I Wish It Would Rain: Roger Penzabene's Real Heartbreak Behind the Hit

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

I Wish It Would Rain was recorded by the Temptations in Hitsville USA's Studio A in Detroit in two sessions, on April 22 and August 31, 1967, and released on the Gordy imprint on December 21, 1967. David Ruffin sang lead with Eddie Kendricks, Melvin Franklin, Paul Williams and Otis Williams behind him, the Funk Brothers played, and Norman Whitfield produced. Staff writer Roger Penzabene wrote the lyrics with Whitfield and Barrett Strong while he was learning that his own wife was having an affair, so the song's man begging for rain to hide his tears was drawn from his life at that moment.

Billboard called the single an easy beat blues rocker, and Cash Box praised its Bacharach-like strings and hard percussion, with neither dwelling on the lyric. Penzabene also wrote the follow-up, I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You). On New Year's Eve 1967, about a week after the release, he took his own life. The song went on to reach No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spend three weeks at No. 1 on the R&B chart in early 1968, and it anchored the album The Temptations Wish It Would Rain.

The B-side, I Truly, Truly Believe, featured Melvin Franklin on lead.
Studio A was a converted photography studio and garage.
Gladys Knight and the Pips' cover reached No. 41 pop and No. 15 R&B.
New Zealand singer John Stevens released a 1994 cover to raise money for drought-hit farmers, reaching No. 49.
Bruce Springsteen recorded the song for his 2022 album Only the Strong Survive.

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(16184)

The Art of Adult Friendship: Why Quality Matters More Than Quantity

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore how our understanding of friendship changes as we grow old...

9 Nov 18min

Summer Explained: The Science, History, and Traditions of the Warmest Season

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore summer, the season most closely associated with sunshine, ...

7 Nov 18min

Sir Patrick Stewart: From Shakespeare to Star Trek, the Life and Legacy of a Legend

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore the extraordinary life of Sir Patrick Stewart, the acclaim...

7 Nov 49min

Larry David: The Genius of Social Awkwardness, Seinfeld, and Curb Your Enthusiasm

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore the life and career of Larry David, the comedian, writer, ...

6 Nov 38min

Why Australian Shepherds Aren't From Australia

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore the history of the Australian Shepherd, an intelligent, en...

5 Nov 45min

Labrador Retriever: From Newfoundland Fishing Dogs to Modern-Day Heroes

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore the remarkable history of the Labrador Retriever, one of t...

4 Nov 53min

Discovering Ireland: A Journey Through History, Culture, and the Wild Atlantic Way

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore Ireland through the philosophy of slow travel: go slower, ...

3 Nov 48min

Willie Hutch: An Overnight I'll Be There Lyric and The Mack's Soundtrack

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!William McKinley Hutchins was born in Los Angeles in December 1944 and raised in Dallas, where h...

2 Nov 21min