LP - The Temptations - Cloud Nine

1LP 

The ninth studio album by The Temptations for the Motown label, Cloud Nine was released in 1969 and marked a major turning point in the group’s career. It was the first full Temptations studio LP to feature Dennis Edwards as the replacement for David Ruffin (fired in June of 1968) and also marked the beginning of the group’s delve into psychedelic soul under the ambitious direction of producer Norman Whitfield. The change proved highly successful, with the album rising to number four on the Billboard Pop Albums Chart and earning the group their first Grammy Award. Cloud Nine received a ****½ AllMusic rating, with reviewer Amy Hanson stating that this is “an album that would become one of the defining early funk sets, with songs that not only took Motown in a new direction, but helped to shape a genre as well.”

Tracklist: 

SIDE 1: 

1. CLOUD NINE (Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong)
2. I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE (Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong)
3. RUN AWAY CHILD, RUNNING WILD (Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong)

SIDE 2:

1. LOVE IS A HURTIN’ THING (Ben Raleigh, David Linden)
2. HEY GIRL (Carole King, Gerry Goffin)
3. WHY DID SHE HAVE TO LEAVE ME (WHY DID SHE HAVE TO GO (Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong)
4. I NEED YOUR LOVIN’ (Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong)
5. DON’T LET HIM TAKE YOUR LOVE FROM ME (Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong)
6. I GOTTA FIND A WAY (TO GET YOU BACK)(C. Grant, E. Kendricks, E. Holland, N. Whitfield)
7. GOTTA KEEP ON TRYIN’ TILL I WIN YOUR LOVE (Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong)