I Can't Even Touch You

"I Can't Even Touch You" was Harley's first release of new material since his 1979 album The Candidate. The song was first introduced live during Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel's 1981 Christmas tour, where Harley also featured two other new tracks; "Don't Shoot, Till You See The Whites Of Their Eyes" (a.k.a. "The Race Game") and "Not From Her World" (a cover of a 4 Out of 5 Doctors song). The recording and subsequent release of "I Can't Even Touch You" as a single came to fruition after Harley made a deal with Chris Wright, the founder and chairman of Chrysalis Records. The pair had met at the Sandown Park Racecourse, and as a result of a conversation there, Harley sent Wright the song's demo recording. Showing interest in the song, Wright then suggested that Midge Ure produce it.

The song was soon recorded with Ure in the producer's chair. In the studio, Alan Darby, Cockney Rebel's guitarist of the time, laid down the original eight-to-the-bar chugging rhythm part of the track. However, Ure thought it was slightly off-beat at times and therefore re-did the part himself. Darby played the lead guitar parts on the track. The piano and keyboards on the song were performed by Andy Qunta, later of Icehouse fame, who joined Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel in late 1981.[3]

Speaking to the Evening Express in March 1982, Harley said: "The only reason I haven't made records since The Candidate is that I have had nothing of merit to say. Who does, come to that, in rock 'n' roll? But I thought I'd wait until I met the right people to manage me, the right record company to record me and the right frame of mind to carry me through."[4]

Released in March 1982, "I Can't Even Touch You" was a commercial failure, failing to make an appearance on the UK Singles Chart. However, it did reach No. 132 on the Record Business Bubbling Under Singles chart on 5 April.[5] Both Chrysalis and fans of Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel had believed at the time that the song would become a hit.[6] It was Harley's only release that year and his only through Chrysalis.[7] Although not released in North America, the song gained some airplay on the Toronto rock radio station CFNY 102.1 in April–May 1982.[8]

"I Can't Even Touch You" was released by Chrysalis Records on 7" vinyl in the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Portugal.[9] The B-Side, "I Can Be Anyone", was also written by Harley and produced by Ure. It has remained exclusive to the single, having not appeared on any other release since.[9] "I Can Be Anyone" was first introduced live during Cockney Rebel's 1980 Christmas tour, along with two other new songs; "My Cold Heart" and "Such is Life". The single was released with a full colour picture sleeve, featuring a photograph of Harley.[10]

Following its release as a single, the song would later appear on three Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel compilations; 1999's The Cream of Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel,[11] 2006's The Cockney Rebel – A Steve Harley Anthology and 2008's The Best of Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel. It also appeared as a bonus track on the 2000 CD release of Harley's 1979 album The Candidate, released via Comeuppance Ltd.[12]

In the 27 March 1982 issue of the British music magazine Melody Maker, a full A4 black-and-white advert was displayed to promote the release of the new single. It featured the same photo of Harley as on the single's sleeve.[13]

The song has been performed live on a number of occasions. It was performed at Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel's 1984 concert at the Camden Palace, London, which was filmed for TV and released on the VHS Live from London in 1985.[14] In 1985, the same concert, including the song, was released on VHS, titled Live from London.[15][16][17][18] When the band returned to touring in 1989, the song was occasionally included in the set-list. Around 2004, the song was again reintroduced for a brief time,[19] and was performed live at the Glastonbury Festival in 2005.[20]

Upon release, Tim de Lisle of Smash Hits commented in a review of the single: "Produced, like Visage, by the tireless Midge Ure but beyond that there's not much else to be said for it. Pleasant, colourless and a far cry from his hits of the 70s."[21] Sunie Fletcher of Record Mirror commented: "Laidback rock music for (ahem) mature tastes, I suppose. Not mine, certainly, but the tune is very pretty and it's all very tasteful and that."[22] Brian Aitken of the Evening Express wrote: ""I Can't Even Touch You" may not be top ten material but it contains enough evidence to suggest that a fresh Steve Harley is ready for stardom again."[4]

In the unreleased 1991 book The Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel Story, author Hans Peters described the song as "a surrealistic love song".[6] In a review of the band's performance at the 2005 Glastonbury Festival, eFestivals writer Karen Morrison said: "..."When the Halo Slips" and "I Can't Even Touch You" follow with their full on keyboards and the applause is deafening."[23]

7" Single

1. "I Can't Even Touch You" - 4:04
2. "I Can Be Anyone" - 3:20

• Steve Harley - vocals
• Midge Ure - producer, rhythm guitar
• Alan Darby - lead guitar
• Andy Qunta - piano, keyboards[24]

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics