Studio Album · No. 14
Touch the World Songwriting Credits by Earth, Wind & Fire
Produced by Maurice White, Preston Glass, Bill Meyers, Philip Bailey
Columbia
R&BDance
40%
Authorship
Holds writing credit on 4 of 10 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 4 / 10 documented
Who wrote the songs?
Scored across the 10 tracks with documented writers, by whether Earth, Wind & Fire carries a lyricist or composer credit.
4 trackswritten by Earth, Wind & Fire
6 tracksoutside writers
Earth, Wind & Fire's roles on this album
Share of the 10 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
Lyricist40%
Composer40%
Producer100%
Performer100%
By the Numbers
10
Tracks
17
Lyricists
4
Producers
1987
Released
Data Insight
Maurice White has two of the ten, the smallest share of his career. Philip Bailey and a room of outside writers carry the album he came back to lead.
Touch the World came out on Columbia in October 1987, the comeback record after a three-year hiatus.
Track Listing & Credits 10 tracks
Written by the artist
Written by outside writers
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
System of Survival
#60
|
Skylark | Skylark | Maurice WhitePreston GlassBill MeyersPhilip Bailey | Earth, Wind & Fire (Performer) |
| 2 |
Evil Roy
|
Philip BaileyAttala Zane GilesAllee Willis | Philip James BaileyAttala Zane GilesAlta Sherral Willis | Maurice WhitePreston GlassBill MeyersPhilip Bailey | Earth, Wind & Fire (Performer) |
| 3 |
Thinking of You
#67
|
Wayne VaughnWanda VaughnMaurice White | Wayne VaughnWanda VaughnMaurice White | Maurice WhitePreston GlassBill MeyersPhilip Bailey | Earth, Wind & Fire (Performer) |
| 4 |
You and I
|
Mark MuellerRobbie Nevil | Mark MuellerRobbie Nevil | Maurice WhitePreston GlassBill MeyersPhilip Bailey | Earth, Wind & Fire (Performer) |
| 5 |
Musical Interlude: New Horizons
|
Bill Meyers | Bill Meyers | Maurice WhitePreston GlassBill MeyersPhilip Bailey | Earth, Wind & Fire (Performer) |
| 6 |
Money Tight
|
Danny SembelloMaurice WhiteAllee Willis | Danny SembelloMaurice WhiteAlta Sherral Willis | Maurice WhitePreston GlassBill MeyersPhilip Bailey | Earth, Wind & Fire (Performer) |
| 7 |
Every Now and Then
|
Jon LindBrock Walsh | Jon LindBrock Walsh | Maurice WhitePreston GlassBill MeyersPhilip Bailey | Earth, Wind & Fire (Performer) |
| 8 |
Touch the World
|
Rev. Oliver W. Wells | Rev. Oliver W. Wells | Maurice WhitePreston GlassBill MeyersPhilip Bailey | Earth, Wind & Fire (Performer) |
| 9 |
Here Today and Gone Tomorrow
|
Philip BaileyMarti SharronGlen Ballard | Philip James BaileyMarti SharronGlen Ballard | Maurice WhitePreston GlassBill MeyersPhilip Bailey | Earth, Wind & Fire (Performer) |
| 10 |
Victim of the Modern Heart
|
Ian Prince | Ian Prince | Maurice WhitePreston GlassBill MeyersPhilip Bailey | Earth, Wind & Fire (Performer) |
Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 21 contributors
MW
Maurice White
Writer · Producer
PB
Philip Bailey
Writer · Producer
AW
Allee Willis
Writer
AS
Alta Sherral Willis
Writer
PJ
Philip James Bailey
Writer
BM
Bill Meyers
Writer · Producer
AZ
Attala Zane Giles
Writer
BW
Brock Walsh
Writer
DS
Danny Sembello
Writer
GB
Glen Ballard
Writer
IP
Ian Prince
Writer
JL
Jon Lind
Writer
More from Earth, Wind & Fire
1971
100%
Earth, Wind & Fire
Warner Bros.
7 tracksProd. Joe Wissert
1971
80%
The Need of Love
Warner Bros.
5 tracksProd. Joe Wissert
1972
64%
Last Days and Time
Columbia
11 tracksProd. Joe Wissert
1973
67%
Head to the Sky
Columbia
6 tracksProd. Joe Wissert
1974
55%
Open Our Eyes
Columbia
11 tracksProd. Maurice White
1975
100%
That's the Way of the World
Columbia
8 tracksProd. Maurice White
1976
78%
Spirit
Columbia
9 tracksProd. Maurice White
1977
91%
All 'n All
Columbia
11 tracksProd. Maurice White
1979
78%
I Am
ARC / Columbia
9 tracksProd. Maurice White
1980
93%
Faces
ARC / Columbia
15 tracksProd. Maurice White
1981
78%
Raise!
ARC / Columbia
9 tracksProd. Maurice White
1983
100%
Powerlight
Columbia
9 tracksProd. Maurice White
1983
63%
Electric Universe
Columbia
8 tracksProd. Maurice White
1990
53%
Heritage
Columbia
18 tracksProd. Maurice White
1993
81%
Millennium
Reprise
16 tracksProd. Maurice White
1997
82%
In the Name of Love
Pyramid / Rhino
11 tracksProd. Maurice White
2003
50%
The Promise
Kalimba
17 tracksProd. Maurice White
2005
0%
Illumination
Sanctuary
13 tracksProd. Maurice White
2013
80%
Now, Then & Forever
Legacy
10 tracksProd. Philip Bailey
2014
15%
Holiday
Legacy
13 tracksProd. Philip Bailey
Frequently Asked Questions Touch the World
Who wrote Touch the World?
Mostly outside writers. Maurice White and Philip Bailey have two tracks each, with Allee Willis, Skylark and others filling the rest.
How high did the singles chart?
"System of Survival" reached number 60 on the Hot 100 and "Thinking of You" number 67.
How did it sell?
The discography publishes certifications rather than a sales figure for it.
Are engineering credits published?
No. The album article names the producers and no engineer.
Who produced it?
Maurice White with Preston Glass, Bill Meyers and Philip Bailey.
Who came back for it?
Verdine White, Maurice White, Ralph Johnson, Philip Bailey and Andrew Woolfolk, with a new guitar and horn line-up around them.
How long is the album?
42:47 across ten tracks.