Cloud Nine
Studio album by The Temptations
Released	February 17, 1969
Recorded	Late summer 1968 - January 1969
Genre	Soul/psychedelic soul
Length	31:35
Label	Gordy GS 939
Producer	Norman Whitfield
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link
The Temptations chronology
Live at the Copa (1968) Cloud Nine (1969) The Temptations Show (1969)

Cloud Nine is a 1969 album by The Temptations for the Gordy (Motown) label. The album is a watershed for several reasons. It is the first regular Temptations studio LP to feature Dennis Edwards as the new lead singer, replacing David Ruffin, who was fired in June 1968. In addition, it marks the beginning of the Temptations' four-year delve into psychedelia, recording, at the behest of producer Norman Whitfield, in a fusion genre referred to as "psychedelic soul." Image File history File links The Cover to The Temptations 1969 LP, Cloud Nine This image is of a music album or single cover, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by either the publisher of the album or the artist(s) which produced the music in question. ... A studio album is a collection of studio-recorded tracks by a recording artist. ... “Temptations” redirects here. ... is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1969 (number) 1969 (movie) 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Soul music (disambiguation). ... Psychedelic soul is a concept used to categorize music that featured elements of psychedelic rock and soul/funk music. ... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Motown Records, Inc. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Norman Whitfield Norman Jesse Whitfield (born in Harlem, New York in 1943) was a songwriter and producer for Berry Gordys Motown label during the 1960s. ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music, owned by All Media Guide. ... Image File history File links 4. ... “Temptations” redirects here. ... Live at the Copa is a 1968 live album recorded by The Temptations at the Copacabana supper club in New York City. ... The Temptations Show was a 1969 television special starring The Temptations and produced by Motown Productions. ... “Temptations” redirects here. ... Motown Records, Inc. ... Dennis Edwards (born February 3, 1943 in Birmingham, Alabama) is an American soul and R&B singer, most noted for being one of Motown act The Temptations lead singers. ... David Ruffin (Davis Eli Ruffin) (January 18, 1941 – June 1, 1991) was an American soul singer most famous for his work as lead singer of The Temptations from 1964 to 1968. ... Psychedelia is a term describing a category of music, visual art, fashion, and culture that is associated originally with the high 1960s, hippies, and the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco, California. ... Norman Whitfield Norman Jesse Whitfield (born in Harlem, New York in 1943) was a songwriter and producer for Berry Gordys Motown label during the 1960s. ... Psychedelic soul is a concept used to categorize music that featured elements of psychedelic rock and soul/funk music. ...

Background

Norman Whitfield took the Temptations into psychedelic territory after a suggestion from the group's defacto leader, Otis Williams. Williams had been discussing Sly & the Family Stone's music, and the changes it brought to the soul music industry, with his friend, producer Kenneth Gamble. Gamble agreed with Williams that Sly Stone's funkier production style and multi-lead vocals was here to stay and that it was time to learn to adapt to it. Otis Williams (born Otis Miles, Jr. ... Sly & the Family Stone was an American rock band from San Francisco, California. ... For other uses, see Soul music (disambiguation). ... Kenneth Gamble was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on August 11, 1943. ... Sly Stone (born Sylvester Stewart, 15 March 1943, in Denton, Texas) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, most famous for his role as frontman for Sly & the Family Stone, a band which played a critical role in the development of soul, funk and psychedelia in the 1960s and... For other uses, including related musical genres, see Funk (disambiguation). ...

While Williams, Whitfield, and Williams' then-wife Ann Cain were standing outside of the Casino Royale nightclub in Motown's home city of Detroit during the summer of 1968, Williams suggested that Whitfield might try to produce something like Sly & the Family Stone's "Dance to the Music" for their next single. The Temptations had been successful with romantic ballads such as "My Girl" and midtempo numbers such as "(I Know) I'm Losing You", but Williams, taking Gamble's advice, felt that it was time to update the group's sound. "Man, I don't want to be bothered with that shit," remarked Whitfield, who regarded the Family Stone sound as a "passing fancy". Laser lights illuminate the dance floor at a Gatecrasher dance music event in Sheffield, England A nightclub (or night club or club) is a drinking, dancing, and entertainment venue which does its primary business after dark. ... Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes - this motto was adopted after the disastrous 1805 fire that devastated the city) Nickname: The Motor City and Motown Location in Wayne County, Michigan Founded Incorporated July 24, 1701 1815  County Wayne County Mayor... Dance to the Music is a 1968 hit single by the influential soul/rock/funk band Sly & the Family Stone for the Epic/CBS Records label. ... My Girl. ... (I Know) Im Losing You is a 1966 hit single recorded by The Temptations for the Motown label and produced by Norman Whitfield. ...

