The Temptations' tenth studio album released in February 1969 as Gordy 939 , an imprint of Motown Records.

The group line up was,

• Otis Williams
• Eddie Kendricks
• Paul Williams
• Melvin Franklin
• Dennis Edwards

Original track listing

1. Cloud Nine
2. I Heard it Through the Grapevine
3. Runaway Child, Running Wild
4. Love is a Hurtin' Thing
5. Hey Girl
6. Why Did She Have to Leave Me(Why Did She Have to Go)
7. I Need Your Loving
8. Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me
9. I Gotta Find a Way (to Get You Back)
10. Gonna Keep on Tryin' Till I Win Your Love

Cloud Nine is the album that marks the beginning of the Temptation's psychedelic soul phase; in comes Dennis Edwards as replacement for David Ruffin, in come the conga drums and the wah-wah pedals, the socially relevant lyrics and the marathon funk mini-epics. It also marks the point at which Norman Whitfield takes effective control of the group's direction; with the sole exception of Hey Girl (a Carole King/Gerry Goffin composition), every track comes from the stable of Norman Whitfield/Barret Strong.

The album features the two big hits Cloud Nine (which has all five of the Temptations sharing the lead) and Runaway Child, Running Wild, nine and-a-half minutes worth of a funky blues groove (oddly reminiscent of the Doors circa Morrison Hotel/Hard Rock Cafe). Both of which served to define that psychedelic soul sound.

Not that they completely abandoned the conventions of the Motown sound; there are also sweet orchestrated ballads such as Hey Girl as well as danceable soul like Why Did She Have To Leave (Why Did She Have To Go), and I Gotta Find A Way (To Get You Back) the latter as good an example of the classic Motown groove as you'll ever find, featuring some of that old James Jamerson bass magic.

There's even a version of Heard It Through The Grapevine already a hit for both Gladys Knight and the Pips and Marvin Gaye. All of which makes the album something of a mixed bag as if they couldn't quite shake off that Sound of Young America thing quite yet.

I'm riding high on cloud nine
You're as free as a bird in flight
There's no difference between day and night
It's a world of love and harmony
You're a million miles from reality, cloud nine

A 1987 album by George Harrison, produced by future Traveling Wilburys bandmate Jeff Lynne. Though most of the attention and praise for Harrison's solo work is lavished on the triple album All Things Must Pass, as it should be, this little gem is often overlooked. At the time, it was his first album in five years, and it was a commercial success, mostly on the strength of the hit single "Got My Mind Set on You", as well as a critical one. As a result, Harrison returned to the public eye for a few years in the late 80s and early 90s, touring sucessfully and working with the Wilburys until he retreated into the obscurity of his private life again, where he would largely remain until his death.

The album is perhaps best described as insubstantial, not in the sense of being inconsequential or lightweight, but etheral, intangible pop tunes without the mystical freight of some of his other work. The cover, with Harrison in mirror shades and a Hawaiianesque shirt, clearly indicate he's having fun here, but it's not all upbeat, as the clouds behind him are tinged with grey.

  1.   Cloud 9
  2.   That's What It Takes
  3.   Fish on the Sand
  4.   Just for Today
  5.   This Is Love
  6.   When We Was Fab
  7.   Devil's Radio
  8.   Someplace Else
  9.   Wreck of the Hesperus
  10.   Breath Away from Heaven
  11.   Got My Mind Set on You

Any lyrics I haven't noded yet I'll get to soon.

The phrase 'to be on Cloud Nine' means to be in a state of utter bliss, elation or euphoria. Apparantly, this expression originates from the United States Weather Bureau, from around the 1950s. They categorize clouds into types, nine being a cumulonimbus (the massive ones with flat bottoms and rounded tops) - the highest type.

Cumulonimbus clouds occur at around 30-35,000 feet, so being on cloud nine was supposed to be as high as you'd want to get !

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RoguePoet thinks that another source could be The Nine Choirs Of Angels - the highest of which is The Seraphim, ninth. The other end could be the nine circles of hell, of which a writeup can be found here. Might be on to something, but I definately have seen the nine types of clouds mentioned in two or three places. Anyone have any other perspectives on this ?

Cloud 9 is an idiom for a state of joy, euphoria, or extreme happiness. Usually "cloud 9" is coupled with the "on" preposition.

"Those chocolate bunny ears were so good I was on cloud 9! I love consuming simulated fluffy animals!"

There are a couple theories regarding this expression's origin. An early cloud classification system had nine levels of cloud classification. The cumulonimbus clouds, the most fluffy cotton candyish of clouds, were slotted in at the 9 position. Clouds, heaven, angels have long been associated. A true state of euphoria might be considered being up on the cloud 9 level, upon the most aesthetically pleasing of clouds.

Alternatively, the number 9 is considered a very pure number. It's a trinity of trinities. Three times three. Hence the expression "dressed to the nines", which means well dressed. So being up on a cloud numbered 9 is surely a good thing, if you adhere to a childhood fantasy of heaven. For those who believe oxygen deprivation has the greater downside, well, it's a somewhat silly allusion.

A strong possibility for the origin comes to us from Buddhism. In Buddhism one ascends 10 clouds. Cloud 9 is a state of enlightenment, where one's acts are done without regard for the self. However, the expression's popular use makes this suspect. Being on cloud 9 almost always refers to a rather selfish state of self satisfaction.