Description
Final Touch is the sophomore album by the American folk-rock band Love Song, released on Good News Records in 1974, distributed by Myrrh Records, a division of Word. The album was recorded by Charlie Dreyer, Chuck Johnson, and Billy Taylor at Mama Jo’s Recording Studio in North Hollywood, California; with the band producing and arranging. Mixed by Taylor at Mama Jo’s. String arrangements by Jimmy Haskell. Featuring guest appearance by Al Perkins on steel and slide guitar.
Following the release of Final Touch the band disbanded, and later, after a final “Reunion Tour” which resulted in the Feel The Love double live album, Love Song was no more. Many of the original members continued with solo careers (Chuck Girard, Tommy Coomes, John Mehler) or as session and touring musicians (Jay Truax and John Mehler first became members of Paul Clark and Friends, a band constellation that recorded two albums, and then continued as the rhythm section of The Richie Furay Band). In 1994, the band recorded another reunion album entitled Welcome Back (featuring re-recordings of 14 of their original songs).
By the time this project was released in 1974, Love Song had lost guitarist Bob Wall but gained drummer John Mehler. Keyboardist Chuck Girard, guitarist Tom Coomes and bassist Jay Truax were augmented by steel and slide guitarist Al Perkins. Also it was clear that the life of the band had come to an end with Girard readying a solo career and other members moving on. More electric than their debut album, the volume is turned up without losing any of the melody. Highlights here include the gorgeous «Jesus Puts The Song In Our Hearts» where the band’s intertwining vocals are at their finest. In those days in the mid ’70s when Armageddon was about to happen when the Ruskies invaded into Israel, perhaps it’s okay in «The Cossack Song» to suggest Russian soldiers desert and pray. Despite its lyrical strangeness in this generation, it’s still a fantastic bit of guitar driven rock’n’roll with Perkins excelling himself. «Since I Opened The Door» is great country rock and the closing touching «Little Pilgrim» is a fab piano ballad. However unlike their debut album, this doesn’t make the same musical and spiritual impact. [Mike Rimmer, Cross Rhythms, February 2007]
Round two for these pioneers picks up John Mehler on drums, with Al Perkins donating slide talent on the side. Faced with the difficult task of living up to their impressive debut, the shaggy musical crusaders follow the same formula adequately but with slightly less memorable results. «Since I Opened Up The Door» and «Book Of Life» (“I keep my thumb between the pages and my heart in the Book”) are chock full of country twang, while «The Cossack Song» even attempts hard rock. Love Song had its rock moments but Final Touch seems to step out a bit more. At the same time a couple of the ballads get string arrangements – better results were accomplished on the debut with just the band’s instruments and atmospheric vocals. «Living Water» on the other hand is a beautiful acoustic piece with flute/oboe accompaniment that is perhaps the best thing they ever recorded. Starting to sound a bit like Girard’s solo LPs (all of which are worth acquiring). [Ken Scott, The Archivist, 4th Edition]
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/final-touch/1676316452)
LP tracklist:
Side One
A1. “Since I Opened Up The Door” – 3:35
A2. “Joyous Lament” – 4:14
A3. “Jesus Puts The Song In Our Hearts” – 3:33
A4. “The Cossack Song” – 3:26
A5. “Think About What Jesus Said” – 4:54
A6. “Short Alleluiah” – 0:30
Side Two
B1. “Living Water” – 5:20
B2. “Sunday Afternoon” – 2:19
B3. “Book Of Life” – 3:55
B4. “Don’t You Know” – 3:55
B5. “Little Pilgrim” – 5:20
Note: Simultaneously released on 8-track tape, cassette, and 12-inch vinyl LP by Good News Records. Later re-issued on CD.
Several things had come into play in the thinking of the group by the time recording of the second album – ‘Final Touch’ – was due to begin. The most significant was that the group had decided to disband, and it was determined that this would be their last studio album. It was also decided that this album would not be a concept album or have any particular theme other than the obvious Christian content. This opened up the song selection considerably, and allowed for the recording of the remaining songs that had not been included on the first album (as they just did not fit the concept theme of the first album), as well as adding a few newer songs. Another significant fact was that the original drummer John Mehler had returned to the group, and it would not be necessary to hire a session drummer, as had been the case with the first album.
It was also decided that this album would be open to more production, which would include strings, horns and other added instrumentation, as well as the decision to use fade-outs on some songs. Jimmy Haskell, a well known arranger of the era (arranging Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge over Troubled Water” and “If You Leave Me Now”, the No. 1 hit by Chicago, among others), was enlisted to write the string charts. By and large this album would be more of a studio-sounding album than the debut album, and thereby opened up fresh creative possibilities.
Final Touch would actually be the first album to be recorded at Mama Jo’s Recording Studio, a studio owned and run by Freddie Piro, head of Good News Records, the independent label that Love Song was signed to. (The members of Love Song actually had participated in the construction of the studio). In-house engineer, Billy Taylor was enlisted to engineer the album and Mama Jo’s staff engineer Charlie Dreyer became second engineer for the project. Recording in the new studio relieved some budget pressures which were in play on the first album, and provided a bit more of a relaxed attitude and setting for the recording of this album.
The title “Final Touch” was suggested by Chuck Girard. The title seemed to embody the feeling of the group toward this project. Only their second album, it would be their last offering as a group. Rick Griffin, an artist of the time who was very well known for his posters for such bands as The Grateful Dead, and his design for the logo of Rolling Stone magazine, had become a Christian. Jay Truax suggested commissioning Griffin to design the cover. Rick told the band that he had wanted to use the famous picture of the hand of God touching the hand of Adam from the painting “The Creation of Adam” by Michelangelo for a long time in a project, but had never found the right vehicle. Final Touch seemed to be the ideal place to employ this iconic image. Rick tweaked the Love Song logo from the first album a bit to apply his unique style, and the cover came together.
Following the release of Final Touch the band disbanded, and later, after a final “Reunion Tour” which resulted in the Feel The Love double live album, Love Song was no more. Many of the original members continued with solo careers (Chuck Girard, Tommy Coomes, John Mehler) or as session and touring musicians (Jay Truax and John Mehler first became members of Paul Clark and Friends, a band constellation that recorded two albums, and then continued as the rhythm section of The Richie Furay Band). In 1994, the band recorded another reunion album entitled Welcome Back (featuring re-recordings of 14 of their original songs).
CREDITS. All songs arranged and produced by Love Song. Recording engineers: Charlie Dreyer, Chuck Johnson, and Billy Taylor. Mix-down Engineer: Billy Taylor. Recorded and mixed at Mama Jo’s, North Hollywood, California. String Arrangements by Jimmy Haskell.
Musicians: Chuck Girard (Keyboards, Vocals), Tom Coomes (Guitars, Vocals), Bob Wall (Guitars, Vocals), Jay Truax (Bass, Vocals, 12-string Guitar and Oboe on “Living Water”), John Mehler (Drums). Additional musicians: Al Perkins (Steel and Slide Guitar, tracks A1, A3, A4, B3), Rick Riccio (Flute on “Living Water”).
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