Hello, I Love You

"Hello, I Love You" is a song recorded by American rock band the Doors for their 1968 album Waiting for the Sun. Elektra Records released it as a single that same year, which topped the charts in the U.S. and Canada. Although the Doors are credited as the songwriters, songs by other artists have been identified as likely sources.

This article is about the Doors song. For the Roger Waters song, see Hello (I Love You).

"Hello, I Love You"
Single by the Doors
from the album Waiting for the Sun
B-side"Love Street"
ReleasedJune 1968
RecordedFebruary–May 1968
GenreRock
Length2:13
LabelElektra
Songwriter(s)The Doors
Producer(s)Paul A. Rothchild
The Doors singles chronology
"The Unknown Soldier"
(1968)		 "Hello, I Love You"
(1968)		 "Touch Me"
(1968)

Composition

"Hello, I Love You" was written and first recorded in 1965. It was one of six songs recorded by Rick & the Ravens (a forerunner of the Doors) at World Pacific Jazz studios that the group used to try to secure a record deal.[1]

Both the single and Waiting for the Sun liner notes list the song as a group composition; the performance rights organization ASCAP shows the writers as each of the individual Doors members.[2] The lyrics were inspired by a young black girl who Morrison saw at Venice Beach: "Do you hope to pluck this dusky jewel".[1]

Plagiarism controversy

In the liner notes to The Doors: Box Set, Robby Krieger denied allegations that the song's musical structure was stolen from Ray Davies, where a riff similar to it is featured in the Kinks' "All Day and All of the Night".[1] Instead, Krieger said the song's drum beat was taken from Cream's song "Sunshine of Your Love".[1] But Davies commented in a 2012 interview with Mojo magazine:

The funniest thing was when my publisher came to me on tour and said the Doors had used the riff for "All Day and All of the Night" for "Hello, I Love You". I said rather than sue them, can we just get them to own up? My publisher said, "They have, that’s why we should sue them!" (laughs) Jim Morrison admitted it, which to me was the most important thing. The most important thing, actually, is to take (the idea) somewhere else.[3]

In a 2014 interview with Rolling Stone, Davies suggested that an out-of-court settlement had been reached with the Doors.[4]

Stereo single

At the time the single was released, stereo 45 rpm records were generally unknown – especially in the Top 40 format. This recording by the Doors was promoted as the first rock 45 rpm record in stereo. It includes a long musical sweep about 1:20 into the song, starting at the left channel and panning across into the right channel, in a very ostentatious demonstration of stereo effect. This release, along with the Rascals' hit song, "A Beautiful Morning", are credited with initiating the industry changeover to stereo recordings as the norm for 45 rpm singles.[5] Early American pressings of the single used the title "Hello I Love You Won’t You Tell Me Your Name".[6]

Charts and certifications

The song spent two weeks at No. 1 and was also in the Top 5 at the same time as Jose Feliciano's version of "Light My Fire". This put two of the Doors' tunes simultaneously in the Top 5.[7]

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[16] Gold 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. Lane, Karen "Gilly". "The Doors, 'Hello, I Love You' – Lyrics Uncovered". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  2. "ACE Repertory: Hello I Love You (Work ID:380129048)". ASCAP. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  3. Locker, Melissa (August 21, 2013). "The Kinks 'All Day and All of the Night' (1964) vs. The Doors 'Hello, I Love You' (1968)". Time.com. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  4. Greene, Andy (November 27, 2014). "Ray Davies". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2017-06-10. My publisher wanted to sue. I was unwilling to do that. I think they cut a deal somewhere, but I don't know the details.
  5. Everett, Walter (May 2010). "'If You're Gonna Have a Hit': Intratextual Mixes and Edits of Pop Recordings". Popular Music. 29 (2): 233. doi:10.1017/s026114301000005x.
  6. "BBC Radio 2 - Sounds of the 60s - Brian's Weekly Sleevenotes - 19 July 14". bbc.co.uk. July 19, 2014. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  7. "The Doors: A Billboard Chart History | Billboard". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-02-09.
  8. Flavour of New Zealand, 27 September 1968
  9. "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  10. UK Official Charts, 3 September 1968
  11. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  12. "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, August 8, 1968". Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  13. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". collectionscanada.gc.ca.
  14. Musicoutfitters.com
  15. "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 28, 1968". Archived from the original on January 25, 2019. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  16. "American single certifications – Hello I, Love You (Won't You Tell Me Your Name?)". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
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