"Touch Me" was The Doors' most commercially successful single from The Soft Parade, reaching number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1969. The track features a blazing tenor saxophone solo by session musician Curtis Amy, whose jazz credentials brought a different instrumental voice to The Doors' sound. Amy's solo is passionate and muscular, his tone big and assertive as he tears through the song's chord changes in A minor with the kind of hard-blowing intensity more commonly heard on a jazz club bandstand than a pop record. The decision to feature a saxophone solo rather than a guitar break reflected the album's ambitious expansion of The Doors' instrumentation, with brass arrangements by Paul Harris adding orchestral color throughout. Written by Robby Krieger, the song's catchy melody and driving arrangement made it an obvious single choice, and Amy's saxophone solo gives it a sophistication that elevates it above typical pop-rock fare. Ray Manzarek's keyboard work anchors the arrangement, while John Densmore's propulsive drumming drives the song forward. The track demonstrates that The Doors could successfully incorporate outside musicians into their sound without losing their essential identity.
