Genitorturers -- "I Touch Myself" (2000)

A fool could see
Just how much I adore you
I get down on my knees
I'd do anything for you

And now for something completely different (to borrow the old Monty Python catchphrase).

According to the band's website, lead singer Gen (no last name) "gave birth to the concept of the Genitorturers while in college studying pre-med."  (The band was originally called The Festering Genitorturers, which was gilding the lily a bit, non?)  They debuted at a club in Cocoa Beach, Florida, in 1986, sharing the stage with Declared Ungovernable, Belching Penguins, and The Rhythm Pigs. 

The Genitorturers today

In 1993, Miles Copeland of IRS Records (he had discovered the Police -- his brother, Stewart, was a member -- R.E.M., the Go-Gos, and the Bangles) signed them and released their first album.  The band issued its fifth studio album, Blackheart Revolution, in 2009, but it appears that they are one of those bands you really need to see live to truly appreciate.  

The Genitorturers bill themselves as "The World's Sexiest Rock Band," and were once featured in a Hustler spread as "The Most Perverted Band in America."  If Alice Cooper and Marilyn Manson and White Zombie are a little tame for you, the Genitorturers might be just what the doctor ordered.

Here's a recent promotional video that will give you a taste of what one of their live performances looks and feels like.  

The Genitorturers' industrial metal take on "I Touch Myself" isn't bad -- although I can't say that the material and the performance are a match made in heaven.  From what I've read about their live performances generally, I'm sure they put this song to good use.

Here's "I Touch Myself" by the Genitorturers:

Bai Ling

And here's a bonus video of Bai Ling singing "I Touch Myself."  Bai Ling is a Chinese movie star who came to the US in 1991, and has appeared in a number of movies as well as the TV show Lost.

Bai Ling was a contestant on a VH1 show called But Can They Sing?, which featured nine celebrities (including Morgan Fairchild, Larry Holmes, and Carmine Gotti) in an American Idol-style singing competition.  She sang "Like A Virgin" and "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" and a couple of other songs before she was voted off, but was later invited to return for a special performance of  "I Touch Myself."  Here it is:

Here's a link you can use to buy the song from iTunes:

Here's a link you can use if you prefer Amazon: