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Touch

 
Album Review: Touch
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Touch

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  • Artist: Laura Branigan
  • Rating: StarStarHalf Star
  • Release Date: 1987 07
  • Total Time: 34:29
  • Type: Lyrics are included with the album
  • Genre: Rock

Review

Laura Branigan's fifth album, Touch, showed signs of maturity as she made a bid (that was not quite successful) for adult contemporary crossover -- a smart chance to take considering the longevity many A/C acts have. Her big, boomy voice is perfect for some of the moody ballads on this collection, such as "Over Love," "Meaning of the Word," and "Spirit of Love," but there are so many of those successfully evocative cuts that the dance songs don't fit as seamlessly as they should. That's not to say the upbeat tracks are not in good shape: The lead single, "Shattered Glass" (produced by Stock, Aitken, Waterman, who produced successful Bananarama and Kylie Minogue singles in the same period), and "Angels Calling" stand out; you can hardly hold back from caroling along. Synthesizer-heavy throughout, on both the slow and fast songs, the strings on the yearning "Cry Wolf" near the end of the album are welcome. The lyrics on many of the cuts are poetic and adult, making this atmospheric collection the best product she'd released so far; the material is far better suited to her voice -- which has never sounded better -- than the Europop she recorded prior to this. "The Power of Love" exhibits the weight she can convey in a whisper, while also giving her something to really sink her teeth into. Her voice being her strongest asset, Branigan never received the direction Celine Dion did, so she never achieved the same massive success, though her voice is equal in terms of power, beauty, and distinction. ~ Bryan Buss, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Over Love (Lyrics) Bob Marlette, Sue Shifrin Laura Branigan (3:47)
Shadow of Love (Lyrics) Bob Marlette, Sue Shifrin Laura Branigan (5:05)
Angels Calling Jan Mullaney Laura Branigan (3:47)
Meaning of the Word (Lyrics) Rick Palombi, Roy Freeland Laura Branigan (5:41)
Power of Love Jennifer Rush, Gunther Mende, Candy Derouge, Mary Susan Applegate Laura Branigan (5:26)
Shattered Glass Steve Coe, Bob Mitchell Laura Branigan (3:41)
Whatever I Do (Lyrics) Matt Aitken, Mike Stock Laura Branigan (4:01)
Spirit of Love Ellen Shipley, Rick Nowels, Billy Steinberg Laura Branigan (4:11)
Name Game (Lyrics) Lincoln Chase, Shirley Ellis Laura Branigan (4:50)
Touch (Lyrics) Bob Marlette, Sue Shifrin Laura Branigan (4:06)
Cry Wolf (Lyrics) Jude Johnstone Laura Branigan (4:49)
Statue in the Rain [*] Rick Palombi Laura Branigan (4:18)

Credits

Laura Branigan (Vocals), Laura Branigan (Vocals (Background)), Laura Branigan (Main Performer), Jeff Lorber (Arranger), Jeff Lorber (Keyboards), Jeff Lorber (Programming), Jeff Lorber (Drum Programming), Donna De Lory (Vocals (Background)), Matt Aitken (Guitar), Matt Aitken (Keyboards), Matt Aitken (Programming), Matt Aitken (Producer), Albert Cabrera (Producer), Albert Cabrera (Mixing), Carl Gordon (Vocals (Background)), Coral Gordon (Vocals (Background)), John Guess (Engineer), Peter Hammond (Mixing), Dennis Henson (Vocals (Background)), David J. Holman (Programming), David J. Holman (Engineer), David J. Holman (Mixing), David Kershenbaum (Producer), Michael Landau (Guitar), Michael Landau (Vocals), Mark Leggett (Guitar), Mark Leggett (Arranger), Mark Leggett (Keyboards), Mark Leggett (Drum Programming), Ray Leonard (Engineer), Dee Lewis (Vocals (Background)), A. Linn (Drums), Bob Ludwig (Mastering), Bob Marlette (Guitar), Bob Marlette (Arranger), Bob Marlette (Drums), Bob Marlette (Keyboards), Bob Marlette (Programming), Bob Marlette (Vocals), Bob Marlette (Drum Programming), Mark McGuire (Engineer), Tony Moran (Producer), Tony Moran (Mixing), John O'Hara (Keyboards), Rick Palombi (Arranger), Rick Palombi (Drums), Rick Palombi (Keyboards), Rick Palombi (Programming), Rick Palombi (Vocals (Background)), Rick Palombi (Drum Programming), Hugh Ragan (Hair Stylist), Kim Scharnberg (Strings), Kim Scharnberg (String Arrangements), Sue Shifrin (Vocals (Background)), Mike Stock (Keyboards), Mike Stock (Programming), Mike Stock (Vocals (Background)), Mike Stock (Producer), Andrew Thomas (Programming), Carlos Vega (Drums), Monalisa Young (Vocals (Background)), Waterman (Producer), Victoria Pearson (Photography), Janis Wilkins (Art Direction), Janis Wilkins (Design), John Nelson (Guitar), Cliff Jones (Engineer), Matt Aiken (Guitar), Matt Aiken (Keyboards)
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Artist: Touch
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Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Pop Artists

