being violated. Police would never shut down a Muslim or Christian event, wrote one deluded Newtown man, while others whipped themselves up into states of comical paranoia. "This discussion has been infiltrated by do-gooders and police!"