Sometimes When We Touch
Encyclopedia
Sometimes When We Touch is a 1977 ballad written by Dan Hill
(lyrics) and Barry Mann
(music) on the album Longer Fuse
, but was also released as a single
in 1978. It was Hill's biggest hit, peaking at #3 on the US Billboard
Hot 100. Musicians included Larrie Londin
(drums), Bob Mann (guitar), Don Potter
(guitar), Tom Scyzniak (bass). The record was produced by Fred Mollin and Matthew McCauley
, recorded at Manta Sound, Toronto. The song has long been controversial; notwithstanding its admirers, it has appeared on many "worst songs" lists; examples include #9 on the list of the worst 75 songs on the Pop Culture Madness website, and #40 on the list of AOL Radio
's 100 Worst Songs Ever, with Matthew Wilkening exclaiming, "There isn't enough room to run down the oversharing, self-mythologizing and total sissy-ness [sic
] displayed here."
UK dance singer Newton
also took the song into the top 40 in the UK (peaking at #32 in February 1996) and to #5 in Australia
, also in 1996. Newton's version went Gold in Australia.
Tina Turner
covered the song on her 1978 album Rough. The ska
band Five Iron Frenzy
also did a cover of this song as part of a "Medley"
during their farewell tour in 2004. There is also a version recorded in 1980 by Cleo Laine
and James Galway
. Tammy Wynette
covered the song in 1985 with country-pop singer Mark Gray. Their duet version peaked at No. 6 on the country singles chart in 1985. British singer Rod Stewart
recorded the song for his 1996 album If We Fall in Love Tonight
. Veteran British entertainer Tommy Steele
recorded this on his Family Album.
version of the lyrics, called När vi rör varann (When we touch each other), written by Ingela "Pling" Forsman
and recorded by Kikki Danielsson
in 1980 and Susanne Alfvengren
in 1984. När vi rör varann has become the signature song
for Susanne Alfvengren. The Monica Silverstrand version was at Svensktoppen 24 February-2 March 1980, with 9th and 6th places as results there.
Swedish Opera singer Loa Falkman
covered this song on his album Symfonin in 1990.
recorded a version for her 1978 album, Rough
. An Estonian language
version of the song (entitled "Puudutus") also exists. Often performed as a duet, the song has been covered by Koit Toome
and Maarja-Liis Ilus
among others. On Toome's acoustic greatest hits album, "Allikas", the song is present as a solo piece with the tune credited to "H. Dan".
Also in 1978, Lynn Anderson
covered the song in her album From the Inside
.
In 1979, Ginette Reno
covered the song in French ("Quand nos corps se touchent").
In 1996, Barry Manilow
covered the song for his compilation album, Summer of '78
.
Demis Roussos
, Double Live Featuring Sometimes When We Touch (1999). Demis Roussos also covered the song in Italian in 1980.
In early 2000, Engelbert Humperdinck
recorded it on his album Engelbert at his very best.
In 2003, this song was used in a Geico
commercial.
In April 2007, Donny Osmond
released a cover of this song on his solo studio album, Love Songs of the '70s
.
In late 2007, Ara Muna recorded it in Tagalog
version with Kapampangan
lyrics under the title "Kaluguran Da Ka" ("I love you").
Manny Pacquiao
sang this song on November 3, 2009 showing of the Jimmy Kimmel Live
show. This was Pacquiao's first guest appearance on an American late night TV talk show and his first singing performance on American TV. He would later revive this song on April 2011 as his single and reached number 19 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary top 20 list and has become the third most added song on radio playlists in the US.
Dan Hill
Daniel Grafton "Dan" Hill IV is a Canadian pop singer and songwriter. He had two major hits with his songs, "Sometimes When We Touch" and "Can't We Try," a duet with Vonda Shepard.-Early life and career:...
(lyrics) and Barry Mann
Barry Mann
Barry Mann is an American songwriter, and part of a successful songwriting partnership with his wife, Cynthia Weil.-Career:...
(music) on the album Longer Fuse
Longer Fuse
Longer Fuse is a 1977 album by Canadian pop singer Dan Hill.-Track listing:All songs written by Dan Hill unless otherwise stated.#"Sometimes When We Touch" #"14 Today" #"In the Name of Love"...
, but was also released as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in 1978. It was Hill's biggest hit, peaking at #3 on the US 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. Musicians included Larrie Londin
Larrie Londin
Ralph Gallant, better known by his stage name Larrie Londin , was an American drummer and session musician. Londin played with a wide range of artists including Journey and Steve Perry....
(drums), Bob Mann (guitar), Don Potter
Don Potter
Donald Steele Potter , was an English sculptor, wood carver, potter and teacher.-Early life:Don Potter was born in Newington, near Sittingbourne, Kent, the son of a school teacher, and attended a private school...
(guitar), Tom Scyzniak (bass). The record was produced by Fred Mollin and Matthew McCauley
Matthew McCauley (producer)
Matthew McCauley is an Emmy award winning composer and record producer, based in Los Angeles.Matthew McCauley is active in several sciences and is the cofounder of Ancient Egypt Research Associates which is based at the Harvard Semitic Museum.Established in 1985, AERA carries out excavations and...
