TOUCH
Proto-Prog • United States
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Founded in Portland, USA in 1968 - Disbanded in 1969
TOUCH may have possibly been the first American progressive rock band, although there are counterclaims from supporters of equally neglected/forgotten United States Of America and now the hindsighted claims for ZAPPA & The MOTHERS OF INVENTION. However, (unlike USA and ZAPPA) on hearing much of TOUCH's small catalogue of progressive music one might be forgiven for saying it was influenced by the early British prog bands, but for the facts they were formed in the mid 60's and released their only complete album 'Touch' in early 1969 in the USA/mid 1969 in the UK. In other words their music, their ideas and their special album, predates CRIMSON's � In The Court � and the first RENAISSANCE album.
Lead by the former garage pop/rocker Don Gallucci, (inventor of the timeless Louie Louie keyboard riff in 1963 when 15, then with the Kingsmen), he brought together guitarist Joey Newman and vocalist Jeff Hawks into Don & The Goodtimes. With TV appearances, they had a pop hit � I Could Be So Good To You �. But exposed to more ambitious bands, such as JEFFERSON AIRPLANES and the BEATLES expanding the language of rock, and The GOODTIMES themselves increasing in their music maturity, Gallucci and Newman felt compelled to move away from the limitations of 3 minute pop songs. As a result the innovative, seminal and specifically, archetypal prog song, 75, was written in early 1967. Musically and name-wise Don & The Goodtimes metamorphosed into TOUCH, while their fans thought they looked and had gone weird. John Bordorano and Bruce Hauser were added on drums and bass respectively. By late 1967, (to quote the band) "they had freed themselves of musical suppression and had a release of pent up creativity resulted in a flood of new musical ideas, while hallucinogenic experiences and metaphysical philosophy had given those ideas shape". And also during the end of 1967/early 1968 they had recorded their eponymously titled album.
Praise for TOUCH's music came from many well known rock artists, e.g. Hendrix (who part bank rolled studio costs of the recording), and Mick Jagger. Glowing endorsements as to the influence of TOUCH have been made subsequently by Jon Anderson and Kerry Livgren - see the liner notes of the Renaissance Records reissue on CD. And the album as an import, was played heavily by the DJs in the London underground clubs - where future British prog stars relaxed in the early hours of the mor...read more
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TOUCH discography
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TOUCH top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)
4.02 | 113 ratings
Touch [Aka: 20-20 Sound] 1969 |
TOUCH Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)
TOUCH Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)
TOUCH Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)
TOUCH Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)
3.00 | 1 ratings
Miss Teach 1969 |
3.00 | 1 ratings
Ten Years After / Touch (split): Love Like A Man / Seventy-Five 1970 |
TOUCH Reviews
Showing last 10 reviews only
Touch Proto-Prog
Review by 365 Days of Prog
This album is a solid 5 STARS for me, I have heard it a few times now and each time it has grown more and more dear to me. At first, I was put off by this album because it was hard to find, the sound-quality was pretty bad and the cover looked really odd in my opinion. But, of course, I gave it a listen and was immediately hooked to it.
So when we usually talk about the beginnings of prog, we say that it was influenced by genres like jazz, blues and rock mostly, and that the combination of inspirations is what led to the creating of this new progressive genre. Well, this album encapsulates just that! This album FEELS like prog by all means but it is also sharing every bit of creative influence that has made it. Some sections on here are completely blues'y, some solos on here feel like they've been taken straight out of a late-night jazz session, and of course, everything is tied together by the rock arrangements and excellent playing of all the band members.
It is a shame that TOUCH have disbanded in the same year as they made this album, they could not even give it a proper tour. If they had done those things, they might have been better known today and not flung into obscurity and stay as a hidden treasure for prog-enthusiasts to discover. Instead, KING CRIMSON released their debut a little later and were crowned the forefathers of prog, when in actuality, TOUCH did it first. And might I add, even a tad better.
