Touch (Laura Branigan album)
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- Stock Aitken Waterman
- Albert Cabrera
- Tony Moranx|2=</?t[drh][ >]|nomatch=}}|Template:Main other}}Template:Main other}}
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.<ref name="Hot100">Template:Cite magazine</ref> 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.<ref name="Hot100"/> "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
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." <ref name="Billboard19610828">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
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."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
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."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The Canberra Times called it "a work of dazzling stylistic scope...Never before has Laura sounded this powerful and emotive. Never before has she seemed this much in control of her musical direction. With Touch, Laura Branigan proves that her artistry is only now reaching full bloom."<ref name="NLA 1990">Template:Cite news</ref>
Track listing
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. Template:Track listing Template:Track listing
Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Touch.<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref>
Musicians
- Laura Branigan – lead vocals Template:Small; background vocals Template:Small
- Bob Marlette – arrangements, drum programming, guitars, keyboards Template:Small; string arrangements Template:Small; additional keyboards Template:Small
- Sue Shifrin – background vocals Template:Small
- Andrew Thomas – PPG programming Template:Small
- Rick Palombi – arrangements, keyboards, drum programming, background vocals Template:Small
- Mark Leggett – keyboards Template:Small; arrangements, drum programming, guitars Template:Small
- Michael Landau – guitars Template:Small
- Dennis Henson – background vocals Template:Small
- Donna de Lory – background vocals Template:Small
- Mona Young – background vocals Template:Small
- Kim Scharnberg – string arrangements, conducting Template:Small
- Kenneth G. Kugler – copyist Template:Small
- 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 Template:Small
- John O'Hara – keyboards Template:Small
- Mike Stock – keyboards, Linn programming, background vocals Template:Small
- Matt Aitken – keyboards, Linn programming, guitars Template:Small
- A. Linn – drums Template:Small
- Dee Lewis – background vocals Template:Small
- Coral Gordon – background vocals Template:Small
- Jeff Lorber – arrangements, keyboards, drum programming Template:Small
- Students from St. Finbar School – background vocals Template:Small
- Carlos Vega – drums Template:Small
- John Nelson – guitars Template:Small
- David J. Holman – PPG programming Template:Small
Technical
- David Kershenbaum – production Template:Small
- Stock Aitken Waterman – production Template:Small
- Albert Cabrera – additional production, mix Template:Small
- Tony Moran – additional production, mix Template:Small
- John Guess – engineering Template:Small
- David J. Holman – additional engineering Template:Small; mixingTemplate:Efn Template:Small; engineering Template:Small
- Cliff Jones – additional engineering Template:Small
- Troy Krueger – additional engineering Template:Small; engineering Template:Small; second engineer
- Mark McGuire – engineering Template:Small
- Peter Hammond – mixing Template:Small
- Ray Leonard – second engineer
- Bob Ludwig – masteringTemplate:Efn
Artwork
- Janis Wilkins – art direction, design
- Victoria Pearson – photography
Charts
| Chart (1987) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> | 68 |
| US Cash Box Top 200 Albums<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> | 97 |