The Temptations - Sky's the Limit

Following three "psychedelic soul" albums produced by Norman Whitfield, The Temptations' 14th studio album, Sky's the Limit, marked a return to a more soulful, straightforward Motown sound, blending the group's recent psychedelic experimentation with more conventional R&B balladry. Released in 1971 on Gordy Records and again produced by Whitfield, the album finds the group easing back from the extended, wah-wah-drenched arrangements of their prior run without abandoning the ambition those records had introduced.

The record's centerpiece, "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)," had actually been written by Whitfield and Barrett Strong back in 1969 and shelved for two years before finally making the album. It became the group's third number-one single and remains one of the most enduring songs in the Motown catalog, regularly turning up on all-time best-of lists for the label. What makes the recording especially significant is that it marks tenor Eddie Kendricks' final lead vocal performance with the group. Kendricks departed for a solo career just before the album's release, meaning his signature falsetto is captured here delivering the biggest hit of his Temptations tenure right as he was walking out the door.

Sky's the Limit stands as both a genuine artistic pivot and a bittersweet farewell, closing out an era of the group's history even as it delivered one of its most beloved songs.

This vinyl LP pressing brings that transitional chapter of Motown history back to the format it was built for.