Group Members:

Kirk Powers, Mark Mangold, Glenn Kithcart, Doug Howard, Tommy Gunn, Craig Brooks, Greg Baze

Similar Artists:

Sahara Snow, Return 2 Zero
  • Genres: Rock
  • Representative Albums: "The Complete Works I & II," "Complete Works," "Touch"
  • Representative Songs: "Don't You Know What Love Is," "When the Spirit Moves You," "Never in Love"

Biography

Touch evolved from pomp trio American Tears, who recorded three records for Columbia in the '70s. Mark Mangold tickled the ivories and sang lead. Greg Baze slapped the bass and Tommy Gunn hit the drums. This lineup released two slabs comprised of Mangold's bombastic tunes. By the third LP, Powerhouse, Kirk Powers played bass and Glen Kithcart sat on the drum stool. This incarnation jelled better than the previous and Mangold kept the replacement drummer for his new band Touch. Now Doug Howard assumed bass duties and singing guitarist Craig Brooks jumped on board. Touch's eponymous inaugural contained several fine moments, as the strong vocal harmonies of Brooks finally suited Mangold's striking keyboards and songs. In 1980, the quartet played the first Donington Festival, where Howard accidentally swallowed a bee at the end of the set. "Don't You Know What Love Is" appeared on the resulting compilation, Monsters of Rock, but the debut album never took off, and Touch split, citing label and management problems. Todd Rundgren produced a follow-up that remains unreleased, although two songs surfaced on a later CD reissue of Touch. Mangold went on to work with Michael Bolton and Drive, She Said, among a myriad of others. ~ Doug Stone, All Music Guide
Wikipedia: Touch (Laura Branigan album)
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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
Touch
Studio album by Laura Branigan
Released July 1987
Genre Pop/Rock
Length 53:49
Label Atlantic
Producer Matt Aitken, Albert Cabrera, David Kershenbaum, Tony Moran,
Mike Stock, Pete Waterman
Professional reviews
Laura Branigan chronology
Hold Me
(1985)		 Touch
(1987)		 Laura Branigan
(1990)
Singles from Touch
  1. "Shattered Glass"
    Released: 1987
  2. "Power of Love"
    Released: 1987
  3. "Cry Wolf"
    Released: 1988

Touch is the fifth album by singer Laura Branigan, released in 1987 (see 1987 in music).

This album marked a change in Branigan's career. Under new management and using a different producer, the singer took a more active role in the studio, gaining hands-on experience which she would use to self-produce tracks on her subsequent albums. Touch also saw her return to dancefloors with the Stock/Aitken/Waterman-produced "Shattered Glass," one of her best Hi-NRG performances, and roar well into the Top Forty with a thunderous cover of Jennifer Rush's minor U.S. hit, "Power of Love," which closed out the year as one of the Top Twenty bestselling singles of the Christmas season. The exquisite "Cry Wolf" was the album's third single, which inspired an evocative video that captures the emotive singer as she moves from subdued and measured verses through bitter choruses, ultimately ending in rage, as she laments a loved one's self destruction but vows not to let it destroy her. The album's most organic production, and a powerful, straightforward performance by Branigan, it did not capture attention at pop radio but was a top 30 AC hit.