Overview

Regardless of his original opinion of Sly Stone's work, by the fall of 1968, Whitfield had the Temptations recording "Cloud Nine", which featured all five members (Otis Williams, the newly drafted Dennis Edwards, and founding members Eddie Kendricks, Paul Williams, and Melvin Franklin) trading lead vocals over a Family Stone-like instrumental track. Although Otis Williams denies the connection, "Cloud Nine's" lyrics have frequently been cited as empathizing with drug use [1]. The song seems to suggest that the best way for someone to deal with the problems that come with being poor and black in America was to "ride high on 'cloud nine'". "Cloud Nine" was a number six hit on the US pop singles chart, and a number two hit on the US R&B singles chart, and won Motown Records its first Grammy Award, for Best Rhythm & Blues Group Performance, Vocal or Instrumental. Eddie Kendricks (born Edward James Kendrick, December 17, 1939 – October 5, 1992) was an American singer and songwriter. ... Paul Williams (July 2, 1939 – August 17, 1973) was an American second tenor/baritone singer. ... Melvin Franklin (David Melvin English) (October 12, 1942 – February 23, 1995) was an American bass singer, best known for his role as a member of Motown singing group The Temptations from 1961 to 1994. ... Recreational drug use is the use of psychoactive drugs for recreational rather than medical or spiritual purposes, although the distinction is not always clear. ... “Hot 100” redirects here. ... The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, formerly known as Top Soul Singles, Top Black Singles, and Top R&B Singles (before the hip-hop term was added in the late 1990s), lists the most popular songs, calculated weekly by airplay and sales, in traditionally African American venues... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal has been awarded since 1970. ...

The album's second single, "Run Away Child, Running Wild", delved further into unusual territory for the Temptations, turning a story about a lost runaway into a nine-minute epic of doo-wop vocals, droning organ lines, and hard-hitting drums similar to those typically heard in Sly & the Family Stone and James Brown records. Halfway through its running time, "Run Away Child" segues into an instrumental jam session (the single mix only includes the vocal half of the song). Future Temptations songs produced by Norman Whitfield, such as "Hum Along and Dance", "Smiling Faces Sometimes", and "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone", would further emphasize extended instrumental passages, often allowing said passages to overshadow the songs' vocals. Doo-wop is a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music popular in the mid-1950s to the early 1960s in America. ... Organ in Katharinenkirche, Frankfurt am Main, Germany The organ is a keyboard instrument played using one or more manuals and a pedalboard. ... James Brown, known variously as: Soul Brother Number One, the Godfather of Soul, Mr. ... Hum Along and Dance is a soul song written for the Motown label by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong. ... Smiling Faces Sometimes is a soul song written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong for the Motown label. ... Papa Was a Rollin Stone is a soul song, written by Motown songwriters Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong as a single for Motown act The Undisputed Truth in 1971. ...

"Run Away Child" was a number-one hit on the US R&B singles chart, and, like "Cloud Nine", a number six hit on the US pop chart. Earl Van Dyke, who performs the prominent organ solo during the instrumental section of the record, recorded his own instrumental version of "Run Away Child, Running Wild", which was released as a single the same year. Earl Van Dyke (July 8, 1930 - September 18, 1992) was an African American musician, most notable as the main keyboardist for Motown Records in-house Funk Brothers band during the 1960s and early 1970s. ... Organ in Katharinenkirche, Frankfurt am Main, Germany The organ is a keyboard instrument played using one or more manuals and a pedalboard. ...

The rest of the Cloud Nine album is made up of more standard Temptations fare, most of which is relegated to the flip side of the LP. "Why Did She Have to Leave Me (Why Did She Have to Go)" features Dennis Edwards delivering a Ruffinesque lead on a slow ballad, and the Eddie Kendricks-led "I Need Your Lovin'" also finds the group in familiar surroundings. Edwards, Kendricks, and Melvin Franklin share the lead on "Love is a Hurtin' Thing", while "I Gotta Find a Way (To Get You Back)" is a showcase for Edwards alone. Paul Williams is given two solo numbers, "Hey Girl" and "Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me", re-recorded as an upbeat single for The Four Tops the same year. The ballad "Gonna Keep on Tryin' Till I Win Your Love", led by Edwards, would later be re-recorded by the group in 1971 for the Sky's the Limit LP, with Kendricks on lead. The Four Tops are an American vocal quartet, whose repertoire has included doo-wop, jazz, soul music, R&B, disco, adult contemporary, and showtunes. ... Skys the Limit is a 1971 LP by The Temptations for the Gordy (Motown) label. ...

The one song that does not fit into either the ballads classification or the psychedelic soul classification is the Temptations' cover of the Gladys Knight & the Pips version of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine". Stripped to its rhythm track, the Temptation's version of "Grapevine" retains the tempo of Knight's hit version, but uses a less gospel based and more pop/blues based vocal arrangement. The Pips redirects here. ... I Heard It through the Grapevine is a R&B/soul song written by Motown songwriter Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong. ... Gospel music is a musical genre characterized by dominant vocals (often with strong use of harmony) referencing lyrics of a religious nature, particularly Christian. ... For other uses, see Pop music (disambiguation). ... Blues music redirects here. ...

After receiving positive critical reception for his new production style, and winning the Temptations a Grammy with "Cloud Nine", Whitfield would take the Temptations even further away from "My Girl" and onwards towards trippier singles such as "Don't Let the Joneses Get You Down", the #1 hit "I Can't Get Next to You", "Psychedelic Shack", and "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" before hard-edged psychedelic soul fell out of favor with audiences. I Cant Get Next to You is a 1969 number-one single recorded by The Temptations and produced by Norman Whitfield for the Gordy (Motown) label. ... Psychedelic Shack, released December 28, 1969, is the name of a 1970 hit single for the Motown label performed by The Temptations and produced by Norman Whitfield. ... Ball of Confusion (Thats What the World is Today) is the name of a 1970 hit single for the Motown label performed by The Temptations and produced by Norman Whitfield. ...

Track listing

Superscripts denote lead singers for each track: (a) Dennis Edwards, (b) Eddie Kendricks, (c) Paul Williams, (d) Melvin Franklin, (e) Otis Williams. Dennis Edwards (born February 3, 1943 in Birmingham, Alabama) is an American soul and R&B singer, most noted for being one of Motown act The Temptations lead singers. ... Eddie Kendricks (born Edward James Kendrick, December 17, 1939 – October 5, 1992) was an American singer and songwriter. ... Paul Williams (July 2, 1939 – August 17, 1973) was an American second tenor/baritone singer. ... Melvin Franklin (David Melvin English) (October 12, 1942 – February 23, 1995) was an American bass singer, best known for his role as a member of Motown singing group The Temptations from 1961 to 1994. ... Otis Williams (born Otis Miles, Jr. ...

All selections produced by Norman Whitfield. Norman Whitfield Norman Jesse Whitfield (born in Harlem, New York in 1943) was a songwriter and producer for Berry Gordys Motown label during the 1960s. ...

Side one

1. "Cloud Nine" (Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong) ^{a, b, c, d, e}
2. "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" (Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong) ^b
3. "Run Away Child, Running Wild" (Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong) ^{a, b, c, d, e}

Side two

1. "Love Is A Hurtin' Thing" (Ben Raleigh, Dave Linden) ^{a, b, d}
2. "Hey Girl" (Gerry Goffin, Carole King) ^c
3. "Why Did She Have To Leave Me (Why Did She Have To Go)" (Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong) ^a
4. "I Need Your Lovin' (Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong) ^b
5. "Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me" (Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong) ^c
6. "I Gotta Find A Way (To Get You Back)" (Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong, Eddie Holland, Cornelius Grant, Eddie Kendricks) ^a
7. "Gonna Keep On Tryin' Till I Win Your Love" (Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong) ^a

Singles history

• "Cloud Nine"
  • Gordy single 7081, October 25, 1968; b-side: "Why Did She Have to Leave Me (Why Did She Have to Go)"
  • 1969 Grammy Award Winner: Best Rhythm & Blues Group Performance, Vocal or Instrumental

• "Run Away Child, Running Wild"
  • Gordy single 7084, January 30, 1969; b-side: "I Need Your Lovin'"

is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... In recorded music, the terms A-side and B-side refer to the two sides of 7 inch vinyl records on which singles have been released since the 1950s. ... The 11th Grammy Awards were held in 1969. ... The Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal has been awarded since 1970. ... is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1969 (number) 1969 (movie) 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ...

Chart history

Reference

• Williams, Otis and Romanowski, Patricia (1988, updated 2002). Temptations. Lanham, MD: Cooper Square. ISBN 0-8154-1218-5.

Otis Williams (born Otis Miles, Jr. ...

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