View source for Pure Imagination

{{About|the 1971 song|the topic|Imagination|other uses|Pure Imagination (disambiguation)}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}}
{{more citations needed|date=September 2013}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Pure Imagination
| artist = [[Gene Wilder]]
| album = [[Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory#Music|Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (Music from the Original Soundtrack of the Paramount Picture)]]
| released = {{Start date|1971}}
| genre =
| length = 4:20
| label = [[Paramount Records (1969)|Paramount]]
| writer = [[Leslie Bricusse]], [[Anthony Newley]]
}}

"'''Pure Imagination'''" is a song from the 1971 film ''[[Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory]]''. It was written by British composers [[Leslie Bricusse]] and [[Anthony Newley]] specifically for the movie.<ref>{{cite web |title=Stories of Standards: "Pure Imagination" |url=https://www.kuvo.org/stories-of-standards-pure-imagination/ |website=KUVO|date=3 April 2019 }}</ref> It was sung by [[Gene Wilder]], who played the character of [[Willy Wonka]]. Bricusse has stated that the song was written over the phone in one day.<ref name="Bricusse Interview">{{cite web |last1=Riedel |first1=Michael |title=Gene Wilder's most famous song was originally a dud |url=https://nypost.com/2016/08/30/gene-wilders-most-famous-song-was-originally-a-dud/ |website=New York Post |date=August 30, 2016}}</ref> The song has a spoken introduction.<ref name="WNYC"/>

Since its release, the song has been covered and remixed hundreds of times by a wide variety of artists.<ref name="WNYC">{{cite web |title=Why Has 'Pure Imagination' Been Covered So Many Times? |url=https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/soundcheck/segments/why-has-pure-imagination-been-covered-so-many-times |website=WNYC Studios |date=October 22, 2014}}</ref> The original song was not popular when it was first released. The film itself was not a blockbuster and other songs from the soundtrack performed better. It was not until the movie began appearing on television reruns in the 1980s that the film and "Pure Imagination" became more well known.<ref name="Bricusse Interview"/><ref name="Tech Times">{{cite web |last1=Geddes |first1=James |title='Pure Imagination' By Gene Wilder From 'Willy Wonka' Hits iTunes Chart 45 Years After Initial Release |url=https://www.techtimes.com/articles/175691/20160831/pure-imagination-by-gene-wilder-from-willy-wonka-hits-itunes-chart-45-years-after-initial-release-video.htm |website=Tech Times |date=August 31, 2016}}</ref> Although the original song never charted, some cover versions have done so.<ref name="Billboard"/><ref name="Tech Times"/>

In the week following Wilder's death in 2016, the song rose in streams and sales by more than 1000%.<ref name="Billboard">{{cite magazine |last1=Zellner |first1=Xander |title='Pure Imagination' Streams Increase 1,061% After Gene Wilder's Death |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/7502780/pure-imagination-gene-wilder-death-sales |magazine=Billboard |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160910032137/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/7502780/pure-imagination-gene-wilder-death-sales |archive-date=September 10, 2016 |date=September 7, 2016}}</ref> The song was featured in television, radio, and social media tributes to Wilder.<ref name="Tech Times"/><ref>{{cite web |last1=Hines |first1=Ree |title=Coldplay performs touching Gene Wilder tribute with 'Pure Imagination' |url=https://www.today.com/popculture/coldplay-performs-touching-gene-wilder-tribute-pure-imagination-t102406 |website=Today |date=August 31, 2016}}</ref> While it was absent from the 2005 film adaptation ''[[Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (film)|Charlie and the Chocolate Factory]]'', the song was featured in the 2023 prequel film ''[[Wonka (film)|Wonka]]'', both in its promotional materials and the film itself, sung by [[Timothée Chalamet]] as Wonka.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/wonka-movie-trailer-timothee-chalamet-singing-pure-imagination/|title=Timothée Chalamet Finally Sings Iconic Gene Wilder Song In New Wonka Trailer|accessdate=November 28, 2023|date=November 14, 2023|last=Rudoy|first=Matthew|work=ScreenRant}}</ref>

{{External media|audio1=[https://archive.org/download/willy-wonka-the-chocolate-factory-soundtrack/Willy%20Wonka%20%26%20The%20Chocolate%20Factory/07%20Pure%20Imagination.flac From "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory"]|float=right|audio2=[https://ia801302.us.archive.org/14/items/wonka-flac/18%20-%20Pure%20Imagination%20%28from%20_Wonka_%29.flac  From "Wonka"]}}

