| The Mancini Touch | |
| Type: | album |
| Artist: | Henry Mancini |
| Cover: | The Mancini Touch.jpg |
| Released: | 1960 |
| Recorded: | August 10–14, 1959 |
| Studio: | RCA Victor's Music Center of the World, Hollywood, Los Angeles |
| Genre: | Traditional pop |
| Length: | 39:14 |
| Label: | RCA Victor LPM-2101 |
| Chronology: | Henry Mancini |
| Prev Title: | More Music from Peter Gunn |
| Prev Year: | 1959 |
| Next Title: | The Blues and the Beat |
| Next Year: | 1960 |
The Mancini Touch is a 1960 album by American composer and arranger Henry Mancini.[1]
Greg Adams reviewed the album for Allmusic and wrote that "The result is a carefully arranged album on which the soloists occasionally improvise". "Free and Easy" written for the Sal Mineo film Rock, Pretty Baby "...speaks to his popular focus in spite of the jazz trappings" and "Bijou" anticipates "the sound of "Baby Elephant Walk" and "The Pink Panther Theme"" Adams felt that the depiction of Mancini on the cover of the album as a "puppeteer controlling dancers", anticipated the "development of Muzak in the late '60s" with the "belief in the power of music to manipulate mood and action".
The initial Billboard magazine review from January 25, 1960 commented that "Henry Mancini proves on this fine new album that he can do more than the music for "Peter Gun" with this very attractive big band waxing that could turn into another best-seller. The outstanding Mancini arrangements are played by the 35-piece ork with a sharpness and precision that is a pleasure to hear…The stereo sound is excellent”.[2]