No...it's not an illusion, and it's certainly not a product of your 'imagination'. It is him, the legend himself, Leee John! The British singer and songwriter joins us this week to celebrate 40 years of his group Imagination, and share memories of the making of his iconic hits, including the eternal 1982 single "Just An Illusion."
As the glamour of New Wave made its way through the UK music scene with acts like Visage, Duran Duran, and Spandau Ballet, a band made out of three black men was making the most, sashaying into TV studios with an extravagant image and hypnotic tunes to match.
Vocalist Leee John, bassist Ashley Ingram, and drummer Errol Kennedy ruled both the charts and the dancefloors with their own silky and soulful "Imagination" sound, created in collaboration with innovative production team Steve Jolley and Tony Swain, later architects of pop classics recorded by Spandau, Alison Moyet, and Bananarama.
In this special CHOONS episode, Leee takes a trip back to his days working the pub circuit and learning from the greats, his pre-Imagination recordings, the inspiration behind his first hit singles with the band, and the treacherous session that led to one of the most unforgettable floor-fillers of the 1980s.
Show Tracklisting:
Pre-order Imagination featuring Leee John "40 Years" Limited Edition Box Set Out February 2023: https://leeejohn.lnk.to/imagination40
Leee John on Social Media:
Host and Producer: Diego Martinez
Executive Producer: Nicholas "NickFresh" Puzo
Audio Engineer: Adam Fogel
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