Discotecari, musicofili, cantanti, musicisti più disparati, belli, brutti, etero, gay, anarchici, comunisti, fascisti, centristi, non schierati, incensurati e non, ecco a voi gli Imagination! Fautori della fortunata Disco music degli anni '70, trasportata nei meno accoglienti anni '80, suonatori eccellenti, cantante magistrale, canzoni che somigliano a calamite giganti posizionate davanti a gente che ha più tratti in comune con il ferro di quanti non ne abbia con la carne. Gli Imagination sono questo e molto altro. Provate a organizzare un party anni '80 e non suonare un brano di questa band e potrete dire addio definitivamente ai vostri arti. Gli Imagination sono storia: non si discute. Sono fondamentali, sia per la Disco che per il Pop. Possono considerarsi non a torto come la locomotiva del sound Disco music degli anni '80. Voci in falsetto, batteria lenta, trascinata ma carichissima, sottofondo di sintetizzatori e tastiere elettroniche sovrapposti e intrecciati in un complesso puzzle, melodia portante di pianoforte o anch'essa di  tastiera, linea di basso molto grave, sia acustica che elettronica, chitarre rare e di contorno. Ecco gli ingredienti degli Imagination, più (ovviamente) l'elemento segreto di ogni band o cantante che si rispettino.

L'origine degli Imagination vede la luce quando il corista Lee John ed il musicista Ashley Ingram si trovano a lavorare insieme come coristi di supporto per alcuni gruppi importanti. E' allora che nasce l'idea, affiancati dal batterista Errol Kennedy, di creare il gruppo. Gli Imagination (band inglese vi ricordo: NON AMERICANA) disintegrarono ogni record, infilando un singolo come "Body talk" (1981) nella top list della hit parade di tutta Europa (USA inclusi stavolta). "Body talk" fa parte della serie "intramontabili" della Disco music della storia. Brano un po' povero di idee e lunghetto, "Body talk" comunque aveva non pochi punti di forza. Un groove trascinante e ipnotico, linea di basso al pianoforte (con esso anche gli arpeggi sovrapposti alla melodia), voci maschili in falsetto che si sollevavano dalla giungla ombrosa di suoni artificiali, sintetizzati ma soul al 100%,   bassi capaci di spostarti, leggerezza musicale che nasconde forze occulte. "Body talk" è la danza della notte: quando tutti i corpi si muovono, fradici di sudore, immersi tra gli alberi della foresta, illuminati dalla luce fioca e traballante delle lampade ad olio e incitati dai rituali dello sciamano che chiama gli spiriti dell'oltretomba a vivere ancora una notte con i mortali c'è un solo linguaggio che vale, che è universale: quello del corpo. Questo è quello che riassume "Body talk".
L'anno dopo (1982) gli Imagination superano loro stessi: sfornano altri due brani fondamentali come "Music and lights" e "Just an illusion". Il primo caratterizzato da una dimensione di maggiore ballabilità, il secondo da una presenza illusiva di calma e benessere quando invece nasconde lo stesso ipnotico e leggendario groove di "Body talk". "Music and lights" accompagna l'ascoltatore in un viaggio all'interno della discoteca. Gli mostra le meraviglie, i punti oscuri e nascosti, le dimensioni levigate e le fantasie lisergiche incatenate all'interno. Chi non capisce la discoteca è perchè non ha mai ascoltato "Music and lights". "Just an illusion" invece sapete cosa fa? Niente. Quello che lascia intuire non è vero, quello che lascia presagire non è reale. Tutto è appena un'illusione. Gli strumenti musicali usati sembrano veri: non lo sono, perché sono sintetizzati. La stessa voce non è quella vera perché il cantato è in falsetto. Il groove utilizzato non è affatto nuovo, perché è lo stesso di "Body talk". Con questo brano, estremamente ballabile (o forse no) vi renderete conto che l'unica cosa vera al suo interno è la band, gli Imagination, il cui nome spiega tutto (in Italiano= Immaginazione, e chi non lo sapeva??).