, recorded at Manta Sound, Toronto. The song has long been controversial; notwithstanding its admirers, it has appeared on many "worst songs" lists; examples include #9 on the list of the worst 75 songs on the Pop Culture Madness website, and #40 on the list of AOL Radio
AOL Radio
AOL Radio powered by Slacker, , is an online radio service available only in the United States.- Roots :...
's 100 Worst Songs Ever, with Matthew Wilkening exclaiming, "There isn't enough room to run down the oversharing, self-mythologizing and total sissy-ness [sic
Sic
Sic—generally inside square brackets, [sic], and occasionally parentheses, —when added just after a quote or reprinted text, indicates the passage appears exactly as in the original source...
] displayed here."
UK dance singer Newton
Newton (Billy Myers)
Newton is the stage name for the UK firefighter turned pop singer, Billy Myers .-Career:Newton scored a number of club and chart hits in the 1990s. His first hit "Sky High" was a cover of the 1975 hit by Jigsaw, that was produced by Mike Stock and Matt Aitken. His other club hits were remakes and...
also took the song into the top 40 in the UK (peaking at #32 in February 1996) and to #5 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...
, also in 1996. Newton's version went Gold in Australia.
Tina Turner
Tina Turner
Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
covered the song on her 1978 album Rough. The ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
band Five Iron Frenzy
Five Iron Frenzy
Five Iron Frenzy is a Christian ska band formed in Denver, Colorado in 1995 and disbanded in 2003. The band announced they were recording new material on November 22, 2011....
also did a cover of this song as part of a "Medley"
Medley (Five Iron Frenzy song)
Medley is a musical piece performed only during Five Iron Frenzy's final 60 live shows. Like the rest of The End Is Here, it was recorded at their final show in Denver, Colorado on November 22nd, 2003...
during their farewell tour in 2004. There is also a version recorded in 1980 by Cleo Laine
Cleo Laine
Dame Cleo Laine, Lady Dankworth, DBE is a jazz singer and an actress, noted for her scat singing and vocal range...
and James Galway
James Galway
- External links : IMGArtists.com 15 September 2008. AllAboutJazz.com 5 August 2008.*...
. Tammy Wynette
Tammy Wynette
Virginia Wynette Pugh, known professionally as Tammy Wynette , was an American country music singer-songwriter and one of the genre's best-known artists and biggest-selling female vocalists....
covered the song in 1985 with country-pop singer Mark Gray. Their duet version peaked at No. 6 on the country singles chart in 1985. British singer Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
recorded the song for his 1996 album If We Fall in Love Tonight
If We Fall in Love Tonight
If We Fall in Love Tonight is a ballad album released by Rod Stewart on November 1, 1996 . It includes mostly previously released songs. The album was released in both the US and UK, though the versions differ slightly. It was released by Warner Bros. Records following the release of a similar...
. Veteran British entertainer Tommy Steele
Tommy Steele
Tommy Steele OBE , is an English entertainer. Steele is widely regarded as Britain's first teen idol and rock and roll star.-Singer:...
recorded this on his Family Album.
När vi rör varann
There is a SwedishSwedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
version of the lyrics, called När vi rör varann (When we touch each other), written by Ingela "Pling" Forsman
Ingela Forsman
Ingela Birgitta "Pling" Forsman is a Swedish lyricist in popular music. 1981–2009, 33 of her songs have competed in the Swedish Melodifestivalen, three of them winners: Bra vibrationer , Se på mej and Kärleken är...
and recorded by Kikki Danielsson
Kikki Danielsson
Ann-Kristin "Kikki" Danielsson is a Swedish country, dansband and pop singer. Sometimes, she also plays the accordion and she has also written some lyrics. She is also famous for yodeling in some songs. Kikki Danielsson gained her largest popularity in the Nordic region from the late 1970s until...
in 1980 and Susanne Alfvengren
Susanne Alfvengren
Susanne Alfvengren, born Susanne Irene Lund on 12 February 1959 in Visby, Gotland, Sweden is a Swedish singer. In 1984, Susanne Alfvengren had a hit with När vi rör varann. Another hit by her was Magneter. She participated in Melodifestivalen 2009....
in 1984. När vi rör varann has become the signature song
Signature song
A signature song is the one song that a popular and well-established singer or band is most closely identified with or best known for, even if they have had success with a variety of songs...
for Susanne Alfvengren. The Monica Silverstrand version was at Svensktoppen 24 February-2 March 1980, with 9th and 6th places as results there.
Swedish Opera singer Loa Falkman
Loa Falkman
Carl-Johan Falkman is a Swedish baritone singer and actor.After studying music, Falkman made his first major performance on the Royal Swedish Opera in 1973....
covered this song on his album Symfonin in 1990.
Other versions
Tina TurnerTina Turner
Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
recorded a version for her 1978 album, Rough
Rough (album)
Rough is Tina Turner's third solo album, released in September 1978 on the EMI label in the UK, Ariola Records in West Germany and United Artists in the United States.-Overview:...
