Leighton Buzzard beautician to release second single as part of reformed girl band Zenana
A 1980s girl band that signed a new record deal last year, 36 years after splitting, is set to release another track on Valentine’s Day.
Ruth Elder, 64, from Leighton Buzzard is one third of group Zenana – joined by Penny Griffiths, 57, form Olney and Anita Gabrielle Tedder, 70, from Bedford – and the group will be releasing The Touch of a Woman, on Friday (February 14).
Originally formed in 1983, the band performed in clubs across the area and at the Hippodrome in London.
After Witches failed to chart the first time around, the band parted ways amicably, before experiencing a revival 36 years later.
But in September 2023 the band issued a vinyl EP of the single Witches, which has also received more than 30,000 online streams.
The band then signed a record deal with Rush Hour Records in 2024, and have now decided to release another single after being encouraged to do so following their involvement with the Q:Alliance, an LGBTQ+ charity for Milton Keynes, who interviewed them for their MK LGBTQ+ Heritage Project.
The Touch of a Woman was written by Anita and is based on her experiences as a lesbian woman in the 1980s.
She has been with her partner Steph for 44 years, and said she wanted to thank her bandmates for their support in the writing of the song.
"I was always really, really grateful to my bandmates, Ruth and Penny, for their approach to me," Anita said.
"It didn't matter to them about my sexuality and, in fact, Penny sings the lead on the song! I was really shocked when she'd said she would sing it!
"Ruth always said 'love is love and that's all that matters.' That kind of support meant the world to me."
Anita said the band were encouraged to release the song A Touch of a Woman after being compared to American singer Chappell Roan.
"I thought Valentine’s Day was a good time to release the song, plus February is LGBTQ+ history month," she explained.
"I wanted to get the song out there, because it was a very courageous thing to write at the time. It is about my first experiences in gay clubs. At the time the song was quite secretive, and people did not get it at straight clubs.
"Lesbian clubs in the 1980s did pick up on it. Things have changed remarkably now, and I think the Chappell Roan effect has really helped."
Anita said the group had enjoyed performing together since their decision to reform, and singled out last year’s Bedford Fringe Festival as a highlight.
"It is incredible to be back performing together," Anita said.
"We performed at the Bedford Fringe Festival last year and got a very good crowd for a Sunday afternoon.
"We are being selective about the gigs we do, and have had lots of offers.
"We appeared on TV channels in the United States and Asia last year.
"It has been an extraordinary and wonderful year for us, and we could never have imagined any of this would have happened last year. It is pretty spectacular that we have been able to enjoy such success at this stage of our lives."
Penny and Ruth continue to perform in other bands as well as Zenana, while Ruth works as a beautician in Leighton Buzzard at Eden Beauty.
This version of The Touch of a Woman uses the original tape which has been remixed and digitised with the help of producer Dave Blackburn.
Anita said with the help of her brother Mike they were in the process of remixing other tracks, which they may go on to release.
The Q:Alliance have interviewed more than 50 people for their oral history film, which is set to be released later this year. It is due to document the history and development of the LGBTQ+ community in Milton Keynes over the years.
The Touch of a Woman is set to be released across streaming platforms.