This is “Elements Of Vogue” (David DePino’s 1989 Original Mix) – Johnny Dynell feat. David Ian Xtravaganza as interpreted for broadcast by a school of vogeurs including Legendary London Legend, Roy and Britain’s early champion of the form, Les Child. (That’s her shutting down the category in a platinum hair hat.) Front and center and stealing thunder we see the lovely and sorely missed, Fidel Field. A fragile creature we knew too briefly. May she runway in peace. All this madness is circa 1990-ish. Don’t be jealous of their beauty, darling, be jealous of their talent!
Now, in the words of your Master of Ceremonies, David Ian Extravaganza, “I’ll now depart by saying, ‘I love you all for loving me.'”
This is mix number one. I started it five years ago. Yeah. Thanks and gratitude to Duke Todd who came over and ripped all these tracks from the vinyl. I guess everything is online these days, but you know what?…You have to know what to look for, darling. Uh huh. Odd unsung mixes that are better than the A sides. Duke’s got em all…
These vibes are Sound Factory Bar, Redzone, The Sound Factory, Derek at the door, Frankie or David in the booth and everybody else on the floor…like ON the floor. These are the tracks that somebody stole your coat to ( you’re still pretty sure it was a ‘ganza.) KIDDING. Calm down, kids. Hey!…NO TOUCHING. You will be chopped. These are the tracks that I danced to with Kevin Hertzog before I knew him.
I’m starting mix number two so hopefully that should be uploadable by 2025. ….it’s just that I care sooooo much about the music. I have to be SURE it’s right…but I am pressed up inside LOGIC and learning hard. It’s hard. I spent all day today in headphones….and very little else actually. OH!
Rx – Listen, but not too closely, two to three times a week. Not to exceed five listens per week. I case of over – listening administer coffee, cold showers or a strong slap to the face.
Thanks to DJ Gant Johnson for pointing this one out.. Disco lovers, get ready to chant. If you heart Hearthis then you might love my mixes there? Check em out here – beep beep
You must always continue to research, re-listen and reconsider your collection of lounge music. Edit it. If it’s rotten, toss it. Don’t stop the stream of collecting. If you gave up on vinyl then you just have to finger through the dusty stacks in another way – and with no dust so that’s good.
You may know of my penchant for The Brass Ring. I discovered them in Los Angeles which is typically my style because they were the East Coast answer to Herb Alpert in the golden age of instrumentals, the late 1960’s. In this group of talented studio musicians a guy named Phil Bodner plays Herb Alpert. The only switch being his saxophone replaces Herb’s trumpet and, well, very few people could ever be as cute and sexy as Herb Alpert so there’s that aspect too. I recently had to tell Alexa to shut down, turn off the TV and silence my phone when I noticed this track sneaking out of my imac in the corner of the room. This one deserves a clear high-volume referencing. The Album is “Love Theme From Flight of the Pheonix” and this is a Dunhill Records recording. You can find it on Spotify (click the album below to find it) and I suggest you make it a part of your permanent lounge music collection.
The Shadow of Your Smile – The Brass Ring
From the Album Love Theme From Flight Of The Pheonix
Please DO NOT SMOKE IN BED. Maybe that’s why she is alone there…helleaux.
I can’t even with this track and this group. Honestly when I listen to this one I am just grateful to have been so alive through the ’80s and to have found so many loving friends while this one was on endless repeat.
Here for your collection, the 12″ vocal :
Costumes, poses…now I know where I got it from…GOALS.
Ok, so add to that the performance…
Imagination were a three piece British
soul and funk band, who came to prominence in the
early 1980s. They had chart hits in 28 countries, earning four platinum discs, nine gold
discs and more than a dozen silver
discs around the world between 1981 and 1983
Singer Leee
John was working as a backing
vocalist for The
Delfonics, Chairmen
of the Board, The
Velvelettes and The
Elgins when he
met Ashley Ingram, a guitarist/bassist (born 27 November 1960, Northampton). John and Ingram formed a songwriting partnership, resolving to start their own ‘slinky, sexy and
erotic’ group, working in a short-lived band called Fizzz. Whilstauditioning for another short-lived band, Midnight Express, they met drummer Errol Kennedy (born
9 June 1953, Montego
Bay) who had learned to drum in the Boys’ Brigade and Air
Training Corps.
Formed in 1981, the trio took
a demo tape of
a track called “Body Talk” to producers Jolley & Swain. It was released as
a single in April 1981 under the group name
Imagination, a name that the group chose as a tribute to John Lennon. The track reached number
4 in the UK Singles Chart in May 1981, selling 250,000 copies in
the UK and spending eighteen weeks in the Top
50. They had two more hit singles that year, “In and Out of
Love” (September) and “Flashback” (November), both of which
peaked at number 16, all from their debut album,
also called Body Talk.
Their biggest hit, “Just an Illusion”, peaked at number two in March 1982 (“Just an Illusion” would later be used as the end title song to the 1986 movie, F/X); followed by “Music and Lights” The group’s second album, 1982’s In the Heat of the Night, was their most successful, spawning a trio of chart hits in the form of “Just an Illusion” , “Music and Lights” and “Changes”. The remix collection Night Dubbing appeared the following year, as did the group’s third proper album, Scandalous.
The trio frequently appeared on BBC Television’s Top of the Pops, and other pop music TV programmes,
with a distinctive exotic style, reminiscent of Roman senators, harem orderlies and slaves. John made a guest appearance on Doctor Who in 1983. They were also known for their esoteric album sleeve notes.
Following this the success of the group in the UK waned, but they
continued to perform, tour and record.
In 1987, they were signed to RCA Records and recorded two albums and seven more singles. Their last album Fascination Of The Physical, recorded in 1990, was a commercial failure. This caused the band to split in 1992.
John went back to acting, but re-surfaced as a singer in the reality television show, Reborn in the
USA.John also remains active by continuing his recording career as a solo artist and collaborator while also working on a project documenting British black music.
Ingram also enjoyed success as a songwriter for Des’ree.
Since the group split there have been several compilations released while ‘The Very Best Of Imagination’ is the best place to start.
When vinyl was the music, this track was a secret weapon of mine. Sister Dimension’s copy was handed down to me and I’ll tell you what – This track at the end of the night when the lights come up will get you a return booking. It’s the ultimate send off into the night for the drunks and still tripping party people. Actually this has to be the last track because nothing can ever be played after it.
This was me every night in my bedroom as a kid. Full flashlight fantasy festivals.
Enjoy an hour of music from the late’20s/early ’30s most of which was recorded in the ’70s. There are quite a few original 78’s in there but when Nelson Riddle recreated the ’20s for The Great Gatsby in 1974 it sounded amazing – not necessarily authentic but clearer and with more dynamics and in stereo! Hellereo! Happy Spring to the right coasters and most of you fly overs. I love this musical vibe in the Springtime. You might too. You may also hate it. Listen and find out.
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