Album Review: The Temptations – Cloud Nine
By 1969, Motown hitmakers the Temptations were well into their peak, but the group also faced a potential setback. Singer David Ruffin had been dismissed from the group months earlier; his replacement would be Dennis Edwards. The group shifted its style as well, working more explicitly in the psychedelic soul subgenre. With producer Norman Whitfield, Cloud Nine would be the group’s first full-length exploration of that style.
The beats got heavier, more complex and insistent; the grooves got deeper, the hooks sharper. The album’s opening title track is a seething, shuffling piece with understated instrumental work that keeps the focus on the voices. Recalling Sly and the Family Stone, a brief take on “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” manages to take the song in a direction different from that of Marvin Gaye, CCR or Gladys Knight & the Pips.
Fuzz guitars (Dennis Coffey?) and vibrato-laden Wurlitzer and bit of the ol’ Golden Throat provide fascinating texture for the hypnotic and delightfully undulating “Runaway Child, Running Wild.” At nine-plus minutes in its album form, the tune is the album’s great deep cut. (Not included here, the single version [#6, Pop] was pretty ace, too.)
“Love is a Hurtin’ Thing” weds a beautiful and understated arrangement to some sublime and out-front vocal interplay. “Hey Girl” features some funky boogaloo guitar, a wide-screen string arrangement and more of those peerless vocals. “Why Did She Have to Leave Me (Why Did She Have to Go)” takes things back in a pop-r&b direction; the result is a swaying tune that sounds like a bid for a hit single, though it wasn’t released as one.
“I Need Your Lovin’” sounds like a hit, too, all fresh and funky, sounding like the future. “Don’t Let Him Take Your Love From Me” showcases some extremely tasty instrumental work and arrangement. The track is in exemplar of the uncluttered and sharp production style Whitfield brought to the group. (And oooh… that bass!) “I Gotta Find a Way (To Get You Back)” is a bit derivative, but it’s so rock-solid in every other respect that it wins.
The album closes with “Gonna Keep On Tryin’ Till I Win Your Love.” The same virtues- – peerless and varied vocal work, inspired arrangement choices, economical production and top-flight songcraft – are on display here, and those qualities are a bit part of what makes Cloud Nine a must-have title, especially in its 140g vinyl reissue format.
About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day for several years). The more than 5000 interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he taught a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- some 40 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: 30 Great Concept Albums is available now. Read even more about him here.