Imagination (The Whispers album)

1980 studio album by the Whispers

Imagination

Studio album by

the Whispers

Released| November 30, 1980
Recorded| July–October 1980
Studio| Studio Masters, Los Angeles
Genre| Soul, boogie, funk, R&B, disco
Length| 42:13
Label| SOLAR Records
Producer| The Whispers, Dick Griffey, Leon Sylvers III
The Whispers chronology
| The Whispers
(1979)  | Imagination
(1980)  | This Kind of Lovin'
(1981)

|
|

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic|  [1]

Imagination is the tenth studio album by American R&B/soul vocal group the Whispers, released on November 30, 1980, by SOLAR Records.

## Overview

[edit]

The album contains two singles which made the U.S. Hot R&B charts: "It's a Love Thing", which peaked at number two in early 1981; and "I Can Make it Better". Both singles were produced by SOLAR Records' main in-house producer Leon F. Sylvers III. Also featured in the album is "Up on Soul Train", the theme song used on the syndicated television series Soul Train from 1980 to 1983; it was composed by the creator, producer, and host of Soul Train, Don Cornelius.

The music video to the single "It's a Love Thing" is notable for having an early appearance from then-unknown actress Daphne Maxwell Reid.[2] As of September 2016, the song appears in a L'Oreal commercial for Preference Mousse Absolue.

## Track listing

[edit]

1. "Imagination" (Larry White, Grady Wilkins) \- 6:15
2. "It's a Love Thing" (Dana Meyers, William Shelby) \- 5:10
3. "Say You (Would Love for Me Too)" (Nicholas Caldwell) \- 5:03
4. "Continental Shuffle" (Mark Adam Wood, Jr.) \- 4:34
5. "I Can Make It Better" (Meyers, Shelby, Stephen Shockley) \- 7:14
6. "Girl I Need You" (White, Wilkins) \- 4:18
7. "Up on Soul Train" (Don Cornelius) \- 5:18
8. "Fantasy" (Werner Schuchner, Ahaguna Sun) 4:21

## Personnel

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* Wallace "Scotty" Scott, Walter Scott: lead vocals (tenor)
* Leaveil Degree (falsetto), Marcus Hutson (baritone): background vocals
* Nicholas Caldwell: background vocals (tenor), arranger, album concept
* Richard Aguon, Kirk Perkins, Wardell Potts Jr., Ahaguna Sun: drums
* Dean Boysen, Oscar Brashear, Bobby Bryant, John Parrish: trumpets
* Melvin Coleman, David Agent, Leon F. Sylvers III, Werner Schuchner: bass
* Emilio Conesa, Ernest "Pepper" Reed, Werner Schuchner, Stephen Shockley: guitar
* Albert DeGarcia, Joey Gallo, Kossi Gardner, Greg Phillinganes, William Shelby, Ricky Smith, Kevin Spencer, Grady Wilkins, Mark Adam Wood, Jr.: keyboards
* David Duke, Barbara Korn, Sidney Muldrew: French horns
* Fred Jackson, Ruben Laxamana, Sonny Lewis: saxophone
* Kraig Kilbey, Ross Wilson: trombones
* Melecio Megdaluyo: flute, saxophone

## Charts

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### Weekly charts

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| Chart (1981)  | Peak
position

|

US Billboard 200[3] | 23
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[4] | 3

### Year-end charts

[edit]

| Chart (1981)  | Position

|

US Billboard 200[5] | 63
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[6] | 18

### Singles

[edit]

Year  | Single  | Chart positions[7]

|
|

US | US
R&B | US
Dance
1980-1981  | It's a Love Thing | 28  | 2  | 4
"I Can Make It Better"  | 105  | 40  | 4

## References

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1. ^ Lytle, Craig. The Whispers: Imagination > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
2. ^ "The Whispers - It's A Love Thing Official Video". youtube.com. UnidiscMusic. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
3. ^ "The Whispers Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
4. ^ "The Whispers Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
5. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1981". Billboard. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
6. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1981". Billboard. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
7. ^ "The Whispers US singles chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved April 4, 2011.

## External links

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* Imagination at Discogs
* Imagination at Rate Your Music

* v
* t
* e

The Whispers

Discography

Studio albums|

* Bingo
* One for the Money
* Open Up Your Love
* Headlights
* Whisper in Your Ear
* The Whispers
* Imagination
* Love Is Where You Find It
* Love for Love
* So Good
* Just Gets Better with Time
* More of the Night

Singles|

* "Make It with You"
* "And The Beat Goes On"
* "It's a Love Thing"
* "Keep On Lovin' Me"
* "Rock Steady"

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

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