Hello, I Love You

Last updated

"Hello, I Love You"
HelloILoveYou45.jpg
Single by the Doors
from the album Waiting for the Sun
B-side "Love Street"
ReleasedJune 11, 1968 (1968-06-11) by Nipper Music Co., Inc. [1]
RecordedFebruary–May 1968
Genre
Length2:13
Label Elektra
Songwriter(s) The Doors [1]
Producer(s) Paul A. Rothchild
The Doors singles chronology
"The Unknown Soldier"
(1968)
"Hello, I Love You"
(1968)
"Touch Me"
(1968)

"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.

Contents

Apart from the single's success, a portion of the band's fans have dismissed the tune, arguing that it does not represent the Doors sound, due to its commercial nature and shallow lyrics. [4]

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. [5] The lyrics were inspired by a young black girl whom Jim Morrison saw at Venice Beach: "Do you hope to pluck this dusky jewel". [5]

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. [6] The majority of the track's structure is notated in the key of A Major. [7]

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". [5] [8] Instead, Krieger said the song's drum beat was taken from Cream's song "Sunshine of Your Love". [5] [8] 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. [9]

In a 2014 interview with Rolling Stone , Davies suggested that an out-of-court settlement had been reached with the Doors. [10] Keyboardist Ray Manzarek, admitted in an interview with Musician magazine that it was "a lot like a Kinks song." [11]

Release and charts

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 one of the first rock 45 rpm records in stereo. [12] 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. [13] Early American pressings of the single used the title "Hello I Love You Won’t You Tell Me Your Name". [14]

Reception

In a 1968 interview, Morrison said, "Sure, 'Hello, I Love You' isn't one of our best songs, but I am not ashamed of it. Really I like the other side better. I was hoping they would flip it and play that, but they haven't.” [15] The single was declared by Billboard as a "solid dance beat throughout." [16] Cash Box said that it is "a steady paced blues track with explosive close (and a stereo gimmick)." [17] Record World said that "The Doors have fun with [the song] and so will their teen following." [18]

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. [19] On its first appearance on the Canadian charts it was listed under the B-side title. [20]

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [31] Gold1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<i>Waiting for the Sun</i> 1968 studio album by the Doors

Waiting for the Sun is the third studio album by the American rock band the Doors, released by Elektra Records on July 3, 1968. The album's 11 tracks were recorded between late 1967 and May 1968 mostly at TTG Studios in Los Angeles. It became the band's only number one album, topping the Billboard 200 for four weeks, while also including their second US number one single, "Hello, I Love You". The first single released off the record was "The Unknown Soldier", which peaked at number 39 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also became the band's first hit album in the UK, where it reached number 16.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magic Carpet Ride (Steppenwolf song)</span> 1968 single by Steppenwolf

"Magic Carpet Ride" is a rock song written by John Kay and Rushton Moreve from the Canadian-American hard rock band Steppenwolf. The song was initially released in 1968 on the album The Second. It was the lead single from that album, peaking at number three in the US, and staying in the charts for 16 weeks, longer than any other Steppenwolf song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Really Got Me</span> 1964 single by the Kinks

"You Really Got Me" is a song by English rock band the Kinks, written by frontman Ray Davies. The song, originally performed in a more blues-orientated style, was inspired by artists such as Lead Belly and Big Bill Broonzy. Two song versions were recorded, with the second performance used for the final single. Although it was rumoured that future Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page had performed the song's guitar solo, this has been debunked.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Child (song)</span> 1968 single by Diana Ross & the Supremes

"Love Child" is a 1968 song released by the Motown label for Diana Ross & the Supremes. The second single and title track from their album Love Child, it became the Supremes' 11th number-one single in the United States, where it sold 500,000 copies in its first week and 2 million copies by year's end.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Touch Me (The Doors song)</span> 1968 single by The Doors

"Touch Me" is a song by the Doors from their 1969 album The Soft Parade. Written by guitarist Robby Krieger in late 1968, it makes extensive use of brass and string instruments, including a solo by featured saxophonist Curtis Amy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dancing in the Street</span> 1964 single performed by Martha and the Vandellas

"Dancing in the Street" is a song written by Marvin Gaye, William "Mickey" Stevenson and Ivy Jo Hunter. It first became popular in 1964 when recorded by Martha and the Vandellas whose version reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and peaked at No. 4 in the UK Singles Chart. It is one of Motown's signature songs and is the group's premier signature song. A 1966 cover by the Mamas & the Papas was a minor hit on the Hot 100 reaching No. 73. In 1982, the rock group Van Halen took their cover of "Dancing in the Street" to No. 38 on the Hot 100 chart and No. 15 in Canada on the RPM chart. A 1985 duet cover by David Bowie and Mick Jagger charted at No. 1 in the UK and reached No. 7 in the US. The song has been covered by many other artists, including The Kinks, Tages, Black Oak Arkansas, Grateful Dead, Little Richard, Myra and Karen Carpenter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lola (song)</span> 1970 song by The Kinks

