Touch Me When We're Dancing

"Touch Me When We're Dancing" is a song written by Terry Skinner, J. L. Wallace and Ken Bell. Skinner and Wallace headed the Muscle Shoals, Alabama session group Bama,[1] who first recorded this song and released it as a single in 1979 reaching number 42 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart and number 86 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song was later recorded by The Carpenters in 1981 for their Made in America album. In 1984, it was recorded by country music artists Mickey Gilley and Charly McClain for their 1984 duet album It Takes Believers and in 1986 by the country music group Alabama.

Bama version

The version by Bama was produced by Jim Vienneau and released on the Free Flight label. It received a positive review in Billboard which praised the "smooth production" and said that the song "allows the group to achieve a strong identity".[2]

Carpenters' version
"Touch Me When We're Dancing"
Touch Me When We're Dancing resembles the "Made in America" cover.
Single by Carpenters
from the album Made in America
B-side"Because We Are in Love (The Wedding Song)"
ReleasedJune 19, 1981
Recorded1980–1981
GenrePop
Length3:19
LabelA&M
2344
Songwriter(s)Ken Bell, Terry Skinner and J. L. Wallace
Producer(s)Richard Carpenter
Carpenters singles chronology
"I Believe You"
(1978)		 "Touch Me When We're Dancing"
(1981)		 "(Want You) Back in My Life Again"
(1981)

The Carpenters' version of "Touch Me When We're Dancing" was released on their Made in America album in the summer of 1981. Placing at number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100, it was the last of their singles to reach the Top 40 after not having a song appear on that chart for over three years. It was also their fifteenth (and final) number-one song on the adult contemporary chart.[3] The B-side, "Because We Are in Love", was played at Karen Carpenter's wedding to Thomas Burris on August 31, 1980.

Music video

The video for "Touch Me When Were Dancing" can be found on The Carpenters video collection Gold. The video consists of Karen Carpenter singing and slowly dancing by her brother Richard Carpenter's piano. Footage of a couple dancing is superimposed onto Richard's black piano, as is a view from behind Richard of his hands as he plays. In the background are the guitar player and the drummer.

Chart positions
Chart (1981) Peak
position
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[4] 4
US Billboard Hot 100[5] 16
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[6] 1
Australian Singles Chart 78

Credits and personnel

Alabama version
"Touch Me When We're Dancing"
Single by Alabama
from the album The Touch
B-side"Hanging Up My Travlin' Shoes"
ReleasedSeptember 12, 1986
Recorded1986
GenreCountry
Length3:43
LabelRCA Nashville
Songwriter(s)Ken Bell, Terry Skinner and J. L. Wallace
Producer(s)Harold Shedd and Alabama
Alabama singles chronology
"She and I"
(1985)		 "Touch Me When We're Dancing"
(1986)		 "Deep River Woman"
(1986)
Music video
"Touch Me When We're Dancing" at CMT.com

The Alabama version was released in September 1986 as the first single from the album The Touch. It went on to become a number one hit on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart later that year, their 20th straight chart-topper in a string that dated back to 1980.[7] A music video was made for the song, and was directed by Marc Ball.

Chart positions
Chart (1986) Peak
position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[8] 1
Canadian RPM Country Tracks 1

References
  1. Kirby, Kip (29 September 1979). "Welk Beefing Up Publishing Group". Billboard. 91 (39): 10.
  2. Nielsen Business Media, Inc (28 July 1979). "First Time Around". Billboard: 59.
  3. Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 48.
  4. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1981-09-19. Retrieved 2019-02-15.
  5. "Carpenters Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  6. "Carpenters Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  7. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 19.
  8. "Alabama Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
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