Cloud Nine (George Harrison album)

• 1. Hiatus And Return

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  George Harrison stopped recording music in the early 1980s. He felt frustrated by the changing musical climate around him. Instead of making albums, he focused on film production with his company Handmade Films. This period became a musically silent chapter for the former Beatle. By late 1986, Harrison decided to return to the studio after a substantial break. He reached out to Jeff Lynne, the leader of Electric Light Orchestra, to co-produce a new project. Harrison wrote new compositions during this time and prepared songs for the 1986 film Shanghai Surprise. Recording sessions began at his home studio Friar Park in Henley-on-Thames on the 5th of January 1987. This marked his first commercial album release in five years.

• 2. Collaborative Recording Sessions

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  Jeff Lynne worked closely with Harrison to shape the sound of Cloud Nine. Jim Keltner and Ringo Starr shared drumming duties throughout the process. Eric Clapton contributed electric guitar parts to several tracks including Cloud 9 and Wreck of the Hesperus. Gary Wright played piano on Just for Today while Elton John handled keys on other songs. The latter musician was recovering from vocal surgery at the time but still participated in the sessions. Harrison recorded backing tracks for seventeen songs between January and March 1987. Overdubs were completed later that August. The collaborative effort brought together a stellar cast of musicians who actively promoted the final product. Their combined talents helped create what would become Harrison's most successful solo work since the early 1970s.

• 3. Iconic Cover Artistry

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  The album cover features Harrison holding a specific instrument he had owned for decades. He grasped his 1957 Gretsch 6128 Duo Jet guitar during the photo shoot. This particular guitar was his first American-made instrument purchased in Liverpool back in 1961. Harrison had previously given the guitar to Klaus Voormann, a longtime friend who kept it for twenty years. When Harrison asked for it back, Voormann returned the instrument after its restoration. The restored guitar became central to the visual identity of Cloud Nine. Its presence on the cover symbolized Harrison's return to active musical creation after years away from recording studios.

• 4. Commercial Chart Performance

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  Cloud Nine achieved significant commercial success upon its release in 1987. The single Got My Mind Set on You reached number one in the United States. It also peaked at number two in the United Kingdom. This marked Harrison's first chart-topping single in the US since Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) in 1973. The album itself climbed to number eight on the Billboard 200 chart in America. In the UK, it reached position ten on the Albums Chart. Cash Box ranked it fourth on their Top 200 list and later placed it at number one on their Compact Discs chart. The record eventually earned platinum certification status. A follow-up single called When We Was Fab reached the top twenty-five in both major markets. These results re-established Harrison as a commercially viable artist after his long hiatus.

• 5. Critical Reception History

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  David Wild wrote in Rolling Stone that Cloud Nine was an expertly crafted record. He described it as endlessly infectious and noted it represented Harrison's best work since All Things Must Pass. Stephen Holden of The New York Times called the release crucial to Harrison's career trajectory. Bill Holdship from Creem stated that Cloud Nine was plenty good despite some ballad choices. Daniel Brogan of the Chicago Tribune offered criticism saying the album plodded hopelessly. J.D. Considine of the Houston Chronicle gave five stars and praised the stellar cast of backing musicians. Stephen Thomas Erlewine awarded the album five stars in a 2001 review for AllMusic. Dave Thompson wrote in Goldmine magazine about littered highlights including This Is Love. John Harris found production dated but praised song quality in a 2011 Mojo article. These varied perspectives highlighted both strengths and weaknesses within the final product.

• 6. Posthumous Reissues

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  Dark Horse Records remastered Cloud Nine in 2004 with distribution handled by EMI. The reissue appeared separately and also as part of the deluxe box set The Dark Horse Years 1976, 1992. Bonus tracks included Shanghai Surprise and Zig Zag from the 1986 film Shanghai Surprise. Zig Zag had previously been released as the B-side of When We Was Fab. An iTunes Store version added an extended version of Got My Mind Set on You. The Japanese Oricon Albums Chart placed the 2004 edition at position one hundred ninety. In 2024, Argentine Albums ranked it fifth on their CAPIF list. These later releases ensured continued access to Harrison's work long after his initial death. The remastering efforts preserved the original recordings while adding new material for collectors and fans.