STUCK IN THE VINYL AGAIN - IMAGINATION - NEW DIMENSION

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Good morning faithful readers and welcome back to the Sunday edition of Stuck In The Vinyl Again. Today we wish British guitarist/bassist, Ashley Ingram, a very Happy 62nd Birthday. He is best known for his work in the post disco, soul/funk trio, Imagination. The group formed in 1981 while Singer/keyboardist Leee John was singing backup vocals for other groups like the Delfonics, Chairmen of the Board, the Velvelettes and the Elgins, and met Ashley Ingram. The two formed a songwriting partnership an later recruited drummer Errol Kennedy. With the lineup complete they recorded a demo which they promptly shopped to producers Jolley & Swain. This led to them being signed. Their name is an homage to fellow Brit, John Lennon. Their sound is something like the vocal harmonies of The Stylistics combined with and edgy club dance sound like Duran Duran.  During the course of their career, they released 10 albums, but it is their 4th one that is our subject of sound today. It was titled Scandalous in the UK, but the American release was retitled and repackaged with a different cover and released as New Dimension in February 1984 on the Elektra label. It was produced by Steven Nicholas Jolley and Tony Swain and peaked at #49 in Germany, #44 on the Billboard R&B charts, #25 in the UK, #20 in Spain, #16 in the Netherlands, and  #12 in France. Four singles were released from the 8 track album ; "Looking at Midnight" (#64 R&B, #36 Netherlands, #29 UK, #26 Ireland, #17 Italy),   "New Dimension" (#61 Germany, #56 UK, #21 Netherlands, #14 Italy, #13 Belgium),  "This Means War (Shoo Be Doo Da Dabba Doobee)" (#43 Netherlands, #29 R&B, #22 Dance Club Songs) and "State of Love" (#67 UK, #13 Dance Club Songs). 

1. "New Dimension" 7:18

2. "State of Love" 4:50

3. "Point of No Return" 5:05

4. "When I See the Fire" 4:40

Side two

5. "Shoo Be Doo Da Dabba Doobee" 6:24

6. "Wrong in Love" 4:40

7. "Looking at Midnight" 5:50

8. "The Need to Be Free" 4:56

Musicians

Leee John – lead vocals, keyboards, percussion

Ashley Ingram – bass guitar, synthesiser, keyboards, vocals

Errol Kennedy – drums, percussion

Tony Swain – keyboards

Steve Jolley – percussion

Technical

Tony Swain – producer, engineer, mixing

Steve Jolley – producer, engineer, mixing

Richard Lengyel – engineer, mixing

Nigel Askew – photography

Chess Creative Services – artwork