"Lola" is a song by the English rock band The Kinks, written by frontman Ray Davies for their 1970 album Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One. The song details a romantic encounter between a young man and a possible cross-dresser or trans woman, whom he meets in a club in Soho, London. In the song, the narrator describes his confusion towards Lola, who "walked like a woman but talked like a man", yet he remains infatuated with her.

<i>Kinda Kinks</i> 1965 studio album by the Kinks

Kinda Kinks is the second studio album by the English rock band the Kinks. It was released on 5 March 1965 in the United Kingdom by Pye Records. The original United States release, issued by Reprise Records on 11 August 1965, omits three tracks and substitutes the singles "Set Me Free" and "Ev'rybody's Gonna Be Happy". Recorded and released within two weeks after returning from a tour in Asia, Ray Davies and the band were not satisfied with the production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apeman (song)</span> 1970 single by the Kinks

"Apeman" is a 1970 song by the English rock band the Kinks. It was written by Ray Davies and appears on the album Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green Tambourine</span> 1967 single by the Lemon Pipers

"Green Tambourine" is a song written and composed by Paul Leka and Shelley Pinz. It was the biggest hit by the 1960s Ohio-based rock group the Lemon Pipers, as well as the title track of their debut album, Green Tambourine. The song was one of the first psychedelic pop chart-toppers and became a gold record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Day and All of the Night</span> 1964 single by the Kinks

"All Day and All of the Night" is a song by the English rock band the Kinks from 1964. Released as a single, it reached No. 2 in the UK on the Record Retailer chart and No. 7 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1965. The song was included on the Kinksize Hits EP in the UK and the Kinks' second American album, Kinks-Size (1965).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hello (Lionel Richie song)</span> 1984 song by Lionel Richie

"Hello" is a song by American singer and songwriter Lionel Richie. Taken as the third single from his second solo album, Can't Slow Down (1983), the song was released in 1984 and reached number one on three Billboard music charts: the pop chart, the R&B chart, and the Adult Contemporary chart. The song also went to number one on the UK Singles Chart for six weeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunny Afternoon</span> 1966 single by the Kinks

"Sunny Afternoon" is a song by the Kinks, written by frontman Ray Davies. The track later featured on the Face to Face album as well as being the title track for their 1967 compilation album. Like its contemporary "Taxman" by the Beatles, the song references the high levels of progressive tax taken by the British Labour government of Harold Wilson, although it does so through the lens of an unsympathetic aristocrat bemoaning the loss of his vast unearned wealth. Its strong music hall flavour and lyrical focus was part of a stylistic departure for the band, which had risen to fame in 1964–65 with a series of hard-driving, power-chord rock hits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tired of Waiting for You</span> 1965 single by the Kinks

"Tired of Waiting for You" is a song by the English rock band the Kinks. It was released as a single on 15 January 1965 in the UK and on 17 February 1965 in the US. The single reached number one in the UK and number six in the US. It then appeared on their second studio album, Kinda Kinks. It was the group's highest-charting single in the US - tied with "Come Dancing", which achieved the same chart position eighteen years later in 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dedicated Follower of Fashion</span> 1966 single by the Kinks

"Dedicated Follower of Fashion" is a 1966 song by British band the Kinks. It lampoons the contemporary British fashion scene and mod culture in general. Originally released as a single, it has been included on many of the band's later albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Set Me Free (The Kinks song)</span> 1965 single by the Kinks

"Set Me Free" is a song by Ray Davies, released first by the Kinks in 1965. Along with "Tired of Waiting for You", it is one of band's first attempts at a softer, more introspective sound. The song's B-side, "I Need You", makes prominent use of powerchords in the style of the Kinks' early, "raunchy" sound. "Set Me Free" was heard in the Ken Loach-directed Up the Junction, a BBC Wednesday Play which aired in November 1965; this marked the first appearance of a Kinks song on a film or TV soundtrack.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Till the End of the Day</span> 1965 single by the Kinks

"Till the End of the Day" is a song by the Kinks, written by Ray Davies and released as a single in 1965 and later on their album The Kink Kontroversy. It centres on a power chord, like many of the group's early hits, and was similarly successful, reaching number eight in the United Kingdom and number 50 in the United States, spending eight weeks or more in each chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dead End Street (song)</span> 1966 single by the Kinks

"Dead End Street" is a song by the British band the Kinks from 1966, written by main songwriter Ray Davies. Like many other songs written by Davies, it is to some degree influenced by British Music Hall. The bass playing was partly inspired by the "twangy" sound of Duane Eddy's guitar. It was originally released as a non-album single, but has since been included as one of several bonus tracks from the Face to Face CD. The song, like many others by the group, deals with the poverty and misery found in the lower classes of English society.

