"Touch, Peel and Stand" is a song by the rock band Days of the New and the lead single from their self-titled debut album. It was released in 1997 and remains arguably the band's most popular and well known song. It was named, ″Greatest of All-Time Mainstream Rock Song″ by Billboard magazine.[2] The song reached #1 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and retained the spot for a then-record sixteen weeks. Shortly after this success, the song rose to #6 on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart, becoming their first Top 10 hit on the chart.

"Touch, Peel and Stand"
Single by Days of the New
from the album Days of the New
B-side
  • "Independent Slaves"
  • "Got to Be You"
ReleasedDecember 20, 1997[1]
Genre
Length4:57
LabelOutpost
Songwriter(s)Travis Meeks
Producer(s)Scott Litt
Days of the New singles chronology
"Touch, Peel and Stand"
(1997)
"The Down Town"
(1998)

"Touch, Peel and Stand" is known for its raw, acoustic feel and maintains considerable radio play to this day. Despite the fact that Travis Meeks writes the majority of the songs by Days of the New, and considers it his own personal project, he has praised Matt Taul's cymbal-heavy percussion in the song. In a 2008 interview, Meeks noted, "As far as I'm concerned, he owns the track."[3]

The cover art of the "Touch, Peel and Stand" CD single borrows a photograph from the band's debut album liner notes. This depicts the Wrestling Superstars figure of George "The Animal" Steele. The rubber figure is heavily battered with both his head and left arm torn off.

Music video

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The music video for "Touch, Peel and Stand", directed by Frank W. Ockenfels 3,[4] has a disgruntled young man (Lead Singer Travis Meeks' friend Levi Sulivan) watching TV in a filthy, rundown house. On the TV screen, the band is performing the song in a gray, open-spaced room and appears to acknowledge the man through the screen. He eventually becomes enraged and tosses furniture around the room before entering the bathroom and cutting off his long hair and shaving his head bald. Photos of the band are seen throughout his house. The man is eventually seen, with clothes neatly tucked in, facing a closed curtain while the band continues to perform in the TV screen.

Appearances

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The song was performed live on the Late Show with David Letterman on November 28, 1997.

"Touch, Peel and Stand" was featured on compilations like X-Games, Vol. 3 in 1998, Shine! in 2000, and Total Rock and Crossing All Over, Vol. 7 in 2002. It can also be found on the soundtrack to Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows released in 1999 and Days of the New: The Definitive Collection released March 2008.

The song appeared in the ninth episode of Dawson's Creek, originally airing on March 17, 1998.

In January 2006, the song was featured in a TV commercial for TLC's reality television program Beyond the Bull.[5]

Track listings

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The CD single, released in 1998, also includes two B-sides, "Independent Slaves" and "Got to be You." The former was also included on the Crow: Salvation soundtrack while the latter appeared on 2 Guitars, Bass & Drums: Songs For Survival.

  1. "Touch, Peel and Stand"
  2. "Independent Slaves"
  3. "Got to Be You"

Charts

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Chart (1997–1998) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[6] 38
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[7] 32
Canada Rock/Alternative (RPM)[8] 5
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[9] 35
Scotland (OCC)[10] 91
UK Singles (OCC)[11] 88
US Hot 100 Airplay (Billboard)[12] 57
US Mainstream Rock Tracks (Billboard)[13] 1
US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)[14] 6

Covers

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″Touch, Peel and Stand (Reimagined)″, in the style of NÜ-JAZZ (a fusion of house music and jazz) from the album, Wish You Were Brooklyn by Jonathan Hay on (Ingrooves (part of Virgin Music Group), a subsidiary of Universal Music Group.[15] Hay is a former business partner of Travis Meeks.[16]

References

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  1. ^ Steffen Hung. "Days Of The New - Touch, Peel And Stand". australian-charts.com. Retrieved 2022-08-09.
  2. ^ Rosalie Cabison (2021-06-02). "Greatest of All Time Mainstream Rock Songs – Billboard". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2023-06-14.
  3. ^ Herron, Matt "You're talking to a miracle - Travis Meeks heals one piece at a time" LEOWeekly.com (July 16, 2008). Retrieved on August 26, 2008.
  4. ^ "Touch, Peel And Stand | Days of the New | Music Video | MTV". www.mtv.com. Archived from the original on 2014-04-07.
  5. ^ "Beyond the Bull on TLC" Adtunes.com (December 30, 2005). Retrieved December 4, 2008.
  6. ^ "Days of the New – Touch, Peel and Stand". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  7. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 3389." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  8. ^ "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 3402." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  9. ^ "Days of the New – Touch, Peel and Stand". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  10. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  11. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  12. ^ "Billboard Hot 100 Airplay - December 12, 1997" (PDF). Billboard. Billboard. December 12, 1997. p. 177. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  13. ^ "Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks - October 04, 1997" (PDF). Billboard. Billboard. October 4, 1997. p. 101. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  14. ^ "Billboard Modern Rock Tracks - January 10, 1998" (PDF). Billboard. Billboard. January 10, 1998. p. 79. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  15. ^ Serna, Ben (13 June 2023). "Track Premiere: Jonathan Hay – Touch Peel and Stand (Nü-Jazz Mix) – The Toilet Ov Hell". Toiletovhell.com. Retrieved 2023-06-14.
  16. ^ "DAYS OF THE NEW Frontman Slams Former Business Partner, Announces 'Full-On Metal' Project". 8 January 2003.