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.
billy beyond's blog 