"Lay Your Hands on Me" by Thompson Twins

Top 10 Alert!

Song#:  2475
Date:  09/21/1985
Debut:  56
Peak:  6
Weeks:  20
Genre:  Pop, New Wave



Pop Bits:  The Twins hit it big with their fourth studio album Into the Gap. It would be a double-platinum hit thanks to two Top 20 singles including the #3 "Hold Me Now." After a delay (see below), the band was able to finally record their follow-up LP Here's to Future Days. This first single was issued out in the US and it would go on to become the trio's second Top 10 hit. I would also do well at AC and Rock where it reached #14 on both charts while making a minor impact at Dance at #46.

ReduxReview:  Here's another great riff (the piano) and groove from the Twins with a grand chorus that is just hard to resist. In certain ways, it nearly combines the best elements of "Hold Me Now" and "Doctor! Doctor!," which is pretty great. I especially like when Bailey's voice quietly drifts off at the end of the bridge on "feel the magic of your touch..." It helps to make the chorus really explode. If pushed I'd have to say that this is probably my favorite song from the Twins. I also liked the album far better than Into the Gap, but it surprisingly didn't sell as well.

ReduxRating:  9/10

Trivia:  As the Twins began to work on their follow-up album to Into the Gap later in '84 with their producer Alex Sadkin, they recorded this song and got it issued out as a single in the UK. It did well getting to #13. However, prior to working on other songs for the album, the band decided they wanted to produce it on their own and split with Sadkin. They got the album set to go with a new single ready for release titled "Roll Over," but then Twins member Tom Bailey became ill and got sidelined. Due to that, the single was cancelled and the album put on hold. During the break the trio then decided that perhaps they needed some outside assistance and was able to secure in-demand producer Nile Rodgers. Rodgers and Bailey then co-produced the album and in doing so they revamped "Lay Your Hands on Me." This second version of the song was the one released as a single in the US. It was not reissued in the UK. Instead, another track was pushed out titled "Don't Mess with Doctor Dream," which got to #15. Their previous choice of a single, "Roll Over," was reworked and was included on the US version of the album. It did not appear in the UK version, which featured the song "Breakaway" instead.

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