WEBVTT 00:00:05.390 --> 00:00:08.609 Chatterbox, when the stars talk, they talk to 00:00:08.609 --> 00:01:08.010 Nick and Sue. And welcome back to the Chatterbox 00:01:08.010 --> 00:01:10.650 Redux podcast with Nick and Sue. And in this 00:01:10.650 --> 00:01:14.390 edition, we chat to Lee John of Imagination. 00:01:14.829 --> 00:01:17.829 We apologize for this late edition of the podcast. 00:01:18.670 --> 00:01:21.629 This was meant to be uploaded last Monday, but 00:01:21.629 --> 00:01:23.810 I've had aches and pains and man flu and all 00:01:23.810 --> 00:01:27.109 sorts of things, so I'm back. And what did you 00:01:27.109 --> 00:01:31.140 have, dear? I had woman flu. Woman flu. And Twinkle's 00:01:31.140 --> 00:01:33.879 not been too well either but yeah, migraines 00:01:33.879 --> 00:01:35.420 and Lord knows what for a week but we're back 00:01:35.420 --> 00:01:38.819 with you and it just so happens nothing to do 00:01:38.819 --> 00:01:40.659 with man flu or anything else it just so happens 00:01:40.659 --> 00:01:43.200 that I'm off work next week for a paid holiday 00:01:43.200 --> 00:01:45.659 so we can catch up with some of the additions 00:01:45.659 --> 00:01:47.859 that we were meant to have so looking forward 00:01:47.859 --> 00:01:50.180 to bringing you loads and loads of podcasts over 00:01:50.180 --> 00:02:43.569 the next 10 days or so We're chatterbox giving 00:02:43.569 --> 00:03:08.319 you all you need to know about music And now 00:03:08.319 --> 00:03:10.680 at Chatterbox UK, we're just lucky enough to 00:03:10.680 --> 00:03:12.960 welcome back Lee John. Lee, how are you, sir? 00:03:12.960 --> 00:03:15.099 Welcome. I'm very well, thank you very much. 00:03:15.460 --> 00:03:18.939 It's a big 40th anniversary year, I should say, 00:03:19.000 --> 00:03:21.080 because we started in the middle of the year 00:03:21.080 --> 00:03:24.460 with everything. So it's really spectacular. 00:03:24.580 --> 00:03:26.400 There's a lot of creative things going on with 00:03:26.400 --> 00:03:30.250 me. I'm touring, I'm recording, I've got three 00:03:30.250 --> 00:03:33.389 or four different recording situations happening. 00:03:33.629 --> 00:03:36.289 The 40th anniversary box set of Imagination featuring 00:03:36.289 --> 00:03:40.009 Lee Jung with 17 albums. Gene, I know! And on 00:03:40.009 --> 00:03:42.569 it, there's some very, very, very special things. 00:03:43.210 --> 00:03:45.370 There's live shows you've never heard before. 00:03:45.430 --> 00:03:48.460 Actually, we were in Russia. before Puddistraker 00:03:48.460 --> 00:03:51.180 and we were doing live shows there on these huge 00:03:51.180 --> 00:03:54.240 stadiums and we do songs and some of the songs 00:03:54.240 --> 00:03:56.039 we were doing were like 30 minutes long like 00:03:56.039 --> 00:03:59.319 a 30 -minute version of body talk and in and 00:03:59.319 --> 00:04:01.639 out of love we always kind of do a reggae thing 00:04:01.639 --> 00:04:04.840 and then we extended that and that was 40 minutes 00:04:04.840 --> 00:04:06.719 of it so you've got a lot of these recordings 00:04:06.719 --> 00:04:09.159 and also some some recordings we never heard 00:04:09.159 --> 00:04:12.189 before songs that we're gonna be on Some of the 00:04:12.189 --> 00:04:14.689 albums like the very first body talk album. We 00:04:14.689 --> 00:04:18.089 did a track or fly which is very jazzy And we 00:04:18.089 --> 00:04:20.310 kept saying was gonna be on the album six, but 00:04:20.310 --> 00:04:24.189 we We had like surpassed the amount of tracks 00:04:24.189 --> 00:04:27.209 we could put on and so it got left off and then 00:04:27.209 --> 00:04:28.810 it was gonna be put on the next album then it 00:04:28.810 --> 00:04:31.050 got left off of that and so forth so you got 00:04:31.050 --> 00:04:35.009 a lot of those sort of songs and When we were 00:04:35.009 --> 00:04:37.670 gonna change labels, we did a whole heap of songs 00:04:39.399 --> 00:04:42.839 Some people, two of a kind, beautiful songs I 00:04:42.839 --> 00:04:46.660 did with Shootin' Bradley James, some great