Single Stories: The Doors, HELLO, I LOVE YOU

By 1968, Jim Morrison and the Doors were at the peak of their commercial powers. The band's third studio album, Waiting for the Sun, was released on July 3, 1968. It flew to the #1 spot on the Billboard 200 for the week of September 7, 1968. It held onto the top position for three weeks in a row.

Kicking off the summer, the Doors released "Hello, I Love You" as the second single from the album in June 1968. The song's pounding beat, catchy melody and quick runtime (the track clocks in at an economical 2:13) made it an instant hit with radio listeners. "Hello, I Love You," began a swift chart ascension, peaking at #1 for the week of August 3, 1968. It held the top spot for two weeks before being dethroned by The Rascals' "People Got to Be Free."

The song has an interesting connection with the Kinks, in that it's believed by some that "Hello, I Love You" is a direct rip of "All Day and All of the Night." Count Jim Morrison among those people.

"The funniest thing was when my publisher came to me on tour and said The Doors had used the riff for 'All Day And All Of The Night' for 'Hello, I Love You,'" Ray Davies told Mojo in 2013. "I said rather than sue them, can't we just get them to own up? My publisher said, 'They have, that's why we should sue them!' (laughs) Jim Morrison admitted it, which to me was the most important thing. The most important thing, actually, is to take (the idea) somewhere else."

"Hello, I Love You" was the Doors' second and last #1 on the Hot 100, following "Light My Fire."