Imagination: "Just an Illusion - Live"

Imagination were a three piece British soul and dance band, who came to prominence in the early 1980s. They had chart hits in twenty eight countries, earning four platinum discs, nine gold discs and over a dozen silver discs around the world between 1981 and 1983.

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" (number five in June), "In the Heat of the Night" (number 22 in September, also the name of their second album) and "Changes" (number 31 in December). This was accompanied by a sell-out concert tour of Europe, with twenty two dates in the UK. 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 & recorded 2 albums & 7 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. Ingram also enjoyed success as a songwriter for Des'ree. John is currently working on a project documenting British black music.


- Lyrics:

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 sa@
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?..