A TOUCH OF EXCELLENCE
MARTIN HALL
LP/CD
OCTOBER 1993
PLADECOMPAGNIET (PCCD8059)
With the release of A Touch of Excellence Martin Hall enjoyed a massive second comeback in his career. After a period of rather obscure projects and collaborations, the single “Strange Delight” became a big radio hit and the album turned into a commercial success.
The second single “Angel of the Night” and the promo track “Rhythm of the Rota” received a fair amount of airplay as well.
1. Sweet Pain (3:54)
2. Rhythm of the Rota (5:26)
3. Strange Delight (4:27)
4. Angel of the Night (5:36)
5. Higher Reason (6:09)
6. Here Comes the Rain (4:59)
7. If Just for a Moment (4:50)
8. Changing Season (4:58)
9. Restless Spirit (4:04)
10. 3rd Music (0:51)
11. Seemingly Endless 3:43)
Aud Wilken: Backing vocals
Christian Skeel: Keyboards
Dan Stielow: Backing vocals
Fini Høstrup: Rhodes
Flemming Muus: Bass
Flemming Schiller: Guitar
Gbatokai Dakinah Jr.: Bass
Henrik Marstal: Bass
Henrik Tvede: Guitar
Hilmar Hassig: Keyboards
Jens Albrectsen: Piano
Jens Auhagen: Bass
Jens Brygmann: Drums
Jesper Ahrenburg: Percussion
Jimmy Jørgensen: Backing vocals
Jon Bruland: Bass
Jonas Johansen: Drums
Jørgen Bo Hansen: Synthesized guitar
Kenneth Agerholm: Trombone
Kenneth S. Nannberg: Keyboards, rhodes, organ
Kim Menzer: Didgeridoo
Lars Top-Galia: Guitar
Louise Engell: Backing vocals
Martin Hall: Vocals, drums, keyboards, guitar, percussion
Martin Lind: Guitar
Martin Zangenberg: Slide guitar
Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen: Double bass
Ole Hansen: Keyboards
Per Trolle: Piano
Peter Grønbæk: Keyboards
Peter Leander: Bass
Peter Solak: Guitar
Philippa Bulgin: Backing vocals
Sanne Gottlieb: Backing vocals
Soma Hammarlund: Cello
Søren Jacobsen: Guitar
Thomas Engell: Drums, piano
Thomas Li: Keyboards
Thomas Negrijn: Backing vocals
Thomas Ortved: Drums
Thomas Solak: Piano
Thor Backhausen: Keyboards
Thorsten S. Høeg: Saxophone
Tina Schæfer: Backing vocals
Torben Engberg: Rhodes, organ
Design: Birgitte Wester
Photo: Robin Skjoldborg
Since his highly popular Presence album from 1988 Martin Hall had released a series of fairly ambigious works, weird cassette tapes and Irma Victoria recordings – stuff that didn’t go down very well with the larger public. “Strange Delight” and A Touch of Excellence changed all that.
Collaborating with five co-producers and nearly 50 Danish top musicians – including the internationally renowned jazz-bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen as well as several members of the Danish punk pioneers Sort Sol – it took Hall three years to complete A Touch of Excellence. As already stated the single “Strange Delight” became a huge radio hit that secured the album due attention.
Apart from the success with the record Martin Hall performed his first concerts as a solo artist for more than seven years during this period, taking him on his first Denmark tours ever – a minor club tour in the autumn of 1993 and the extensive Pandemonium tour in March and April 1994. He would later recall how much he disliked touring his native country, making sure he never repeated the experience.
