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Touch Me (The Doors song)

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"Touch Me"
The Doors-touch me wild child.jpg
Single by the Doors
from the album The Soft Parade
B-side"Wild Child"
ReleasedDecember 1968
RecordedNovember 1968
StudioElektra Sound Recorders, Los Angeles
Genre
Length3:11
LabelElektra
Songwriter(s)Robby Krieger
Producer(s)Paul A. Rothchild
The Doors singles chronology
"Hello, I Love You"
(1968) 		"Touch Me"
(1968) 		"Wishful Sinful"
(1969)

"Touch Me" is a song by the Doors from their album The Soft Parade. Written by guitarist Robby Krieger, it is notable for its extensive usage of brass and string instruments, including a solo by featured saxophonist Curtis Amy.[4][5]

It was released as a single in December 1968 and reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 (their last Top Ten hit in US) and No. 1 in the Cashbox Top 100 in early 1969 (the band's third American number-one single). The single also did well elsewhere, peaking at No. 1 in the RPM Canadian Singles Chart and at No. 10 in the Kent Music Report in Australia. However, despite the band's commercial success the previous year, "Touch Me" did not chart in the UK Singles Chart.

Composition

According to Bruce Botnick's liner notes, the song was initially referred to by its various working titles; "I'm Gonna Love You", from a line in the chorus, or "Hit Me", a reference to blackjack. The opening line was originally "C'mon, hit me ... I'm not afraid", the line thus reflecting the first person vantage point of a blackjack player.[6] Lead singer Jim Morrison changed the lyric out of concern that rowdy crowds at their live shows would mistakenly believe that "hit me" was a challenge to physically assault him.[7]

Billboard described the single as having "all the drive and rhythm of their No. 1 winner, 'Hello, I Love You'," stating that "the Doors have a smash follow -up here."[8]

Musical style and structure

"Touch Me" incorporates influences from traditional pop music.[9] The introduction is notated in the key of Bb Minor with a 4/4 time signature.[10] The track's last section piece includes a saxophone solo played by Curtis Amy inspired by jazz music.[4][5] Krieger interpolated the guitar riff from the 1967 Four Seasons song "C'mon Marianne".[11]

In A to X of Alternative Music book, the track has been declared as "solid gold soul classic".[2] Writing for AllMusic, critic Jason Elias said that "Touch Me" has "the style of pop and pure lounge."[12] Some critics suggested the track blends pop[1] with psychedelic rock; a combination which was unique at the time.[9] It has also been characterized, along with other album tracks, as an early attempt of progressive rock.[3]

Other version

"Touch Me" was remixed with added bass and compression appeared on a 1974 compilation called Heavy Metal released via Warner Bros. Special Products. The song later released as one of the first downloadable content songs for Rock Band 3, along with several other songs by the band.[13]

Personnel

Per album liner notes:[4]

The Doors

Additional personnel

Chart history

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[22] Gold 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (January 1, 2008). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. p. 255. ISBN 978-1439109397.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Taylor, Steve (2006). The A to X of Alternative Music. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 89. ISBN 978-0826473967.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Deriso, Nick (July 18, 2015). "Why the Doors Stumbled Through the Experimental The Soft Parade". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c Botnick, Bruce; Fricke, David (2007). The Soft Parade (40th Anniversary edition CD booklet). The Doors. Rhino Records.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c Dawn Goldsmith, Melissa Ursula (2019). Listen to Classic Rock! Exploring a Musical Genre. ABC-CLIO. p. 94. ISBN 978-1440865787.
  6. ^ "The Doors CDs Remastered". Coffeerooms.com. May 9, 2007. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
  7. ^ Kielty, Martin (July 27, 2019). "Why Jim Morrison Refused to Sing the Original 'Touch Me'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
  8. ^ "Spotlight Singles" (PDF). Billboard. December 21, 1968. p. 64. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b Ingalls, Chris (November 7, 2019). "The Doors' 'Soft Parade' Gets the Deluxe Edition Treatment and a Chance for Reassessment". PopMatters.
  10. ^ "Digital Sheet Music – The Doors – Touch Me". Sony/ATV Music Publishing. Retrieved March 15, 2021 – via Musicnotes.com.
  11. ^ Reynolds, Robert (26 December 2019). The Music of the 4 Seasons Featuring Frankie Valli. Lulu. p. 45. ISBN 978-1387927098.
  12. ^ Elias, Jason. "The Doors: 'Touch Me' – Review". AllMusic. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  13. ^ IGN staff (October 22, 2010). "The Doors Most Loved Songs Kick Off Rock Band 3 DLC". IGN. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
  14. ^ Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music (Concise ed.). Virgin Books. p. 183. ISBN 1-85227-745-9.
  15. ^ "NZ Listener chart statistics for Touch Me". Flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
  16. ^ "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved September 2, 2018.
  17. ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  18. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, February 8, 1969". Archived from the original on January 16, 2018. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  19. ^ "RPM's 100 Hits of 1969". RPM Weekly. January 10, 1970. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  20. ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1969/Top 100 Songs of 1969". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
  21. ^ "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 27, 1969". Archived from the original on January 25, 2019. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  22. ^ "American single certifications – The Doors – Touch Me". Recording Industry Association of America.

External links

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