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 Mainstream Rock chart and #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. “Human Touch” has since sold over one million copies in the United States. “Human Touch” was nominated for Best Rock Vocal Performance at the 1993 Grammy Awards.
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”. Springsteen later added words to the songs, and liked them to the point where he began writing and recording more songs. 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. 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.
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. 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.
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.
Tracks 1 Human Touch (Bruce Springsteen) 6:32 2 Soul Driver (Bruce Springsteen) 4:39 3 57 Channels (And Nothin’ On) (Bruce Springsteen) 2:28 4 Cross My Heart (Bruce Springsteen, Sonny Boy Williamson) 3:51 5 Gloria’s Eyes (Bruce Springsteen) 3:45 6 With Every Wish (Bruce Springsteen) 4:38 7 Roll Of The Dice (Bruce Springsteen, Roy Bittan) 4:17 8 Real World (Bruce Springsteen, Roy Bittan) 5:26 9 All Or Nothin’ At All (Bruce Springsteen) 3:22 10 Man’s Job (Bruce Springsteen) 4:37 11 I Wish I Were Blind (Bruce Springsteen) 4:48 12 The Long Goodbye (Bruce Springsteen) 3:30 13 Real Man (Bruce Springsteen) 4:33 14 Pony Boy (Bruce Springsteen) 2:14
Musicians
Bass - Randy Jackson Drums - Jeffrey Porcaro Guitar - Bruce Springsteen Keyboards - Roy Bittan Percussion - Jeffrey Porcaro Vocals - Bruce Springsteen
Other Musicians
1 Human Touch Background Vocals - Patti Scialfa
2 Soul Driver Guitar - Tim Pierce Organ - David Sancious Percussion - Mike Fisher Background Vocals - Sam Moore
3 57 Channels (And Nothin’ On) Bass - Bruce Springsteen
6 With Every Wish Bass - Doug Lunn Drums - Kurt Wortman Trumpet - Mark Isham Percussion - Kurt Wortman
7 Roll Of The Dice Guitar - Tim Pierce Background Vocals - Bobby King
8 Real World Background Vocals - Sam Moore
10 Man’s Job Background Vocals - Bobby King Background Vocals - Sam Moore
11 I Wish I Were Blind Background Vocals - Bobby Hatfield
13 Real Man Organ - David Sancious Piano - Ian McLagan
14 Pony Boy Background Vocals - Patti Scialfa
Liner Notes
Producer – Bruce Springsteen, Chuck Plotkin, Jon Landau, Roy Bittan Edited By (Digital Editing) – Dave Collins, Scott Hull Engineer – Toby Scott Engineer (Additional Engineering/Assistant) – Robert Jaczko Engineer (Assistant) – Greg Goldman, Randy Wine Mastered By – Bob Ludwig Mixed By – Bob Clearmountain Recorded By (Additional, Assistant At Oceanway Studios) – Clif Norrell Recorded By (Additional, Assistant At Record Plant) – Buzz Burrowes Recorded By (Additional, Assistant At Soundworks West) – Tom Hardisty Recorded By (Additional, Assistant At Westlake) – Craig Johnson Art Direction – Sandra Choron Photography By (Cover) – David Rose Photography By (Interior) – Annie Leibovitz, David Rose, Harry Gruyaert, Magnum Typography – Victor Weaver Manufactured By – Columbia Records Phonographic Copyright (p) – Bruce Springsteen Copyright (c) – Bruce Springsteen Recorded At – A&M Studios Recorded At – Soundworks West Recorded At – Ocean Way Recording Recorded At – Westlake Audio Recorded At – Record Plant, Los Angeles Mixed At – A&M Studios Mastered At – Masterdisk