songwriters 00:04:46.660 --> 00:04:50.259 and producers, and they were supposed to go on 00:04:50.259 --> 00:04:52.639 the next album and they never did, they got the 00:04:52.639 --> 00:04:54.879 deal for BMG actually, these songs, but they 00:04:54.879 --> 00:04:58.319 never, so there's interesting and some amazing 00:04:58.319 --> 00:05:03.290 mixes, some really great mixes. Bridget, so do 00:05:03.290 --> 00:05:06.949 correct me, but am I right in thinking that this 00:05:06.949 --> 00:05:11.089 17 box set could be classed as an anthology, 00:05:11.209 --> 00:05:14.389 but a lot more, basically? Oh, definitely. I 00:05:14.389 --> 00:05:18.110 mean, some anthologies, they tend to just have 00:05:18.110 --> 00:05:21.269 the whole box set and that's it. This is definitely... 00:05:21.819 --> 00:05:24.639 from the night dubbing, to working with David 00:05:24.639 --> 00:05:29.160 Morales, to working with Kenny G, to working 00:05:29.160 --> 00:05:32.139 with, oh my goodness, I've even got a track that 00:05:32.139 --> 00:05:35.139 I produced with Sunita called Changing Times. 00:05:35.480 --> 00:05:37.120 And you won't even believe it's her singing on 00:05:37.120 --> 00:05:39.000 it. It's on that box set because it was gonna 00:05:39.000 --> 00:05:41.639 be part of production. So there's all these little 00:05:41.639 --> 00:05:44.459 things that you think, wow, how's their affiliation? 00:05:44.560 --> 00:05:46.420 And there's a reason why. Because she was a backing 00:05:46.420 --> 00:05:51.329 singer for us. in our very first tour with Norma, 00:05:51.329 --> 00:05:55.589 Norma, Norma's name. She's another singer, Norma. 00:05:55.730 --> 00:05:58.009 Kimberly, Edward's Norma and Sunita, they were 00:05:58.009 --> 00:06:00.089 the background singers. And Mel Gaynor, of course, 00:06:00.589 --> 00:06:03.889 who plays and does, plays drums for us now and 00:06:03.889 --> 00:06:07.490 also is my musical director, he was playing for 00:06:07.490 --> 00:06:10.329 us on our very first Imagination Tour. as well, 00:06:10.509 --> 00:06:12.370 he's playing percussion and drums. When Errol 00:06:12.370 --> 00:06:16.089 was dancing, he would be playing drums. So we 00:06:16.089 --> 00:06:19.430 have this whole, and that's all embodied in this 00:06:19.430 --> 00:06:22.189 box set, you know? That's amazing. That really, 00:06:22.709 --> 00:06:25.610 it is amazing, of course. I must put this out 00:06:25.610 --> 00:06:31.410 as well. There are signed, so many signed copies 00:06:31.410 --> 00:06:35.829 as well, I believe. Yeah, my goodness. I've signed... 00:06:35.850 --> 00:06:40.790 a lot of pictures and copies of the CDs and stuff. 00:06:40.829 --> 00:06:43.870 Believe me, it was a day and a half to sign the 00:06:43.870 --> 00:06:45.930 book. They're all very specially done. They're 00:06:45.930 --> 00:06:48.009 all very specially done. So it's a very limited 00:06:48.009 --> 00:06:51.370 edition, this is, you know. And so this is going 00:06:51.370 --> 00:06:53.790 to be out February the 10th and then May the 00:06:53.790 --> 00:06:56.689 20th at the Shepard's Bush Empire. We are celebrating 00:06:56.689 --> 00:07:00.389 a huge, huge show celebrating 40 years of imagination 00:07:00.389 --> 00:07:02.589 featuring Lee John. And our special guest will 00:07:02.589 --> 00:07:05.600 be the one and only Central Line. who I've known 00:07:05.600 --> 00:07:08.019 for years and years. And, you know, they used 00:07:08.019 --> 00:07:11.439 to go clubbing with us years ago, way before 00:07:11.439 --> 00:07:15.279 imagination, because they came from the hub of 00:07:15.279 --> 00:07:19.199 Light of the World and Incognito and Tunejiscum 00:07:19.199 --> 00:07:22.860 and all these, all these rift funk groups from 00:07:22.860 --> 00:07:25.060 High Tension and people like that. They were 00:07:25.060 --> 00:07:28.480 all part of the same community, you know? Amazing. 