The Tender Touch

The Tender Touch is the second studio album by Nelson Riddle, released in 1956.

Origin
The Tender Touch contains, to quote its liner notes, "some of the most romantic of all love songs—melodies as tender as a caress and unforgettably lovely." It was released the year after the Riddle orchestra's first effort, a collection of contemporary pop arrangements of the memorable tunes from the musical Oklahoma!.

Release
Capitol Records released The Tender Touch in December 1956, at the same time it released the Frank Sinatra / Nelson Riddle compilation album This Is Sinatra!, reflecting the busy year Riddle had with the label. He had also scored the music to the Sinatra Western film Johnny Concho (which included the release of a 7-inch 45 RPM "Extended Play" recording). He arranged and conducted Nat King Cole's last instrumental album, The Piano Style of Nat King Cole. And his hit single "Lisbon Antigua" had spent four weeks at the top of the music charts early in the year.

Within a month of its release, Billboard ranked The Tender Touch among the top ten pop instrumental releases.

The recording was subsequently issued by EMI's British mail order label, The World Record Club, under the title Relax with Nelson Riddle.