Turning points in music history are almost always more complicated than they appear at first glance. That s exactly the case with the Temptations Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me), which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on April 3, 1971.
In a way, the history of the song goes back to 1969, when Motown producer Norman Whitfield and his frequent writing partner Barrett Strong penned it. At the time, though, it didn t fit with what the Temptations were doing; it was a ballad perfectly set up for a dreamy, romantic orchestration, and the group had moved away from that sorta thing.
Under the sway of the times, and under Whitfield s direction, they d started to explore psychedelic soul in 1968.The shift had been successful, and in 1969 the hit single Cloud Nine netted them the first Grammy - for Best Rhythm & Blues Group Performance, Vocal or Instrumental – ever won by a Motown Records artist.
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