. An Estonian language
Estonian language
Estonian is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1.1 million people in Estonia and tens of thousands in various émigré communities...
version of the song (entitled "Puudutus") also exists. Often performed as a duet, the song has been covered by Koit Toome
Koit Toome
Koit Toome is an Estonian singer and musical actor.-Career:In late 1994 the highly successful pop duo Code One consisting of Koit Toome and Sirli Hiius was formed by the producer Mikk Targo...
and Maarja-Liis Ilus
Maarja-Liis Ilus
Maarja-Liis Ilus, sometimes better known by her performing name Maarja is a pop musician. Maarja has achieved some chart success in a number of countries across Europe and Asia...
among others. On Toome's acoustic greatest hits album, "Allikas", the song is present as a solo piece with the tune credited to "H. Dan".
Also in 1978, Lynn Anderson
Lynn Anderson
Lynn Rene Anderson is an American country music singer and equestrian known for a string of hits throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, most notably her Grammy Award-winning, worldwide mega-hit, " Rose Garden." Helped by her regular exposure on national television, Anderson was one of the most...
covered the song in her album From the Inside
From the Inside (Lynn Anderson album)
From the Inside is the name of a studio album by country music singer Lynn Anderson, released in 1978. Although well-reviewed in Stereo Review and other publications, the album proved to be the least successful of her career at Columbia Records and her only album for the label not to make the...
.
In 1979, Ginette Reno
Ginette Reno
Ginette Reno, OC, CQ is a French-Canadian author, composer, singer, and actress. She is known by the nickname .Born as Ginette Reynault in Montreal, Quebec, she played the role of Maria Barberini in the independent film Mambo Italiano and played the mother in Léolo.She has recorded in both...
covered the song in French ("Quand nos corps se touchent").
In 1996, Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, and performer, best known for such recordings as "Could It Be Magic", "Mandy", "Can't Smile Without You", and "Copacabana ."...
covered the song for his compilation album, Summer of '78
Summer of '78
Summer of '78 is an album by singer-songwriter Barry Manilow, released in 1996. The album was a collections of popular songs mostly from the 1970s, and was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee.- Track listing :#"Summer Of '78" - 1:48...
.
Demis Roussos
Demis Roussos
Artemios Ventouris Roussos is a Greek singer and performer, best known for being the main musical partner of movie soundtrack composer Vangelis and a string of international hit records as a solo performer in the 1960s and 1970s...
, Double Live Featuring Sometimes When We Touch (1999). Demis Roussos also covered the song in Italian in 1980.
In early 2000, Engelbert Humperdinck
Engelbert Humperdinck (singer)
Engelbert Humperdinck is a British pop singer, best known for his hits including "Release Me " and "After the Lovin'" as well as "The Last Waltz" .-Early life:...
recorded it on his album Engelbert at his very best.
In 2003, this song was used in a Geico
GEICO
The Government Employees Insurance Company is an auto insurance company. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway that as of 2007 provided coverage for more than 10 million motor vehicles owned by more than 9 million policy holders. GEICO writes private passenger automobile insurance...
commercial.
In April 2007, Donny Osmond
Donny Osmond
Donald Clark "Donny" Osmond is an American singer, musician, actor, dancer, radio personality, and former teen idol. Osmond has also been a talk and game show host, record producer and author. In the mid 1960s, he and four of his elder brothers gained fame as the Osmond Brothers on the long...
released a cover of this song on his solo studio album, Love Songs of the '70s
Donny Osmond discography
This article documents the discography of American pop music singer, Donny Osmond.-Solo studio albums:The Osmond's 60s and 70s albums have never been released on CD legitimately in any country. Several 2 for 1 bootleg collections have been released on all of the original catalogue. Most notably the...
.
In late 2007, Ara Muna recorded it in Tagalog
Tagalog language
Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
version with Kapampangan
Kapampangan language
The Pampangan language, or Kapampangan , is one of the major languages of the Philippines. It is the language spoken in the province of Pampanga, the southern half of the province of Tarlac and the northern portion of the province of Bataan. Kapampangan is also understood in some barangays of...
lyrics under the title "Kaluguran Da Ka" ("I love you").
Manny Pacquiao
Manny Pacquiao
Emmanuel "Manny" Dapidran Pacquiao, PLH is a Filipino professional boxer and politician. He is the first eight-division world champion; having won six world titles, as well as the first to win the lineal championship in four different weight classes. He was named "Fighter of the Decade" for the...
sang this song on November 3, 2009 showing of the Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live! is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and broadcast on ABC.The nightly hour-long show made its debut on January 26, 2003, following Super Bowl XXXVII. Jimmy Kimmel Live! is produced by Jackhole Productions in association with ABC Studios...
show. This was Pacquiao's first guest appearance on an American late night TV talk show and his first singing performance on American TV. He would later revive this song on April 2011 as his single and reached number 19 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary top 20 list and has become the third most added song on radio playlists in the US.