THE HIT HAMMER: The Temptations' "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)"

(The Hit Hammer is where I'm reviewing each #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. Starting from when the chart started in 1958 and eventually working my way to the present. To see my inspiration and more information about this blog, please CLICK HERE)

The Temptations - "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)"

Hit Number 1: April 3, 1971

Stay at Number 1: 2 Weeks

We're all guilty of these kinds of things in one way or another. Sometimes, we like to fantasize about ourselves being in some kind of relationship with a celebrity crush, or someone we know but we can never bring ourselves to ask them out. It's an indescribable feeling, it feels good but it also hurts at the same time knowing that this fantasy relationship will likely never happen. "Just My Imagination" is not the first instance of a song that describes those feelings hitting #1, but it does it the best. Back in 1962, Shelley Fabares hit #1 with "Johnny Angel", a dreamy song about a fantasy love affair with a boy who "didn't even know she exists." The song worked fine, but wasn't a particularly memorable piece of songcraft. The Temptations took a similar message away from "Johnny Angel", and turned it into something even more heart-wrenching and sad but also more dreamy.

"Just My Imagination" arrived at an interesting time in the Temptations' history. They already started experimenting with psychedelic soul songs, and those songs proved to be pretty successful for them. One of those songs, "I Can't Get Next to You", hit #1 in 1969 and other songs like "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" made the top ten, with that one reaching a peak of #3. (It's a 7) Even though the band saw success with those songs, fans of them were wanting more material of songs like they used to do. In 1969, "Just My Imagination" was written primarily by Norman Whitfield, who's written a few Motown songs that have appeared in this blog. Barrett Strong, who was responsible for the lyrics of many of the Temptations' songs, assisted Whitfield in the making of "Just My Imagination". However, the song was put on the back burner with the Temptations finding success with psychedelic soul records. It was because of the fans' demands for a return to their original material that Whitfield decided to dust off "Just My Imagination" and give it a go. He reportedly told Strong to pull out "that song we were messing around with a year ago... because I'm going to record it today."

"Just My Imagination" is a case of one of the few times that the team of Whitfield/Strong crafted a ballad specially made for the Temptations. Eddie Kendricks, the usual falsetto voice you hear on Temptations records, is the one singing lead on the track. What's even more interesting about the the timing of "Just My Imagination" is that Kendricks was not getting along with his bandmates, and was strongly considering quitting the group to pursue a solo career. He was frustrated with the leadership of de facto leader Otis Williams, and would often pick fights with him or his best friend, Melvin Franklin, who sang bass for the Temptations. In November 1970, Williams and Kendricks mutually agreed that it would be best for Kendricks to leave the group. "Just My Imagination" is the last record to feature Kendricks, and while it was being recorded, him and Williams were no longer on friendly speaking terms. Much time down the line though, Williams admitted that he was very impressed by Kendricks on the record, even calling it his "finest moment."

You can certainly make the argument that "Just My Imagination" is, indeed, Kendricks' finest moment. He's the heart and soul of the song, his voice gently floating above all the lush strings and his fellow bandmates' harmonies. The song goes back in forth between the narrator's blissful fantasies of his made-up relationship and his frustration with knowing the fact that it doesn't really exist. For much of the song, it's a slower, unintimidating soft ballad without a whole lot else going on except for Kendricks' voice. That's until towards the end, you can hear Paul Williams (Eddie Kendricks' life-long best friend) sing "Every night, on my knees, I pray...", while the song builds up a little. Even after the buildup, the song is still a clear soft ballad. Usually, I don't like ballads, but every now and then I run into one that's hard to dislike, and easy to respect. I respect the hell out of the craftsmanship that was put into "Just My Imagination". I respect it for what it is: A beautiful song about heartbreak. It can easily rip you apart if it finds you at the right moment.

I think what I also like about the song is how effortless Kendricks sings it. He doesn't reach for any big notes, and doesn't try to put on some amazing vocal performance. That's what makes it an amazing vocal performance. It speaks true volumes to the talent level of Kendricks, who was meant to go solo at some point. "Just My Imagination" is like a final goodbye from Kendricks to the rest of the band, and it's a damn good one. As for his solo career, Kendricks did well for himself. We'll hear from him again in this blog, and that time it will be from his solo career.

GRADE: 8/10

10 ALERT!!!:

Marvin Gaye's powerful soul masterpiece, "What's Going On" peaked at #2 behind "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)". Oh, you know we've got to find a way to bring some understanding here today that it's a 10.