Joan Jett says she has no plans to stop playing “Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah).” The song was co-written by Gary Glitter, who was convicted in the U.K. of sex offenses, including attempted rape of a girl under 13.
Jett initially covered the song for her 1973 debut solo album, Bad Reputation, and still performs the song in concert. In an interview with The Telegraph, Jett was asked if “what we now know about Glitter” doesn’t bother her and she replied, “Of course it bothers me.”
“But that’s not the context in which I’m singing it, number one,” she said. “Number two, if we want to start investigating everybody … [o]ne of my favorite bands is the Rolling Stones. Go listen to Starf*****, about a 15-year-old. I’m not condoning it at all,” referring to The Stones’ 1973 track, now called “Star Star.”
“And if you listen to the words I sing, I’m singing different words from what he’s saying. I try to make it my own,” she continued. “But am I going to drop it after the fact, after I’ve had my own career with the song? No. And if people want to come at me for that, do it. I’ve been come at for [more].”
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts are set to kick off a U.K. tour on July 2 in Glasgow, Scotland. A complete list of show dates can be found at JoanJett.com.
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