==Notable cover versions==
*[[Lou Rawls]] covered the song for his 1976 album ''[[All Things in Time]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DyQEAAAAMBAJ|last=Searl|first=Hanford|title=Talent in Action|pages=38|magazine=Billboard|volume=91|issue=35|date=September 1, 1979|publisher=[[Nielsen Business Media]]|access-date=July 26, 2024|via=Google Books}}</ref>
*[[Ben Vereen]] covered the song on season 1 episode 17 of ''[[The Muppet Show]]'', January 1977.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Muppet Central Guides – The Muppet Show: Ben Vereen |url=https://muppetcentral.com/guides/episodes/tms/season1/17_vereen.shtml |access-date=2024-10-10 |website=muppetcentral.com}}</ref>
*In 1997, jazz pianist [[Bill Charlap]] recorded a solo piano version of the song on his album ''All Through the Night'' (Criss Cross Jazz 1153).<ref>{{Cite web |title=All Through the Night / Bill Charlap|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/all-through-the-night-mw0000042887|access-date=2025-05-13 |website=AllMusic.com}}</ref>
*In 2011, the song made its first entry into the Billboard Hot 100 when it was covered by the cast of the TV series ''[[Glee (TV series)|Glee]]''. (US No. 59)<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Trust |first1=Gary |title=Weekly Chart Notes: Adele, John Rich, Blondie |url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/weekly-chart-notes-adele-john-rich-blondie/ |magazine=Billboard |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240105125848/https://www.billboard.com/pro/weekly-chart-notes-adele-john-rich-blondie/ |archive-date=2024-01-05 |date=2011-05-26}}</ref>
*In September 2013, the song was featured in a [[Chipotle Mexican Grill|Chipotle]] short film, sung by [[Fiona Apple]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Roberts |first=Randall |date=13 September 2013 |url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-fiona-apple-covers-willy-wonka-in-striking-new-chipotle-clip-20130913,0,6756902.story |title=Fiona Apple covers Willy Wonka in striking new Chipotle clip |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=14 September 2013}}</ref> (US No. 104)<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/302150/fiona+apple/chart?f=344|title=Fiona Apple – Chart history {{!}} Billboard|magazine=Billboard|access-date=26 August 2016}}</ref>
*Ruby Arias (portrayed by [[Emma Tremblay]]) sang the song for a school concert in the ''[[Supergirl (TV series)|Supergirl]]'' episode "[[List of Supergirl episodes#ep46|The Faithful]]".<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://ew.com/recap/supergirl-season-3-episode-4/2/|title='Supergirl' recap: Kara hosts an awkward girls' night|date=2017-10-31|work=EW.com|access-date=2018-01-19|language=en-US}}</ref>
*An instrumental version of the song is featured in the 2017 [[Marvel Studios]] film ''[[Thor: Ragnarok]]''.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Schmidt|first1=Joseph|title='Thor: Ragnarok' Has A Willy Wonka Easter Egg|url=http://comicbook.com/marvel/2017/11/02/thor-ragnarok-willy-wonka-easter-egg/|website=Comicbook.com|language=en|date=4 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Armitage|first1=Hugh|title=12 amazing Easter eggs from Thor: Ragnarok|url=http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/thor/feature/a841290/thor-ragnarok-easter-eggs/|website=Digital Spy|language=en|date=25 October 2017}}</ref>
*In the [[Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (musical)|''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' musical]], every production except the London version, which has it in the Great Glass Elevator, has Willy Wonka sing it in the Chocolate Room.
*In 2016 [[Barbra Streisand]] included it on her ''[[Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway]]'' album as a duet with [[Seth MacFarlane]].

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.guntheranderson.com/v/data/pureimag.htm Lyrics and guitar chords of "Pure Imagination"]

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[[Category:1971 songs]]
[[Category:Charlie and the Chocolate Factory]]
[[Category:Chocolate industry]]
[[Category:Buckethead songs]]
[[Category:Songs written by Leslie Bricusse]]
[[Category:Songs written by Anthony Newley]]
[[Category:Songs written for films]]
[[Category:Music based on works by Roald Dahl]]