Bobby, a Texan who relocated to Los Angeles, has one of the most tragic stories in the entire history of pop music. Obviously murdered, his death was ruled a suicide by the LAPD, and the murder has never been solved.
Bobby (along with his brother Randy) fronted a band that took strong inspiration from Buddy Holly, and also incorporated sounds from more contemporary sources. Their brief recording career is full of gems, and this single, with its strong r&B drive, is probably my favorite.
There's also a great demo version of this song (which was not released at the time it was recorded) by Melba Moore.
This was Bobby's final release, and inexplicably it did not hit the charts. This song should have been MASSIVE.
from 1966...
BOBBY FULLER - THE MAGIC TOUCH
5 comments:
Wow I dig that Melba demo. The production is super , maybe HB Barnum. Anyway thanks for posting. I always dug the Fuller 4 version, but this a nice surprise.
I didn't know the Bobby Fuller Four's version of the song. But concerning the Melba Moore's one, it have been included on the release of The 100's Club Anniversary compilation this year with other lost soul gems truly appreciated in the England Northern Soul circuit and which worth checking.
Anyway, thank's for posting it.
I seem to recall that this was issued by Del-Fi/Mustang against Bobby's wishes, or at least without his knowledge. Anyone?
My old band Helltrain recorded a version of this for a Canadian BFF tribute album:
A Tribute To The Bobby Fuller Four
Various Artists
CD, Blue Rose Recordings BRR-0001, 1993
1. “The Magic Touch” – Helltrain (London, England)
2. “Love’s Made A Fool Of You” – The Zamboni Drivers (Vancouver, B.C.)
3. “Wolfman” – The Surf Trio (Portland, OR)
4. “Let Her Dance” – The Yes Masters (Los Angeles, CA)
5. “Julie” – Rod Crosby & The Intruders (El Paso, TX)
6. “Only For You” – The Mystic Eyes (New York, NY)
7. “I Fought The Law” – The Whirlees (Salem, OR)
8. “It’s Love, Come What May” – Marble Orchard (Eugene, OR)
9. “You Kiss Me” – Dry Bones (Buffalo, NY)
10. “Phantom Dragster” – The Rink Rats (Vancouver, B.C.)
11. “Saturday Night” – The Electric Flies (Eugene, OR)
12. “New Shade Of Blue” – Lost Patrol (Windsor, Ontario)
13. “Wine, Wine, Wine” – The Wicked Ones (Portland, OR)
14. “Another Sad And Lonely Night” – Mukluk People (Vancouver, B.C.)
15. “Thunder Reef” – Henry Cooper (Seattle, WA)
16. “KRLA: King Of The Wheels” – The Black Dahlias (Eugene, OR)
17. “Broken Melody” – Bill Welsh (El Paso, TX)
18. “Never To Be Forgotten” – The Boscos (Goshen, IN)
Hi fellow anonymous. I too participated in the Bobby Fuller tribute cd, tracks 2,10,14. I also helped make the session for track #1 happen. (I also took the photo of Helltrain). Just to clarify, this release was issued out of Eugene Oregon, U.S.A. and was a pretty limited artifact. Some great tracks, everyone involved seemed to be a genuine fan of the BF4. Cheers
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