Craig Brooks

Craig Brooks Guitar/Vocals/Songwriter

Craig is an American guitarist and vocalist best known as a member of the bands American Tears and Touch. Throughout Craig’s career he has also worked as a recording musician and band member with artists such as Roger Glover, Todd Rundgren, and Michael Bolton.

Listen Now

Official Music Video for “Trippin’ Over Shadows” by TOUCH is out now!

News

Dave Ling for Louder Sound touches on Touch

"It’s so pomp-tastic that over the course of a half-dozen spins this reviewer wore out two sets of air keyboards and had to send a third for an MOT."

“Epic pieces such as Swan Song and Frozen Ground are micro-symphonies in their own right, but let’s get one thing straight: Touch can rock; Let It Come is forged on a riff reminiscent of their best-known tune Don’t You Know What Love Is. ” … Read More

Metal Temple review of Tomorrow Never Comes

10's across the board

“The title track, which opens the album, is simply a slice of AOR heaven. The song begins with a nicely intricate keyboard line from Mangold, with Brooks’ guitar layering in over the top. The musicianship, as was expected going in, is top shelf across the board. The vocal harmonies are splendid, as well; and I had the feel it hadn’t been nearly as long as it has since these guys worked together. The song was highlighted for me by a sweet, tandem guitar/keyboard solo” … Read More

New Wave of British Heavy Metal Blog dives into new Touch album

"Surprise comeback album of the year"

“Touch are back out of nowhere after forty years or so with a superb new album – Tomorrow never Comes. Superb pomp/melodic hard rock in that unmistakable 1980s style this time with a bit of a harder edge than their classic debut all those decades ago.

All the required ingredients are here. Original line-up, chugging riffs, biting solos, soaring vocals and harmonies and those glorious, lush keys and synths. Marvellous.” … Read More

Iain McArthur of Rockfiend Publications calls new album a real masterclass

"Sumptuous lead vocal"

“Fast forward to this year and get your EpiPens at the ready because the original band are back together, including the singing Bass player, Doug ‘I deep-throat bees’ Howard plus Brooks on guitar & vocals and Glenn Kithcart on drums and B/Vs. For sure, the magic is still there with three of the band contributing quality new songs and all combining to produce exquisite vocal harmonies and musical textures throughout – a real masterclass of cerebral melodic rock for the 21st century. It is most definitely a worthy and updated successor to the classic debut. The robot arm even makes a comeback on the cover – this time doing the ‘Creation of Adam’ pose from The Sistine Chapel roof.” … Read More

Biography

Craig was born and raised in New Jersey. His love of music was sparked after watching the Beatles’ first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964. Being struck like so many others at the time with how exciting and new sounding it all was, Craig began thinking of taking up a musical instrument. One misty morning the following Summer he came across an advertising flier lying in the street announcing the opening of a music store in the neighborhood offering instrument rentals and instruction. He asked his parents if he could take guitar lessons. Shortly there after, at the age of 9, he began learning to play the guitar. The lessons included the use of a small, beginner acoustic guitar. After sticking with his lessons for a year, Craig’s dad agreed that If he kept with it, his parents would buy him a new guitar of his own.

When the time came, Craig picked out his first electric guitar, a 1964 Cherrywood Gibson SG Junior. It came with a small Gibson amp of which he doesn’t remember the particulars except that it had reverb and vibrato. He still owns and plays this “first love” vintage instrument often.

Craig continued with guitar lessons from various local music studios for about 8 years and studying music theory in school. At the age of 12, Craig began playing with neighborhood friends, forming bands and playing at local events. Still in high school and under the legal age, he moved on to playing in bars on the weekends and in every musical form from an acoustic vocal duo to electric rock and roll. At one point Craig remembers having a group consisting of 10 musicians on stage, including 2 drummers and a three-piece horn section. “We sounded good! We had a couple of pretty good singers and all that. We were playing music from Chicago, and Santana, while no one in the area was doing that kind of thing. The thing was it took a long time to set up and break down. And because there were so may people, none of us ever made any money.”

In the Summer of ’75 Craig received a call to come to NY and audition for the AOR / progressive keyboard band American Tears and in 1976 was signed to his first recording contract with Columbia Records. Craig’s subsequent first album, which was American Tears’ 3rd, “Powerhouse” was released in 1977. The following couple of years were spent with the band playing dates throughout the US, writing new music and generally honing their sound.

After a group realignment and a change of management, the band collectively decided to change the name to Touch. In 1979 Craig signed his second recording contract with Atlantic’s Atco Records. The critically acclaimed debut album, TOUCH was released with two significant singles “Don’t You Know What Love Is” and “Call Me When The Spirit Moves You”. The album had a strong showing but the single “Don’t You Know What Love Is” only made it to #69 on the Billboard hot 100. The album did however have several #1 chart positions in the UK and did well on the specialist Melody Maker Chart in Great Britain.

One notable live performance was as the opening band at the very first Castle Donnington “Monsters of Rock” music festival in Nottingham England along with The Scorpions, Judas Priest and headliner Rainbow. The performance of “Don’t You Know What Love Is” also captured on the iconic live album “Monsters of Rock”.

Craig recorded a second Touch album in 1982 with producer Todd Rundgren which included one of his own songs, “Anything For Rock and Roll”. Unfortunately the album remained unreleased for many years.

In 1982 Craig performed on Michael Bolton’s first Columbia solo album, providing Vocals and Guitar. He also has co-writer credit on the hit “Fool’s Game”.

While continuing to work in the studio with other members of TOUCH, Craig recorded the song “Take It Back” written by Mark Mangold. The session was produced by Deep Purple’s, Roger Glover. After these sessions, while Roger was on hiatus from Rainbow, he had asked Craig to join his band in the studio to record his soon to be solo offering, MASK which was released in 1984.

While continuing to explore his love of music, Craig has also pursued careers in art, illustration and design. All the while sharing this adventure with his loving wife and two beautiful daughters.

Interestingly enough, around 2015, Craig’s original band mates from TOUCH began bringing up how much fun it would be to get together and have a laugh. “Slowly but surly we began talking more and more often, each time drilling down further to what the conversations were really all about…. What would we be musically, together, at this point in our lives?” It became more and more clear to Craig that there was still more to say musically. So after years of discussion they all met in NY City on May 19, 2019 and began writing and recording a third TOUCH Album.