Imagination (Gladys Knight & the Pips album)

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Imagination
Gladys-pips-imagination.jpg
Studio album by
Gladys Knight & the Pips
ReleasedOctober 9, 1973 (1973-10-09)
RecordedJune – September 1973
Studio
Genre Soul
Length36:55
Label Buddah 5141
Producer Tony Camillo, Kenny Kerner, Richie Wise, Gladys Knight, Bubba Knight, William Guest, Edward Patten
Gladys Knight & the Pips chronology
All I Need Is Time
(1973)		Imagination
(1973)		 Claudine
(1974)
Singles from Imagination
  1. "Where Peaceful Waters Flow"
    Released: June 1973
  2. "Midnight Train to Georgia"
    Released: August 1973
  3. "I've Got to Use My Imagination"
    Released: November 1973
  4. "Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me"
    Released: February 1974
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [1]
Christgau's Record Guide B [2]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]

Imagination is the eleventh studio album recorded by American R&B group Gladys Knight & the Pips, released in October 1973 on the Buddah label. The album, the group's first for Buddah after leaving Motown, includes their first and only Billboard Hot 100 number-one hit "Midnight Train to Georgia", which also reached number-one on the R&B singles chart. Larry Wilcox was credited for the string and horn arrangements.

Contents

The album also produced other successful singles, including "I've Got to Use My Imagination" and "Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me", with both songs peaking at number-one on the R&B singles chart and top five on the Billboard Hot 100, and the moderately successful single "Where Peaceful Waters Flow". The album was also their second studio album to make the top ten on the Billboard 200 and their second of five R&B albums chart-toppers.

Critical reception

Rolling Stone wrote that "Imagination is exactly what this album so desperately lacks," and noted the pattern of "nice touches, brilliant moments overcome by the anonymous production and banal lyrics." [4]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Jim Weatherly, except where noted.

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Midnight Train to Georgia" 4:38
2."I've Got to Use My Imagination" Gerry Goffin, Barry Goldberg 3:29
3."Storms of Troubled Times" 3:44
4."Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me" 3:45
5."Once in a Lifetime Thing" 3:41
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Where Peaceful Waters Flow" 4:24
2."I Can See Clearly Now" Johnny Nash 4:28
3."Perfect Love" Paul Williams 2:37
4."Window Raisin' Granny" William Guest, Gladys Knight, Merald Knight, Edward Patten 6:09

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1973)Peak
[5]
Australia (Kent Music Report) [6] 27
U.S. Billboard Top LPs 9
U.S. Billboard Top Soul LPs 1
Singles
YearSingleChart positions [5]
US US
R&B 		US
A/C 		UK [7]
1973"Where Peaceful Waters Flow"28618—
"Midnight Train to Georgia"111910
"I've Got to Use My Imagination"41——
1974"Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me"31107

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [8] Gold50,000^
United States (RIAA) [9] Gold500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Wynn, Ron. Imagination review at AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
  2. ↑ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: K". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies . Ticknor & Fields. ISBN   089919026X . Retrieved February 28, 2019– via robertchristgau.com.
  3. ↑ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 405.
  4. ↑ Gersten, Russell. "Imagination review". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on March 9, 2009. Retrieved October 16, 2011.
  5. 1 2 "US Charts > Gladys Knight & the Pips". Allmusic . Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  6. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 169. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  7. ↑ "UK Charts > Gladys Knight & the Pips". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved October 16, 2011.
  8. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Gladys Knight & the Pips – Imagination". Music Canada . Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  9. ↑ "American album certifications – Gladys Knight & the Pips – Imagination". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved October 8, 2021.
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