"I Wish It Would Rain" is a 1967 song recorded by the Temptations for the Motown label (under the "Gordy" imprint) and produced by Norman Whitfield. The lyrics of this mournful song about a heartbroken man whose woman had just left him were penned by Motown staff writer Rodger Penzabene. The lyricist had just learned that his wife was cheating on him and in his sorrow and pain, Penzabene penned both this and its follow-up "I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You)." Tragically the distraught Penzabene committed suicide barely a week after the single's release.
Billboard described the single as an "easy beat blues rocker" that "will soar to the top in short order."[4]Cash Box said that "touches of Bacarachian style add a refreshingly new dimension to the terrific sound of the Temptations" and that "hard percussion and coasting strings give a solidity and gentleness to the soul vocal."[5]
New Zealand singer songwriter, Jon Stevens recorded and released a version of the song in 1994, with money raised benefiting drought-stricken farmers.[7] The song peaked at number 49 in New Zealand.[citation needed]
