TOUCH 69 LA PSYCH PROG ROCK STEPSON ORIG COLISEUM LP

$

30

TOUCH – Touch. Coliseum DS 51004. Issued in 1969. COVER:  VG+. Center open gatefold cover. VINYL:  EXCELLENT, play graded. MEMBERS:  Don Gallucci (Kingsmen, Don & The Goodtimes, producer [Stooges Funhouse]), John Bordonaro, Joey Newman (Don & The Goodtimes and later Stepson), Bruce Hauser (later in Stepson), and Jeff Hawks (Don & The Goodtimes, and later Stepson). TRACKS:  We Feel Fine, Friendly Birds, Miss Teach, The Spiritual Death Of Howard Green, Down At Circe’s Place, Alesha And Others, and Seventy Five. DESCRIPTION:  The three founding members all came from the northwest as did Paul Revere and The Raiders, who may have had a little to do with them, as Don & The Goodtimes, getting the No. 2 slot on Dick Clark’s Where The Action Is TV show; the Raiders, of course, ruled that show. Don had, early on, played with the Kingsmen, also a northwest band, but due to his age he had to drop out when they went out on the road in pursuit of national stardom following the release of Louie Louie. The teeny bopper scene and the creative outlet Where The Action Is offered was kind of like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic, so after Where The Action Is folded Gallucci let his musical horizons expand, not to mention his keyboard abilities, and his mind. It was in1968 that Bob Holden and bassist/singer Ron Overman left Don And The Goodtimes leaving the three remaining members, Don Gallucci, Jeff Hawks and Joey Newman (real name Vjern Kjellberg), on their own. Newman had previously worked with the group The Liberty Party. Just prior to forming Touch, Gallucci arranged the album Elyse (Tetragammaton T-117, 1968) for Elyse Weinberg and utilized the guitar services of Joey Newman on the same album. That same year he got together the three remaining members of Don And The Goodtimes together with new recruits John Bardonaro (drums, vocals) and Bruce Hauser (bass, vocals) and formed the group Touch. Theirs was a complete and radical deviation from the pop-style music that Gallucci had previously played and written. Instead the music reflected the times and was heavily tinged with psychedelia together with progressive overtones. Recordings took place in an almost party-like atmosphere in Hollywood with such musical luminaries from the world of rock and psychedelia as Mick Jagger, Grace Slick and Jimi Hendrix all attending the recordings. The production work was entrusted to Gene Shiveley who had also worked on the Elyse Weinberg album together with Galucci and Newman. Both musical critics and fellow musician alike gave their approval to the tracks being laid down and there were high expectations for the album. The album Touch (London/Deram SML 1033/Colesium DS 51004) was released in 1969 and was one of the first progressive rock albums released. A 7" single, Miss Teach/We Feel Free (Coliseum 2712) was also released in a bid to obtain airplay for the album. To further compound the problems the group was facing, Gallucci refused to tour due to the fact that their studio sound exceeded the, then, technological capabilities of reproducing it night after night on the road and there are stories of the group having to chop up their furniture to keep warm after the gas to their rented home was shut off. Interest in the group progressively waned resulting in their disbanding. The only attempt at the group reuniting was in 1973 when they recorded a long evolving piece for a never released soundtrack. This could also have coincided with the recording sessions for the group Stepson, who released the self-titled album Stepson (ABC ABCX-826) in 1974. Forming this group were four of the five Touch members, Don Gallucci, Joey Newman, Bruce Hauser and Jeff Hawkes. Once again the change of name also brought about a change in musical direction as this album can be described as being hard rock/blues. The name Touch does not ring many bells, then nor now, but their debut (and only) album is one of the cornerstones and early examples of the bridge between progressive and psychedelic music. Don Gallucci has since gone on to become a producer/engineer for Elektra Records, yet is now rumored to be working in Real Estate as well as being active in the Christian ministry. Joey Newman works as a session musician and has recorded two gospel albums, while Jeff Hawks is a hair stylist in L.A. In the interim period between Touch and Stepson, Newman also played with Blue Mountain Eagle and afterwards played with Shawn Cassidy. 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