I Wish It Would Rain Down
"I Wish It Would Rain Down" | ||||
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Single by Phil Collins | ||||
from the album ...But Seriously | ||||
B-side |
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Released | 15 January 1990 (UK) | |||
Genre | Soft rock | |||
Length | 5:27 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | Phil Collins | |||
Producer(s) |
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Phil Collins singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"I Wish It Would Rain Down" on YouTube |
"I Wish It Would Rain Down" is a song by English musician
Eric Clapton plays lead guitar throughout the song, which also features a large gospel choir. Regarding Clapton's contribution, Collins recalls, "I said 'Eric, have I never asked you to play? Come on, I've got a song right up your street.'"[1]
Chart performance
The song was a significant chart hit in 1990, peaking at No. 3 on the
Music video
The 8:30 minute-long black-and-white music video, produced by Paul Flattery and directed by Jim Yukich for FYI, contains 2:30 minutes of acting prior to the start of the music. The setting is a theatre in the 1930s. Actor Jeffrey Tambor plays a hyper-critical, unhappy theatre director. He is rehearsing some dancers (who are dancing to the guitar/bass guitar riff from the song "Sunshine of Your Love" by the band Cream, in which Eric Clapton played guitar.) The director complains that the girls can neither dance nor sing, and then discovers that his star has appendicitis.
Eric Clapton, seated on a stool, says that Billy (played by Collins) used to be the drummer in a good band and assumed singing responsibilities when the original singer departed—an in-joke referencing Collins' tenure with the band Genesis, in which he played drums and then became the lead singer when Peter Gabriel exited the group. Members of Collins' backing band play various non-speaking parts, such as the janitor "Chester" Chester Thompson, who takes over on drums when Collins gets up to sing, as well as the bassist Leland Sklar.
Collins is forced to act with the play's star. The director deems Collins' acting "terrible," to which Collins replies, "I never said I could act, 'e [pointing to Clapton] said I could sing," and the director says, "alright, play the song." As Collins sings, his character fantasizes about becoming a famous stage actor, singer, and movie star.
Billy's name is inserted onto fake covers of major industry publications such as
During the montage, the published sheet music for the song is shown, prominently featuring Collins' photo. This is followed by a shot of the sheet music for "Something Happened on the Way to Heaven", the next single from the same album.
After the music ends, Tambor's character decides to cut the musical number, as he feels it was not any good compared to the dancing girls. The character says "the fellow on the guitar (Eric Clapton) is pretty good," but his assistant informs him that "Eric gave a week's notice." Collins, in disbelief, goes back to sit behind the drums.
The video won an International Monitor Award.
Track listings
CD maxi and 12-inch single
- "I Wish It Would Rain Down"
- "Homeless" ("Another Day in Paradise" demo)
- "You've Been in Love (That Little Bit Too Long)"
7-inch single (UK)
- "I Wish It Would Rain Down"
- ""Homeless" ("Another Day in Paradise" demo)"
7-inch single (US)[4]/Canada[5]
- "I Wish It Would Rain Down"
- "You've Been in Love (That Little Bit Too Long)"
Personnel
Personnel are adapted from the ...But Seriously liner notes.[6]
- Phil Collins – keyboards, vocals, drums, tambourine
- Eric Clapton – guitars
- Pino Palladino – bass
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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References
- ^ a b "Phil Collins interview". philcollins.co.uk. Warner Music Group. 1989. Archived from the original on 7 December 2008. Retrieved 9 April 2009.
- ^ a b "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9249." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
- ^ a b "Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1990". RPM. Retrieved 22 March 2019 – via Library and Archives Canada.
- ^ I Wish It Would Rain Down (US 7-inch Single liner notes). Phil Collins. Atlantic Records. 1990. 7-88738.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ I Wish It Would Rain Down (Canada 7-inch Single liner notes). Phil Collins. Atlantic Records. 1990. 78 87387.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ ...But Seriously (booklet). Atlantic. 1989.
- ^ "Phil Collins – I Wish It Would Rain Down". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
- ^ "Phil Collins – I Wish It Would Rain Down" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
- ^ "Phil Collins – I Wish It Would Rain Down" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
- ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 9090." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
- ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 7, no. 8. 24 February 1990. p. IV. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
- ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
- Les classement single.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – I Wish It Would Rain Down". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 8, 1990" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
- ^ "Phil Collins – I Wish It Would Rain Down" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
- ^ "Phil Collins – I Wish It Would Rain Down". Top 40 Singles.
- ^ "Phil Collins – I Wish It Would Rain Down". Singles Top 100.
- ^ "Phil Collins – I Wish It Would Rain Down". Swiss Singles Chart.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Phil Collins Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ "Phil Collins Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
- ^ "Phil Collins Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Phil Collins – I Wish It Would Rain Down" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
- ^ *Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: singles chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
- ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988-2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1990" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
- ^ "Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks of 1990". RPM. Retrieved 21 June 2019 – via Library and Archives Canada.
- OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 15 January 2020 – via World Radio History.
- GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
- ^ "Single top 100 over 1990" (PDF) (in Dutch). Top40. Retrieved 12 April 2010.
- MegaCharts. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
- ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1990". Archived from the original on 6 July 2009. Retrieved 15 September 2009.