00:07:29.790 --> 00:07:32.649 And of course, imagination was back in the days 00:07:32.649 --> 00:07:35.589 of what I class as real clubbing, because I was 00:07:35.589 --> 00:07:40.529 a nightclub DJ myself. OK. So long before the 00:07:40.529 --> 00:07:43.930 radio side, there was certainly making people 00:07:43.930 --> 00:07:46.949 have turntable hits, which was a very exciting 00:07:46.949 --> 00:07:49.089 time though, Lee. It was, the white labels. I 00:07:49.089 --> 00:07:52.069 mean, you know, a lot of people would try and 00:07:52.069 --> 00:07:55.389 were fighting to get... the white label of Body 00:07:55.389 --> 00:07:57.329 Talk, you know, when it first came out, everybody 00:07:57.329 --> 00:07:59.529 didn't know who was this group, where did it 00:07:59.529 --> 00:08:04.069 come from, and it was on a white label, and everyone 00:08:04.069 --> 00:08:05.990 was really, really excited because it was out. 00:08:06.670 --> 00:08:08.629 in all the clubs and all the DJs were playing 00:08:08.629 --> 00:08:10.290 it because it's one of the slowest records of 00:08:10.290 --> 00:08:13.990 that year. But it was so resounding with the 00:08:13.990 --> 00:08:17.550 melodies and the bass and just the movement of 00:08:17.550 --> 00:08:20.629 it. It kind of changed everything, you know, 00:08:20.810 --> 00:08:24.089 as far as production and sound and everything 00:08:24.089 --> 00:08:27.089 like that. And I wrote that record on my mum's 00:08:27.089 --> 00:08:29.829 kitchen table in Hornsey Road. And that's the 00:08:29.829 --> 00:08:32.269 truth. So that was a lot of stories like that. 00:08:33.450 --> 00:08:36.090 I mean, obviously the listeners, they can always 00:08:36.090 --> 00:08:37.809 contact me if they want to hear the interview 00:08:37.809 --> 00:08:40.909 about your life up to COVID, because we've got 00:08:40.909 --> 00:08:42.990 a wonderful interview there of you. Let's talk 00:08:42.990 --> 00:08:45.850 about the present and what's coming in the future, 00:08:47.149 --> 00:08:52.029 because this Shepherd's Bush empire. on 20th 00:08:52.029 --> 00:08:56.429 of May. That's actually just the first of a world 00:08:56.429 --> 00:08:58.350 tour, I believe. That's right. We're touring 00:08:58.350 --> 00:09:02.210 all over. In actual fact, we are starting some 00:09:02.210 --> 00:09:06.210 shows in January, which is a very cold or cool 00:09:06.210 --> 00:09:11.529 period. We're going to... Tbilisi near Georgia, 00:09:11.529 --> 00:09:14.110 and then we're doing a casino tour in France, 00:09:14.149 --> 00:09:16.669 which is in February Then we start doing some 00:09:16.669 --> 00:09:19.370 shows in the UK and then we're also looking at 00:09:19.370 --> 00:09:22.389 South Africa and It goes on from there. It's 00:09:22.389 --> 00:09:24.230 like and then we've got festivals coming in for 00:09:24.230 --> 00:09:26.830 the summer And then we're looking at things in 00:09:26.830 --> 00:09:29.830 September. I'm doing I think with a smooth jazz 00:09:29.830 --> 00:09:32.049 album that I'm doing with Bill Sharp We're gonna 00:09:32.049 --> 00:09:36.269 be doing some special shows for that Because 00:09:36.269 --> 00:09:39.210 that album no one's heard us yet. So that's another 00:09:39.210 --> 00:09:41.919 thing Okay. So there's a lot of different, there's 00:09:41.919 --> 00:09:44.059 a hell of a lot of different things going on. 00:09:44.279 --> 00:09:46.019 And I'm forgetting some of the things, I'm just 00:09:46.019 --> 00:09:49.000 on the track with Billy O 'Bam, who was, he's 00:09:49.000 --> 00:09:52.200 from France and he's, he worked with Serge Gainsbourg. 00:09:52.419 --> 00:09:54.720 And we have like a dance track, which has got 00:09:54.720 --> 00:09:57.759 these rhythms that are really, really cool. And 00:09:57.759 --> 00:10:00.159 I'm working with a production team for another 00:10:00.159 --> 00:10:02.519 artist called Eddie. I produced an album for 00:10:02.519 --> 00:10:05.960 her years ago. And we did a separate track from 00:10:05.960 --> 00:10:09.759 the album called Faith. So right now that's being 00:10:09.759 --> 00:10:12.820 mixed for her, which I'm involved in the production 00:10:12.820 --> 00:10:15.860 on that. So I'm doing all that plus my film projects, 00:10:15.960 --> 00:10:18.679 Flashback, History of UK Black Music, which has 00:10:18.679 --> 00:10:21.720 been going on for nearly a decade because there's 00:10:21.720 --> 00:10:26.179 over 100 interviews over 800 hours. And we're 00:10:26.179 --> 00:10:29.480 still, we're nearly finishing that. But in the 00:10:29.480 --> 00:10:32.200 interim period, just to relax me and get my brain 00:10:32.200 --> 00:10:34.980 into something else, I did another documentary. 