Barrett Strong RIP

"Just My Imagination" was regularly on the jukebox of the overnight lorry drivers cafe of the M61 services at Anderton when I worked nights during the summer of 1971. 

The ballad followed The Temptations' psychedelic period, and was a perfect moment or two of relaxation between polishing the closed cafeteria floors with a giant, unwieldly rotary throbbing thing. It had been written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong a couple of years earlier, but left on the shelf. Some band members wanted to get back to 'classic' soul and away from the furrow of Ball of Confusion - but was it an homage to "My Girl", or a brand new direction ? 

Norman Whitfield recorded the backing track that pulsed gently through the two chords, with the Funk Brothers, featuring Bob Babbitt, rather than James Jamerson, on Fender Precision bass (now in the possession of Phil Collins). Jack Ashford, now thought to be Funk Brothers' last survivor, was on marimba. Then arranger Jerry Long added the shimmering strings, harp and brass, intertwined from the start with Eddie Willis' and Dennis Coffey's two guitar intro, itself a nod to 'My Girl'. (Jerry Long Jr, later better known as Kokane, was born in 1969.) 

The Temptations recorded their vocals in a long overnight session, with about-to-depart Eddie Kendricks on lead. Barrett Strong's lyrics made room for one important intervention. Paul Williams took the line "Ev’ry night on my knees I pray", the group sang "Dear Lord, hear my plea", and Eddie was back with "Don’t ever let another take her love from me, or I would surely die"

Just My Imagination had 16 weeks on the UK charts, reaching No 8. In the States, it was a number 1for two weeks, holding off the challenge of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On".