<i>Kinks-Size</i> 1965 studio album by the Kinks

Kinks-Size is a studio album by the English rock band the Kinks, released as their second album in the United States. It was issued by Reprise Records in March 1965 in both mono and simulated stereo formats. It peaked at number 13 on the Billboard album chart in the third week of June 1965, the same week the Kinks began their first US tour. It is the Kinks' fourth-highest charting album on the Billboard album chart and the second-highest of their 1960s albums. The album ranked number 78 on Billboard's year-end album chart for 1965.

<i>Kinkdom</i> 1965 studio album by the Kinks

Kinkdom is a studio album by the English rock band the Kinks, released as their fourth album in the United States. It was issued by Reprise Records on 24 November 1965 in both mono and simulated stereo formats. It peaked at number 47 on the Billboard album chart.

References

  1. Luhrssen, David; Larson, Michael (2017). Encyclopedia of Classic Rock. ABC-CLIO. p. 97. ISBN   978-1440835148. Also on Waiting for the Sun was the brisk rocker 'Hello, I Love You' ...
  2. 1 2 Planer, Lindsay. "The Doors – 'Hello, I Love You'". AllMusic . Retrieved April 14, 2021. This very pop-oriented tune also demonstrates the multiplicity of the Doors as both a definitive envelope-pushing and conscious-shattering psychedelic band and a straight-ahead '60s pop/rock combo.
  3. Botnick, Bruce; Williams, Paul (2007). "Introduction by original Doors engineer-producer". Waiting for the Sun (CD booklet). Rhino Records. p. 7.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Lane, Karen "Gilly" (8 December 2011). "The Doors, 'Hello, I Love You' – Lyrics Uncovered". Ultimate Classic Rock . Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  5. "ACE Repertory: Hello I Love You (Work ID:380129048)". ASCAP . Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  6. "Digital Sheet Music – The Doors – 'Hello, I Love You'". Musicnotes.com. Sony/ATV Music Publishing. 22 October 2012. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  7. 1 2 The Doors: Box Set (Liner notes). The Doors. Elektra Records. 1997. 62123-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. Locker, Melissa (August 21, 2013). "The Kinks 'All Day and All of the Night' (1964) vs. The Doors 'Hello, I Love You' (1968)". Time . Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  9. Greene, Andy (November 27, 2014). "Ray Davies". Rolling Stone . Retrieved June 10, 2017. 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.
  10. Swanson, Dave (July 11, 2013). "How the Doors Scored Their Only No. 1 LP with Waiting for the Sun". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  11. Grow, Kory (July 30, 2018). "Hear the Doors' Rare 'Hello, I Love You' Rough Mix". Rolling Stone . Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  12. 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. S2CID   162240986.
  13. "BBC Radio 2 - Sounds of the 60s - Brian's Weekly Sleevenotes - 19 July 14". bbc.co.uk. July 19, 2014. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  14. Rutherford, Glenn (October 17, 1968). "Elvis Influenced". Thedoors.com. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
  15. "Spotlight Singles" (PDF). Billboard. June 29, 1968. p. 95. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  16. "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. June 29, 1968. p. 20. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  17. "Single Picks of the Week" (PDF). Record World. July 6, 1968. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
  18. "The Doors: A Billboard Chart History | Billboard". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-02-09.
  19. "RPM Top 100 Singles - July 6, 1968" (PDF).
  20. Saulnier, Jason (23 April 2013). "The Doors Songs: Greatest Hits and Billboard Charts". Music Legends. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  21. Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. p. 127. ISBN   951-31-2503-3.
  22. "flavour of new zealand - search listener". Flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  23. "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  24. "DOORS | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  25. "The Doors Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  26. "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, August 8, 1968". Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  27. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca.
  28. "Top 100 Hits of 1968/Top 100 Songs of 1968". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  29. "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 28, 1968". Archived from the original on January 25, 2019. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  30. "American single certifications – Hello I, Love You (Won't You Tell Me Your Name?)". Recording Industry Association of America.