Touch (Eurythmics album)

Touch
Studio album by Eurythmics
Released 14 November 1983
Recorded Summer 1983 at The Church, London
Genre New Wave, synthpop, experimental rock, electronica
Length 45:30
Label RCA Records
Producer David A. Stewart
Eurythmics chronology

Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
(1983)		 Touch
(1983)		 Touch Dance
(1984)
Singles from Touch
  1. "Who's That Girl?"
    Released: June 1983
  2. "Right by Your Side"
    Released: October 1983
  3. "Here Comes the Rain Again"
    Released: January 1984
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Smash Hits [1]
Allmusic [2]
Robert Christgau (B)[3]

Touch is the third studio album by the British new wave duo Eurythmics, released on 14 November 1983. The album was the duo's first UK number-one album, and also reached the top 10 in the US. It has since been certified Platinum in both the UK[4] and the US[5]. The album was listed in Rolling Stone's The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in 2003, and again in a revised list in 2012.

Background

By the time Touch was released, Eurythmics had achieved international success with their hit single "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" and their album of the same name. Preceded by the hit single "Who's That Girl?", Touch was recorded and mixed in only about three weeks at Eurythmics' own London studio facility, The Church.

A remix album, Touch Dance, was released in 1984.

Touch was also the first album to be released simultaneously on record and on the then-new CD format in the United States.

Album singles

The album featured the singles "Who's That Girl?" (#3 UK, #21 US), "Right by Your Side" (#10 UK, #29 US) and "Here Comes the Rain Again" (#8 UK, #4 US).

2005 Re-release

On 14 November 2005, SonyBMG repackaged and released Eurythmics' back catalog as "2005 Deluxe Edition Reissues." Each of their eight studio albums' original track listings were supplemented with bonus tracks and remixes.

Awards and honours

In 2012, the album was ranked number 493 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.[6] It had originally appeared at #500 on the 2003 version of the list. In 2012 the album ranked at #492 on a revised list. Slant Magazine listed the album at #47 on its list of "Best Albums of the 1980s".[7]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart, except "Fame" by David Bowie, Carlos Alomar and John Lennon and "ABC (Freeform)" by David A. Stewart, Timothy Wheater, Nadine Masseron. 

No. Title Length
1. "Here Comes the Rain Again"   4:54
2. "Regrets"   4:43
3. "Right By Your Side"   4:05
4. "Cool Blue"   4:48
5. "Who's That Girl?"   4:46
6. "The First Cut"   4:44
7. "Aqua"   4:36
8. "No Fear, No Hate, No Pain (No Broken Hearts)"   5:24
9. "Paint a Rumour"   7:30
2005 Special edition bonus tracks
No. Title Length
10. "You Take Some Lentils and You Take Some Rice"   3:01
11. "ABC (Freeform)"   2:36
12. "Plus Something Else"   5:20
13. "Paint a Rumour" (Long Version) 7:57
14. "Who's That Girl?" (Live) 3:28
15. "Here Comes the Rain Again" (Live) 3:07
16. "Fame"   2:39

Personnel

Eurythmics

Additional personnel

Live band for the accompanying tour included:

Production

Charts

Peak positions

Chart (1983/84) Peak
position
Australian Albums Chart[8] 4
Canadian Albums Chart[9] 3
Dutch Albums Chart[10] 9
French Albums Chart[11] 20
German Albums Chart[12] 9
Japanese Albums Chart[13] 71
New Zealand Albums Chart[14] 1
Norwegian Albums Chart[15] 8
Swedish Albums Chart[16] 9
Swiss Albums Chart[17] 14
UK Albums Chart[18] 1
U.S. Billboard 200[19] 7
U.S. Billboard R&B Albums Chart[20] 35

Year-end charts

Chart (1983) Position
French Albums Chart[21] 49
Chart (1984) Position
Australian Albums Chart[8] 12
Canadian Albums Chart[22] 13
Dutch Albums Chart[23] 38
U.S. Billboard 200[24] 27

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Germany (BVMI)[25] Gold 250,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[4] Platinum 300,000^
United States (RIAA)[5] Platinum 1,000,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

  1. ↑ "Anthony, Lisa (24 November 1983). "Album Reviews (Eurythmics - "Touch")". Smash Hits (EMAP Metro) 5 (24): p.27.
  2. ↑ Touch (Eurythmics album) at AllMusic
  3. ↑ "CG: Eurythmics". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 2011-08-12.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "British album certifications – Eurythmics – Touch". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Touch in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Click Search
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "American album certifications – Eurythmics – Touch". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
  6. ↑ "500 Greatest Albums: Touch - Eurythmics | Rolling Stone Music | Lists". rollingstone.com. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  7. ↑ Slant Magazine
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  9. ↑ "Results - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2011-06-09.
  10. ↑ Steffen Hung. "Eurythmics - Touch". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 2011-06-09.
  11. ↑ "InfoDisc : Tous les Albums classés par Artiste". Infodisc.fr. Retrieved 2011-08-12.
  12. ↑ "charts.de". charts.de. 14 November 2005. Retrieved 2011-06-09.
  13. ↑ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  14. ↑ Steffen Hung. "Eurythmics - Touch". charts.org.nz. Retrieved 2011-06-09.
  15. ↑ Steffen Hung. "Eurythmics - Touch". norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 2011-06-09.
  16. ↑ Steffen Hung. "Eurythmics - Touch". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 2011-06-09.
  17. ↑ Steffen Hung. "Eurythmics - Touch". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 2011-06-09.
  18. ↑ "Eurythmics - Touch". Chart Stats. 26 November 1983. Archived from the original on 2012-07-31. Retrieved 2011-06-09.
  19. ↑ "Eurythmics Album & Song Chart History | Billboard.com". billboard.com. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  20. ↑ "Eurythmics Album & Song Chart History | Billboard.com". billboard.com. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  21. ↑ "Les Albums (CD) de 1983 par InfoDisc" (PHP) (in French). infodisc.fr. Retrieved 2012-01-29.
  22. ↑ "RPM Top 100 Albums of 1984". RPM. Retrieved 2012-01-29.
  23. ↑ "Dutch charts jaaroverzichten 1984" (ASP) (in Dutch). Retrieved 2 April 2014.
  24. ↑ "Top Pop Albums of 1984". billboard.biz. 1984-12-31. Retrieved 2012-03-03.
  25. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Eurythmics; 'Touch')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
Preceded by
Thriller by Michael Jackson		 UK number one album
4 February 1984 – 17 February 1984 		Succeeded by
Sparkle in the Rain by Simple Minds