Gli Imagination, nella loro incredibile carriera, sono riusciti a mandare loro brani in classifica, in 28 paesi diversi tra il 1981 ed il  1983, conquistando diversi dischi di platino, d'oro e d'argento nelle vendite Europee. Oggi come non mai mi sono sentito di ricordare a tutti l'incredibile carriera di questi ragazzi, seppur ambigui (tutti gay). E voi cosa aspettate? Includete questa fantastica band nella vostra collezione al più presto!!!

Elenco tracce testi e video

01   Flashback (04:27)

We're startin'up now we're on our way
Leaving all our yesterdays behind
Something special that we wanna say
Happiness is just a state of mind

Flashback
To the days when the nights were young
Flashback
When we could do no wrong
Flashback
We used to dance to the light of dawn
Flashback
When our hearts were so strong

Yeah

Flashback
To the days when the nights were young
Flashback [Ah ah ah]
When we could do no wrong
Flashback
We used to dance to the light of dawn
Flashback [Ah ah ah]
To when our hearts were so strong

Living in the shadow of our yesterday
Memories of children in the sun
Everybody's looking back but that don't pay
Can't you see you've only just begun

Flashback
To the days when the nights were young
Flashback
When we could do no wrong
Flashback [Ah ah ah]
We used to dance to the light of dawn
Flashback [Ah ah ah ah]
When our hearts were so strong

Flashback [Ah ah ah ah]
Flashback [Ah ah ah]
Flashback [Ah ah ah ah]
Flashback [Ah ah ah]

Flashback [Ah ah ah ah]
Flashback [Ah ah ah]
Flashback [Ah ah ah ah]
Flashback [Ah ah ah]

Flashback [Ah ah ah ah]
To the days when the nights were young
Flashback [Ah ah ah]
When we could do no wrong
Flashback [Ah ah ah ah]
We used to dance to the light of dawn
Flashback [Ah ah ah]
To when our hearts were so strong
Flashback [Ah ah ah]
To the days when the nights were young
Flashback [Ah ah ah]
When we could do no wrong
Flashback [Ah ah ah ah]
We used to dance to the light of dawn
Flashback [Ah ah ah]
To when our hearts were so strong

Flashback [Ah ah ah ah]
Flashback [Ah ah ah]
Flashback [Ah ah ah ah]
Flashback [Ah ah ah]

02   Just an Illusion (06:26)

Searching for a destiny that's mine there's another place another time.
Touching many hearts along the way
yeah
hoping that I'll never have to say
It's just an illusion - illusion - illusion.
Follow your emotions anywhere
is it really magic in the air?
Never let your feelings get you down. Open up your eyes and look around
It's just an illusion - illusion - illusion.
Could it be that it's just an illusion putting me back in all this confusion?
Could it be that it's just an illusion now?
Could it be that it's just an illusion putting me back in all this confusion?
Could it be that it's just an illusion now?
Could it be a picture in my mind? Never sure exactly what I'll find.
Only in my dreams I turn you on. Here for just a moment then you're gone.
It's just an illusion - illusion - illusion.
Could it be that it's just an illusion putting me back in all this confusion?
Could it be that it's just an illusion now?
Could it be that it's just an illusion putting me back in all this confusion?
Could it be that it's just an illusion now? . . .

03   Burnin' Up (04:45)

04   Music and Lights (05:18)

Music and lights
Forget your sorrow
let it all fade away.
Forget tomorrow
let's start living for today.
Let me take you through a night of ecstasy
I like to hear the sound of a mystic melody.
In the spotlight with the music playing loud

No distraction together we have found.
Let me show you all the glamour and the gold
Secret fantasies in a show biz world.
Music and lights - I'll sing and dance for you all night

Sequins and pearls and lots of pretty girls

You got to have rhythm.
When ever you're dancing and you glide across the floor

Your heart is singing and they're calling out for more

Let me take you through a night of ecstasy

I like to hear the sound of a mystic melody.
Music and lights - I'll sing and dance for you all night
. . .
Music and lights - I'll sing and dance for you all night

Sequins and pearls and lots of pretty girls.
Give me rhythm.
Forget your sorrow
let it all fade away.
Forget tomorrow
let's start living for today

Let me show you all the glamour and the gold

Secret fantasies in a show biz world.
Music and lights - I'll sing and dance for you all night

Music and lights - I'll sing and dance for you all 'ght

Sequins and pearls and lots of pretty girls.
Give me rhythm. - Give me -
Music and lights - I'll sing and dance for you all night
. . .

