Touch Me (The Doors song)
Encyclopedia
"Touch Me" is a song by The Doors
from their album The Soft Parade
. Written by Robby Krieger
, its riff
was influenced by The Four Seasons
' "C'mon Marianne
." It is notable for its extensive usage of brass and string instruments (including a solo by featured saxophonist Curtis Amy
) to accent Jim Morrison
's vocals. It was one of The Doors' most popular singles.
It was released as a single in December 1968. The song reached #3 on the Billboard
Hot 100
and #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 #1 in the RPM
Canadian Singles Chart and at #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
.
'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. Morrison reportedly 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.
One of the group's most famous television appearances is their performance of "Touch Me" on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
along with the single's B-side, "Wild Child". The taping date was December 6, 1968 with air date of December 15. During the performance, Morrison missed his cue for the lines "C'mon, c'mon" and Krieger could be seen with a black eye
. Krieger stated in several interviews given after Morrison's death that Morrison had given him the black eye during a confrontation, inadvertently referencing the song's original title. The group is backed by the Nelson Riddle
Orchestra, plus Curtis Amy
duplicating the saxophone solo he also performed on the studio version.
covered the song.
Ian Astbury
covered the song for the Doors tribute album, Stoned Immaculate: The Music of the Doors
.
In Oliver Stone
's 1991 biopic The Doors
, Jim Morrison is portrayed as having modified the lyrics at a concert while drunk to make the song about oral sex
.
The song was also featured in the 2003 film School of Rock
when Jack Black
's character teaches a child how to play the keyboard. It is included in the film's soundtrack
.
, and Ray Manzarek
wanting to accept an offer from Buick
to use "Light My Fire
" in a commercial. The deal was aborted when Morrison opposed it. This vocal was omitted on the single version which was a different mix.
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
from their album The Soft Parade
The Soft Parade
The Soft Parade is the fourth studio album by The Doors, released in 1969.The album met with some controversy among fans and critics due to its inclusion of brass and string instrument arrangements, as opposed to the more stripped-down sound of their earlier recordings...
. Written by Robby Krieger
Robby Krieger
Robert Alan "Robby" Krieger is an American rock guitarist and songwriter. He was the guitarist in The Doors, and wrote some of the band's best known songs, including "Light My Fire," "Love Me Two Times," "Touch Me," and "Love Her Madly."...
, its riff
RIFF
The Resource Interchange File Format is a generic file container format for storing data in tagged chunks. It is primarily used to store multimedia such as sound and video, though it may also be used to store any arbitrary data....
was influenced by The Four Seasons
The Four Seasons (group)
The Four Seasons are an American rock and pop band who became internationally successful in the mid-1960s. The Vocal Group Hall of Fame has stated that the group was the most popular rock band before The Beatles...
' "C'mon Marianne
C'mon Marianne
"C'mon Marianne" is the name of a song composed by L. Russell Brown and Raymond Bloodworth and popularized by The Four Seasons in 1967. Produced by Bob Crewe, the single was the last Four Seasons single to reach the Top Ten of the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the 1960s, and their last Top Ten hit...
." It is notable for its extensive usage of brass and string instruments (including a solo by featured saxophonist Curtis Amy
Curtis Amy
Curtis Amy was an American West Coast jazz musician known for his work on tenor saxophone. He also explored many mediums, including soul jazz and hard bop.-Biography:...
) to accent Jim Morrison
Jim Morrison
James Douglas "Jim" Morrison was an American musician, singer, and poet, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band The Doors...
's vocals. It was one of The Doors' most popular singles.
It was released as a single in December 1968. The song reached #3 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and #1 in the Cashbox Top 100
Cashbox Top 100 number-one singles of 1969
These are the number-one singles of 1969 according to the Top 100 Singles chart in Cashbox magazine.-References:*http://www.cashboxmagazine.com/archives/60s_files/1969.html*http://musicseek.info/no1hits/1969.htm...
in early 1969 (the band's third American number-one single). The single also did well elsewhere, peaking at #1 in the RPM
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
Canadian Singles Chart and at #10 in the Kent Music Report
Kent Music Report
The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. However, despite the band's commercial success the previous year, "Touch Me" did not chart in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
Working titles
According to Bruce BotnickBruce Botnick
Bruce Botnick is an American audio engineer and record producer, best known for his work with The Doors, and with Love. He engineered Love's first two albums, and co-produced their third album, Forever Changes, with the band's singer-songwriter, Arthur Lee.In November 1970, he took over production...
'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
Blackjack
Blackjack, also known as Twenty-one or Vingt-et-un , is the most widely played casino banking game in the world...
. 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. Morrison reportedly 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.
