CoronaVinyl Day 390 (K): Imagination by Gladys Knight & The Pips

For an explanation of CoronaVinyl, click here.

Today's CoronaVinyl category is "K," and one of my only two remaining non-KISS albums by "K" artists is Gladys Knight & The Pips' eleventh studio album, 1973's Imagination.

The Pips formed in 1952, when Gladys was only 8 and the other members weren't much older.  They got their first record contract in 1957, and opened for the likes of Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson in the late '50s.  In 1961, the group had their first Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, with "Every Beat of My Heart," which reached #6.  A few more minor hits followed over the next five years before they signed with Motown in 1966.

At Motown, the group had 13 Top 40 hits, including the first version of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," released in 1966.  That went to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Billboard R&B singles chart.  It also became Motown's best-selling single at that time, until Marvin Gaye's 1968 version of the song overtook The Pips' version.

In 1973, the group left Motown for Buddah Records, and Imagination was their first release on Buddah.  It's a classic soul album, and it became their most successful album to date, reaching #9 on the Billboard album chart and #1 on the Billboard R&B album chart (tying their Neither One of Us album released earlier in 1973 on Motown).  All four singles from Imagination reached the Top 30 of the Billboard Hot 100, including three Top 5 hits and their first #1 -- "Midnight Train to Georgia," which is probably the group's signature song.  "Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me" went to #3, "I've Got to Use My Imagination" reached #4, and "Where Peaceful Waters Flow" went to #28.  The first three also topped the Billboard R&B singles chart, while "Where Peaceful Waters Flow" went to #6.

The group continued to release music into the late '80s (their last big hit was 1987's "Love Overboard," which went to #13), before disbanding in 1988, after which Gladys pursued a solo career managed by her brother Bubba (one of the Pips), and the other two Pips formed a production company.  They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.

The Spotify version of the album has four bonus tracks.

Favorite Song on Side 1:  "I've Got to Use My Imagination"
Though it was a Top 5 hit, this song gets overshadowed by "Midnight Train to Georgia."  Both are great songs, but I like "I've Got to Use My Imagination" better.  It's a funkier song, co-written by songwriting legend Gerry Goffin and blues musician/songwriter Barry Goldberg.

Favorite Song on Side 2:  "Window Raisin' Granny"
First off, this song has a great title.  Even if you don't listen to the song, you can picture an elderly woman raising her window to yell at the damn kids messin' around on the sidewalk.  But it's also a nice, funky soul song co-written by all four members of the group.  Pip William Guest handles lead vocals.