Having recently discovered Renee Geyer's version of "Touch", of course it had my mind wondering. Renee's version was also produced by Frank Wilson. I think if Frank had arranged the Supremes version the way he did Renee's, the single might have been more successful. Now keep in mind, I'm not suggesting that 1971 Frank Wilson arrange a song in the exact same way 1977 Frank Wilson would. Also keep in mind Frank had done an almost exact arrangement for the Originals, but it hits different with a man singing it, hard to compare to the Supremes. But I think Renee's version has a bit of a throwback feel to it and that the general arrangement could have worked for the Supremes. Also hearing Renee sing the song alone makes me even more resolved in my opinion that the Supremes' "Touch" should have been a Mary lead alone, no duet.

I'm a fan of "Touch". I think it was a good song. For years I subscribed to the opinion that it was a lost hit, that it could have, and should have, been bigger if only Motown had done something about it. Over the years I've changed my mind. I still think the Supremes' version is a good song, but it never should have been a single. As an album cut, it works just fine, and as an album title it works fine as well. But the duetting Supremes doesn't seem to fit well. Listening to Renee's version also makes me realize another problem with the Supremes version: the arrangement is boring. Fine for an album cut, but for a single, it needed some "oomph". The J5 version is nice, and it fits them. I think the duet between them works in a way that it just doesn't for Mary and Jean. But even their version wouldn't have made sense as an A side. There just isn't a lot there.

The Supremes were pretty much a mid to uptempo singles group, rarely releasing a proper ballad as a single. I think for them to go this route with the group at that point, "Touch" needed some serious tweaks.

So what do you think? Was "Touch" a lost cause from the moment pen was put to paper? Do you think the duet was a good idea in theory but poorly executed? Should Mary have sung it alone? Should Jean? Maybe Cindy singing it is the missing piece? Is Renee's more soulful groove necessary or do you dig the way the Supremes' version is arranged as is? Would more tv exposure have helped the original single at all?