"Just My Imagination"
[Song written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong]
As Smooth Soul Survivors go, this latest candidate just does not get any better. The artists are the Temptations and the track is their 1971 classic ‘Just My Imagination'.
The Temptations originally formed in Detroit in 1961, an amalgamation of two local bands the Primes and the Distants. At that time the Distants, comprising the talents of Otis Williams, El Bryant, and Melvin Franklin, were already long-time veterans of the local Detroit music scene. The Primes, formed from the trio of Eddie Kendricks, Paul Williams and Kell Osborne, had relocated to the motor city from their home state of Alabama.
An interesting side note to the history of the Primes is that their manager developed a female counterpart band and named them the Primettes. Three of the Primettes went on to form what was to become probably the greatest of the Motown female acts. The performers were Diana Ross, Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard. The group, of course, was the Supremes.
The newly combined Primes and Distants initially performed as the Elgins before changing their name to the Temptations.
In 1963 El Bryant, after having physically attacked Paul Williams, was forced to resign from the line up. David Ruffin replaced him and about the same time the group was teamed in the Motown stable with writer and producer Smokey Robinson. The combination triggered a magical period through to 1966 that produced a welter of wonderful smooth soul hits. The years from 1966 heralded a rougher edged, funkier sound from the Temps and another change in personnel. When David Ruffin failed to show for a concert in 1968 the remaining band members fired him and replaced him with ex Contour Dennis Edwards. Yet even this change in line up and musical emphasis failed to prevent the gossamer smooth hit ‘Just My Imagination' in 1971.
From that point and through the next twenty years the Temptations went through more personnel changes and, in 1976, a label change from Motown to Atlantic. Shortly after the success of ‘Just My Imagination' Paul Williams left the band. He died in 1973, aged 34, the victim of a self inflicted gunshot wound.
In the early eighties, and now back with Motown, Ruffin and Kendricks briefly returned to the line up for the album ‘Reunion'. Problems with the label and tensions inside the band meant that this reunion would not be a lasting one and the intervening years were marked by tragedy.
David Ruffin died in 1991, aged 50, after over dosing on cocaine. Eddie Kendricks died in 1992, aged 52, after a battle with lung cancer and Melvin Franklin died in 1995, aged 52, of a brain seizure.
The Temptations had all but gone yet with more changes in personnel the band, who in the nineties had degenerated into little more than a tribute band, came storming back with their 1998 album ‘Phoenix Rising'. In particular the track ‘Stay', complete with an intro sampled from their own great classic ‘My Girl', turned back the clock almost forty years and brought back warm memories of one of the truly great Tamla Motown acts. These memories are further re-enforced by the lingering availability of much of their original music courtesy of collections and ‘best of' releases. In addition, several notable covers can be found.
GC Cameron of Spinners fame features the track on his 1996 release ‘The Very Best Of GC Cameron' while this version by Cameron can also be found on the 1996 ‘Tribute To Norman Whitfield' where it is hidden away among an otherwise poor collection of Motown covers.
Ruby Turner teams up with the Temptations for her interpretation of the track. It's on the 1997 CD ‘Heart And Soul', a fifty-four track soul collection that it just a little out of the ordinary.
Not surprisingly given the tempo of the original, ‘Just My Imagination' has proved to be a popular choice for conversion to a reggae beat. ‘Just My Imagination Vol. 1' a 1995 cover of Motown tracks by reggae artists has Jimmy London giving it the treatment while another reggae performer Dave Barker includes it on his 1997 release ‘Monkey Spanner'. A further reggae version can be found by Barry Biggs on the 2000 album ‘Vintage Series – Barry Biggs'.
Terry Callier makes the track part of his 2002 release ‘Speak Your Peace' and from the same year it can be found on Kevin Mahogany's ‘Pride And Joy', a selection of Motown covers placed in a jazz setting. One of the more surprising versions is from the soundtrack of the 2000 movie ‘Duets' where Babyface sings it with, of all people, Gwyneth Paltrow. Meanwhile Will Downing is in quiet storm mode with his rendition that is featured on the 2003 CD from GRP ‘A Twist Of Motown'.
Closer to a jazz link, find it by Houston Person on his 1971 release ‘Houston Express' that offers an above average collection of period soul jazz and by Donald Byrd on his 1975 ‘Places And Spaces', the project that marked the reunion of Byrd with Larry Mizell.
The ever-excellent Larry Carlton has it on his 1992 GRP release ‘Kid Gloves' with the same version appearing on the GRP collection of the same year ‘MusicLand and GRP'.
One of the very best examples of a smooth jazz version of ‘Just My Imagination' comes from ace percussionist and long-time Special EFX stalwart, George Jinda on his 1995 Shanachie debut album ‘Between Dreams'. This recording has Jinda in great form with brilliant support on vocals by Fernando Saunders and smoky soprano sax playing from Mark Johnson. The track can also be found on ‘Smooth Jazz Plays The Hits – Cool Covers 98', the 2000 release ‘Smooth Jazz Number Ones' and ‘101 Eastbound', one of the excellent compilation from the now virtually defunct Jazz FM Records.
Two real smooth jazz heavyweights, Peter White and Euge Groove have both given ‘Just My Imagination' their attention. White features it on his 2001 CD ‘Glow' and it is part of Grooves current smash release ‘Just Feels Right'.
The pedigree is beyond dispute. ‘Just My Imagination' is a great Smooth Soul Survivor.
Denis Poole. October 2005.