00:10:35.709 --> 00:10:38.149 a short, it's about 30 minutes on St. Lucia, 00:10:38.269 --> 00:10:41.490 where my parents come from. So I went to St. 00:10:41.490 --> 00:10:44.210 Lucia, did that. But prior to that, I've also 00:10:44.210 --> 00:10:48.350 done for the community, a documentary called 00:10:48.350 --> 00:10:51.610 Police and Thieves, which basically to enhance, 00:10:51.870 --> 00:10:54.529 there was so much of the crime and the stabbings 00:10:54.529 --> 00:10:56.750 and things like that. I wanted to show upliftment, 00:10:56.970 --> 00:10:59.769 positivity, and to show people in the community 00:10:59.769 --> 00:11:02.970 who've contributed. I've got a very good friend 00:11:02.970 --> 00:11:05.570 of mine, Leroy Logan, who's, book, I think I 00:11:05.570 --> 00:11:09.250 wrote it right here, was made into the small 00:11:09.250 --> 00:11:13.350 acts series Red, White and Blue with Tyrone Huntley 00:11:13.350 --> 00:11:16.250 playing me and John Balega playing the Leroy 00:11:16.250 --> 00:11:20.090 Logan. So and that he got, John Balega got a 00:11:20.090 --> 00:11:23.750 Grammy Award for that and Tyrone Huntley recently 00:11:23.750 --> 00:11:29.250 was co -directing Beverly Knight in a new musical 00:11:29.250 --> 00:11:32.460 and So he portrayed me. So that was quite interesting. 00:11:33.299 --> 00:11:36.279 So there's a lot of different things in my career 00:11:36.279 --> 00:11:38.500 in different areas that I'm involved in. This 00:11:38.500 --> 00:11:40.919 is Nick and Sue with Chatterbox giving you all 00:11:40.919 --> 00:11:43.159 you need to know about musical entertainment. 00:11:45.899 --> 00:11:49.720 Chatterbox, Chatterbox, Chatterbox, Chatterbox. 00:11:50.039 --> 00:11:52.879 What was it like watching someone playing you 00:11:52.879 --> 00:11:56.360 though? Did it seem strange or was it good? It 00:11:56.360 --> 00:12:00.559 was kind of strange, but it was more I was kind 00:12:00.559 --> 00:12:03.779 of more, well, my mother was very influential 00:12:03.779 --> 00:12:05.879 in Leroy becoming a policeman because she was 00:12:05.879 --> 00:12:09.409 involved in the community. I was kind of looking 00:12:09.409 --> 00:12:11.210 at somebody playing my mum more than someone 00:12:11.210 --> 00:12:13.169 playing me. I was watching this girl playing, 00:12:13.289 --> 00:12:15.009 which is Julia Jiskim's niece in actual fact, 00:12:15.169 --> 00:12:18.789 was playing my mother. So I was kind of like, 00:12:18.789 --> 00:12:21.389 wow, you know. And then Tyrone, I was thinking, 00:12:21.570 --> 00:12:23.990 because I've seen people imitate the imagination 00:12:23.990 --> 00:12:27.070 or imitate me in shows and things like that, 00:12:27.190 --> 00:12:29.210 you know, or karaoke or something like that. 00:12:29.470 --> 00:12:32.549 I've seen that as the years have gone by. So, 00:12:33.049 --> 00:12:37.610 but in... He the only thing was he didn't he 00:12:37.610 --> 00:12:41.629 could only see images of how I used to be But 00:12:41.629 --> 00:12:46.009 he didn't know me per se so it was we it was 00:12:46.009 --> 00:12:49.259 a shame. We didn't talk beforehand And he was 00:12:49.259 --> 00:12:51.700 given, he said that they were on a very tight 00:12:51.700 --> 00:12:55.000 schedule. So everything that they did, all his 00:12:55.000 --> 00:12:57.240 bits were done all in one day. It was like bam, 00:12:57.299 --> 00:12:59.720 bam, bam, bam, bam. And I went down to the set, 00:12:59.840 --> 00:13:02.440 but he wasn't there the day I went. And ironically, 00:13:03.039 --> 00:13:06.820 in the scene that Leroy Jambayega was speaking 