On March 11th 1969 the Temptations became the first Motown act to win a Grammy Award for “Cloud Nine” for the Best Rhythm & Blues Group Performance. The single reached Number 2 on the US R&B chart, number 6 on the US Billboard chart, number 9 in Canada and number 15 in the UK. All in 1968. The song was the first of their singles to feature Dennis Edwards instead of David Ruffin in the lineup, and was the first of producer Norman Whitfield’s glorious psychedelic soul tracks. The track was written by Whitfield and Barrett Strong.
In 1968, Sly and the Family Stone had a hit with their single “Dance to the Music”, and Temptations member Otis Williams introduced Norman Whitfield to the band’s music. At first, Whitfield did not want to produce anything with such a radically different sound. “I don’t want to get into all that crazy shit,” he said. “That ain’t nothing but a little passing fancy.” Within a few weeks, however, he had created the backing tracks for “Cloud Nine”.
The song featured a vocal part from all five Temptations; Paul Williams, Dennis Edwards, Eddie Kendricks,
Otis Williams and Melvin Franklin. Cuban percussionist Mongo Santamaria played conga drums on the song alongside the iconic Motown house band the Funk Brothers. The song has some excellent bass from James Jamerson.
If you have enjoyed this article, feel free to follow the blog. You can also follow us on Instagram, Bluesky, and Linkedin.
Are you interested in writing and reviewing for With Just A Hint Of Mayhem? If so then please get in touch via EMail.
With Just A Hint Of Mayhem 