Touch was an American rock band from New York City formed in 1978. The band consists of Mark Mangold (songwriter and keyboards), Glen Kithcart (drums), and Craig Brooks (guitars) who had all previously been in the band American Tears and had released three albums under Columbia Records with the same name. This lineup was completed by their bassist, Doug Howard.[1]

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages) This article needs additional citations for verification. (April 2011) This article's tone or style may not reflect the encyclopedic tone used on Wikipedia. (April 2011)

History

1980: First Album

Their single, "Don't You Know What Love Is" reached #69 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 in some other places, as did their single "When The Spirit Moves You". However, the song was played heavily on AOR radio stations in the USA during the early 80s and did particularly well on a specialist Melody Maker chart in Great Britain. The band also released one eponymous album in 1980, and a second unreleased album produced by Todd Rundgren that was recorded in 1981-82.[1]

Touch was the first band to play at the inaugural Monsters of Rock festival at Castle Donington racetrack in 1980.[1] A live version of "Don't You Know What Love Is" also appeared on the compilation LP Monsters of Rock, documenting performances at the festival.[1]

Post Break-up

Mark Mangold has continued to write and record with and for other artists, with one of his earliest collaborators being a then-relatively unknown musician named Michael Bolton.[1] This working relationship began when Mangold co-wrote and performed on Bolton's first solo hit, "Fool's Game," which was featured on the latter artist's self-titled 1983 solo album. The song "I Found Someone," another collaboration with Bolton, was initially recorded by Laura Branigan, though it ultimately became a top-10 hit for Cher.

Furthermore, Craig Brooks also joined Mangold in the studio for Michael Bolton's solo album. In addition to being a fellow co-writer on "Fool's Game," Brooks performed guitar and backing vocals for the album. The following year, he also contributed by singing on Roger Glover's solo album, Mask.

Doug Howard has also continued to perform, record and write with acts and artists such as Todd Rundgren, Edgar Winter, Stun Leer, and Roy Buchanan as well as a member of Rundgren's Utopia (Howard is co-writer of the Utopia hit "Feet Don't Fail Me Now" and managing partner of Lodestar Entertainment.

2014: Reformation

In 2014, Mangold was asked to play Touch songs with a band assembled by the Firefest Festival, including Swedish singer Göran Edman as the lead vocals along with other Swedish musicians. This lineup performed live at the Firefest in Nottingham, UK in October 2014.[2]

2020—: New album

In 2020, Mangold announced that all four original members had reunited and were once again working on a new Touch album for release in late 2020. In October 2020, Mangold posted a new Touch song on their YouTube. The album, Tomorrow Never Comes, was later released on 6 March 2021.

Personnel

• Craig Brooks – guitars, vocals
• Mark Mangold – keyboards, vocals
• Doug Howard – bass guitar, vocals
• Glenn Kithcart – drums, percussion, vocals

Discography

Studio albums

• Touch (1980)
• Touch II (1982)
• Tomorrow Never Comes (2021)

Compilation albums

• The Complete Works I & II (1998)

References

External links

• MusicMight biography