Music And Lights

05   So Good, So Right (03:45)

06   New Dimension (04:22)

Everywhere I go I just see faces touched by the crying winter wind.
All kinda trouble only traces
circles of life we're moving in.
Here am I lost in a world without a chance.
Your prisoner - just snap your fingers and I'll dance.
The patterns in your eyes when you come alive

They never can disguise the way I feel inside.

Caught in the middle of a new dimension

Walking
talking
one direction

Can't be such a revelation
captivates a generation.
You tease and play with my emotions
you want to take control of me.
You'll never capture my devotion
I'm here forever finally.
The more I show the more I'm fighting

That's how I know that it's the right thing.
Caught in the middle of a new dimensio
Caught in the middle of a new dimension
...
The patterns in your eyes when you come alive
. . .
Caught in the middle of a new dimension
. . .
Caught in the middle of a new dimension
. . .
Caught in the middle of a new dimension. . . .

07   Body Talk (05:57)

Body Talk, Body Talk
I to you, you to me

Morning afternoon and night
We lay together side by side
Searching for lust, searching for breath
Searching for the touch of life
No words are spoken, the only sound we hear is
Body talk
Body talk

The heat of passion is such a beautiful thing
As it overflows pleasure grows
All the dreams it can bring
Your lust in my eyes a gentle size
Body talk (uh, it's just a love thing)
Body talk (yeah, make it real baby)

For play on tray we never gonna make it wack
We play I say show you that hte loving's back
Just like I showed from the start we're gonna play it right
Throw up your hands and make it wild cause it's outta sight
We're dropping bombs in the mix can you hear me right
Get up and pick up a rhyme cause you know the honey's fine
Wait up date up it's time to get this faith up
Brothers knocking boots and the ladies playing stay up

So keep it real and make it known
That love will always glide
I got to take it to the top this is the reason why
Free expression not agression
We have become-one

Now that we got you straight tripping
It's time to make a move
We gots you groove running smooth flex without you boo
Ex-it sets it you know we're gonna play it
Back drop flex it time to shake and fake it huh
We got you dropping mad styles take the bomb alive
Who said my love flies wide you got to get up and dive
So keep it real and feel what you're looking for
Just like I told you when you love you gots' to make it raw

Chorus (Repeat)

08   In the Heat of the Night (05:12)

In a cold hard world when you're out on your own
Oh
there's a cruel harsh word you'll get to know.
No one understands what it's like in misery
All the great demands your love has made on me
In the heat
in the heat of the night.
In the heat
in the heat of the night.
As their faces turn everywhere that you go
It's the eyes that burn right through to your sole.
Feel the rhythm of the street
A distant scream from who knows where -
Now the picture is complete
Through the dark and running scared.
In the heat
in the heat of the night.
In the heat
in the heat of the night.
In the heat
in the heat
No one understands in the heat of the night.
No one understands in the heat of the night. . . .

09   Heart'n'Soul (03:57)

10   Looking at Midnight (03:52)

11   Shoo Be Doo Da Dabba Doobee (03:54)

12   Changes (05:45)

Changes
I know you think you've got me where you want me
Tied up in the chains you know I can't shake free.
Caught up in the trap you call affection.
Now I've seen it all just take your hands off me
Changes
Changes
Someday somehow there's gonna be some changes
You can scream and shout but you don't have the right to tell me.
Here and now there's gonna be you're gonna see some changes
Changes
changes.
You just don't have the right
you won't hurt me tonight.
Trustling you it all adds up to nothing
Dealing with the lies it's all a part of you.
Promises that should have come to something
But I don't need your empty-headed attitude - changes
changes.
Someday somehow there's gonna be some changes
. . .
Someday somehow there's gonna be some changes
. . .
Someday somehow there's gonna be some changes
. . .
You just don't have the right
you won't hurt me tonight.
Changes
changes.

13   In and Out of Love (05:31)

14   Follow Me (03:34)

15   Thank You My Love (03:29)

16   Live Mega Mix (94) (03:17)

17   State of Love (03:12)

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