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Touch (Laura Branigan album)

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Touch
Studio album by
Laura Branigan
ReleasedJuly 7, 1987 (1987-07-07)
StudioPowertrax (Hollywood, California)
Genre
Length48:39
LabelAtlantic
Producer
Laura Branigan chronology
Hold Me
(1985) 		Touch
(1987) 		The Best of Laura Branigan
(1988)
Singles from Touch
  1. "Shattered Glass"
    Released: June 5, 1987
  2. "Power of Love"
    Released: October 1987
  3. "Spirit of Love"
    Released: 1987[1]
  4. "Cry Wolf"
    Released: 1988
  5. "Name Game"
    Released: 1988 (Philippines)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]

Touch is the fifth studio album by American singer Laura Branigan, released on July 7, 1987, by Atlantic Records. The album saw Branigan's return to dancefloors with the lead single, the Stock Aitken Waterman-produced "Shattered Glass", which was released in June 1987 and reached number 48 on the Billboard Hot 100.[3] The album's second single, a cover of Jennifer Rush's "Power of Love", was released in October 1987, peaking at number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100.[3] "Spirit of Love" was released as a single in Europe, while "Cry Wolf" served as the album's third single in the United States.

Reception

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In their review of the album, Billboard commented "pop songstress gets to showcase her strongest assets here: powerful, sustained vocals and convincing lyric interpretation. The results fit best with adult contemporary; album offers more ballads than usual. Best bets: "Shattered Glass," produced by Stock, Aitken, Waterman; "Over Love " and "Spirit Of Love." [4]

Cashbox praised the album, stating that "international favorite backs off of her signature disco sonics allowing her dramatic, often plaintive vocals to shine through. The song selection on Touch ranges from delicate, introspective heart surgeries to full force gale blowers on which she exercises the breadth of her amazing range."[5]

Allmusic noted that "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" 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."[6]

Track listing

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All tracks produced by David Kershenbaum, except "Shattered Glass" and "Whatever I Do", produced by Stock Aitken Waterman; additional production on "Name Game" by Albert Cabrera and Tony Moran.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Over Love"
3:44
2."Shadow of Love"
  • Shifrin
  • Marlette
5:05
3."Angels Calling"
  • Rosetta Stone
  • Jan Mullaney
3:49
4."Meaning of the Word"
  • Rick Palombi
  • Roy Freeland
5:41
5."Power of Love"
5:20
6."Shattered Glass"
  • Bob Mitchell
  • Steve Coe
3:40
7."Whatever I Do"
4:02
8."Spirit of Love"
4:11
9."Name Game"
4:10
10."Touch"
  • Shifrin
  • Marlette
4:09
11."Cry Wolf"Jude Johnstone4:48
Total length:48:39
CD bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."Statue in the Rain"
  • Rick Palombi
  • Mathew Garey
4:17
Total length:52:56

Personnel

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Credits adapted from the liner notes of Touch.[7]

Musicians

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  • Laura Branigan – lead vocals (all tracks); background vocals (tracks 1, 2, 8)
  • Bob Marlette – arrangements, drum programming, guitars, keyboards (tracks 1–3, 5, 10, 11); string arrangements (tracks 5, 11); additional keyboards (track 8)
  • Sue Shifrin – background vocals (tracks 1, 10)
  • Andrew Thomas – PPG programming (track 1)
  • Rick Palombi – arrangements, keyboards, drum programming, background vocals (tracks 4, 8)
  • Mark Leggett – keyboards (track 4); arrangements, drum programming, guitars (track 8)
  • Michael Landau – guitars (track 4)
  • Dennis Henson – background vocals (track 4)
  • Donna de Lory – background vocals (track 4)
  • Mona Young – background vocals (tracks 4, 10)
  • Kim Scharnberg – string arrangements, conducting (tracks 5, 11)
  • Kenneth G. Kugler – copyist (tracks 5, 11)
  • Julie Ann Gigante, Ralph D. Morrison III, Clayton Haslop, Alexander Horvath, R.F. Peterson, Arthur Zadinsky, Michael Nowak, Raymond J. Tischer II, Margot MacLaine, Armen Ksjikian, Dennis Karmazyn, Michael Matthews – strings (tracks 5, 11)
  • John O'Hara – keyboards (tracks 6, 7)
  • Mike Stock – keyboards, Linn programming, background vocals (tracks 6, 7)
  • Matt Aitken – keyboards, Linn programming, guitars (tracks 6, 7)
  • A. Linn – drums (tracks 6, 7)
  • Dee Lewis – background vocals (tracks 6, 7)
  • Coral Gordon – background vocals (tracks 6, 7)
  • Jeff Lorber – arrangements, keyboards, drum programming (track 9)
  • Students from St. Finbar School – background vocals (track 9)
  • Carlos Vega – drums (track 11)
  • John Nelson – guitars (track 11)
  • David J. Holman – PPG programming (tracks 2–11)

Technical

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  • David Kershenbaum – production (tracks 1–5, 8–11)
  • Stock Aitken Waterman – production (tracks 6, 7)
  • Albert Cabrera – additional production, mix (track 9)
  • Tony Moran – additional production, mix (track 9)
  • John Guess – engineering (tracks 1, 2, 4)
  • David J. Holman – additional engineering (tracks 1, 2, 4, 10); mixing[a] (tracks 1–5, 8–11); engineering (tracks 3, 5, 8, 9, 11)
  • Cliff Jones – additional engineering (track 2)
  • Troy Krueger – additional engineering (track 4); engineering (track 10); second engineer
  • Mark McGuire – engineering (tracks 6, 7)
  • Peter Hammond – mixing (tracks 6, 7)
  • Ray Leonard – second engineer
  • Bob Ludwig – mastering[b]

Artwork

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  • Janis Wilkins – art direction, design
  • Victoria Pearson – photography

Charts

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Chart performance for Touch
Chart (1987) Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[8] 68
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[9] 94
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[10] 20
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[11] 24
US Billboard 200[12] 87
US Cash Box Top 200 Albums[13] 97

Notes

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  1. ^ Mixed at Powertrax (Hollywood, California)
  2. ^ Mastered at Masterdisk (New York City)

References

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  1. ^ "Laura Branigan – Spirit of Love (1987, Vinyl)". Discogs.
  2. ^ Buss, Bryan. "Touch – Laura Branigan". AllMusic. Retrieved December 24, 2019.
  3. ^ a b "Laura Branigan Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 24, 2019.
  4. ^ "Album Reviews" (PDF). Billboard Music Week. No. 11 July 1987. p. 64. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  5. ^ "Album Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. No. 11 July 1987. p. 9. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  6. ^ "Touch - Laura Branigan | Album | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  7. ^ Touch (liner notes). Laura Branigan. Atlantic Records. 1987. 81747-1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 45. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  9. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0877". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved December 24, 2019.
  10. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Laura Branigan – Touch". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  11. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Laura Branigan – Touch". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 24, 2019.
  12. ^ "Laura Branigan Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 24, 2019.
  13. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Albums". Cash Box. Vol. LI, no. 11. September 5, 1987. p. 18. ISSN 0008-7289.
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