00:13:06.820 --> 00:13:11.480 to this youth, talking about me. talking about, 00:13:11.519 --> 00:13:12.720 you know, I've got a friend who's in the music 00:13:12.720 --> 00:13:14.620 industry, Lee Jonghyun, Lee Jong, imagination, 00:13:14.679 --> 00:13:16.639 you know, and he's talking and I was there that 00:13:16.639 --> 00:13:19.519 day on the set to hear that. So it was just like 00:13:19.519 --> 00:13:22.399 it wasn't intentionally that that happened. But 00:13:22.399 --> 00:13:24.519 it was it was it was interesting to know that 00:13:24.519 --> 00:13:27.860 someone actually portrayed you in a film. So 00:13:27.860 --> 00:13:30.779 and I kind of forget because I'm so much into 00:13:30.779 --> 00:13:33.519 today and tomorrow. So I forget what I've done. 00:13:34.339 --> 00:13:37.340 I know what I've done back there, but I'm so 00:13:37.340 --> 00:13:40.080 forward thinking in the way I am that I'm not 00:13:40.080 --> 00:13:43.500 lost in, you know, that moment. So Small Act 00:13:43.500 --> 00:13:48.299 was like a year, two years ago, which was a great 00:13:48.299 --> 00:13:51.559 thing for me, but it's probably ignited me to 00:13:51.559 --> 00:13:54.480 be even much more creative. And that's where 00:13:54.480 --> 00:13:57.919 I am. That's my kind of mantra. That's brilliant. 00:13:58.080 --> 00:14:00.080 Have you got anything you want to ask, Lee? Yeah, 00:14:00.159 --> 00:14:03.120 I've got a weird question to ask. How many songs 00:14:03.820 --> 00:14:06.600 Would you think you have released a rough idea? 00:14:07.519 --> 00:14:11.120 Oh my gosh, that's incredible. That's funny. 00:14:11.259 --> 00:14:15.899 No one's ever asked me that because besides imagination 00:14:15.899 --> 00:14:19.360 songs, I've had a few featured things with Lee 00:14:19.360 --> 00:14:22.120 John and I've had a few things with my that I've 00:14:22.120 --> 00:14:25.779 done. But I've also written and produced some 00:14:25.779 --> 00:14:29.399 stuff for other artists as well. That was successful, 00:14:29.539 --> 00:14:34.299 especially in the 90s. I had I worked with an 00:14:34.299 --> 00:14:36.559 Austrian producer called Peter Rohoffer. And 00:14:36.559 --> 00:14:39.580 we had hit after hit in America, It Gets Much 00:14:39.580 --> 00:14:42.279 Better, a track called Sugar Pie Guy, because 00:14:42.279 --> 00:14:45.059 he had a group called Club 69. So I was working 00:14:45.059 --> 00:14:46.720 with him on that. I worked with Arthur Baker 00:14:46.720 --> 00:14:49.539 in the back, Beat Disciples. I did duets with 00:14:49.539 --> 00:14:52.799 Tata Vega. Tata Vega had Giving Up For Love in 00:14:52.799 --> 00:14:55.740 the 70s on Motown. And we did two tracks together, 00:14:55.759 --> 00:14:57.519 Inspiration and Let There Be Love, which was 00:14:57.519 --> 00:15:01.379 a huge club hit. In those days, You know, the 00:15:01.379 --> 00:15:05.240 club hits and the R &B hits were like being in 00:15:05.240 --> 00:15:07.679 the pop chart in the UK. So when you got into 00:15:07.679 --> 00:15:10.320 those American charts, it was equivalent of being 00:15:10.320 --> 00:15:12.460 in the pop chart because they were just as important. 00:15:12.639 --> 00:15:15.320 You know, like So Good So Right and Burning Up 00:15:15.320 --> 00:15:19.679 were hits, were top 10 in the R &B chart in America 00:15:19.679 --> 00:15:23.299 in the early 80s, but weren't released as singles 00:15:23.299 --> 00:15:26.159 over here, though they were known. But to answer 00:15:26.159 --> 00:15:29.830 your question, I have no idea how many... I just 00:15:29.830 --> 00:15:35.889 keep writing. How many songs have been released 00:15:35.889 --> 00:15:43.049 with Imagination? That again I really don't know. 00:15:43.049 --> 00:15:47.929 I've never really counted because there are things 00:15:47.929 --> 00:15:50.169 that still sometimes come through with remixes 00:15:50.169 --> 00:15:52.690 and things like that and also we're on a lot 00:15:52.690 --> 00:15:57.870 of compilation albums. So it's yet again I've 00:15:57.870 --> 00:16:01.110 never really One thing I'm