In their heyday in the early 1980s, it was impossible to ignore pop-soul trio Imagination with their infectious dance hits and flamboyant front man Leee John.

I can’t say I was a fan back in the day, but I had a soft spot for Leee and his bandmate Ashley Ingram, if only because they were from Hackney – and their image as Roman soldiers certainly made them stand out from the crowd.

I had no idea though that in the 1970s had Leee had been a backing singer for The Delfonics, Chairmen Of The Board, The Velvelettes and The Elgins before forming a songwriting partnership with guitarist and bassist Ashley Ingram.

Resolving to start their own “slinky, sexy and erotic” group, they were in a short-lived band called Fizzz and while auditioning for another short-lived band, Midnight Express, they met Jamaica-born drummer Errol Kennedy in 1981.

Naming themselves Imagination in tribute to John Lennon, by the end of that year they already had their first album released and No.4 hit with Body Talk, and went on to greater success with two more hits – Flashback and In And Out Of Love.

Their second album, In The Heat Of The Night, was even more successful. The biggest of their hits – here and in America – was this one, Just An Illusion, which reached No.2. It was followed by another top five hit, Music And Lights.

In just two years between 1981 and 1983 the trio enjoyed hit singles in 28 countries, earning four platinum discos, nine gold discs and more than a dozen silver discs around the world.

They also put out a remix album called Night Dubbing, including this even better version of Just An Illusion.