Imagination – Body Talk (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1981

Side 1

REQUEST

“Body Talk” is the debut single by British soul/dance group Imagination, produced by Steve Jolley and Tony Swain and released in 1981. “Body Talk” was an immediate hit, reaching No. 4 on the UK singles chart.

SIDE A:
Body Talk 6:00
Written-By – Ashley Ingram, Leee John, Steve Jolley-Tony Swain*

SIDE B:
Body Talk (Instrumental) 4:52
Written-By – Steve Jolley-Tony Swain*

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint (company)

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: MCA Records ‎– MCA-13956
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: US
Released: 1981
Genre: Electronic, Funk / Soul
Style: Electro, Downtempo

CREDITS:
Mixed By, Engineer – Morgan Khan, Tony Swain
Producer, Arranged By – Tony Swain & Steve Jolley*

NOTES:
Recorded In England
From the LP “BODY TALK”

Track durations are incorrect on labels.

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

Side 2

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge: Ortofon 2M
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 30
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck 
Phono Pre-amp:
Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Tube:
Tung-Sol 12AX7ECC803-S Gold Electron Tube
Soundcard:
ESI Juli@
Record Cleaning:
VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans:
Brother MFC-6490CW Professional Series Scanner

SOFTWARE USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling: iZotope RX Advanced 2
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removal: Manual
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

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Nathan Alan
Nathan Alan
November 15, 2015 8:05 am

This is a fantastic post. I enjoy reading everyone’s comments, explaining what other songs or memories they have from the summer this was on the Radio / in the Club. Thank you so much. I had this a long time ago from a download, and lost it when my computer and external drive wore out. I’ll have to copy it across all of my USB drives for security. I can’t wait to listen to 24 bit audio on the new receiver I got last year, with full HDMI connections and digital to analogue conversion. I first made a copy of… Read more »

Junior
Junior
November 11, 2015 1:43 pm

Good to see some Imagination posted. This single is probably my favourite too.

Thanks Paul 🙂

Bodyalive
Bodyalive
November 11, 2015 8:50 am

Oh yeahhh!H!!H Imagination one of the best 80’s band! I got every single 12 inch of them 🙂 Thank you!!!

Michel
Michel
November 11, 2015 4:46 am

Thank you very much for the instrumental version of this amazing song ! I have all the versions of body talk but not the instrumental version.

I’m looking for the single of Patrick Juvet “getting to the heart of me” but unfortunatly it’s not available! The composers are Jolley and Swain and the music is like Imagination’s music of course!

(sorry for my english)

JTF
JTF
November 11, 2015 12:53 am

Never had the instrumental… Thanks Paul!

Davos Via 45
Davos Via 45
November 10, 2015 11:05 pm

Imagination made a few cool and mellow classics, the most successful of course was Just An Illusion. There are many remixes of their songs, but there’s nothing better then the original versions. When I first heard Body Talk, and even today, I find myself asking: “Why is this running at 33, shouldn’t it run on 45 rpm?” LOL. But the slow BPMs just make it so great, mellow and laid back. Just imagine hot babes whining their bodies to this at the end of a hot club evening… There is a decent remix of Body Talk called Night Dubbing Mix… Read more »

Stefano
Stefano
November 10, 2015 5:27 pm

Imagination on MCA in the US? Never knew that.
Thanks for this post, especially for the instrumental. Pity you don’t have more Imagination in your vaults, because their instrumentals are really fun (and not available elsewhere).

peter
peter
Reply to  DjPaulT
November 12, 2015 10:45 am

Changes also came on MCA in the US and features an excellent instrumental version only found there:
http://www.discogs.com/it/Imagination-Changes/release/257018

peter
peter
November 10, 2015 5:00 pm

What a wonderful surprise you made with this incredible record.
The instrumental version is still unavailable elsewhere, like all the other instrumentals usually found on their 12″ b-sides, and your transfer is superb, as always.
If you happen to search for some more Imagination, please try to locate the italian pressing of Follow Me 12″. It is a (slightly) longer version even if uncredited.
Many thanks for all your effort.

Bodyalive
Bodyalive
Reply to  peter
November 11, 2015 4:38 pm

I got that 12 version of follow me…….

Dirk
Dirk
November 10, 2015 2:23 pm

This was a straight hit with me too in the eighties. Bullseye in the hormonal area, as i shall put it. Miss Grace Jones finished me of with her chanting about big black limousines.

Jeff
Jeff
November 10, 2015 1:26 pm

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again Paul: You have the best tastes in music. The diversity here on Burning The Ground is MASSIVE!! So many different artists and reflective moods are showcased and exalted to a higher plane. Paul, you do us justice. Thanks for this record by Imagination. They really had such a unique sound and I have a lot of memories with their “Just An Illusion” record. It received a ton of air play back in the day. I am so interested in them and that’s why you’re so great Paul, because it enables someone… Read more »

Jermajesty
Jermajesty
November 10, 2015 12:56 pm

Oh man, what a gem. Imagination are retrospectively one of my favourite groups of all time, and this is their finest moment. I had Just An Illusion on a compilation tape when I was little and used to play it over and over, it was hypnotic. Anyone who doesn’t know this band please go to YouTube and search for Imagination Top Of The Pops – every time they were on, the BBC had complaints about their sexy dancing and skant attire. If they were female I don’t think anyone would’ve batted an eyelid, but 3 blokes doing that sort of… Read more »

Omar
Omar
November 10, 2015 12:15 pm

Thanks Paul. I love Imagination. My favorite by them was Music & Lights.

martijn
martijn
November 10, 2015 11:49 am

Thanks for the posting! I do not have the instrumental yet. If I remember correctly this was the summer of 1981 that also had hits like Oddyssey – Going Back To My Roots, Pino D’angio with Ma qual’idea (request by the way for 12 inch!), Grace Jones – Strange, I have seen this face before and others. A lifetime away but still close forever through the music!

rough-diamond
rough-diamond
Reply to  martijn
November 11, 2015 12:29 pm

and:
Your Love – Lime, Hit’n’Run Lover – Carol Jiani, Glad To Know You – Chaz Jankel, Wordy Rappinghood – Tom Tom Club…

martijn
martijn
Reply to  rough-diamond
November 12, 2015 11:38 am

Good songs these were too. I remember, now you mention it, at least Tom Tom club well in that year!