By the 1980s, Imagination were famous all over the world, having released a series of Gold & Platinum albums, embarking on a series of sell-out tours & they were now permanent fixtures on mainstream TV. It was during those early years they created their ground breaking & proto-house album ‘Night Dubbing’and theyare now considered extremely influential and important in the evolution of dance music.
The band who lent it’s name from the John Lennon song ‘Imagine’ started touring America with their first album ‘Body Talk’ whilst simultaneously the follow up ‘In The Heat Of The Night’ was being released in Europe, the band are in New York courtesy of their record company. Looking to indulge themselves into the nightlife scene, they perform a sell-out show at Studio 54 but yet to appear at Larry Levan’s ‘Paradise Garage’. Having hit Atlanta, Detroit, LA & they even appeared on the legendary TV show Soul Train with Marvin Gaye, promoting their first single ‘Body Talk’ when finally they were invited to The Garage after doing TV appearance’s in NYC. Their electronic production pioneered by Tony Swain and Steve Jolley on the Imagination’s albums (who incidentally had met as cameramen on the Muppet Show) were now heralded by Larry Levan & his friend Frankie Knuckles as revolutionary & pioneering.
Imagination renown for their outrageous live performances were the first ever English band to appear at the Paradise Garage. On the forth time they were invited back, Larry Levan asked if he could remix one of their tracks & they all chose on ‘Changes’. On first listen to his version, the band & record label decided an entire album project should be created using the same approach, hence ‘Night Dubbing’ and the rest being history.
Fast forward, its 30 years later, 2012 and Imagination co-founder, drummer, songwriter & singer Errol Kennedy meets producer & Ism Records label boss DJ Yam Who? in London & have lovingly re-created the album using the same studio techniques, synthesisers, drums and hypnotic grooves for the modern dancefloor.‘Night Dubbing Vol II’ has taken 2 years to complete and is due to be released in Nov 2014 on Ism Record’s Featuring all the classic hits, lovingly re-created by Errol Kennedy & Yam Who? with 8 of the tracks having extra magic studio dust added by dance music’s biggest names including Soul Clap, Late Nite Tuff Guy, John Morales, J Kriv, Kon, Sleazy McQueen, Deadly Sins & B.G. Baarregaard.