I can honestly find not faults in this piece of music, its bumps and cracks make it all the more epic and perfect. Truly my best discovery of this year so far! I am still on the fence on which song is my favourite, so I will just say that both "Friendly Birds" and "The Spiritual Death of Howard Greer" are my favourites by for two very different reasons.
So if you haven't given this gem a listen, please, do yourself a favour and go give it a listen.
-Naomi || 365 Days of Prog on YouTube
Touch Proto-Prog
Review by TenYearsAfter
Many years ago I got this reissue (from 2003) as a promo for a Dutch progrock magazine, I had never heard of this USA band, but on the Internet I read many positive reviews, close to euphoric. So I was very curious to the sound of this band. The included information sheet mentions: "Touch is classic psychedelic/proto progressive band album from 1969, featuring producer Don Galluci (Kingsmen and The Stooges)."
Listening to this CD I notice a proto prog climate (passion, creativity, eclectic, adventurous) that reminds me of contemporary late Sixties bands, like Vanilla Fudge, Colosseum, The Nice and The Moody Blues, and Classic Prog like King Crimson and Yes. The powerful Hammond organ sound in the opener We Feel Fine even evokes embryonal Yes its keyboard player Tony Kaye, along fiery guitarwork. Next Friendly Birds that sounds mellow, but halfway more lush and dynamic, topped with propulsive and sparkling piano runs. The other five tracks contain a lot of variety, embellished with compelling keyboard play, from Hammond floods to wonderful Grand piano (between tender, swinging and jazzy), a huge asset on the original LP. The Yes-like elements and the variety reminds me of Early British Progressive Movement beauty Fruupp, but Touch delivers a more raw sound.
In general Touch succeeds to keep my attention and I consider this band as a strong attempt to make original prog. But at some moments, especially on the five bonustracks, Touch sounds a bit unstructured. But I am pleased with the long bonustrack The Second Coming Of Suzanne (a movie soundtrack) featuring beautiful Mellotron flutes and delicate work on the harpsichord and piano.
The recording quality is far from optimal, but better than an average bootleg, I think here is done a good job with the remastering in the studio. And from the 80 minutes running time I enjoyed more than the 40 minutes of the original release. So in my opinion a well deserved reissue, from an interesting proto prog band from the late Sixties.
My rating: 3,5 stars.
Touch Proto-Prog
Review by
stefro
Prog Reviewer
STEFAN TURNER, STOKE NEWINGTON, 2012
Touch Proto-Prog
Review by groucho
Touch Proto-Prog
Review by
Mellotron Storm
Prog Reviewer
Kerry Livegren from KANSAS had this to say about TOUCH. "I first heard their music while driving back from a gig in western Kansas sometime in 1969 or 70. It was about 2am and I was listening to a powerful AM station out of Arkansas. I got about halfway through the song "Seventy Five" before I had to pull off the road and listen (it's been a long time since i've done that).The next day I bought two copies of their album, one to absorb and one for posterity.Their song writing, musicianship and arrangements were quite an inspriration to me.They were way ahead of their time, and one of the best American progressive bands". The music is good but I wouldn't consider this a 4 stars album by any means.
"The Spiritual Death Of Howard Greer" is my favourite although there is a poppy section around 5 minutes."Seventy Five" ends in an experimental manner which would have been unique for that time i'm sure. A good album that deserves to be heard just because of it's status as one of the first Prog albums.
Touch Proto-Prog
Review by jaydude214
Touch Proto-Prog
Review by RikyLopez
Touch Proto-Prog
Review by x_bruce
Touch is the story of a record label saying, "You won't tour for this album? Ok, we aren't promoting it anymore." And just like that, friends I said "run and get this album" couildn't find it, nor get it via ordering.
Just like that the industry cut it's nose to spite it's face.
So what was such a big deal abouit a band called Touch? Some here will bring up it's historical meaning, being the first U.S. Progressive Rock album, and make no mistake, it was progressive. One listen to "Friendly Birds" "The Spiritual Death Of Howard Greer", "Down At Circ's Place" and "Seventy Five" brought about changes sometimes touched on by Frank Zappa, such as the at the time - revolutionary arrangements and voicings of these songs and the absolute startling reality that what came next was at once thrilling and unique. Even by "Zappa" standards.
