''Touch Me There'' is the debut solo album by L. Shankar, released in 1979 on

Zappa Records Zappa Records is an American record label based in Los Angeles which was founded by Frank Zappa in 1977. It was mostly inactive during the 1980s and 1990s, but was revived in 2006 by the Zappa Family Trust. History In May 1976, Zappa ended his r ...

. Shankar performed acoustic and 5-string Barcus Berry

electric violin An electric violin is a violin equipped with an electronic output of its sound. The term most properly refers to an instrument intentionally made to be electrified with built-in pickups, usually with a solid body. It can also refer to a violin fi ...

Production

The album was produced by

Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American guitarist, composer, and bandleader. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa composed Rock music, rock, Pop music, pop, jazz, jazz fusion, orchestra ...

. He also served as the album's lyricist and who co-wrote, with Shankar, the music for the tracks "Dead Girls of London" and "No More Mr. Nice Girl." Shankar composed all the other music for the album and served as arranger and orchestrator. "Dead Girls Of London" was originally intended to be sung by

Van Morrison Sir George Ivan "Van" Morrison (born 31 August 1945) is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician whose recording career started in the 1960s. Morrison's albums have performed well in the UK and Ireland, with more than 40 reaching the UK ...

. He was signed to

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (known as Warner Bros. Records Inc. until 2019) is an American record label. A subsidiary of Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division ...

, who Zappa was in a legal dispute with at the time. Zappa was unable to release the song with Morrison's vocals, so it was re-recorded by Zappa and

Ike Willis Isaac Willis (born November 12, 1955) is an American vocalist and guitarist who was a regular member of Frank Zappa's studio and touring bands from 1978 until the last tour in 1988. He did not tour with Zappa in 1981 and 1982 because he wanted ...

. The original version later appeared on the compilation '' The Frank Zappa AAAFNRAAAAAM Birthday Bundle 2011''. Vicky Blumenthal provides the chorus on "Dead Girls Of London," "Knee-Deep In Heaters," and "No More Mr. Nice Girl," while Jenny Lautrec sings the lyrics to "Touch Me There," and Shankar himself sings the lyrics to the album's final track, "Knee-Deep In Heaters." "Dead Girls of London" was released as a 12" maxi single on September 24, 1979.

Release history

The album was released on Zappa Records in 1979, and was reissued on CD by

Barking Pumpkin Records Barking Pumpkin Records is an American record label founded by Frank Zappa in 1981. Zappa named the label after his wife's smoker's cough when she tried to quit the habit. Barking Pumpkin was initially distributed by CBS Records. History Zappa ...

in 1992. It was released on iTunes in 2012. The original album is credited to "L. Shankar", but on CD and iTunes, he is credited as "Shankar".

Reception

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

writer Ken Dryden called the album "uneven but worthwhile".

Track listing

Original vinyl release

(Zappa Records,

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...

) Side One: #Dead Girls Of London ( L. Shankar: Music,

: Lyrics, music) – 5:23 #Windy Morning (Shankar: Music) – 3:57 #Knee Deep in Heaters (Shankar: Music, F. Zappa: Lyrics) – 5:38 #Little Stinker (Shankar: Music) – 3:20 Side Two: #Darlene (Shankar: Music) – 2:56 #Touch Me There (Shankar: Music, F. Zappa: Lyrics) – 3:03 #No More Mr. Nice Girl (Shankar, F. Zappa) – 8:16 #Love Gone Away (Shankar: Music) – 3:33

CD reissue

(Barking Pumpkin Records,

1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...

) #Dead Girls Of London ( L. Shankar: Music,

: Lyrics, music) – 5:23 #Little Stinker (Shankar: Music) – 3:20 #Touch Me There (Shankar: Music, F. Zappa: Lyrics) – 3:03 #No More Mr. Nice Girl (Shankar, F. Zappa)– 8:16 #Love Gone Away (Shankar: Music) – 3:33 #Darlene (Shankar: Music) – 2:56 #Windy Morning (Shankar: Music) – 3:57 #Knee-Deep in Heaters (Shankar: Music, F. Zappa: Lyrics) – 5:38

Personnel

* L. Shankar – Acoustic violin, 5 string Barcus Berry electric violin and string orchestra. Vocals on "Knee Deep in Heaters" *

Phil Palmer Philip John Palmer (born 9 September 1952) is a British rock sideman and session guitarist who has toured, recorded, and worked with numerous artists. He is best known for his work with Eric Clapton and Dire Straits. Biography Palmer grew up ...

- Mandolin, acoustic and electric guitars *Dave Marquee - Bass * Simon Phillips - Drums * James Lascelles - Fender rhodes, organ, acoustic piano, synthesizer *Jack Emblow - Accordion on "No More Mr. Nice Girl" *Stucco Homes (

) - Vocals on "Dead Girls of London" *Vicky Blumenthal - Chorus on "Dead Girls of London," "Knee Deep in Heaters," "No More Mr. Nice Girl" *Jenny Lautrec - Vocals on "Touch Me There" *

- Vocals on "Dead Girls of London"

Production

* L. Shankar - Basic arrangement for "Little Stinker," "Love Gone Away" and "Darlene". Recording arrangement and orchestration for "Love Gone Away" * Ron Frangipane - Basic arrangement except on "Little Stinker" and "Darlene." Recording arrangement and orchestration for "Love Gone Away" *

- Producer, recording arrangements and orchestration except on "Love Gone Away" *Geoff Young - Engineer *Peter Wooldiscroft - Tape Operator *

Steve Nye Steve Nye is an English music producer for several artists. Career Nye started out as a tape op at AIR Studios in London in 1971, where producer Rupert Hine discovered him. There he got into engineering (and later producing) many well-known ...

- Engineer *Tim Cuthbertson - Tape Operator *Mick Glossop - Engineer *Alan Douglas - Tape Operator *Carol Friedman - Cover design & photography *Jonathan Pite - Photographer's assistant *Joseph D'Anna - Personal management

References

External links

L. Shankar - ''Touch Me There'' information
{{Authority control Lakshminarayana Shankar albums 1979 albums Zappa Records albums Albums produced by Frank Zappa