Turn the clock back to the 1980s with Rewind Scotland

Pop music is fantastic for capturing those moments in time that stick on our heads.

Whether it’s a first kiss, a first date or a wedding, music is a way to relate to those moments from our collective pasts.

Musical stars from our younger days are heading to Scotland this summer, for the annual Rewind Festival.

It recently announced the epic line up for Scone Palace in Perthshire from July 20-22. The first Scottish Rewind Festival took place in 2011.

This year’s line-up includes OMD, Status Quo, the Gipsy Kings, UB40, Scotland’s own Hue & Cry and Midge Ure, Howard Jones, Bonnie Tyler, Heaven 17, Kim Appleby, Tiffany and A Flock of Seagulls.
Another of the stars is Leee John, from Imagination, whose hits include Body Talk and Just An Illusion.

Leee John has been an all round artist, singer, writer, record producer, actor and recently a film producer.
Leee came to the world’s attention with his group Imagination which he founded in the early 80s. Millions of singles were sold internationally.

Imagination also went platinum worldwide with sales in excess of 30 million albums As a result, Imagination have played to sold out concerts across the globe.

Leee and Imagination’s songs have also more recently been recorded by a number of major artists including Destiny’s Child, Mariah Carey and The Pharcyde.

Leee and Imagination made their mark not only as musicians but as true masters of stage and performance. They were known for their outrageous costumes and stage shows and as
such were invited to perform to The Princes Trust, HRH Lady Diana and Prince Charles, Princes Caroline Of Monaco, and the Mandela Family in South Africa.

Leee said: ‘I think everyone wants some escape. I’ve recently seen that, especially in the last year with a lot of DAB digital DJs. They have an interest in bands and people like myself and the funk generation.

‘It’s a really interesting arena, now people don’t just to just listen to the normal radio stations and go with the mainstream, whose listening figures are going down. Dedicated stations to 70s, 80s and 90s music are doing well.

‘Many of the DJs have come from the club culture and understand what their listeners want – I’d like to think I’ve never lost sight of that. We started the 80s with Body Talk and finished it with Instinctual, worked with David Morales, which became really popular.

‘I’ve carried on through the 1990s and am still performing today, and it’s fantastic that so many people want to hear the old songs. I’m also hoping to be able to get a chance to bring in one or two of my newer songs too.

‘I enjoy going back and listening to my older songs, as they bring back a lot of memories. You sometimes hear of performers who don’t like to go back over their older songs, but I don’t understand that.

‘I’ve a house because of my fans and the clothes I’m wearing are because of my fans. They enjoy what I do, and in turn, I thank them for what they’ve given me.’

Leee enjoys going to events like Rewind.

He added: ‘Rewind’s all about music from the 80s. Our music will help the crowd escape from life today for a little while.

‘We’re also seeing more and more younger people coming along, so our music is reaching another generation. Sometimes, you can see teenagers with their parents and their grandparents.

‘I still enjoy writing music. It’s a way to deal with issues affecting all of our lives, and getting people to take responsibility for our friends and neighbours.’

Leee John with Lynda Barron and Peter Davison in Doctor Who (Photo: BBC)

As well as being a pop star, Leee also had a small acting role in Doctor Who in 1983, when Peter Davison was the Time Lord.

Leee said: ‘I was working with the wonderful Lynda Barron – she was fantastic to work with.

‘I would learn my lines like I would learn the words of a song, which might have been unusual to the others, but it was how I did it.

‘A lot of Lynda’s scenes were done when she was on her own, speaking to Valentine Dyall, who I think had been recorded earlier. I would stay behind so she could look at someone when she was delivering her lines, which I think helped her performance.

‘I had a great time doing it.’

Click HERE for more details about Rewind Festival: Scotland 2018.

Click HERE for ticket details.