{{Short description|New York-based post-disco group}} {{use mdy dates|date=October 2020}} {{Infobox musical artist | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians --> | name = Unlimited Touch | image = | caption = | background = group_or_band | alias = | origin = New York, United States | genre = Post-disco | years_active = 1980–1981, 1983–1984 | instrument = | label = Prelude | past_members = Audrey Wheeler<br/>Philip Hamilton<ref name="Whitburn"/><br/>Tony Cintron<br/>Sandy Anderson (deceased)<br/>Stephanie James<br/>Lenny Underwood }}
'''Unlimited Touch''' was an American, New York–based disco and post-disco group,<ref name="AMG"/> most active in the early 1980s.<ref name="AMG">{{cite web|last=Kellman|first=Andy|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/unlimited-touch-mn0000222065/biography|title=Unlimited Touch - Music Biography|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=2013-03-28}}</ref> The group's most famous song in its short lifespan was "I Hear Music in the Streets", which made number 6 on US Dance chart in 1981.<ref name="Charts"/>
==Overview== The group consisted of Audrey Wheeler (lead singer), Philip Hamilton, Tony Cintron, Sandy Anderson, Stephanie James and Lenny Underwood.<ref name="Whitburn">{{cite book|last1=Whitburn|first1=Joel|title=Joel Whitburn Presents Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles, 1942-2004|date=2004|publisher=Record Research Incorporated|location=University of California|isbn=9780898201604|page=598|edition=5th, illustrated}}</ref> Raymond Reid and William Anderson from New York–based band Crown Heights Affair instigated Unlimited Touch in the early 1980s,<ref name="AMG"/> but they were not part of the band.<ref name="Soul"/> The group was signed to Prelude Records (via Epic Records in the UK)<ref name="Soul"/> and released their self-titled debut album in 1981.<ref name="Albums">{{cite web|title=Unlimited Touch Albums and Discography|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/unlimited-touch-mn0000222065/discography|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=7 May 2022}}</ref> Charles Richards was the executive producer of the group. Lenny Underwood co-wrote "I Hear Music in the Streets" and "Searchin' to Find the One", which were minor hits in the US ''Billboard'' R&B chart.<ref name="Charts"/>
Due to a label and group dispute, they disbanded by the end of 1981,<ref name="Soul">{{cite web|url=http://www.soulwalking.co.uk/Unlimited%20Touch.html|title=Unlimited Touch Page|website=Soulwalking.co.uk|access-date=September 4, 2020}}</ref> but re-formed in 1983 with a new line-up of just three of the original members: Wheeler, Anderson, and James. They released a second album ''Yes We're Ready'' in 1983.<ref name="AMG"/> Their final single "Reach Out (Everlasting Lover)" reached number 54 on the US Dance chart in 1984,<ref name="Charts"/> but the group disbanded again not long after this.<ref name="AMG"/> In 1993, Unidisc Music issued the ''Searching to Find the One'' compilation album.<ref name="AMG"/>
In 1997, "I Hear Music in the Streets" was sampled by Rampage, along with Billie Lawrence on their song "Take It to the Streets".<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=Billboard|title=Reviews & Previews: Singles|first=Larry|last=Flick|date=28 June 1997|page=75|volume=109|issue=26|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|issn=0006-2510}}</ref> The song has also been sampled by producer Sean Combs who sampled the bass guitar and drum breakdown for the Faith Evans song "All Night Long" in 1999.<ref name="Soul"/>
On March 31, 2020, bassist Sandy Anderson died from the COVID-19 virus.<ref name="SoulTracks">{{cite magazine|last1=Kantor|first1=Justin|title=Sandy Anderson of 80s group Unlimited Touch dies from COVID-19 virus|url=https://www.soultracks.com/story-sandy-anderson-dies?fbclid=IwAR1OGUfxHlOrZo7zPZVeP424Oki8zg0vN5Kp0prtWlQ5dFgZQWe5E1qDqxo|magazine=SoulTracks|access-date=7 May 2022|date=March 31, 2020}}</ref>
==Discography== ===Studio albums=== * ''Unlimited Touch'' (1981)<ref name="Albums"/> * ''Yes, We're Ready'' (1983)<ref name="Albums"/>
===Compilation albums=== * ''Searching to Find the One'' (1993)
===Singles=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Title ! scope="col" colspan="3"| Peak chart positions |- ! style="width:45px;"|<small>US Dance</small><br><ref name="Charts"/> ! style="width:45px;"|<small>US R&B</small><br><ref name="Charts">{{cite web|url=https://www.musicvf.com/Unlimited+Touch.art|title=Unlimited Touch Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography|work=Music VF|access-date=February 8, 2020}}</ref> ! style="width:45px;"|<small>UK</small><br><ref name="Charts"/> |- | rowspan="1"| 1980 | "I Hear Music in the Streets" | align=center | 6 | align=center | 33 | align=center | ― |- | rowspan="2"| 1981 | "Searching to Find the One" | align=center | — | align=center | 29 | align=center | 76 |- | "Love to Share" | align=center | — | align=center | — | align=center | — |- | rowspan="3"| 1983 | "No One Can Love Me (Quite the Way You Do)" | align=center | — | align=center | — | align=center | — |- | "Happily Ever After" | align=center | — | align=center | — | align=center | — |- | "Yes, I'm Ready" | align=center | — | align=center | — | align=center | — |- | rowspan="1"| 1984 | "Reach Out (Everlasting Lover)" | align=center | 54 | align=center | — | align=center | — |- | colspan="5" style="text-align:center; font-size:9pt;"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. |}
==See also== *List of post-disco artists and songs
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://www.discogs.com/artist/29819-Unlimited-Touch Album and singles discography] at Discogs.
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Category:American post-disco music groups Category:Musical groups established in 1980 Category:Musical groups from New York City Category:Prelude Records artists