Imagination

A British trio called Imagination applied a synthesized and frequently dancefloor-focused approach to the soul ensembles of the 1970s. Leee John and Ashley Ingram had already logged time in supportive roles with the Delfonics and Chairmen of the Board during that decade before the group came together. Drummer Errol Kennedy joined vocalist John and bassist Ingram to launch Imagination in 1981. Their debut album arrived before the year closed, yielding a modest success with its title track, “Body Talk.” The follow-up, 1982’s In the Heat of the Night, proved their commercial peak and produced three U.S. R&B chart entries: “Just an Illusion” at number 27, “Music and Lights” at number 52, and “Changes” at number 46. The opening two singles fared even better at home, climbing into the U.K. Top Five. Night Dubbing, a 1983 remix set, surfaced alongside the third studio album, Scandalous. Momentum faded until the mid-’90s dissolution, by which point Leee John remained the sole original member, though the 1984 single “This Means War” still registered on the U.S. R&B chart. John stayed active afterward, presenting U.K. television shows while pursuing further recordings both solo and in collaboration. Multiple anthologies have appeared since the split, with Music Club’s The Very Best of Imagination serving as the strongest introduction.