Nelson Riddle And His Orchestra – The Tender Touch

Nelson Riddle And His Orchestra – The Tender Touch

Originally released in 1956 on Capitol Records, The Tender Touch is one of Nelson Riddle's most elegant orchestral albums from the golden age of American easy listening and traditional pop. Riddle was already established as one of the leading arrangers and conductors of the Capitol era, renowned for his sophisticated work with artists including Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole, and this album showcases the same beautifully controlled orchestral approach in an instrumental setting.

The album is built around a selection of romantic standards, with Riddle transforming familiar songs into lush, carefully balanced orchestral arrangements. “Love Letters,” “As You Desire Me,” “All Or Nothing At All” and the timeless “Body And Soul” open the record with the kind of warm strings, polished brass and restrained rhythm section that became synonymous with Riddle's sophisticated Capitol sound. Contemporary Capitol Record Club material described the album as music “as enchanting as love itself,” highlighting several of these romantic standards.

The second side continues in the same intimate mood, moving through “The Touch Of Your Lips,” “Please Be Kind,” “You're Mine, You,” “Heaven Can Wait” and “Symphony.” The closing title track, “The Tender Touch,” is particularly interesting to collectors as it features vocalist Sande Ellis, making it the sole vocal performance on an otherwise instrumental album.

Riddle's arrangements have a wonderfully polished mid-1950s character: romantic without becoming overly sentimental, richly orchestrated but never cluttered. It is an excellent example of the Capitol Records easy-listening tradition, and an appealing record for collectors of Nelson Riddle, Frank Sinatra-era orchestration, traditional pop, mood music and classic 1950s lounge records. The album was sufficiently successful to be ranked among Billboard's top ten pop instrumental releases shortly after its December 1956 release.

Side A

1. Love Letters
2. As You Desire Me
3. All Or Nothing At All
4. I Was Lucky
5. Body And Soul

Side B

1. The Touch Of Your Lips
2. Please Be Kind
3. You're Mine, You
4. Heaven Can Wait
5. Symphony
6. The Tender Touch