The album also earned the artist a Grammy Award in March 1988 in the category of 'Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male'. In that same year, D'Arby earned three Soul Train Award nominations for 'Male Album of the Year' (from releasing 'Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby'), 'Male Single of the Year' (from releasing "Wishing Well"), and 'Best New Artist'. Receiving immense critical praise for a work that became RIAA certified as mutli-platinum, fans worried that he may have peaked too early, but they found D'Arby determined to continue down his own unique musical path.
D'Arby was born in Manhattan, New York, and he joined the army after leaving college, serving in Elvis Presley's old regiment in Germany. He was formally discharged by the army in 1983 after going absent without leave. While in Germany, he also worked with the group The Touch, releasing an album of material called 'Love On Time' in 1984. That album was later re-issued in 1989 as 'Early Works'.
D'Arby's follow-up studio album, 'Neither Fish Nor Flesh', came out in 1989. It sold over two million copies and earned praise from fans. Many critical reviews, however, were mixed and faulted D'Arby for what they saw as wandering about musically with a purpose, and the artist's acrimonious disputes with his record label grated on him. Note that the album is often alternatively known as 'Neither Fish Nor Flesh: A Soundtrack of Love, Faith, Hope & Destruction',
The expectations placed on D'Arby's shoulders from his early success caused him to undertake some needed soul searching. It took four more years and a move to Los Angeles, California until his next project, 1993's 'Symphony or Damn', was released. Also known as 'Symphony or Damn: Exploring the Tension Inside the Sweetness', the work proved somewhat of a commercial comeback and peaked at #4 on the U.K. album charts while receiving many supportive reviews.
D'Arby had moved into more and more of a musical vibe influenced by gritty rock, often inspired by blues. In 1995, D'Arby released 'Vibrator', which largely followed his previous work in its musical direction. Sadly, his commercial prospects were judged by many critics to be waning.
During the mid-90s, the relations between the artist and his label, Columbia Records, had became strained to the braking point, leading to the artist's departure in 1996. This was followed by four-years on Java Records, during which he recorded an album titled 'Terence Trent D'Arby's Solar Return'. Said work, however, was never released. In 2000, he bought the rights to his unreleased album and left the record company as well as Lippman Entertainment, which was his then-management-team.
In 1999, D'Arby was briefly hired by INXS to replace his friend, late vocalist Michael Hutchence, so the band could play at the opening of facilities for the Sydney Olympics.
In 2001 D'Arby changed his name to Sananda Francesco Maitreya. The same year, he settled in Munich, Germany, and started his own independent record label, Treehouse Pub. The year also marked his first album release in six years, Wildcard (the unreleased "Solar Return"). The album, first available for free through his website, was later released through a one-album distribution deal with Universal Music.
In 2002 Maitreya moved to Milan, Italy, and began working on his next project, Angels & Vampires - Volume I.
In July 2005 Maitreya started working on Angels & Vampires - Volume II, he released chapter after chapter online as soon he finished recording the songs. In April 2006 he released the finished album; again via his website.
Since 2006, Maitreya has released five more studio albums, alongside touring and the release of a few live albums and various live shows to his YouTube channel. In 2020, Maitreya was featured on The Avalanches' single Reflecting Light which would later be on their 'We Will Always Love You' album, later that same year.
Trivia:
D'Arby/Maitreya appeared in in the TV series "Shake, Rattle And Roll" where he played the part of Jackie Wilson. His music has also been included on several movie soundtracks, most notably 1991's Frankie and Johnny.
Castilian Blue
Terence Trent D'Arby Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She stood with nothing on
As we watched my flag unfurl
We fell in love so fast
That it spun my head around
Her coffee tawny skin
Sent my blood pressure up and down
Castilian blue
I never ever thought
I'd be so taken by a girl like you
Lavender scented pillows
Gave a smell to her room
That when I smell it now
Sends my heart into a sad mood
Black men and her commitments
She had a problem with
And the mention of her father
Would cause her to get very miffed at me
Castilian blue
Castilian blue
I never ever thought
I'd be so taken by a girl like you
Bon bons and fishnet stockings
Used to settle any score
Till one day I felt the breeze awake me
Coming in through an open door
Recurring dreams
I see her in Mirabella Magazine
Multi-colored babies
Running round behind her knee
She's long, long, gone
Castilian blue
Castilian blue
I never ever thought
I'd be so taken by a girl like you
The song Castilian Blue by Terence Trent D'Arby is a romantic ballad that tells the story of the singer's love affair with a woman who is described as a paragon of soft scented chinois curls. The first verse describes how they fell in love quickly and how her coffee tawny skin sent the singer's blood pressure up and down. The chorus repeats the phrase Castilian Blue several times, which could refer to the color of her eyes or another physical feature. The second verse mentions lavender scented pillows that give a sad mood to the singer's heart when he smells them now.
The song also touches on possible obstacles in their relationship - she had a problem with black men and her commitments, and mentioning her father would cause her to get very miffed at the singer. However, the third verse is more cryptic and describes bon bons and fishnet stockings being used to settle any score, and a breeze waking the singer up one day. He then goes on to mention recurring dreams of her with multi-colored babies running around her knee. The final line of the song is "She's long, long, gone", suggesting that their relationship is over.
The song is filled with vivid imagery and descriptive language, allowing the listener to imagine the scenes being described. The use of color - Castilian Blue and multi-colored babies - adds to this effect. The lyrics also suggest a deep emotional connection between the singer and his lover.
Line by Line Meaning
She was a paragon of soft scented chinois curls
Her hair was a perfect example of beautifully scented Chinese curls
She stood with nothing on
She was standing naked
As we watched my flag unfurl
We were watching my excitement grow
We fell in love so fast / That it spun my head around
We fell in love quickly and it made me dizzy
Her coffee tawny skin / Sent my blood pressure up and down
Her tan skin made my heart race
Castilian blue / Castilian blue / I never ever thought / I'd be so taken by a girl like you
The color Castilian blue symbolizes my surprise and unexpected affection for her
Lavender scented pillows / Gave a smell to her room / That when I smell it now / Sends my heart into a sad mood
The smell of lavender pillows that used to be in her room now depresses me
Black men and her commitments / She had a problem with / And the mention of her father / Would cause her to get very miffed at me
She was uncomfortable with commitments to black men and talking about her father would make her angry with me
Bon bons and fishnet stockings / Used to settle any score / Till one day I felt the breeze awake me / Coming in through an open door
We used to use sweets and stockings to make up after fights, but one day I woke up to a realization of something different
Recurring dreams / I see her in Mirabella Magazine / Multi-colored babies / Running round behind her knee / She's long, long, gone
I keep dreaming of her in a magazine with mixed-race kids playing around her, but she is gone and unreachable
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: TERENCE TRENT D'ARBY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind