Wait A Minute (Just A Touch)

Album: Shine (2007)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This track is based around a Screaming Jay Hawkins sample of "I Put A Spell On You," which was also used on Biggie Smalls' "Kick In The Door." Estelle told I Like Music how producer Will.I.Am came up with the idea for this song: "The vibe of the song is just hype. We were in with Will.I.Am and I said, 'I'm not leaving here without a hit. I'm not leaving here without some heat at the very least. Just hell no.' And he was being his eccentric self. He started playing samples and vibing. And I said, 'I wanna go to some old school hip hop s--t but I want to sing and make it real pretty.' And I had this idea that I was gonna do this song, 'Betty Bag had a bad attitude.' I was gonna use that. And he started vibing more and he said, 'what do you think about this?' And he pulled out 'bamp, bamp, bamp, bamp' [Estelle sings a famous hip-hop sample], the original. You've heard it on the Biggie tunes and whatnot, but I hadn't heard the original forever. So we were all walking round the room doing free steps in the room. It was all of that. From that energy he pulled it up and he just started making the beat right there and then, he starting vibing, bringing in the keys, bling, bling, bling."
  • In an interview with the Daily Mail Estelle added that executive producer John Legend suggested that she wrote for this song about a girl giving a guy "just a little piece" of her love. John Legend is featured in the music video.
  • Estelle explained that this track was the one she had the most fun laying down in the studio: "Just A Touch was the most fun. Because I say 'I ain't carrying your embryo' and it took me half an hour to put that line down, because embryo is such a funny word. When you start doing lyrics and stuff, you start listening to the way things sound and 'embryo' to me is hilarious. Embryo is funny, pantyhose is funny. There are some words and you break up the words and say them, it sounds stupid don't it? Same as the word 'balls' it just sounds funny. So we had lots of time laughing until I was like, 'everybody get out of the room, I've got to do this properly.' It was hilarious."
  • This was originally released as a single in 2007 but it failed to chart.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Shawn Mullins

Shawn MullinsSongwriter Interviews

"Lullaby" singer Shawn Mullins on "Beautiful Wreck," beating the Devil, and his writing credit on the Zac Brown Band song "Toes."

The Untold Story Of Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine

The Untold Story Of Fiona Apple's Extraordinary MachineSong Writing

Fiona's highly-anticipated third album almost didn't make it. Here's how it finally came together after two years and a leak.

Neal Smith - "I'm Eighteen"

Neal Smith - "I'm Eighteen"They're Playing My Song

With the band in danger of being dropped from their label, Alice Cooper drummer Neal Smith co-wrote the song that started their trek from horror show curiosity to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

"Stairway To Heaven" Lawsuit: A Timeline

"Stairway To Heaven" Lawsuit: A TimelineSong Writing

Untangling the events that led to the "Stairway To Heaven" lawsuit.

Vanessa Carlton

Vanessa CarltonSongwriter Interviews

The "A Thousand Miles" singer on what she thinks of her song being used in White Chicks and how she captured a song from a dream.

Allen Toussaint - "Southern Nights"

Allen Toussaint - "Southern Nights"They're Playing My Song

A song he wrote and recorded from "sheer spiritual inspiration," Allen's didn't think "Southern Nights" had hit potential until Glen Campbell took it to #1 two years later.