Imagination (Gladys Knight & the Pips album)
# Imagination (Gladys Knight & the Pips album)

Professional ratings :

| Review scores ||
| - | - |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| Christgau's Record Guide | B |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | |

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.

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."

## Track listing

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

## Personnel

* Gladys Knight - lead vocals
* Merald "Bubba" Knight - backing vocals (lead vocals on I Can See Clearly Now)
* William Guest - backing vocals (lead vocals on Window Raisin' Granny)
* Edward Patten - backing vocals

## Charts

| Chart (1973) | Peak |
| - | - |
| Australia (Kent Music Report) | 27 |
| U.S. Billboard Top LPs | 9 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Soul LPs | 1 |

### Singles

| Year | Single | Chart positions | Chart positions | Chart positions | Chart positions |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Year | Single | US | US R&B | US A/C | UK |
| 1973 | "Where Peaceful Waters Flow" | 28 | 6 | 18 | — |
| 1973 | "Midnight Train to Georgia" | 1 | 1 | 19 | 10 |
| 1973 | "I've Got to Use My Imagination" | 4 | 1 | — | — |
| 1974 | "Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me" | 3 | 1 | 10 | 7 |

## Certifications

| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
| - | - | - |
| Canada (Music Canada) | Gold | $50,000^^$ |
| United States (RIAA) | Gold | $500,000^^$ |
| $^^$ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |||
