''Touch'' is the twenty-third

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records c ...

The Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group and a premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s. Founded as the Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successf ...

, released in the summer of 1971 on the

Motown Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...

label. It was the third and final LP under the supervision of Frank Wilson, who had been the group's main producer since 1970, when

Jean Terrell Velma Jean Terrell (born November 26, 1944) is an American R&B and jazz singer. She replaced Diana Ross as the lead singer of The Supremes in January 1970. Biography Early life and career She is the sister of the former WBA heavyweight box ...

joined as lead singer. The album also marked the first Motown contributions by composer-producer Leonard Caston, Jr. and writer-lyricist Kathleen Wakefield: " Nathan Jones", a hit single sung by all three members, which was later recorded by

Bananarama Bananarama are an English pop duo from London, formed as a trio in 1980 by friends Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey and Keren Woodward. Fahey left the group in 1988 and was replaced by Jacquie O'Sullivan until 1991, when the trio became a duo. T ...

, and "Love It Came to Me This Time". The album included contributions by several Motown artists and staff writers: "Here Comes the Sunrise" by actor-composer

Clifton Davis Clifton Duncan Davis (born October 4, 1945) is an American actor, singer, songwriter, minister, and author. Davis wrote The Jackson 5's No. 2 hit "Never Can Say Goodbye" in 1971. He appeared on Broadway in the musicals '' Two Gentlemen of Verona ...

(who had written "

Never Can Say Goodbye "Never Can Say Goodbye" is a song written by Clifton Davis and originally recorded by The Jackson 5. The song was originally written and intended for the Supremes; however, Motown decided it would be better for the Jackson 5. It was the first ...

" for

The Jackson 5 The Jackson 5 (sometimes stylized as the Jackson 5ive, also known as the Jacksons) are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and for most o ...

); Billy Page's "Johnny Raven" (recorded by

Kiki Dee Pauline Matthews (born 6 March 1947), better known by her stage name Kiki Dee, is an English singer. Known for her blue-eyed soul vocals, she was the first female singer from the UK to sign with Motown's Tamla Records. Dee is best known for h ...

in her 1970 Motown album), and "Have I Lost You" by

Pam Sawyer Pamela Joan Sawyer (born 1938) is a British songwriter/lyricist, who started writing songs in the mid-1960s and whose credits as a co-writer at Motown included " Love Child", " If I Were Your Woman", "My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left ...

and

Gloria Jones Gloria Richetta Jones (born October 19, 1945) is an American singer and songwriter who first found success in the United Kingdom, being recognized there as "The Queen of Northern Soul". She recorded the 1965 hit song " Tainted Love" and has w ...

. Wilson also recorded Jean Terrell's vocals to the backing track of a cover of

Laura Nyro Laura Nyro ( ; born Laura Nigro; October 18, 1947 – April 8, 1997) was an American songwriter, singer, and pianist. She achieved critical acclaim with her own recordings, particularly the albums ''Eli and the Thirteenth Confession'' (1968 ...

's "Time and Love" that Bones Howe had produced for

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups ...

, but that was shelved and remained unreleased until 2002. The other tracks were written by Sawyer and Wilson, including the opening and closing numbers, "This Is the Story" and "It's So Hard for Me to Say Goodbye"; "Happy (Is a Bumpy Road)", released as flip side of "Nathan Jones"; and the album title track, "

Touch In physiology, the somatosensory system is the network of neural structures in the brain and body that produce the perception of touch ( haptic perception), as well as temperature ( thermoception), body position (proprioception), and pain. It ...

", the first charting Supremes single to feature lead vocals by both Terrell and founding member Mary Wilson. The song missed the US top 40, peaking at #71, and it was later recorded by The Jackson 5. After this release, producer Frank Wilson went on to work with Motown artist

Eddie Kendricks Edward James Kendrick (December 17, 1939 – October 5, 1992), better known as Eddie Kendricks, was an American singer and songwriter. Noted for his distinctive falsetto singing style, Kendricks co-founded the Motown singing group the Temptation ...

. This album also contained liner notes written by Elton John.

Critical reception

In a contemporary review '' Cashbox'' published:

'What has been left unsaid about the fantastic Supremes? They make all the right moves. One great track follows another on their latest entry in the album field. If we had to pick favorites, we'd choose the smooth "Love It Came To Me This Time" and the exuberant "Here Comes The Sunrise." Among the other treats: the girls' big hit of "Nathan Jones" and a fine rendition of the Laura Nyro number, "Time And Love." Ten tunes in all get the benefit of the Supremes' touch. Should be a major chart item. '

Track listing

All lead vocals by

except where noted.

Personnel

– lead and background vocals * Mary Wilson – lead and background vocals *

Cindy Birdsong Cynthia Ann Birdsong (born December 15, 1939) is an American singer who became famous as a member of The Supremes in 1967, when she replaced co-founding member Florence Ballard. Birdsong had previously been a member of Patti LaBelle & The Blu ...

– background vocals *

The Blackberries The Blackberries were a female vocal trio composed of experienced backing vocalists. They backed various artists, including Pacific Gas & Electric (band), Pacific Gas & Electric, Humble Pie, Ringo Starr, and Pink Floyd. The Blackberries recorded ...

– background vocals * Frank Wilson – producer

Charts

References

The Supremes albums 1971 albums Albums produced by Frank Wilson (musician) Motown albums {{1970s-R&B-album-stub