John Leckie - Early Career

Early Career

Leckie began work at Abbey Road Studios on 15 February 1970 as a Tape-Operator, later graduating to Balance Engineer. During this early career he worked with artists such as John Lennon (John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band), George Harrison, (All Things Must Pass), Syd Barrett (Barrett) and Pink Floyd (Meddle and Wish You Were Here). With Paul McCartney's Wings Leckie worked on Red Rose Speedway and the then-controversial single "Hi, Hi, Hi". He mixed Be-Bop Deluxe's debut album Axe Victim. His first job as producer was the same band's third album Sunburst Finish, which fruitful collaboration continued through Modern Music, Live! In The Air Age and Drastic Plastic.

Leckie left Abbey Road in 1978 and produced albums for Simple Minds (Life in a Day, Real to Real Cacophony and Empires and Dance) and Magazine (Real Life). For Be-Bop Deluxe founder Bill Nelson, he produced the Red Noise album Sound on Sound and Nelson's subsequent solo album Quit Dreaming And Get On The Beam (the latter unreleased until 1981). Leckie produced the debut single, Public Image for the post-Sex Pistols formation Public Image Ltd. Leckie's work with XTC included 3D-EP, as well as the band's later albums: White Music, Go 2, 25 O'Clock and Psonic Psunspot which XTC issued under the pseudonym The Dukes of Stratosphear.