One of the group's most famous television appearances is their performance of "Touch Me" on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour is an American comedy and variety show hosted by the Smothers Brothers and initially airing on CBS from 1967 to 1969.-History:...
along with the single's B-side, "Wild Child". The taping date was December 6, 1968 with air date of December 15. During the performance, Morrison missed his cue for the lines "C'mon, c'mon" and Krieger could be seen with a black eye
Black eye
A black eye , or or 'shiner', is bruising around the eye commonly due to an injury to the face rather than eye injury. The name is given due to the color of bruising. The so-called black eye is caused by bleeding beneath the skin and around the eye...
. Krieger stated in several interviews given after Morrison's death that Morrison had given him the black eye during a confrontation, inadvertently referencing the song's original title. The group is backed by the Nelson Riddle
Nelson Riddle
Nelson Smock Riddle, Jr. was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid 1980s...
Orchestra, plus Curtis Amy
Curtis Amy
Curtis Amy was an American West Coast jazz musician known for his work on tenor saxophone. He also explored many mediums, including soul jazz and hard bop.-Biography:...
duplicating the saxophone solo he also performed on the studio version.
Versions
The Guess WhoThe Guess Who
The Guess Who are a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Initially gaining recognition in Canada, they also found international success from the late 1960s through the mid-1970s with numerous hit singles, including "American Woman", "These Eyes" and "Share the Land"...
covered the song.
Ian Astbury
Ian Astbury
Ian Astbury is an English rock musician and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist for the rock band, The Cult.-Pre-Cult:...
covered the song for the Doors tribute album, Stoned Immaculate: The Music of the Doors
Stoned Immaculate: The Music of the Doors
Stoned Immaculate: The Music of The Doors is a tribute album dedicated to The Doors. Producer Ralph Sall gathered an assortment of new, classic and iconic artists for the record. Unusually, the surviving members of The Doors played on this "tribute" record. In addition, recordings of Jim Morrison...
.
In Oliver Stone
Oliver Stone
William Oliver Stone is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Stone became well known in the late 1980s and the early 1990s for directing a series of films about the Vietnam War, for which he had previously participated as an infantry soldier. His work frequently focuses on...
's 1991 biopic The Doors
The Doors (film)
The Doors is a 1991 biopic about the 1960s-1970s rock band of the same name which emphasizes the life of its lead singer, Jim Morrison. It was directed by Oliver Stone, and stars Val Kilmer as Morrison, Meg Ryan as Pamela Courson , Kyle MacLachlan as Ray Manzarek, Frank Whaley as Robby Krieger,...
, Jim Morrison is portrayed as having modified the lyrics at a concert while drunk to make the song about oral sex
Oral sex
Oral sex is sexual activity involving the stimulation of the genitalia of a sex partner by the use of the mouth, tongue, teeth or throat. Cunnilingus refers to oral sex performed on females while fellatio refer to oral sex performed on males. Anilingus refers to oral stimulation of a person's anus...
.
The song was also featured in the 2003 film School of Rock
School of Rock
School of Rock, also called The School of Rock, is a 2003 American musical comedy film directed by Richard Linklater, written by Mike White, and starring Jack Black...
when Jack Black
Jack Black (actor)
Thomas Jacob "Jack" Black is an American comedian, actor and musician. He makes up one half of the comedy and satirical rock duo Tenacious D. The group has two albums as well as a television series and a film. His acting career is extensive, starring primarily as bumbling, cocky, but internally...
's character teaches a child how to play the keyboard. It is included in the film's soundtrack
School of Rock (soundtrack album)
- Awards :The soundtrack was nominated for the Grammy Awards of 2004 for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media.-Charts:...
.
Ajax Allusion
At the end of the song, Morrison can be heard saying, "Stronger than dirt," which was the slogan of the Ajax household cleaning company, because the last four notes of "Touch Me" were the same as those in an Ajax commercial and as a mocking criticism of Krieger, John DensmoreJohn Densmore
John Paul Densmore is an American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the drummer of the rock group The Doors.-Early life and The Doors:Born in Los Angeles, Densmore attended Santa Monica City College and Cal...
, and Ray Manzarek
Ray Manzarek
Raymond Daniel Manzarek, Jr., better known as Ray Manzarek , is an American musician, singer, producer, film director, writer, co-founder and keyboardist of The Doors from 1965 to 1973, Nite City from 1977–1978 and Manzarek-Krieger since 2001.Manzarek is listed #4 on Digital Dreamdoor's "100...
wanting to accept an offer from Buick
Buick
Buick is a premium brand of General Motors . Buick models are sold in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, Taiwan, and Israel, with China being its largest market. Buick holds the distinction as the oldest active American make...
to use "Light My Fire
Light My Fire
"Light My Fire" is a song by The Doors which was recorded in August 1966 and released the first week of January 1967 on the Doors' debut album. Released as a single in April, it spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and one week on the Cash Box Top 100, nearly a year after...
" in a commercial. The deal was aborted when Morrison opposed it. This vocal was omitted on the single version which was a different mix.
Chart positions
| Chart (1969) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Kent Music Report Kent Music Report The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998... |
10 |
| Canadian RPM RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... Top Singles |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
3 |
| U.S. Cashbox Top 100 | 1 |