Contents

Track listing

  1. "Over Love" (Marlette, Shifrin) – 3:49
  2. "Shadow of Love" (Marlette, Shifrin) – 5:05
  3. "Angels Calling" (Mullaney, Stone) – 3:47
  4. "Meaning of the Word" (Freeland, Palombi) – 5:41
  5. "Power of Love" (Mary Susan Applegate, Candy DeRouge, Gunther Mende, Jennifer Rush) – 5:26
  6. "Shattered Glass" (Coe, Mitchell) – 3:41
  7. "Whatever I Do" (Mike Stock, Matt Aitken) – 4:01
  8. "Spirit of Love" (Nowels, Shipley, Steinberg) – 4:11
  9. "Name Game" (Lincoln Chase, Shirley Ellis) – 4:50
  10. "Touch" (Marlette, Shifrin) – 4:06
  11. "Cry Wolf" (Johnstone) – 4:49
  12. "Statue in the Rain" (Palombi, Garey) – 4:17

Personnel

  • Laura Branigan - vocals, background vocals
  • Matt Aitken - guitar, keyboards
  • Donna Delory - background vocals
  • Coral Gordon - background vocals
  • Dennis Henson - background vocals
  • Michael Landau - guitar
  • Mark Leggett - guitar, keyboards
  • Dee Lewis - background vocals
  • A. Linn - drums
  • Jeff Lorber - keyboards
  • Bob Marlette - guitar, drums, keyboards, vocals
  • John Nelson - guitar
  • John O'Hara - keyboards
  • Rick Palombi - drums, keyboards, background vocals
  • Kim Scharnberg - strings
  • Sue Shifrin - background vocals
  • Mike Stock - keyboards, background vocals
  • Carlos Vega - drums
  • Monalisa Young - background vocals

Production

  • Producers: Matt Aitken, Albert Cabrera, David Kershenbaum, Tony Moran, Mike Stock, Pete Waterman
  • Engineers: John Guess, David J. Holman, Cliff Jones, Ray Leonard, Mark McGuire
  • Mixing: Albert Cabrera, Peter Hammond, David J. Holman, Tony Moran
  • Mastering: Bob Ludwig
  • Programming: Matt Aitken, David J. Holman, Jeff Lorber, Bob Marlette, Rick Palombi, Mike Stock, Andrew Thomas
  • Drum programming: Jeff Lorber, Bob Marlette
  • Arranger: Mark Leggett, Jeff Lorber, Bob Marlette, Rick Palombi
  • Design: Janis Wilkins
  • Art Direction: Janis Wilkins
  • Photography: Victoria Pearson
  • Hair Stylist: Hugh Ragan

Charts

Album

Year Chart Position
1987 The Billboard 200 87

Singles

Year Single Chart Position
1987 "Shattered Glass" Hot Dance Music/Club Play 13
1987 "Shattered Glass" Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales 15
1987 "Shattered Glass" Adult Contemporary 27
1987 "Shattered Glass" The Billboard Hot 100 48
1987-88 "Power Of Love" Adult Contemporary 19
1987-88 "Power of Love" The Billboard Hot 100 26
1988 "Cry Wolf" Adult Contemporary XX|-


v • d • e
Laura Branigan
Studio albums
Compilations
Singles
"Looking Out for Number One" · "All Night With Me" · "Gloria" · "Solitaire" · "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" · "Self Control" · "The Lucky One" · "Ti Amo" · "Satisfaction" · "Spanish Eddie" · "Hold Me" · "I Found Someone" · "Shattered Glass" · "Power of Love" · "Cry Wolf" · "Moonlight on Water" · "Never in a Million Years" · "Love Your Girl" · "It's Been Hard Enough Getting Over You" · "How Can I Help You to Say Goodbye" · "Dim All the Lights" · "Self Control 2004" · "Gloria 2004"
Related articles

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

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Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Artist. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Touch (Laura Branigan album)".  Read more