The Temptations - Wish It Would Rain

The Temptations were at the peak of their popularity as Motown's flagship act (well, if it wasn't The Supremes, it was The Temps) in 1968 when they cut Wish It Would Rain, and if the album doesn't hold any great surprises in terms of material, production, or performance, it's also a consistently strong set which demonstrates just what made this group so popular. The Temptations were on the cusp of a number of changes when these sessions were recorded -- a year later, David Ruffin would be out of the group, Dennis Edwards would take his place, and Norman Whitfield would nudge the group into the direction of rock-oriented guitars and neo-"protest" lyrics -- and so Wish It Would Rain unwittingly became one of the group's last proper gestures toward sweet soul. Read More