Honestly, by the mid-1980s, George Harrison was pretty much over the whole "pop star" thing. He was busy racing cars, tending to his massive garden at Friar Park, and producing cult-classic films like Withnail and I through his company, Handmade Films. He hadn't released an album in five years. The music industry had moved on to synthesizers and big hair, and the "Quiet Beatle" seemed perfectly happy staying quiet.
Then came 1987.
When he finally emerged with george harrison cloud nine songs, it wasn't just a return; it was a total reclamation of his legacy. Partnering with ELO’s Jeff Lynne, George managed to bridge the gap between his 1960s Fab Four roots and the shiny, polished production of the late 80s. It worked. It worked so well that it became his biggest commercial success since All Things Must Pass.
But what’s actually happening inside those tracks? If you look past the hit singles, there is a lot of weirdness, heart, and some serious guitar muscle.
The Power of the Title Track and That Stinging Slide
The album opens with "Cloud 9," and it immediately sets the tone. You’ve got this sinewy, mid-tempo groove that feels heavy but sophisticated. It’s not just a song about being happy. George actually said the lyrics were about the duality of people—how we have a "bad part" (our human limitations) and a "good part" (the divine).
Musically, this track is a heavyweight bout. You’ve got George Harrison and Eric Clapton trading guitar licks. George takes the left channel with his signature "weeping" slide guitar, and Clapton handles the right with those sharp, stinging leads. It’s a masterclass. Most people don't realize Elton John is also in the mix here, playing electric piano. It was a massive gathering of rock royalty just to kick off side one.
Why "When We Was Fab" Is More Than Just Nostalgia
If there is one song on the record that defines George's headspace in '87, it’s "When We Was Fab." For years, George had a complicated relationship with his Beatles past. He often felt overshadowed or frustrated by the "Beatle George" persona.
But with this track, he finally leaned in.
The song is drenched in psychedelic layers—cellos, sitars, and backward effects that scream Magical Mystery Tour. Even the title is a wink; it was originally called "Aussie Fab" because he started writing it while in Australia. Ringo Starr is back there on the drums, providing those iconic, slightly-behind-the-beat fills. It’s an affectionate, droll look back at the chaos of the 1960s. Jeff Lynne’s production here is Peak Lynne, squeezing every "Beatle-esque" trick out of the studio.
The Deep Cuts: From Racing to Hollywood
A lot of the george harrison cloud nine songs actually had lives before the album. Take "Someplace Else" and "Breath Away From Heaven." George originally wrote these for the 1986 film Shanghai Surprise (the one starring Madonna and Sean Penn that famously flopped).
The movie was a mess, but the songs were too good to waste.
"Wreck of the Hesperus" is another weird one. The title comes from a Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem, but George used it to poke fun at his own aging. It’s got a bluesy, stomping energy that feels like a precursor to what he’d soon do with the Traveling Wilburys.
- "Devil’s Radio": This is George at his most cynical, attacking the gossip industry and the "small-minded" people who spread rumors. It’s a fast, piano-driven rocker that features more dual guitar work with Clapton.
- "Fish on the Sand": A surprisingly synth-heavy track for George. It’s got a driving beat and a very 80s pop-rock polish that showed he could play the contemporary game if he felt like it.
- "Just for Today": This is the emotional anchor. It’s a tender piano ballad, almost Lennon-esque in its vulnerability. It’s about staying present—a concept George lived by through his spiritual practices.
That Massive Number One Hit
You can't talk about this era without "Got My Mind Set on You." Interestingly, it’s the only song on the album George didn’t write. It’s a cover of a 1962 James Ray track.
George turned a relatively obscure R&B tune into a global juggernaut. It hit #1 in the US, making him the only former Beatle to have a chart-topping hit in three different decades (the 60s, 70s, and 80s). The video, with the dancing furniture and the teenage acrobat, became an MTV staple. It was fun, it was catchy, and it proved that at 44, George Harrison was still a relevant force in pop music.
The Lasting Impact of the Cloud Nine Sessions
The success of these songs did more than just sell records. It gave George his confidence back. During the recording of "Got My Mind Set on You," he and Jeff Lynne started talking about how much fun it was to just hang out and play with friends.
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That conversation led directly to the formation of the Traveling Wilburys with Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, and Tom Petty.
Without the creative spark of Cloud Nine, we likely never would have gotten Handle with Care or the late-career revival that culminated in his final masterpiece, Brainwashed. This wasn't just a "comeback" album; it was the start of the happiest, most prolific final chapter of George’s life.
If you want to experience the album properly today, don't just stream the hits. Find a copy of the 2004 remaster. It includes "Zig Zag," a gorgeous instrumental, and the original soundtrack version of "Shanghai Surprise." Listen for the way George’s slide guitar interacts with Jeff Lynne’s lush vocal harmonies. It’s a sound that defined an era of rock while staying rooted in the classic songwriting of the 60s.
Actionable Insights for Fans:
- Listen to the "When We Was Fab" lyrics closely; they are full of internal jokes about the 1960s London scene.
- Compare the Cloud Nine version of "Someplace Else" to the original Shanghai Surprise soundtrack version to see how Jeff Lynne’s production changed the vibe.
- Check out the credits; the album is a "who's who" of 80s rock, featuring Jim Keltner, Gary Wright, and even Ray Cooper on percussion.