In the Court of the Crimson Queen

In the Court of the Crimson Queen is a studio album by British singer Toyah Willcox, originally released in 2008 by Willow Recordings.

In the Court of the Crimson Queen
Studio album by
Released15 September 2008 (2008-09-15)
GenreArt rock
Length37:56 (original release)
LabelWillow Recordings
ProducerSimon Darlow
Toyah chronology
Velvet Lined Shell
(2003)
In the Court of the Crimson Queen
(2008)
Toyah Solo
(2020)
2019 reissue cover
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Edinburgh Evening NewsPositive[1]

Background

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The album title (a reference to King Crimson's debut album, In the Court of the Crimson King) was suggested by producer/co-author Simon Darlow and was endorsed by King Crimson mainstay and Toyah's husband Robert Fripp. It was Toyah's first full-length album of new material since 1994's Dreamchild. Originally released in September 2008, it did not chart, but was reviewed as the "CD of the Year" in the American Good Times magazine.[2] The album was then re-issued in 2013 with an additional track.

In April 2019, In the Court of the Crimson Queen was reissued by Edsel Records. It featured five additional tracks, including "Dance in the Hurricane" (with spoken word intro from Robert Fripp). Many of the tracks had been slightly remixed and included live drums and extra backing vocals. An abridged LP edition was also released for Record Store Day. This time, the album charted at #74 in the official UK Albums Chart (her first entry since 1985's Minx) as well as peaking at #22 in the UK sales chart and #7 in the independent albums chart.[3]

The album was re-released yet again in February 2023, featuring the 2022 single "Slave to the Rhythm" and re-recordings of selected songs with Robert Fripp on guitar. It was branded as the "definitive version of the album".[4]

Singles and promotion

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The lead single "Latex Messiah (Viva la Rebel in You)" was released digitally in 2007 and was accompanied by a number of music videos. Further videos for the tracks "Heal Ourselves", "Lesser God" and "Sensational" were made available on Toyah's YouTube channel.[3] "Lesser God" was performed on a national UK tour of Steve Steinman's Vampires Rock, in which Toyah was a guest star during 2008 and 2009.[5]

A track originally recorded for the album, but not included in the initial release, entitled "21st Century Supersister", was subsequently re-worked with new lyrics to be featured in the 2011 film The Power of Three in which Toyah starred. The track was also released as a digital single along with the original demo as its B-side.[6] The re-worked version was included in the 2013 CD reissue of the album. From December 2012, "Sensational" was used in a national UK TV advertising campaign for slimming brand Weight Watchers.[7]

The album's 2019 edition was preceded by a new video for "Sensational" and a promotional download of "Telepathic Lover". In July 2019, "Dance in the Hurricane" was released as a digital single. The accompanying UK tour took place in autumn 2019.

Track listing

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Original release

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All tracks are written by Toyah Willcox and Simon Darlow

No.TitleLength
1."Sensational"3:48
2."Latex Messiah (Viva la Rebel in You)"3:51
3."Heal Ourselves"3:56
4."Lesser God"3:51
5."Angel in You"3:42
6."Love Crazy"3:35
7."Bad Man"3:59
8."Hyperventilate"3:24
9."Come"3:38
10."Legacy"4:12
2013 edition bonus track
No.TitleLength
11."21st Century Supersister"3:40

2019 re-release

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Disc one
No.TitleLength
1."Dance in the Hurricane"5:28
2."Sensational"3:48
3."Latex Messiah (Viva la Rebel in You)"3:49
4."Telepathic Lover"3:47
5."Heal Ourselves"3:59
6."Lesser God"3:52
7."Love Crazy"3:35
8."Legacy"4:11
Disc two
No.TitleLength
1."21st Century Supersister"3:39
2."Bad Man"4:03
3."Angel in You"3:40
4."Hyperventilate"3:25
5."Come"3:39
6."Who Let the Beast Out"3:48
7."Our Hearts Still Beat"3:21

2019 LP edition

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Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Dance in the Hurricane"5:28
2."Sensational"3:48
3."Latex Messiah (Viva la Rebel in You)"3:51
4."Heal Ourselves"3:56
5."Lesser God"3:51
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."Angel in You"3:42
2."Love Crazy"3:35
3."Bad Man"3:59
4."Hyperventilate"3:24
5."Come"3:38
6."Legacy"4:12

2023 Rhythm Deluxe Edition

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No.TitleLength
1."Dance in the Hurricane"5:27
2."Slave to the Rhythm" (featuring Robert Fripp)4:12
3."Sensational" (Posh Redux) (featuring Robert Fripp)3:44
4."Heal Ourselves" (Posh Redux) (featuring Robert Fripp)4:02
5."Latex Messiah (Viva la Rebel in You)" (Posh Redux) (featuring Robert Fripp)4:29
6."Bad Man"4:03
7."Telepathic Lover"3:48
8."Angel in You"3:40
9."21st Century Supersister"3:38
10."Lesser God"3:52
11."Love Crazy"3:35
12."Legacy"4:12
13."Who Let the Beast Out"3:48
14."Hyperventilate"3:25
15."Come"3:38
16."Our Hearts Still Beat"3:20

Personnel

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  • Toyah Willcox – vocals, arrangements
  • Simon Darlow – all instruments, backing vocals, arrangements, production, mixing
  • Alfie Darlow – drums on tracks 1, 3 and 4, violin on track 3
  • Ben Darlow – mastering
  • Alan Sawyers – artwork
  • Dean Stockings – photography

Charts

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Chart (2019) Peak
position
Scottish Albums[8] 26
UK Albums (Official Charts Company)[9] 74
UK Independent Albums[10] 7
UK Rock & Metal Albums[11] 3
Chart (2023) Peak
position
Scottish Albums[12] 47
UK Albums Sales (Official Charts Company)[13] 37
UK Independent Albums[14] 17
UK Rock & Metal Albums[15] 8

References

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  1. ^ Liam Rudden (21 March 2019). "Dancing in the hurricane with the Crimson Queen". Edinburgh Evening News. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  2. ^ "Dreamscape: Library: Good Times: December 2008". Toyah.net. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
  3. ^ a b "Dreamscape • In The Court Of The Crimson Queen • News Archive". Toyah.net. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
  4. ^ "Toyah: In The Court Of The Crimson Queen: Rhythm Deluxe Edition (CD)". Demon Music Group. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  5. ^ "Toyah - Lesser God Live @ Vampires Rock, Torquay video". NME. Archived from the original on 27 December 2013. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
  6. ^ "21st Century Supersister (From "The Power of Three") - Single by Toyah". iTunes Store. Archived from the original on 2 March 2015. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
  7. ^ "Weight Watchers – New Approach". TV Ad Music. 27 December 2012. Archived from the original on 4 January 2013. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
  8. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100: 19 April 2019 - 25 April 2019". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  9. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100: 19 April 2019 - 25 April 2019". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  10. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50: 19 April 2019 - 25 April 2019". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  11. ^ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40: 19 April 2019 - 25 April 2019". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  12. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100: 17 February 2023 - 23 February 2023". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  13. ^ "Official Albums Sales Chart Top 100: 17 February 2023 - 23 February 2023". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  14. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50: 17 February 2023 - 23 February 2023". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  15. ^ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40: 17 February 2023 - 23 February 2023". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
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