Gladys Knight & The Pips, Imagination, Buddah BDS-5141, 1973
It must have taken quite a bit of imagination for Gladys Knight & The Pips to leave Motown after seven years and two #2 hits. Maybe, they might have expected to make some money from all of the records they sold, but that probably didn’t happen. Still, having to replace all that Motown did for their artists at a new company must have been a daunting task. Still, the group was so relaxed about it that they went out to the flea market and bought some old picture frames.
In fact, there had never been an act the had left Motown and been successful. True, The Four Tops left at about the same time, but they never really attained the same fame as they had with Motown, let alone become the most popular group in the world. And this record did just that for GK&TP.
It’s almost like a greatest hits package though, they never again had another top 10 hit after this album played itself out. But still, it has their signature song Midnight Train To Georgia, along with the groovy (I’ve Got To Lose) My Imagination, and the soulful The Best That Every Happened To Me. The good news is that for us collectors, the record is very easy to find. So there’s no need to jump on a bad or over priced copy.
Today’s Summary:
Cost: $1, $698 Remaining