I’ve been one of the semi-obsessed people that’s been downloading the infamous John Peel Singles Box off of I Love Music all week. Granted I’m up against one of the all-time erudite music snobs, but I’m still blown that I know maybe 20% of the singles that the world’s leading DJ and archivist treasured most. (Particularly awesome Paul Morley story on the Box can be found here.)
As I go through the spoils, I’m going to share some of my favorite finds. After all, that’s what Mr. Peel would have wanted. As an American, I can’t actually say that I ever had the pleasure of enjoying his show or his finds, but there’s little question in my mind that his tastes radiated outward to influence a whole lot of my own: the A&R man that worked for all of us, not just the labels. Without any further ado…
When this version of “I Wish It Would Rain” came on as I was doing some chores, I stopped dead in my tracks — which of course is pretty much the highest compliment you can give a piece of music; the moment when you stop and go “What was that?” In my mind, The Temptations take on this song was melodramatic and insincere. With a solo artist taking this on, it seems that much more heartfelt and wrenching, not least because it’s no longer a showcase for a group mind but a stripdown for a lonely solo artist. The Temptations’ backup singers seem to be providing consolation; not so here. No longer friends clicking up their heels in the background, the backup singers in Adams’ version become part of the singer’s psyche, echoing thoughts and doubts. Without the gloss and the synchronized moves, “I Wish It Would Rain” blooms into something much more riveting: a man on the edge for an undisclosed reason pushing a bad situation into outright masochism.
[Soundtrack]
Johnny Adams – I Wish It Would Rain
Some info on Johnny Adams. He was from Nawlins, wouldn’t you know?
