Imagination (Gladys Knight & the Pips album) Imagination (Gladys Knight & the Pips album) 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. The album also produced other the 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
Gladys Knight & the Pips musical director. Eventually Gladys reunited with the Pips and signed with a local New York label, Maxx Records, that year. During that time, Newman served as the group's musical director. During this period, the group would be mentored by Maurice King and Cholly "Pops" Atkins; their association with King going back to the group's early years traveling to Detroit. The group recorded a third top 40 single with Van McCoy's "Giving Up". The group developed a reputation for exciting and polished live performances that enabled them to work even without the benefit of best-selling records. Choreographer Atkins designed "fast-stepping" dance