The tune is the perfect soundtrack to a childhood defined by the magic of those form changing alien robots. It will forever be associated with Transformers. Yes, “The Touch” is cheesy in that 80s rock music kinda way, but it’s still uplifting and encouraging today. Fittingly, it’s played during the rebirth of Prime in the animated TV series ( The Return of Optimus Prime). Looking further across the Transformers universe, you’ll find an instrumental version of “The Touch” in the animated series Transformers: Prime, as well as the trailer for the video game Transformers: Fall of Cybertron. As an in-joke for fans familiar with the song’s history, it appears in 2018’s ‘ Bumblebee‘ when our favourite yellow Autobot plays it to encourage his human companion, Charlie.ģ4 years after its release, the tune is again on the lips of four-year-olds who happily hum the melody when playing with the latest generation of Transformers toys. Listen carefully, and you’ll hear “The Touch” played across the pop-culture sphere.Ĭoming full circle, “The Touch” returned to its spiritual home on Transformers. Its bizarre outing in an adult drama about a former porn star was followed with gigs in ‘ Chuck’, plus ‘ American Dad!’ (Cops and Roger). Weirdly, it resurfaced years later in Mark Whalberg’s ‘ Boogie Nights’. However, the song refused to be condemned to the scrap heap. “The Touch” was just a distant, decade-old memory in a time of Nirvana t-shirts and angsty teenagers. The Comebackīy the late 80s, the classic rock scene had given way to Grunge and Bush’s career began to fade. Not only does it boast Bush’s other Transformers song “Dare”, but also Weird Al Yankovic’s “Dare to Be Stupid”, plus “Instruments of Destruction” by N.R.G. On that note, the movie’s soundtrack is another 80’s music gem. And come clean – who doesn’t remember buying the movie’s soundtrack on cassette and reenacting Optimus’ battle with Megatron with The Touch blasting from the tape deck? Chances are that if you’re a fan who’s 40 years old or over, you’ll still have it on your playlist. Its most significant legacy though is the powerful impact it made on a generation of kids who loved Transformers. While “The Touch” didn’t set the charts alight back in the day, it got plenty of airplay on rock radio. Thankfully, the record label had other ideas, and it was moved to Transformers where it found a younger, more enthusiastic audience. The singer-songwriter wanted it included on the film’s album. Go watch the clip from Iron Eagle on YouTube, and you’ll see Gossett Jr saying to a young pilot, “Kid, you’ve got the touch.”Īccording to Bush, the song was written for Sylvester Stallone’s movie, ‘ Cobra’. The story goes that the tune was inspired by two other well-known steel bodies of the 1980s Sly Stallone and Lou Gossett Jr. Its inclusion on the film’s soundtrack was his first exposure to the franchise. While most people today associate it with marauding robots in disguise, Bush admits he’d never heard of the toys or cartoon until he had finished recording the song. The spirit of our robot heroes is perfectly summed up by the song’s optimistic nature. “The Touch” highlights the themes of courage and destiny in Transformers: The Movie. But did you know about the song’s journey from obscure rock ballad to pop-culture phenomenon? For that, we have Sylvester Stallone to thank. Not only was it the soundtrack to the epic robot rumble between Prime and Megatron, but it also defined Hot Rod’s destiny to save the day and light the Autobot’s darkest hour.Īlmost 40 years on, The Touch is undoubtedly the best piece of music of the Transformers franchise. They watched and listened as Optimus Prime kicked the Decepticons’ butts in Autobot City. Hearing the tune played at the cinema, kids truly believed they had the touch. Way back in the mid-80s, Stan Bush’s anthemic song “The Touch” defined the childhood of Transformers fans around the world. Future of the Force investigates the tune’s journey from obscure rock single to a pop-culture phenomenon. If you were lucky enough to see Transformers: The Movie at the cinema back in 1986, you’d remember hearing Stan Bush’s memorable song “The Touch”. Anthony takes a nostalgic rollercoaster ride with Stan Bush’s memorable Transformers ballad – The Touch.
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