"The Bad Touch" is a song by American alternative rock band Bloodhound Gang. It was released in September 1999 as the second single from their third studio album, Hooray for Boobies, which was released the following year in the United States and United Kingdom. In most territories, the song was released as the first single from the album, as "Along Comes Mary" was issued only in German-speaking Europe.[5]
"The Bad Touch" became a hit in Europe throughout late 1999 and early 2000, reaching number one in Flanders, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Scotland, Spain, and Sweden. Outside Europe, the song peaked at number five in Australia, number four in New Zealand, number nine in Canada, and number 52 in the United States, charting on several charts. In Ireland, the song won a Meteor Music Award for Best Selling International Single – Group.[6] The song was remixed by many artists, including God Lives Underwater, KMFDM, and Eiffel 65.
Music videoedit
The song's video features the band dressed in "MonkeyRat" costumes with oversized ears, in numerous locations in Paris, including the Place de l'Estrapade, Avenue de Saxe, and Champ de Mars; the Eiffel Tower is visible in many shots. During the video, the band uses blowguns to shoot tranquilizer darts into the buttocks of four passing young women, then carry them away. They then use a fishing rod to dangle a croissant in front of a group of chefs, enticing them to follow. The band members dance around for a few seconds and then lure three chefs into following them. The band members swallow several mealworms before finding two effeminate gay men in a café, who are then beaten over the head with baguettes and knocked unconscious. A mime artist played by actor Jordan Prentice is captured in a net then thrown into a cage with the four women, three chefs and gay couple in a parody of animal-collectors capturing frightened specimens. The band leap around the cage, taunting their captives. As the song draws to an end, the prisoners are released and all dance together in formation in the street. The mime artist escapes and is run over by a speeding Renault 5 car driven by Lüpüs Thünder.
The uncensored version of the video shows the band playing with and eating a brown semi-liquid food, with the implication it is diarrhea, and a beginning which features them feigning sex in a doggy-style position rather than dancing as in the clean version. The violent capture of the gay couple is also missing from some versions.
Controversyedit
A scene in the video featuring a pair of gay men, who share french fries and are subsequently beaten by the band members with baguettes, was cut after it premiered.[7]GLAAD complained about the scene to MTV stating "a gay-bashing scene in any context in today's climate is not acceptable".[7] MTV reviewed the video and suggested to Geffen Records the scene be cut.[7] Lead singer Jimmy Pop commented: "I would give any gay man two tickets to the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical of his choice if he could describe exactly who's going to become violent based on that scene."[8]
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
^Hann, Michael (2008). The Guardian Book of Rock and Roll. London: Aurum Press. p. 132. The Bad Touch' by Bloodhound Gang 1999's out-of-character plunge into Euro disco found the Gang...
^Jeffries, David. "Bloodhound Gang". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved February 24, 2013. Titled just Hooray on the clean version, the album featured 'The Bad Touch,' an infectious dance-pop number...'
^"Bloodhound Gang's 'Bad Touch' Turns Clock Back Two Decades". MTV. April 21, 2000. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
^"Bloodhound Gang – Along Comes Mary" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
^"Meteor/IRMA Awards – 2001 Winners". IRMA. Archived from the original on December 29, 2001. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
^ abcSansone, Glen (2000). "Bloodhound Gang Edits Objectionable Video". CMJ New Music Report. 61 (658). CMJ Network: 4. ISSN 0890-0795. Retrieved March 27, 2013.
^Kenneally, Tim (2000). "Ask the Experts". Spin. 16 (6). SPIN Media LLC: 52. ISSN 0886-3032. Retrieved March 27, 2013.
^The Bad Touch (US 12-inch single disc sleeve). Bloodhound Gang. Jimmy Franks Recording Company. 1999. BG-005.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^The Bad Touch (European 12-inch single disc sleeve). Bloodhound Gang. Geffen Records. 2000. 497 270-1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^"Hitparada radia – 8/2000" (in Czech). IFPI CR. Archived from the original on March 3, 2000. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
^"Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 16, no. 52. December 25, 1999. p. 9. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
^"Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 16, no. 46. November 13, 1999. p. 9. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
^"European Radio Top 50" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 16, no. 12. November 20, 1999. p. 17. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved June 14, 2023 – via World Radio History.
^"Bloodhound Gang Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
^"Bloodhound Gang Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
^"Bloodhound Gang Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
^"Bloodhound Gang Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
^"Bloodhound Gang Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
^"Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
^"ARIA Top 100 Singles for 1999". ARIA. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
^"Jahreshitparade Singles 1999" (in German). Retrieved June 24, 2019.
^"Year in Focus – Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 1999" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17, no. 1. January 1, 2000. p. 11. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
^"Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 1999" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
^"Jaarlijsten 1999" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
^"End of Year Charts 1999". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
^"Årslista Singlar, 1999" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
^"Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1999" (in German). Retrieved June 24, 2019.
^"ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2000". ARIA. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
^"Jaaroverzichten 2000" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
^"Year in Focus – Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 2000" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17, no. 52. December 23, 2000. p. 9. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
^"Íslenski Listinn Topp 100". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). January 5, 2001. p. 10. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
^"Top 100 of 2000". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. Archived from the original on June 2, 2004. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
^"Tabla 16. CD-Singles Más Vendidos en 2000" [Best-Selling CD Singles in 2000] (in Spanish). AFYVE. p. 228. Retrieved June 8, 2021. Click on Música grabada.
^"Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2000" (in German). Retrieved June 24, 2019.
^"Yearly Best Selling Singles" (PDF). British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 24, 2010. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
^"Most Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 2000". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 8, no. 51. December 22, 2000. p. 54.
^"Most Played Modern Rock Songs of 2000". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 8, no. 51. December 22, 2000. p. 38.