Produced by Jabara and Bob Esty, the recording was released in 1982 on the Columbia label, and as interest in it took off, Wash and Armstead renamed themselves The Weather Girls. By December, the infectious song was No. 1 on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs chart, featuring Wash’s powerful bluesy-gospelly delivery -- her voice in itself a virtual force of nature.

The campy music video, with young men in raincoats and skimpy briefs, also was successful on the new MTV, which had launched the previous year. In addition, It’s Raining Men reached No. 34 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hiphop chart and No. 46 on its Hot 100 chart.

Despite its rave success in the USA, where it was nominated for a Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo, and the UK where it peaked at No. 2, It’s Raining Men failed to chart nationally in Canada.

A second Billboard Dance No. 1 hit resulted when Martha Wash re-recorded the song as It’s Raining Men: The Sequel with drag queen Ru Paul in 1997. Fast forward to 2001 when Geri (formerly of the Spice Girls) Halliwell’s cover made No. 1 in the UK, France, Italy, Ireland and elsewhere, and No. 11 on Billboard’s Hot Canadian Digital Song Sales.

As Wash told the Huffington Post: “It’s just one of those songs where it’s fun for everybody. It’s definitely stood the test of time.”

Grammy-winning pianist Paul Shaffer, born in Thunder Bay, Ontario in 1949, is best known as the long-time band leader for TV’s David Letterman and as a performer on “Saturday Night Live.” A member of the Order of Canada, he has a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame.

Composer Paul Jabara (1948 – 1992) was born in New York City. He sang in such musicals as Jesus Christ Superstar and Hair. His song Last Dance earned a Grammy award, the Academy Award for Best Song, and a Golden Globe.