really excited about, 00:16:01.250 --> 00:16:04.029 Lee, and we spoke last time, and you've mentioned 00:16:04.029 --> 00:16:07.110 it already today, is the flashback movie that 00:16:07.110 --> 00:16:09.990 you're working on, and I've seen clips. And we've 00:16:09.990 --> 00:16:14.129 also spoken with Precious Wilson, who's partaking 00:16:14.129 --> 00:16:17.570 in it as well. Yeah. And so we're very much looking 00:16:17.570 --> 00:16:21.049 forward to the flashback when it comes out. And 00:16:21.049 --> 00:16:25.169 it's the baby of my life, I think flashback has 00:16:25.169 --> 00:16:28.529 become. So once we've completed that, By all 00:16:28.529 --> 00:16:30.590 means, we can do an interview on all of that 00:16:30.590 --> 00:16:34.169 because it's the people that participated within 00:16:34.169 --> 00:16:37.409 that film I'd like to also bring into it because 00:16:37.409 --> 00:16:39.750 for me, at this point in time, when I'm doing 00:16:39.750 --> 00:16:42.330 my shows and performing, it's about me out there 00:16:42.330 --> 00:16:44.669 doing it for the audience. But when I'm doing 00:16:44.669 --> 00:16:46.789 a project where others are involved, it's great 00:16:46.789 --> 00:16:50.450 to involve them as part of it because they're 00:16:50.450 --> 00:16:52.549 the people that make it. It's like with the box 00:16:52.549 --> 00:16:54.909 set, with the 40th anniversary box set, it's 00:16:54.909 --> 00:16:57.779 all about imagination, legion, music. you know, 00:16:58.039 --> 00:17:01.399 lyrics, words, performances, but also, it's also 00:17:01.399 --> 00:17:03.840 about the people that have contributed to making, 00:17:04.279 --> 00:17:05.920 you know, being part of that. You know, we've 00:17:05.920 --> 00:17:10.420 got people like Kenny G playing on there. You've 00:17:10.420 --> 00:17:16.900 got so many other artists and stuff on the actual 00:17:16.900 --> 00:17:20.819 albums, you know, and the mixers and people like 00:17:20.819 --> 00:17:25.009 David Morales and Frankie Knuckles and... um 00:17:25.009 --> 00:17:27.670 so many other people so it's all these people 00:17:27.670 --> 00:17:30.769 have contributed to making the 40 years count. 00:17:31.210 --> 00:17:34.230 So and we are looking at Flashback to be uh on 00:17:34.230 --> 00:17:36.710 some sort of a cinema release I take it? Yeah 00:17:36.710 --> 00:17:39.369 we're looking at it to be um I'm not going to 00:17:39.369 --> 00:17:41.309 say what it's going to be on but it will be on 00:17:41.309 --> 00:17:44.150 something very special. Perfect I'm really looking 00:17:44.150 --> 00:17:46.529 forward to that and it is a very special movie 00:17:46.529 --> 00:17:50.000 about a really great subject and People like 00:17:50.000 --> 00:17:53.099 myself, being a DJ since the 80s, can also learn 00:17:53.099 --> 00:17:56.720 from it as well. Totally. Flashback really is, 00:17:56.720 --> 00:17:59.720 as I said, it's a quick snapshot of the history 00:17:59.720 --> 00:18:01.819 of UK British black music, so therefore there 00:18:01.819 --> 00:18:03.799 are things you probably didn't know about which 00:18:03.799 --> 00:18:07.059 we've kind of put in there. We can't get everyone 00:18:07.059 --> 00:18:09.920 in, but we've got a lot, you know, so we're trying 00:18:09.920 --> 00:18:12.220 to pay homage to everyone, you know, as much 00:18:12.220 --> 00:18:15.720 as we could. That's brilliant. Very much looking 00:18:15.720 --> 00:18:18.099 forward to it. I mean, when I spoke to you the 00:18:18.099 --> 00:18:24.240 first time last year, I could tell that there's 00:18:24.240 --> 00:18:27.380 so much happening now and in the near future. 