Sometimes When We Touch – Dan Hill | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#3); 1978
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
While growing up in Toronto, Dan adsorbed the music of classic singers, such as Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Sarah Vaughn. He honed his skills on the coffeehouse circuit and released his first album in 1975.
Sales were strong in Canada, however, Dan went unnoticed in the States until a tune he’d written with Barry Mann – who’d penned many hits with Cynthia Weil – caught fire.
Released at the height of the disco craze, Sometimes When We Touch reached #3 the week of March 4th, 1978; the only non-Bee Gees production in the Top 5. Sometimes earned Dan a Canadian Juno award and Grammy nomination as Vocalist of the Year, and – over the years – took on a life of its own.
Mark Gray and Tammy Wynette’s country recording of Sometimes peaked at #6 in 1985, while Dan’s own version has appeared in numerous film soundtracks, including Moment By Moment, Raffle, and Superstar.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- Matthew McCauley
- Fred Mollin
Lyrics Written by:
- Dan Hill (lyrics)
- Barry Mann (music)
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).