About The Touch
Hometown
St. Louis, MO, United States
Formed
1968
Touch emerged from St. Louis, Missouri during the turmoil and upheaval prevalent in the late '60s, and, like an increasing number of rock & roll bands during the time, took a lesson from folk music by instilling social commentary and countercultural ideals in their music pointed directly toward the political and cultural zeitgeist of the times. The band's roots reach back to the middle part of the decade when young guitar star Ray Stone (born Ray Schulte) formed the British Invasion-influenced the Guise in 1965. He left that band shortly to form the Sheratons with his brother Jerry Schulte (bass), and by 1967, the band had been pared down, the lineup filled out by vocalist Paulette Butts and drummer Ovid Bilderbeck, and the quartet renamed Touch. The group established themselves as one of the premier bands in the Midwest, opening for various international acts including Cream and Steppenwolf and playing a free concert in 1968 with Big Brother & the Holding Company and the Allman Brothers Band. Not long after the concert, Touch recorded its first and only album, Street Suite, which was released in 1969. Following the album, the band began going through various personnel changes. Butts left, reportedly to go live at a commune out west, and was replaced by vocalist Chuck Sabatino, who left soon after himself. Bilderbeck left and Tom Rhoty took his place; the latter was soon replaced by Eric Salas. The mysteriously named Royal joined the band to play electric harpsichord and sing lead, and David Surkamp was brought in to play guitar. This lineup recorded the final Touch songs and even backed up the then-commercially popular duo Tony Orlando & Dawn. ~ Stanton Swihart
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