"Imagination"
Single by Belouis Some
from the album Some People
Released1985
6 January 1986 (UK re-issue)[1]
GenreNew wave[2]
Length3:32
LabelParlophone
Songwriter(s)Belouis Some
Producer(s)
Belouis Some singles chronology
"Target Practice"
(1984)		 "Imagination"
(1985)		 "Some People"
(1985)

"Imagination" is a song by British musician Belouis Some, from his 1985 debut album Some People. Upon its first release as a single in the UK in 1985, the song only managed to chart at No. 50, but a re-release proved more successful, hitting the top 20 and peaking at No. 17 on the UK Singles Chart in February 1986.[3] In the U.S., the song reached No. 88 on the Billboard Hot 100 in May 1985.

On 10 October 1994, a remix of the song by British electronica band The Beloved (Jon and Helena Marsh) was released as a single on Some's own label Some Music LTD.[4] It reached number 95 in the UK Singles Chart in March 1995.[3]

In February 2023, producer Lee Rose with Belouis Some released a tech house version of "Imagination" on Deevu Records.

Background

Belouis Some has described the song as being "about a British man's encounter with an extremely self-indulgent American woman",[5] and one that "expresses the conflict between reality and dreams".[6] Speaking of the song to Number One in 1986, he commented, "'Imagination' isn't an erotic song because it doesn't go for the jugular in say the same way that Prince does, but it is very suggestive."[7] In a 1985 interview with Record Mirror, he said, "The single's very straight, no gimmicks, it's the song for the song's worth."[8]

Music video

A music video was produced for "Imagination", and was directed by Storm Thorgerson. It caused controversy as it contained full frontal nudity.[9] Some said of the video to Record Mirror in 1985, "It's quite tasteful, not dirty. [Guitarist] Carlos Alomar called me a sexist pig but thought it was wonderful."[8] In an interview with Number One the following year, Belouis Some said of the video's controversy, "It wasn't done to cause a stir, it was done for artistic reasons and we put a lot of our own money into it. It became an obsession for all of us because we believed in it so much."[10] The video received medium rotation on MTV.[11]

Critical reception

On its release, Cash Box listed the single as one of their "feature picks" during April 1985. They commented, "With a dour vocal a la Ric Ocasek and a theatrical sensibility, Belouis Some delivers a well produced and interesting debut."[12] Paul Bursche of Number One wrote, "Imagine a David Bowie single from his Young Americans period played by his Let's Dance band and you'll have a fair idea of what this is about. It's played exceptionally well and is a brilliant single."[13]

Di Cross of Record Mirror described the song as "a stomping, assured record sung with Bowiesque conviction".[8] In a review of the 1986 re-issue, Dave Rimmer of Smash Hits said, "Despite one or two winceworthy lines, this is really a bit of a beaut. Deserves to be a hit this time round, I reckon, and probably will be."[14]

Cover versions and other uses

The song was used as a soundtrack for a humorous Barclays Bank advertisement in the 1980s, as well as the 1987 film Ghost Chase. It was sampled by Boyzone members Keith 'N' Shane in their song "Girl You Know It's True" in 2000[15] and covered by Harry as part of the album The Trouble with... Harry in 2003.[16]

Charts

Chart (1985) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[17] 90
Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[18] 40
Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Chart[19] 25
German Singles Chart[20] 48
South African Singles Chart[21] 13
Swiss Singles Chart[22] 30
UK Singles Chart[23] 50
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[24] 88
U.S. Billboard Dance/Club Play Singles Chart[24] 4
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales Chart[24] 42
Chart (1986) Peak
position
Irish Singles Chart[25] 16
New Zealand Singles Chart[26] 38
UK Singles Chart[23] 17
Chart (1995) Peak
position
UK Singles Chart[23] 95

References

  1. ↑ Smith, Robin (21 December 1985). "Index: Some Bizarre". Record Mirror. p. 6. ISSN 0144-5804.
  2. ↑ "Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits of the 80's, Vol. 14 – Various Artists – Songs, Reviews, Credits – AllMusic". AllMusic.
  3. 1 2 "Belouis Some; full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company=. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  4. ↑ Jones, Alan (8 October 1994). "Beats & Pieces" (PDF). Music Week (Record Mirror supplement). p. 12. Retrieved 26 December 2021 – via World Radio History.
  5. ↑ "Archives: Chicago Tribune". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. 19 December 1985. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  6. ↑ Number One magazine – 25 May 1985 – Some Hope – page 33
  7. ↑ Number One magazine – 8 February 1986 – Imagine – page 8
  8. 1 2 3 Cross, Di (30 March 1985). "Index". Record Mirror. p. 3.
  9. ↑ "About - Belouis Some". Archived from the original on 20 May 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  10. ↑ Number One magazine – 8 February 1986 – Imagine – page 10
  11. ↑ Billboard magazine – MTV Programming – 1 June 1985 – page 39
  12. ↑ Cash Box newspaper – 13 April 1985 – Single releases – page 9
  13. ↑ Number One magazine – Singles – Paul Bursche – 23 March 1985 – page 44
  14. ↑ Smash Hits – Review: singles – Dave Rimmer – 15–28 January 1986 – page 39
  15. ↑ "Keith 'N' Shane's 'Girl You Know It's True' – Discover the Sample Source". WhoSampled.
  16. ↑ "Harry's 'Imagination' – Discover the Original Song". WhoSampled.
  17. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 280. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  18. ↑ "Belouis Some – Imagination". ultratop.be. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  19. ↑ "Image : RPM Weekly – Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  20. ↑ Steffen Hung. "germancharts.com – Belouis Some – Imagination". Germancharts.de. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  21. ↑ "BELOUIS SOME(UK)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  22. ↑ Steffen Hung. "Belouis Some – Imagination". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  23. 1 2 3 "BELOUIS SOME | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  24. 1 2 3 "Artist Search for "belouis some"". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  25. ↑ "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". Archived from the original on 2 June 2009. Retrieved 3 June 2009.
  26. ↑ Steffen Hung. "Belouis Some – Imagination". charts.nz. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
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