Touch Sensitive (album)
| Touch Sensitive | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Bruce Foxton | ||||
| Released | 12 May 1984 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Label | Arista | |||
| Producer |
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| Bruce Foxton chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Touch Sensitive | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
| Record Collector | [2] |
Touch Sensitive is the debut solo studio album by the English rock singer-songwriter and bass guitarist Bruce Foxton. It was originally released in 1984, by the record label Arista. Two tracks, "It Makes Me Wonder" and "Trying To Forget You (Vocal Mix)" were co-written by Foxton and Pete Glenister. The remainder of the songs are credited solely to Foxton himself. In March of the same year, fellow Jam counterpart Paul Weller released his first official studio album with the band The Style Council, titled Café Bleu. The album was notably his last recording of original material for twenty-eight years, until he released Back in the Room in 2012. Keen to establish himself as a solo artist, after the breakup of The Jam Foxton enlisted the multiple-award winning producer Steve Lillywhite to give the album a contemporary sound.
On release, Touch Sensitive received a mixed critical reception on release and retrospectively, which have included criticism that it was too commercial in contrast to his work with The Jam. The album peaked at number 68 on the UK albums chart.[3] Three singles were issued from Touch Sensitive: "Freak", "This is the Way", and "It Makes Me Wonder". The album's lead single, "Freak" was a minor success, peaking at number 23 in the UK. It also provided Foxton with his only Top 40 hit.
The album was re-released on 20 August 2001 on Cherry Red Records featuring rare bonus content. The reissue is a CD with the original album digitally remastered from the original 1/2" mix tapes; the bonus content consists of three associated B-sides, including cover versions of the songs "25 or 6 to 4" by Chicago and "Get Ready" by The Temptations, as well as the song "Sign of the Times", an out-take written by Foxton.
Background
When the Jam split in 1982, Foxton's confidence was very low, and he didn't know what to do. His publisher phoned him and gave him some confidence and so he had a go at writing some songs. His publisher then got a band together for him, and they recorded the album.
Some of the musicians working with Foxton were Andy Duncan, Stan Shaw, Anthony Thistlethwaite, Roddy Lorimer, Adrian Lillywhite, and Judd Lander.
The album wasn't bad, but there was no quality control. The label said they saw me as a solo artist and were behind me for four or five albums, they weren’t. It transpired they just wanted to cash in while I was still fresh in The Jam fans’ heads. Everything I was writing they would say, ‘Yeah, that’s great.’ I like four or five songs on the album, the rest were like a school report, could do better. But, it got me going again.
Critical reception
Reviewing for AllMusic critic Steve "Spaz" Schnee praised the album stating that the album features "top-notch pop songs with hooks galore" adding that "there are plenty of pure pop gems to satisfy any fan of '80s pop music".[5]
Track listing
Side one
All tracks written by Bruce Foxton, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Freak" | 3:28 |
| 2. | "It Makes Me Wonder" (Bruce Foxton, Pete Glenister) | 4:00 |
| 3. | "This is the Way" | 3:36 |
| 4. | "My Imagination (S.O.S.)" | 4:06 |
| 5. | "What I'd Give" | 5:16 |
Side two
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Whatever the Reason" | 4:35 |
| 7. | "You Make Me Laugh" | 3:17 |
| 8. | "Are You Ready To Talk" | 3:37 |
| 9. | "Trying To Forget You (Vocal Mix)" (Foxton, Glenister) | 5:28 |
| 10. | "Writing's on the Wall (Phase Mix)" | 4:46 |
- Additional tracks
| Bonus track on Cherry Red reissue | |||||||||||||
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Personnel
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[6]
- Bruce Foxton - lead vocals, bass guitar
- Additional personnel
- Pete Glenister - guitars
- Andy Duncan - drums
- Adrian Lillywhite - drums
- Stan Shaw - keyboards
- Anthony Thistlethwaite - saxophones
- Roddy Lorimer - flugelhorn, trumpet
- Judd Lander - harmonica
- Roger Downham - vibraphone
- Marek Lipski - electric violins
Chart performance
Album
| Year | Chart | Peak position |
Total weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | UK Albums Chart[7] | 68 | 4 |
Singles UK Singles Chart
| Year | Single | Chart | Peak position |
Total weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | "Freak" | UK Singles Chart | 23 | 5 |
| "This is the Way" | UK Singles Chart | 56 | 3 | |
| 1984 | "It Makes Me Wonder" | UK Singles Chart | 74 | 1 |
See also
References
- ↑ ASteve "Spaz" Schnee. "Touch Sensitive - Bruce Foxton | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-01-14.
- ↑ "Touch Sensitive - Record Collector Magazine". Recordcollectormag.com. 2011-05-26. Retrieved 2016-01-14.
- ↑ "BRUCE FOXTON | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2016-01-14.
- ↑ Chamberlain, Rich. "The Jam's Bruce Foxton: My 11 career-defining songs". MusicRadar. Retrieved 2016-01-14.
- ↑ Steve "Spaz" Schnee. "Touch Sensitive - Bruce Foxton | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-01-14.
- ↑ Touch Sensitive liner notes. Arista Records. 1984.
- ↑ "UK Singles & Albums Chart Archive". Chart Stats. Retrieved 2012-02-29.