00:18:27.799 --> 00:18:30.660 It was a very exciting time because what's great 00:18:30.660 --> 00:18:33.680 for people like us doing a show like Chatterbox 00:18:33.680 --> 00:18:37.099 is, yes, we could have a bombarded with people 00:18:37.099 --> 00:18:40.039 from the 60s, 70s and 80s. We get a lot of guests 00:18:40.039 --> 00:18:43.309 from those decades, but it's so much better to 00:18:43.309 --> 00:18:46.450 have somebody that's doing something now and 00:18:46.450 --> 00:18:48.890 something that's coming up than somebody that 00:18:48.890 --> 00:18:51.190 talks about something they did 60 years ago. 00:18:52.089 --> 00:18:54.029 No disrespect to them but we've been through 00:18:54.029 --> 00:18:57.109 a really bad time and I think it's just a nice 00:18:57.109 --> 00:19:00.789 finish that gives people hope and it's just lovely 00:19:00.789 --> 00:19:03.490 all the way around and you're just great. I think 00:19:03.490 --> 00:19:05.589 artistically and creatively you know that for 00:19:05.589 --> 00:19:09.019 me is my ongoing situation. There's always going 00:19:09.019 --> 00:19:11.359 to be something different. I'm working with a 00:19:11.359 --> 00:19:13.359 producer in Switzerland right now. I've got something 00:19:13.359 --> 00:19:15.839 going on in France. I have something with George 00:19:15.839 --> 00:19:18.140 Versillo in South America. We have a track called 00:19:18.140 --> 00:19:21.579 Solitude coming out in April. Rob Scott, who 00:19:21.579 --> 00:19:24.140 had a big solo album a few months, three years 00:19:24.140 --> 00:19:26.519 ago. We have a fantastic track that's going to 00:19:26.519 --> 00:19:30.359 come on an independent label in May, I believe. 00:19:30.559 --> 00:19:32.779 So there's a big campaign with that. So everything 00:19:32.779 --> 00:19:35.539 on the back of the box set, we have a lot of 00:19:35.539 --> 00:19:37.859 different things happening. And then, of course, 00:19:38.240 --> 00:19:41.980 I did a short film on St. Lucia, which we're 00:19:41.980 --> 00:19:45.160 just finishing that off. And there's some other 00:19:45.160 --> 00:19:49.339 things in the pipeline. So I'm already the ending 00:19:49.339 --> 00:20:05.609 of next year already with all my projects. So, 00:20:06.490 --> 00:20:08.369 you know, it's always going to be that with me 00:20:08.369 --> 00:20:11.009 now. It's not really... I love that the past 00:20:11.009 --> 00:20:14.369 was great and the music will always sustain me. 00:20:14.750 --> 00:20:18.230 I'm moving forward and I always have. You know, 00:20:18.329 --> 00:20:20.490 the Gorillaz, working with the Gorillaz last 00:20:20.490 --> 00:20:24.250 year was a huge... brought me a completely new 00:20:24.250 --> 00:20:28.750 audience and we played 20 ,000 per show at the 00:20:28.750 --> 00:20:32.400 O2 in September of last year. first shows that 00:20:32.400 --> 00:20:35.119 Britain had opened up for after the lockdown, 00:20:35.519 --> 00:20:37.960 which was spectacular. And we did the big festival 00:20:37.960 --> 00:20:41.240 in Cornwall, which is over 50 ,000 people. That 00:20:41.240 --> 00:20:44.539 was last year. So, you know, there's a lot of 00:20:44.539 --> 00:20:47.339 new things going on, new audiences. Of course, 00:20:47.460 --> 00:20:50.680 we have new people even embracing things like 00:20:50.680 --> 00:20:53.680 Just An Illusion with Men vs. Bees, the Rowan 00:20:53.680 --> 00:20:56.480 Atkinson film, which was on Netflix. I think 00:20:56.480 --> 00:20:59.000 it's about 20 million views on that film and 00:20:59.000 --> 00:21:02.480 20 million views on the front cover of Netflix. 00:21:02.799 --> 00:21:05.420 Because when you opened up Netflix, that came 00:21:05.420 --> 00:21:07.920 up with him in the shower singing Just An Illusion. 00:21:09.219 --> 00:21:13.140 Yeah, so the music lives on, you know, that's 00:21:13.140 --> 00:21:15.859 my pension money, I call it. Yes, absolutely. 00:21:17.880 --> 00:21:20.140 Have you got anything for Lee before we let him 00:21:20.140 --> 00:21:22.039 go? No, I've got a message to pass on to him 00:21:22.039 --> 00:21:24.680 afterwards. Well, we will let them go pretty 00:21:24.680 --> 00:21:27.089 quick in a minute. It was a hospital phone call 00:21:27.089 --> 00:21:29.769 for Nick and the lady knows we do a radio show 00:21:29.769 --> 00:21:31.470 and she was asking who we were interviewing and 00:21:31.470 --> 00:21:33.990 I said Lee John. She's your number one fan, Sally. 