Cloud Nine

George Harrison


Cloud Nine - Front Cover	Cloud Nine - Rear Cover

Cloud Nine - Inner Sleeve Front	Cloud Nine - Inner Sleeve Rear

Label Dark Horse

Catalogue No. WX 123
WX 123C (cassette)
925643 2 (C.D.)

Release date 2nd November 1987

Total time 41:23

U.K. L.P. Chart Detail :

Entry Date : 14th November 1987
Highest Position : 10
Weeks in Chart : 23

Detail : George Harrison's thirteenth album release, and final original album chart appearance.
Credited to George Harrison
Produced by Jeff Lynne and George Harrison.
Personnel :
George - Lead vocals, guitars and keyboards.
Ringo - Drums.
Jeff Lynne - Guitars, bass and keyboards.
Eric Clapton - Guitar.
Elton John - Piano.
Gary Wright - Piano.
Jim Keltner - Drums.
Ray Cooper - Percussion and drums.
Jim Horn - Baritone and tenor sax.
Bobby Kok - Cello.
Recording again took place at F.P.S.H.O.T. George's studios at his home in Henley-on-Thames. The sessions ran from 5th January 1987 through to the end of March. One song remains unreleased from these sessions, "Vatican P2 Blues".
George around this time was very much in the public eye, making many appearances and actually getting involved in promoting this album. Coupled with the glossy production by Jeff Lynne and the high profile guest musicians, this gave George his highest chart position for over 14 years when it reached the top 10.
This collaboration with Jeff Lynne also led to the Traveling Wilbury formation.
Art direction is by David Costa, with the cover photography by Gered Mankowitz. The Gretsch guitar that George is playing in the cover shots is the one he bought when aged just 17 off of a sailor for the princely sum of Ł75. Also, I think the front cover photograph is one of the best there is of George, with a terrific smile too.
The inner sleeve also has some wonderful glossy pictures and group details, but this time no lyrics are included

Side 1

Track	Composer	Recording Information	Time
Cloud Nine	Harrison	A great opening tune to the album	3:14
That's What It Takes	Lynne-Harrison-Wright		3:58
Fish On The Sand	Harrison		3:20
Just For Today	Harrison		4:04
This Is Love	Lynne-Harrison		3:45
When We Was Fab	Harrison-Lynne	Featuring Ringo, the second hit single from the album. See When We Was Fab	3:58

Side 2

Track	Composer	Recording Information	Time
Devil's Radio	Harrison		3:52
Someplace Else	Harrison	A re-worked song originally made for the film "Shanghai Surprise"	3:51
Wreck Of The Hesperus	Harrison	A self-mocking song taking it's title from poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow	3:30
Breath Away From Heaven	Harrison	A re-worked song originally made for the film "Shanghai Surprise"	3:35
Got My Mind Set On You	Clark	Previously released as the first single of the album. See Got My Mind Set On You	3:51

Released Versions

First pressings (1987)
WX 123 - With colourful inner sleeve is worth about Ł10.

Simultaneous 1987 release on C.D. with a catalogue number of 925643 2 ... no extra tracks.

1st March 2004 - Re-issued on Remastered C.D. in The Dark Horse Years 1976-1992 Boxset (GHBOX 1) and separately with catalogue number 594 0902.
This has a running time of 49:22 as it adds bonus tracks of :

Track Composer Time

Shanghai Surprise Harrison 5:07

Zig Zag Harrison 2:45

The bonus tracks are ;
Shanghai Surprise - From The movie of the same name.
Zig Zag - An semi-instrumental also from the movie and used on the b-side of "When We Was Fab" single.
The soundtrack for Shanghai Surprise was never released on an album and was only briefly available as a promo single. A curious omission from these bonus tracks is “Hottest Gong In Town” which is also from the “Shanghai Surprise” film.
The C.D. comes with a 12-page booklet containing artwork and lyrics expanded from the original release, with some new photographs, descriptive liner notes and full lyrics. The notes within the booklet of “Cloud Nine” were derived from interviews that George was conducting at the time to promote the album.
Re-mastering was by Simon Heyworth and John Etchells at Super Audio Mastering, Devon.

Dark Horse Years - Cloud Nine