"Touch Me" is a 1989 song by Italian group 49ers. It was produced by Gianfranco Bortolotti and released as the third single from the album, 49ers on 4 December 1989. The song reached number 3 on the UK Singles Chart.[1] "Touch Me" also peaked within the Top 10 in at least 10 other countries in Europe. Outside Europe, the Italo house song was the first of four hits on the American dance charts for the 49ers. The song samples Aretha Franklin's "Rock-A-Lott" and Alisha Warren's "Touch Me".
AllMusic editor Alex Henderson wrote that Italian producer Gianfranco Bortolotti "sees to it that vocal personality is a prime ingredient of such exuberant offerings" as "Touch Me".[2] Bill Coleman from Billboard described the song as a "soulful "Ride On Time"-style workout" and noted that "strong production and a contagious chorus render track satisfying."[3] He added that "the energetic technotrack utilizes the a cappellas (and quite well actually) of Aretha Franklin's "Rock-A-Lott" and Alisha Warren's modest U.K. hit "Touch Me"."[4] Ernest Hardy from Cashbox said that "inspired by the success of Black Box and “Ride on Time”, this one finds Aretha Franklin in the Loleatta Holloway role." He added, "It is full of energy".[5]Music & Media called it "storming dance material with house rhythm and loads of samples. Definitely a record with chart and dance floor potential. Listen up."[6] Ian Cranna from Smash Hits labeled it as "glorious" and "of prime quality Italian House-thumping beats ahoy, rousing piano and strings galore and singalong catchy pop bits all over the shop."[7]
Chart performance[]
"Touch Me" was very successful on the charts on several continents. It remains the group's biggest hit to date, peaking at number-one on both the BillboardHot Dance Club Play in the United States and the RPM Dance/Urban Chart in Canada. It spent two weeks at number-one and a total of eleven weeks on the Billboard Dance Chart.[8] In Europe, the single peaked within the Top 10 in Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. In the latter, it peaked at number 3 in its sixth week at the UK Singles Chart, on January 14, 1990.[9] Additionally, "Touch Me" was a Top 20 hit in Belgium and the Netherlands. In Oceania, it also peaked within the Top 20, reaching number 15 in New Zealand and number 18 in Australia.
Music video[]
A music video was made to accompany the song. It features singer Dawn Mitchell, 49ers frontwoman at that time.
^Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin - levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN9789511210535.