00:21:35.190 --> 00:21:37.009 Oh, please send her my love. Please send her 00:21:37.009 --> 00:21:39.289 my love and she's coming to one of our shows. 00:21:39.630 --> 00:21:40.250 I was going to get you to come in to get you 00:21:40.250 --> 00:21:42.150 to say hello to her but it doesn't matter. It 00:21:42.150 --> 00:21:44.589 doesn't matter. Oh, no problem. Please send her 00:21:44.589 --> 00:21:47.119 all my love. And as I said, if you go to the 00:21:47.119 --> 00:21:49.339 website, you see all the gig guides, all the 00:21:49.339 --> 00:21:51.240 dates that we're going to be doing. Of course, 00:21:51.359 --> 00:21:53.920 The Shepherd's Bush Empire is going to be a very, 00:21:53.920 --> 00:21:56.140 very special show. And we're supported. We've 00:21:56.140 --> 00:21:59.180 got my good friends. Central Line will be there 00:21:59.180 --> 00:22:00.799 as well. That's what I've known for many, many 00:22:00.799 --> 00:22:03.619 years. So that'd be really great. And we want 00:22:03.619 --> 00:22:06.519 everybody to come down in the busload. So pre 00:22:06.519 --> 00:22:08.859 -order your tickets now. Pre -order your tickets 00:22:08.859 --> 00:22:10.819 now for The Shepherd's Bush Empire from May the 00:22:10.819 --> 00:22:14.859 20th. And also pre -order. your 40th anniversary 00:22:14.859 --> 00:22:18.759 17 album box set right now. And the website is 00:22:18.759 --> 00:22:25.079 www .lijan .com. If you go to www .lijan .com 00:22:25.079 --> 00:22:28.200 with three E's, so that's L -E -E -E, J -O -H 00:22:28.200 --> 00:22:31.920 -N dot com. That will be where you can get your, 00:22:32.099 --> 00:22:33.940 the links to the tickets to the show and the 00:22:33.940 --> 00:22:44.029 links to... I'm on Instagram, the official Lee 00:22:44.029 --> 00:22:46.890 John Instagram, but because there's a few other 00:22:46.890 --> 00:22:50.430 ones which other people have put set up, which 00:22:50.430 --> 00:22:54.089 is very interesting because they steal everything 00:22:54.089 --> 00:22:56.950 from my site and put it on theirs. That's funny. 00:22:57.430 --> 00:22:59.549 And then we have a Facebook and on Twitter as 00:22:59.549 --> 00:23:00.970 well. So I'm on all the different social media 00:23:00.970 --> 00:23:05.599 platforms. I tend to use more Twitter and Instagram, 00:23:05.940 --> 00:23:09.440 but my social media people push the Facebook 00:23:09.440 --> 00:23:12.890 side. Perfect. Lee John, it's been an absolute 00:23:12.890 --> 00:23:17.250 pleasure. Looking forward to another update when 00:23:17.250 --> 00:23:18.930 it comes. It's very exciting. There'll be more. 00:23:19.089 --> 00:23:22.329 There'll be much more. I'm excited. I'm the DJ, 00:23:22.509 --> 00:23:24.049 you know. We're going to send you a commercial 00:23:24.049 --> 00:23:26.630 next week so that you can put on for the box 00:23:26.630 --> 00:23:29.529 set and also for the show. So Archie will do 00:23:29.529 --> 00:23:33.960 that. So remind Archie, please send. You the 00:23:33.960 --> 00:23:37.319 commercial. I see you guys. Lee John, I'll let 00:23:37.319 --> 00:23:40.779 you go. I've sent 20, 25 minutes to Archie. We've 00:23:40.779 --> 00:23:44.200 been 24, so... No problem. Take care. God bless. 00:23:44.500 --> 00:24:04.589 Thank you. Bye -bye. Bye -bye. Bye -bye. you 00:24:44.079 --> 00:24:47.000 You've been listening to the Chatterbox Redux 00:24:47.000 --> 00:24:49.420 podcast with Nick and Sue and today our guest 00:24:49.420 --> 00:25:10.359 was Lee John of Imagination. We thank you for 00:25:10.359 --> 00:25:12.160 your company and look forward to welcome you 00:25:12.160 --> 00:25:15.299 again next time for another interview on the 00:25:15.299 --> 00:25:17.480 Chatterbox Redux Podcast. Take care for now, 00:25:17.559 --> 00:26:25.220 bye bye. It takes two to tangle and two to present 00:26:25.220 --> 00:26:33.380 a radio show. So here's Nick and Sue, your musical 00:26:33.380 --> 00:26:40.099 duo. This is Nick and Sue with Chatterbox giving 00:26:40.099 --> 00:26:49.069 you all you need to know about musical Shout 00:26:49.069 --> 00:26:49.210 out!