Instrumentation was mostly bass, drums, guitar and a Pipe Organ that would see the first serious creative use of effects we take standard for today such as reverb, or as in Touch's case, slabs of reverb and reversed reverb; globs of echo effects planned to explode at various sections of the song as orchestral segments written by the band were delegated to a drum kit attempting to emulate an orchestral set of kettle drums and Tam Tams while guitar and organ played horn sections.
Nothing like this existed as a rock recording, let alone any recording as of 1968. And that was just a 3 and a half minute song that started as lounge jazz, onto abstract jazz, followed by a Gil Evans on Acid by means of Stockhausen transition to orchestral sections barely understood most likely by Touch, let alone the recording company that smelled proffit on it's hands....and most likely would have gotten it had the band caved in and tried to play this virtually impossible to play music live and on television sans the studio effects necessary to replicate the sound Touch needed.
As a completest thank you, several tests in the studio are performed, and while pretty good, the small but very important effects prove to be a problem. And so a record company played hard-ball, made getting this amazing album difficult and making sure the band was all but dead until their contract expired years later.
But now we can hear Touch again and while it isn't 2006 production, the sound repair is amazing. As listeners remember this was recorded in 1968 and released in 1969. Prepare for a bit of age in the production process and give this masterpiece a chance. Normally I am very sad listening to the albums I liked as a kid.That's not the case with Touch, which is great via a decent stereo and astonishing with headphones. Touch was a bold album and stands the test of time. Sit back and listen to the beginnings of Progressive Rock; the beginnings of a whole new way of recording and of using the studio as a creative tool as well as taking keyboards, especially organs, and creating a new wall of sound.
There are few moments were such massive changes meet the technical minded and the audience at the same time. Best of all, you can live the moment the world changed and our favorite form of music was born.
Touch Proto-Prog
Review by antogall
Touch Proto-Prog
Review by
Garion81
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator
In 1968 a group of musicians from the West Coast of the United States came together to record this shinning example of what we now call symphonic prog rock. Yes, it immersed in the psychedelic sound and yes, has some extremely popish moments but in the end you can't deny that you have heard prog rock. This album is NOT proto-prog it is prog.
The keyboards played by Don Gallucci are certainly on par with what Keith Emerson was doing with the Nice at the same time some great organ sounds and piano. He uses a variety of organs to achieve different moods since that would be his only choice at the time. The arraignments are very symphonic especially when you consider the time.
I contend that when you listen to Friendly Birds you will hear the origins of Yes and Genesis. There are parts of Alisha and Others and Seventy Five where I swear it is Jon Anderson signing. (Part of this is born out in the liner notes where it states members of Yes consider this an early influence). I hear Pink Floyd and Kansas in other parts. (Again Kerry Livgren states Touch and the song seventy five were a major influence on his writing). I can hear where Uriah Heep were influenced in the music.
If anyone out there cares about the origins of this great music we embrace you cannot ignore this CD. Having undergone a re-master process an re-released a in 2003 by UK Eclectic records you now can experience this again. Find it Amazon among other stores.
It has been unburied and the legend of this CD has to come to light. This album was written and recorded in 1968 and released in early 1969 before In the Court of The Crimson King. Unlike Piper at the Gates of Dawn and Freak Out this music is very structured using classical and jazz influences as well as having some of trappings of the psychedelic bands of the time. In other words it sounds more like the music from the period of 1970-5 than the music that became before it. It was also written and recorded in Los Angeles, Ca not England.
The only reason this CD is not well known is because the group refused to tour and it faded quickly after a successful start in 1969 because the record company would no longer support it. It is too bad because there are a couple of live in the studio tracks in the bonus section which showed these fine musicians could have pulled it off on stage. If they had then this album would be the album everyone would point to.
Ignore it at your own peril when speaking of the beginnings of the genre. It is essential to everyone who listens to prog. 5 Stars