THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR KIND BIRTHDAY MESSAGES AND FOR PUTTING BLUE MEANINGS INTO THE CHARTS.
Six nights ago my phone “pinged” at 9.30pm and I read “YOU ARE NUMBER ONE IN THE ROCK CHARTS!”
BLUE MEANING charted immediately and a big THANK YOU TO EVERYONE who made this a success.
It’s a beautiful package, putting it together with Craig Astley meant I had to revisit the entire history of this very special time, 1980, I have to say I was taken aback at how “on fire” I was in this year, an unstoppable force with so much determination…..it’s another time and place now, in a good way, new planet, new technology, new attitudes. There’s more control for me as an artist today, less pressure and less manipulation from outside sources to fit an ideal, there’s acceptance and that’s truly great.
Here, DEMON RECORDS and my great team are gearing up for the late June launch of POSH POP and I couldn’t be more excited, the feedback has been tremendous so far and we have a great PR team behind the album. The first single LEVITATE arrives on 26th June… YIPEEEEEEEEEEE!
The past few days I have been doing nothing but signing photos, 2000 in all, even though I am sure there was an extra 1000 in the boxes that arrived, these are the signed photo inserts for the album and CD release. The artwork is stunning and was great fun to do, all shot in my little green screen studio here at TOYAH AND ROBERT headquarters ie: our home, during lock down.
I wanted to create the feel of 1973 (right down to the thin eyebrow line of the time), when the designer Halston influenced American Vogue and transformed women into power dressers, this was the summer of 1973 in New York, when music was utterly transforming, the rise of the decadent dance movement and also of street level punk/ new wave rock culture starting to congregate at CBGBs. This has been a huge stylistic influence
for this album visually and in its musical attitude, NOT imitation at all but a JUXTAPOSITION of what has happened in the last 16 months overlaid with another exceptional time in history. Have we evolved in the last 50 odd years?
The band and I are waiting with baited breath for announcements on the 14th June, which could affect our live work for the next few weeks, all we can do is pray. Two weekends ago we played the Isle Of Wight, it was our first show in 15 months and it felt very emotional. Thinking it would be pressured, I was like a duck to water, loving every second, valuing the audience with immense gratitude and now wanting to be back full time singing live. This year has some fabulous shows lined up, mostly sold out and a new album’s worth of music to share with the audience.
I’ve started to dream I am eating meat! On waking I am in a state of confusion as to why my stomach is rumbling and I am thinking of spare ribs…..I am vegetarian, could it be the Covid Vaccine? Tricking me into thinking I am a carnivore? Why can’t I dream of flying or standing on the top of telegraph poles like everyone else.
I promise not to eat meat just because of some strange neurological dance in my brain. It’s a small miracle that I have started to sleep in the last week.
Fripp, Sidney and I have put it down to how happy I am now I am playing guitar. That I have addressed a desire long held but never had the time to actually do….ironic…but Sidney is the only person who has broken through my dyspraxia.
Because POSH POP is now mixed and delivered to the label I am really hoping I can put some serious time back into my guitar playing. It’s been flat out for 5 months with writing/recording/ making the videos and now I want to get back to my guitar studies….I’ve got the bug!
Sidney Jake, my great guitar teacher is thrilled Blue Meaning is NO.1 in the Rock Charts. Sidney, Robert and I were all having lunch at the weekend and he asked me how does it feel? Sidney is experiencing success as a guitar player for the first time, he is very much an alpha male and succeeds at everything he puts his mind too but even he looked at the boxes of pictures waiting to be signed by me on the kitchen table and said that side of success wasn’t for him!
In answer to his question, it feels amazing to have the recognition that this album deserves. THE BLUE MEANING deserves its place in history and it has been held back as an asset in a record company (who no longer had any link to this genre of music) who knew in time it would sell its back catalogue, in the meantime making me a rarity. So this chart place proves to me what I knew all along. This album has an audience who want it back in its place in history as much as I do.
I wrote to the founder of CHERRY RED today to thank him and the team for the respect and attention they have given my work and his reply was heart felt:
“Your Safari catalogue is now really starting to come back to life which was always our intention. Lots more to do but we enjoy working on your songs. We can do even better with ‘Anthem.”
This good news came out of the blue after hearing earth shattering news that the director of the stage play JUBILEE took his life last week.
I am numb, sad, confused and adrift about how to feel. Chris Goode was very powerful, well educated and a brilliant Director. He was about to be charged by the police for something that was unforgivable. For this goliath to take his life rather than face his charges seems as if he wanted to destroy his very soul. This is deeply sad.
I am deeply sorry for those who suffered from Chris’s actions. when I heard about their experiences I was in shock. I had no idea.
JUBILEE was a stunning production and I was in awe of the performers forward thinking strengths. Now I need much more time to process this and learn from it.
Chris leaves behind his father………..I can’t imagine his pain.
Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is leading a movement against suicide. Help is available by calling 0800 58 58 58 or webchat at www.thecalmzone.net
Yesterday on the street I bumped into a dear friend who lives within yards of our front door.
She is a massive Toyah fan from her childhood, also a wonderful energy healer.
I told her I was No.1 in the Rock Charts and forty years ago there would be photo opportunities/press/ parties/TV, I mentioned it as part of a rapidly changing world and she e-mailed me this beautiful message later in the day:
“Just remember …
You are Number 1 because people think you are incredible.
You are number 1 because people WANT to listen to YOU!
All those people wanting to listen to you has made you Number 1 that’s what you should be celebrating.
You are amazing, you are incredible and you wouldn’t be number 1 if millions of people didn’t think so
FOCUS ON THAT!!!!”
After a hugely emotional week, I needed to hear this. AND AGAIN I SAY TO YOU ALL THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
My husband really got me this week, jumping up from behind me while I was filming TOYAH AT HOME. I jumped out of my skin. He said it makes up for all the times I’ve waited in the shower for him and made him jump out of his skin.
He is about to leave on tour in the USA for 10 weeks. Sidney, myself and The Fripp have been filming three days a week to keep the flow of TOYAH AND ROBERT on YOUTUBE until he returns.
There will be POSTCARDS HOME coming live from venues across the USA, also Sidney and I will hook up live to Fripp once a week, when he is on stage, after his soundcheck and all three of us will jam for BURNING GUITARS, which I am bloody excited about.
Robert caught me looking at him yesterday and he said “ You are looking at me like I am a 75yr old and need looking after”………I can’t argue with that. As exceptional as he is, I wish he could tour from the safety of our own home.
On the other hand our house will be MINE! ALL MINE! AND NO ONE ELSE’S FOR 10 WHOLE WEEKS AND I AM GOING TO PARTY LIKE IT’S 1999!
STAY SAFE, STAY STRONG… I CAN’T WAIT TO BE SINGING LIVE TO YOU.
This weekend it is RECORD STORE DAY 2021. In your record shops will be FOUR FROM TOYAH, FORTIETH ANNIVERSARY in limited edition green vinyl, with 8 very special tracks (released on CHERRY RED) and MESMERISED, RARITIES AND REMIXES 85-94, printed on vanilla vinyl and released by DEMON RECORDS.
This weekend it is RECORD STORE DAY 2021. In your record shops will be 
