Over the past three decades multi award winning British soul
group Imagination released so many wonderful classic hits such as Body Talk,
Just An illusion, Flashback, Music and Lights and Changes which helped secure
Imagination s power and dominance over the charts in the 1980's with their
genre defying music not only in the UK but across the world with sales in
excess of over 30 million albums thus Imagination presented perfect Brit
Jazz/Funk songs and establishing their position as essential 80's crossover
soul-dance hit-makers and influencers for future generations of pop stars.
Even today the story of Imagination s music continues in the
form of a long list of samples, remixes and adaptations by major contemporary
stars. Destiny's Child (complete with Beyoncé) sampled Just An illusion on
their 1998 self-titled debut album. Leee himself featured on DJ Dero's 2005
rendition of the song which was widely played in clubs. The same year saw
Mariah Carey reused the track on her top ten single Get Your Number. Flashback
was sampled by Boards of Canada, Music & Lights by Tiger & Woods. All
Night Loving by 88 Keys featuring Kanye West.
This year sees the long-awaited new album from Imagination
featuring Leee John - Retropia, which delivers a distinctive combination of
soul, funk & jazz with a classic contemporary retro sound from that back in
the day feel. Lee John creates a very special atmospheric sensitivity with
mid-tempo grooves and that unmistakable Leee John vocal sound with those famous
Imagination harmonies creating that familiar blend of melody which makes you
remember each individual song, taking you on an adventure into the world of
Retropia.
The album features co-writes from keyboard player of the UK R n B
group Loose Ends, Steve Nichol on the songs Do it Right Now and the single Secrets
which also has classic soul and jazz guitar from Jean-Paul “Bluey” Manuck of
the jazz funk group Incognito.
An inspiring duet with Leee John of the Stevie wonder song Visions
with keyboard and vocalist Mike Lindup from UK funk group Level 42. Leee John
has produced, arranged written and co-written all the songs on the album except
3 classic cover songs , the Eddie Kendricks song Tell Her Love Has Felt The
Need, the Junior Murvin song Police and Thieves, and a French collaboration
with David Laloue and the Gibson Brothers on the famous AC/DC song Highway To
Hell - with UK blues guitarist –Mark Vandergucht, with all the vocals given the
Leee John/Imagination treatment.
Retropia was produced in London in L J Studios and mixed in
Alhambra studios in Rochford, France, where Leee John recorded the critically
acclaimed popular soul jazz album Feel My Soul in 2005-06, which just like the
jazz album was mixed by Mr Magic Fingers Francois Gaucher. This album is
dedicated to the many Imagination fans around the world as there are a few
songs which Leee has performed on stage live but has never surprisingly placed
on any albums before. Such as songs like the haunting Utopia, which feature the
flutes and brass of UK musician Dave Mansell, piano and keyboards of John
Watson who has been the musical conductor and arranger for The Leee John Jazz
Quartet and the Imagination band he features on many of the titles on the
album.
Other songs, like Make Your Mind Up, was co-written and
arranged by Toby Baker. Fantasia was originally a white label obscure track,
which became an underground classic. Other credits include Leee John’s
long-time associate producer and writer-engineer Dee Vaz, who works and is
responsible for many of Leee’s solo studio projects. On the ballad Hello
Goodbye - from the Imagination band we have the guitar of John (Jimmy John) Myers
who has worked with the famous Stock Aitken Waterman by the La Rochelle Music
conservatory string section.
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