Kirkcaldy gig for reformed band Chinese Whispers

Chinese Whispers were formed by school friends in the mid-80s in Clydebank.

Singer Calum McRae, who now lives in Kirkcaldy, said: “There were a couple of guys at school with us who had a rival band which they called Wet Wet Wet – I don’t know what happened to them!

“So we played a lot of gigs and were close to getting signed, but then time just got in the way. Work, relationships and things like that so we all ended up going our separate ways.”

Graham Holley, the band’s keyboard player and main songwriter, went back to university to study music at the age of 48 – and inadvertently got the band back together again.

He said: “I just completed my masters last year and within it you need to produce a body of work.

“I’m a big fan of the TV show Stranger Things. I love how it was made now but looks like it was filmed in 1985 so I thought I would make an album in the same vein.”

The result was About Time and Graham decided to use his old band’s name and include one of their songs, Midnight Movies.

“I thought by including that it would be in keeping with the original concept of the band,” Graham said.

“I was quite happy with it and had put it to bed, then I got a call from Calum saying are we doing this live? And I thought, yeah, let’s do it!”

Calum has re-recorded some of the vocals on the album and the band are now in rehearsal to launch it in both Kirkcaldy and Glasgow, with a new single, Breathe (2020), out next week.

About Time has also been nominated for Scottish album of the year with the band waiting to see if it makes the shortlist.

Calum added: “Because we are now split over the east and west coast we wanted to have an album launch on each.

“We also have a live acoustic set with Lisa May Young on January 28 on K107.

“We’re all guys in our 50s so I’m well aware we’re not going to be supporting Lewis Capaldi any time soon.

“But for us what this is all about is unfinished business and I’m delighted that we’ve now got an album out there.

“Quite an amazing few weeks for a bunch of old farts!”

• Chinese Whispers play the Kings Live Lounge, Kirkcaldy on Saturday, February 22 and The Studio, Glasgow on Monday, February 24.

For tickets – which are free for the Kirkcaldy gig – go to the band’s Facebook page.