Human Touch

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This article is about the album by Bruce Springsteen. For other uses, see Human touch (disambiguation).
Human Touch
Bruce Springsteen - Human Touch - coverart - I.jpg
Studio album by Bruce Springsteen
Released March 31, 1992
Recorded September 1989 - March 1991
at A&M Studios
Genre Rock
Length 58:49
Label Columbia
Producer Bruce Springsteen, Jon Landau, Chuck Plotkin, Roy Bittan
Bruce Springsteen chronology
Chimes of Freedom
(1988)Chimes of Freedom1988		 Human Touch
(1992)		 Lucky Town
(1992)Lucky Town1992
Singles from Human Touch
  1. "Human Touch"
    Released: March 21, 1992
  2. "57 Channels (And Nothin' On)"
    Released: July 1992

Human Touch is the ninth studio album by Bruce Springsteen. The album was released on March 31, 1992. The album was co-released on the same day as Lucky Town. It was the more popular of the two, and it peaked at number two on the Billboard 200, with "Human Touch" (paired with Lucky Town's "Better Days") peaking at number one on the Album Rock Tracks chart and #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Background

Not long after Springsteen broke up the E Street Band in October 1989, pianist Roy Bittan played Springsteen's three instrumental songs he had written, "Roll of the Dice", "Real World", and "Trouble in Paradise".[1] Springsteen later added words to the songs, and liked them to the point where he began writing and recording more songs.[1] With the E Street Band gone - except for Bittan, who played the keyboards and co-produced the album - Springsteen assembled a band of studio musicians in Los Angeles, mostly using the services of Randy Jackson on bass guitar and Jeff Porcaro on drums.[1] A wide variety of background vocalists were used, including Sam Moore, Bobby Hatfield, and Bobby King. Overall, at least 25 or so songs were recorded, but the exact number is unknown.[1]

The album was originally set for a spring-summer 1991 release date, that being pushed back from early 1991, but was once again halted when Springsteen began recording Lucky Town later that year.[1] Springsteen ultimately decided to release Human Touch and Lucky Town on the same day, with Human Touch coming into the world on March 31, 1992- more than 2 years after starting the project.[1]

Porcaro was asked by Springsteen to join the band for the subsequent tour but he declined because he was engaged in his own band Toto. Porcaro died a few months later of a heart attack in his garden.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 2/5 stars[2]
Chicago Tribune 3.5/4 stars[3]
Christgau's Consumer Guide (1-star Honorable Mention)[4]
Entertainment Weekly B-[5]
Rolling Stone 4/5 stars[6]

Human Touch's release was met with a generally mixed critical reception. Allmusic described the album as "generic pop" and "his first that didn't at least aspire to greatness."[2] Rolling Stone gave the album 4 stars and noted that the songs "explore the movement from disenchanted isolation to a willingness to risk love and its attendant traumas again." The review also stated that the title track "stands among Springsteen's best work."

The album is generally disliked by Springsteen fans and in 2012 was ranked last among Springsteen's albums by the online magazine Nerve. Regarding the bad reputation of Human Touch and Lucky Town among his fans Springsteen said: "I tried it [writing happy songs] in the early '90s and it didn't work; the public didn't like it."[7]

Track listing

All songs written by Bruce Springsteen, except where noted.

No. Title Length
1. "Human Touch"   6:31
2. "Soul Driver"   4:39
3. "57 Channels (And Nothin' On)"   2:28
4. "Cross My Heart" (Springsteen, Sonny Boy Williamson) 3:51
5. "Gloria's Eyes"   3:46
6. "With Every Wish"   4:39
7. "Roll of the Dice" (Springsteen, Roy Bittan) 4:17
8. "Real World" (Springsteen, Bittan) 5:26
9. "All or Nothin' at All"   3:23
10. "Man's Job"   4:37
11. "I Wish I Were Blind"   4:48
12. "The Long Goodbye"   3:30
13. "Real Man"   4:33
14. "Pony Boy" (Traditional) 2:14

