1983, I was 14 years old - and I remember reading the build up to this album in the Intergalactic Ranchhouse Fan Club Newsletter - this was months before the release of the single Rebel Run and the album - Toyah mentioned a couple of track titles - I Explode and Martian Cowboy. The excitement those titles instilled into my imagination, the wait for the album seemed to build up the tension. At last the Rebel Run single was released - I remember when I purchased the single that the cover wasn't the usual portrait shot and it was almost pixellated which kind of annoyed me as you could only see the picture clearly from a distance ! I loved the Rebel Run single, and as always with the latest Toyah single played it non-stop much to the annoyance of my parents. All my friends had seen the Rebel Run video on TV - I hadn't but finally saw it on TOTP when it charted (at No 24 I think) and thought it was fantastic but far too short ! I also loved the performance of it at Alton Towers on Hold Tight (think that's what it was called).

When the album was released I was in awe of the fatastic cover shots, I remember at the time there were many fans who dissaproved of the new Toyah logo and although I didn't dislike the new logo I thought the original logo was better, don't know if this was round about the same time but Toyah was toying with the idea of modifying the original logo to include yin & yang and I think the Star of David but nothing seemed to have come of that... but that was far from my mind.... 

The opening track on LITL, Broken Diamonds was an explosive full powered track which set the scene fo the rest of the album - after hearing that first track I knew I would love the rest of the album & it truely did not disappoint. Although I Explode was nothing like I'd imagined it to be it was still a memorable tune with a riff that could never be forgotten - straight into Rebel of Love which I think became my instant favourite, then was the instantly recognisable single Rebel Run and the hauntingly beautiful Martian Cowboy which softly takes you to the Sunrise over the deserted freeways of Mars and the end of side one. Side two was not to disappoint either, Dreamscape the opening track always manages to make me jump out of my skin at the beginning (if you have the volume turned up enough) Time Is Ours is one of those rare love songs that uses many a cliche but has enough gusto to pull it off and not sound soft and girly at all. Love is the Law, the title track will perhaps be a firm favourite of the Original Toyah Tribe - the legendary Angels & Demons who were delighted when asked by Toyah to chant "Love Is The Law" during the songs chorus - each fan was given a lock of Toyah's hair as a momento of the occasion. Remember is an almost bitter track as far as it's lyrics go, but never the less a great track that pulls the listener with ease into the last track and second single from the album - the Classic and unforgettable "The Vow" This was the last single and album for Toyah on the Safari label. 

Toyah had been starring in the wrestling play Trafford Tanzi, and for the Rebel Run Video especially I thought Toyah looked a little what can only be described as "butch" ! ( though the look was stunning) in stark contrast when The Vow was released Toyah reverted back to her natural hair colour, black, and became ultra feminine disregarding the red "American Footballer" type body armour as seen on the album cover, for black dresses and drop earrings. 1983 saw some fantastic Toyah "look" changes and also marked the end of an era with the last album on the Safari Label. Every track on the album is a winner, and hopefully one day in the future the album will finally be released onto CD to take pride of place in every fans collection amongst Toyah's other fantastic albums. 

Andrew York, 2003

"This is the Rebel Run look. I was into armour. A friend, Simon, made a bronze headdress based on the skeletal structure of American football players. What I wanted to put across was The New Woman. I believe we've got into a new kind of feminism. Women's bodies are becoming more muscular, more streamlined. They're not based on having babies. I won't be having babies. By now I'd changed from a girl into a woman. Everything is based on becoming the Ultimate Woman."

Love Is The Law : 14th October 1983
First charted on 5th November 1983
Highest position: No. 28 / 7 weeks

Rebel Run : September 1983 
To The Mountains High 
Baptised In Fire
First charted on 24th September 1983.
Highest position: No. 25 / 5 weeks

The Vow : November 1983 
I Explode 
Haunted 
First charted on 19th November 1983.
Highest position: No. 50 / 5 weeks

All stats are UK chart only.

The video for the first single from the 'Love Is The Law' album. This features Toyah as a futuristic player in a video game trying to complete the 'rebel run'.

There was no "official" promo video for 'The Vow' single.

'Love Is The Law' was Toyah's seventh album, their fifth studio, and was released on 14th October 1983, exactly 20 years ago.

The album was recorded at the Marquee studios in London through the Summer of 1983, while Toyah was also starring in Trafford Tanzi at the Mermaid Theatre.

Two singles were released from the album; 'Rebel Run' in September of 1983, and 'The Vow' in November.

Vocals: Toyah
Keyboards: Simon Darlow
Drums: Andy Duncan
Percussion: Andy Duncan
Bass: Brad Lang/Phil Spalding
Guitar: Joel Bogen

Strings were conducted by Denys Darlow. Music was arranged by Simon Darlow and Joel Bogen. The album was produced by Nick Tauber.

The album was released on vinyl and cassette (though has never been available on CD) in the UK, Europe, Australia, South America and Saudi Arabia (believed to be bootlegs on the "infamous" 747 label).

The tracklist was as follows:

Broken Diamonds
I Explode
Rebel Of Love
Rebel Run
Martian Cowboy
Dreamscape
Time Is Ours
Love Is The Law
Remember
The Vow

Law & Legends: Did You Know?

The song 'Dreamscape' was scheduled by Safari Records to be the third single, the follow-up to 'The Vow', from 'Love Is the Law'. 'Dreamscape' should have been released in January 1984 but this never happened. Soon after Toyah and Safari parted company!

'Love Is The Law' is the name of a book by the "infamous" Alastair Crowley, known for his interest in the occult and all things spookesome.

Sheet music was sold for the first single, 'Rebel Run', from the album, but, unlike all Toyah's previous studio albums, no sheet/music book was published for 'Love Is The Law'.

Toyah fan, Paul Lawrence's (then of Middlesborough) name was scratched on the the 'Rebel Run' lacquer, which meant his name was inscribed on every single printed. He won a competition and that was his prize.

"The album is sounding terrific and Joel and all send their love. Phil Spalding has played on a few tracks. The album will be called 'Love Is The Law'. It is a very 'up' album with some really beautiful songs on. One of the songs is called 'Martian Cowboy' and it is a follow up song to 'Pop Star' off 'Anthem'. The first single will be called 'Rebel Run', which is a type of epic rock number about gang life in the future."

"For the first time I've written real love songs - a field I've never ventured into before. The songs are all inter-related. There's a loose story behind it but I'm not telling anyone that. There's a very emotional feeling to the whole thing."

Mini Reviews:

Smash Hits: Love Is The Law
This has imaginatively powerful tracks such as "Broken Diamonds" and "Dreamscape" which conjure up vivid futuristic images of things such as "scrapyards of human emotion" and general planetary desolation. Even so, Toyah has developed a softer side to her music; "The Vow" is a haunting romantic melody and one of the high points of the album. Don't know whether it will gain her any new admirers but her fans will love it.

Smash Hits: Rebel Run
Fresh from her part as a wrestler in the play Trafford Tanzi, Toyah grapples with the knotty problem of trying to get a hit single. There hasn't been one for a while and this might just solve her problems. She sings well and I bet her visual presentation is up to her usual wacky, weird but high standard.