| Touch the World | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 30, 1987[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1987 | |||
| Studio | Studio Ultimo (Los Angeles, California)
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 42:47 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | Maurice White
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| Earth, Wind & Fire chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Touch the World | ||||
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Touch the World is the fourteenth studio album by American bandEarth, Wind & Fire, released on October 30, 1987, throughColumbia Records. The album reached No. 3 on theBillboardTop R&B Albums chart and No. 33 on theBillboardTop Pop Albums chart.[2][3]Touch the World was certifiedGold in the US by theRIAA.[1]
Touch the World was produced by Earth, Wind & Fire leaderMaurice White. Artists such asGeorge Duke, Marc Russo andRicky Lawson ofYellowjackets,Jeff Porcaro ofToto andEdwin Hawkins,Walter Hawkins, and Lynette Hawkins Stephens with the Hawkins Family appeared on the album.[4]
This LP ended a four-year hiatus for the band, with Maurice White reforming the group by bringing back longtime membersVerdine White,Philip Bailey,Andrew Woolfolk andRalph Johnson.Touch the World marked the debut of formerCommodores guitaristSheldon Reynolds to the lineup while Sonny Emory went on to fill the drum chair.[5]
"System of Survival" was written by a black songwriter known as Skylark that gave a demo tape containing the song to White while sitting in his Cadillac in the Studio D parking lot.[6] Coming off the album as a single, the tune reached number one on both theBillboardHot R&B Songs andDance Club Songs charts.[7][8] System of Survival was also nominated for a Soul Train Award forBest R&B/Soul Single – Group, Band or Duo.[citation needed] Another single, "Thinking of You" reached number one on theBillboard Dance Club Songs chart and peaked at number 3 on theBillboard Hot R&B Songs chart.[9][10]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [11] |
| Los Angeles Times | [12] |
| New Musical Express | 7/10[19] |
| The Philadelphia Inquirer | [13] |
| Record Mirror | [14] |
| Rolling Stone | [15] |
| San Jose Mercury News | [20] |
| Stereo Review | (favourable)[16] |
| USA Today | (favourable)[17] |
| The Village Voice | B+[18] |
David Emerson ofThe Boston Globe calledTouch the World "one of their toughest and most convincing records ever".[21] With a 3 out of 4 stars rating Connie Johnson of theLos Angeles Times declared "Touch the World, while not great, is still good enough to further secure EWF's niche in pop/funk history".[12] Chris Heim of theChicago Tribune wrote: "Sweet and silky ballads, the distinctive vocals of Maurice White and Philip Bailey, and an overall air of humanitarian concern continue to be obvious group hallmarks. But there is a tougher, sadder and more predictible atmosphere here as the group discovers it hasn`t been so easy toGetaway from grim realities."[22]People described the LP as "a class operation and an attractive return" that "can stand on its own merits."[23] With a 3 out of 4 stars ratingKen Tucker ofThe Philadelphia Inquirer calledTouch the World "the best album this vocal group has released since 'That's the Way of the World".[13]
Jon Pareles ofThe New York Times noted that "Touch the World aims for hits by grafting old Earth, Wind and Fire trademarks..onto up to date arrangements and current concerns".[24] David Quantick ofNew Musical Express stated "the toughness of the title track pervades much of the..LP and to the good". He also pointed out that "you the hipster can buy this record and liven up your evenings no end."[19]Roe Hoeburger ofRolling Stone gave a 3 out of 5 stars rating and found "Bailey’s falsetto sounds as pure and piercing as ever, but he often needs White’s sly, low counterpunch to bring him back from the stratosphere." Hoeburger added "Yet White and Bailey’s words were always simple, delivered with a lot of pride and passion, enough of which they’ve regained to make Earth, Wind and Fire once more significant and timely."[15] With a three out of four star rating Harry Sumrall of theSan Jose Mercury News wrote "Touch the World is a potent reminder of what funk is all about. Maurice White and his mates have made a record that hits at the solar plexus - like all funk should - but also at the mind and ear."[20] Pamela Bloom ofHigh Fidelity proclaimed "Touch the World is nothing if not contemporary (but)..the message, as always, is stop, step back, and turn up your light".[25]
Robert K. Oermann ofUSA Today ranked the album at No. 6 on his list of 1987's top 50 R&B albums.[26]Touch the World was nominated for aSoul Train Award in the category ofBest R&B/Soul Album – Group, Band or Duo.[27]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "System of Survival" | Skylark | 4:59 |
| 2. | "Evil Roy" | Philip Bailey, Attala Zane Giles,Allee Willis | 4:51 |
| 3. | "Thinking of You" | Wayne Vaughn, Wanda Vaughn,Maurice White | 4:41 |
| 4. | "You and I" | Mark Mueller,Robbie Nevil | 4:03 |
| 5. | "Musical Interlude: New Horizons" | Bill Meyers | 2:01 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Money Tight" | Danny Sembello, Maurice White, Allee Willis | 4:36 |
| 7. | "Every Now and Then" | Jon Lind, Brock Walsh | 4:21 |
| 8. | "Touch the World" | Rev. Oliver W. Wells | 5:15 |
| 9. | "Here Today and Gone Tomorrow" | Philip Bailey, Marti Sharron,Glen Ballard | 3:59 |
| 10. | "Victim of the Modern Heart" | Ian Prince | 3:48 |
Earth, Wind & Fire
Additional musicians
| Year | Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Billboard 200 | 33 |
| BillboardTop Soul Albums | 3 | |
| Blues & Soul Top British Soul Albums[28] | 16 | |
| Dutch Album Top 100[29] | 17 | |
| Sweden Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[30] | 20 | |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon)[31] | 21 | |
| Swiss Albums (Hit Parade)[32] | 25 | |
| Finland (Suomen virallinen albumlista)[33] | 39 | |
| German Albums (Offizielle)[34] | 42 |
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | "System of Survival" | BillboardDance Club Songs | 1 |
| Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | 1 | ||
| BillboardHot R&B Songs | 1 | ||
| New ZealandRIANZTop 40 Singles[35] | 9 | ||
| Dutch Single Top 100[36] | 14 | ||
| Blues & Soul Top British Soul Songs[37] | 17 | ||
| Belgian SinglesUltratop 50[38] | 25 | ||
| UK Pop Singles[39] | 52 | ||
| Billboard Hot 100 | 60 | ||
| "Evil Roy" | Billboard Dance Club Songs | 38 | |
| Billboard Hot R&B Songs | 22 | ||
| "Thinking of You" | Billboard Dance Club Songs | 1 | |
| Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | 1 | ||
| Billboard Hot R&B Songs | 3 | ||
| Billboard Hot 100 | 67 | ||
| "You & I" | Billboard Hot R&B Songs | 29 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[1] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
