Today’s classic song of the day has a very, very long title. The song is “(If You Let Me Make Love to You Then) Why Can’t I Touch You?” by Ronnie Dyson, a Broadway singer who made his way onto the pop charts. It was released in February of 1970 and went to #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #9 on Billboard’s R&B chart.
“(If You Let Me Make Love to You Then) Why Can’t I Touch You?” was a song from Salvation, an off-Broadway rock musical. The song and the musical itself were written by Peter Link and C.C. Courtney. Courtney wrote the book and lyrics and Link did the music. Salvation was about a young man’s search for religion. It didn’t make it to Broadway.
Ronnie Dyson was a singer who got his start on Broadway—not in Salvation, but in Hair. He was just 18 when he got a lead role in Hair and only two years older when he recorded “(If You Let Me Make Love to You Then) Why Can’t I Touch You?” He also acted in Salvation, where he sang the song with the long title I refuse to type in full again. He continued acting and singing throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He died of heart failure at the too-young age of 40 in 1990.