Unreleased outtakes

Springsteen's first album without the E Street Band featured numerous outtakes, many of which have been released. A cover of "Viva Las Vegas" was released as a b side and on The Essential Bruce Springsteen, "Chicken Lips and Lizard Hips" was released on a children's album, and "30 Days Out" was also a b side however never released anywhere else. "Part Man, Part Monkey", a track originally recorded during the Tunnel of Love session and performed on that tour, was re-recorded and released as a b side and on the Tracks along with other outtakes such as "Trouble In Paradise", "Sad Eyes", "Leavin' Train", "Seven Angels", "My Lover Man", "When the Lights Go Out", "Over the Rise", "Goin' Cali" and "Loose Change". "Trouble River" was released on 18 Tracks. Springsteen also recorded "Red Headed Woman", a sexually explicit tribute to his wife Patti Scialfa and a song performed often eventually being released as a live version on the MTV Unplugged album, "Secret Garden", which would later get re-worked with the reunited E Street Band in 1995 for Greatest Hits, and "All the Way Home", a song Springsteen gave to Southside Johnny and one that Springsteen would not release until 2005's Devils & Dust album.[8]

  • Red Headed Woman
  • Secret Garden
  • All the Way Home

Personnel

  • Bruce Springsteen – guitar and lead vocals, bass on "57 Channels (And Nothin' On)"
  • Randy Jackson – bass
  • Jeff Porcaro – drums and percussion
  • Roy Bittan – keyboards
  • Sam Moore – backing vocals on "Soul Driver", "Roll of the Dice, "Real World" and "Man's Job"
  • Patti Scialfa – harmony vocals on "Human Touch" and "Pony Boy"
  • David Sancious – Hammond organ on "Soul Driver" and "Real Man"
  • Bobby King – backing vocals on "Roll of the Dice" and "Man's Job"
  • Tim Pierce – second guitar on "Soul Driver" and "Roll of the Dice"
  • Michael Fisher – percussion on "Soul Driver"
  • Bobby Hatfield – harmony vocals on "I Wish I Were Blind"

Singles

Year Single Peak Chart Positions[9][10]
US US Main US AC UK IRE GER SWI AUT NOR SWE NZ AUS NL
1992 "Human Touch"[A] 16 1 8 11 4 15 4 19 1 4 12 17 3
"57 Channels (And Nothin' On)" 68 6 — 32 26 — — — 9 32 - — 39

Singles were released in both U.S. and UK/Europe, unless otherwise indicated:

  • A^ Charted as double A-Side with "Better Days" when released in the United States.

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Australia (ARIA)[29] Platinum 70,000
Austria (IFPI Austria)[30] Gold 25,000
Canada (Music Canada)[31] 2× Platinum 200,000
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[32] Gold 35,627[32]
Germany (BVMI)[33] Gold 250,000
Japan (RIAJ)[34] Gold 116,000[35]
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[36] Platinum 100,000
Sweden (GLF)[37] Platinum 100,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[38] Gold 100,000
United States (RIAA)[39] Platinum 1,000,000

^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone

References

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External links

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Preceded by UK number one album
April 4, 1992 – April 10, 1992		 Succeeded by
Adrenalize by Def Leppard
Preceded by
SuperSanremo 1992 by Various artists
 Italian FIMI Chart number-one album
April 4, 1992 – May 1, 1992		 Succeeded by
Diva by Annie Lennox
Preceded by
We Can't Dance by Genesis
Die größten Hits aus 20 Jahren by Wolfgang Ambros
 Austrian Chart number-one album
April 12 – 19, 1992
May 17, 1992		 Succeeded by
Stars by Simply Red
Greatest Hits II by Queen
Preceded by Swiss Music Chart number-one album
April 12 – May 10, 1992		 Succeeded by
Greatest Hits by ZZ Top
Preceded by
More Power Ballads by Various artists
 Swedish Chart number-one album
April 15, 1992		 Succeeded by
Absolute Music 13 by Various artists
Preceded by
Through The Eyes Of Love by Randy Crawford
 Norwegian VG-lista number-one album
14 – 18 / 1992		 Succeeded by
More Power Ballads by Various artists

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  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Human Touch at AllMusic
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ http://brucebase.wikispaces.com/Human+Touch+-+Studio+Sessions
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 1, 2014
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.Note: user must select 'Bruce SPRINGSTEEN' from drop-down
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Enter Bruce Springsteen in the field Interpret. Enter Human Touch in the field Titel. Select album in the field Format. Click Suchen
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "FinlandBruce_SpringsteenHuman_TouchalbumCertRef" defined multiple times with different content
  33. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Select 1992年4月 on the drop-down menu
  35. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  36. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  37. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  38. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Enter Human Touch in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Gold in the field By Award. Click Search
  39. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
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