Dreamscape – Toyah Willcox Fansite

Well I think this is special, so fucking special (apologies, came over a bit Thom Yorke there…) Dreamscape’s Toyah Fanzine is just about to release it’s 50th Issue(s), celebrating Toyah’s magnificent masterpiece Anthem, the 1981 studio album that sounds as fresh and vibrant right now as it did way back then. Essentially… Timeless!

• Dreamscape 50 is available to pre-order and will be completed, printed and sent out – accompanied as always by Toyah postcards & flyers – in very early September. In time for the reissue of Anthem on CD+DVD, Egyptian Gold Vinyl and, amazing, Super Deluxe formats.

Toyah & Robert’s Sunday Lunch is hitting the road in 2023! A forthcoming tour has been announced today, with dates, venues and box office details to follow.

• Browse Dreamscape’s massive Sunday Lunch news archive here or by clicking below on a collage created for a Toyah & Robert’s Sunday Lunch feature, for last year’s Posh Pop fanzines!

Carol Decker’s 30 Rock Chicks!: NOW 80s: Saturday 2nd July: 9am
T’Pau’s Carol Decker brings a bit of Heart and Soul to a countdown of ’80s ladies who like to rock! With Joan Jett, Tina Turner, Stevie Nicks and Pat Benatar. (as well as Toyah via the Thunder In The Mountains video)

• Toyah At Home: Anthem Announcement Special – Watch… • Toyah & Robert’s Objects Of Desire – Watch… • Toyah & Robert’s Sunday Lunch – All My Life – Watch…

Press for Toyah & Robert’s Sunday Lunch – This week covering Foo Fighters. (Image © Toyah Willcox)

• Spin: Watch Toyah And Robert Fripp Enthusiastically Cover Foo Fighters’ ‘All My Life’: All while Toyah squirts paint on her chest – Continue…

• Guitar.Com: King Crimson’s Robert Fripp and Toyah’s Sunday Lunch Cover Of Foo Fighter’s All My Life Is A Wild And Colourful Affair – Continue…

• NME: Watch Toyah Willcox and Robert Fripp cover Foo Fighters’ ‘All My Life’: The Foos are gearing up to perform their first shows since the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins – Continue…

• Classic Rock/Louder: Toyah and Robert Fripp cover Foo Fighters classic aided by gold leaf and squirting paint: It’s a particularly lively Sunday Lunch in the Fripp-Willcox household – Continue…

• Brooklyn Vegan: Watch Toyah & Robert cover Foo Fighters’ “All My Life” – Continue…

• Metal Sucks: King Crimson’s Robert Fripp and Toyah Willcox Cover Foo Fighters’ “All My Life” – Continue…

• Consequence: Toyah Wears Only Gold Leaf and Paint as She and Robert Fripp Perform Foo Fighters’ “All My Life”: The couple’s latest “Sunday Lunch” performance is very colorful, to say the least – Continue…

• Yahoo! Entertainment: Toyah Wears Only Gold Leaf and Paint as She and Robert Fripp Perform Foo Fighters’ “All My Life” – Continue…

• Far Out: Toyah Willcox and Robert Fripp cover Foo Fighters song ‘All My Life’ – Continue…

• DGM Live: Toyah & Robert’s Weekend – Continue…

On Friday 9 September, Cherry Red Records will release the newly remastered editions of Toyah’s 1981 Gold-selling album “Anthem”.

PRE-ORDER NOW

Produced by Nick Tauber, with arrangements by the band and Toyah, the album features a line-up that saw Toyah Willcox and Joel Bogen joined by Nigel Glockler, Phil Spalding and Adrian Lee.

The release is available in three stunning formats:

• Egyptian Gold Vinyl w/inner bag + lyric insert
• Deluxe Expanded 2CD+DVD feat 25 bonus tracks
• Super Deluxe Edition Box Set – 3CD/2LP/1DVD/7”

The first 300 copies of the 2CD+DVD and the Egyptian Gold Vinyl include an exclusive postcard SIGNED BY TOYAH.

These both feature an unseen image from a 1981 photoshoot. A different design accompanies each release. Only available at the Cherry Red website.

Anthem has been remastered by Nick Watson from the original mastertapes and approved by Joel Bogen.

DELUXE EXPANDED 2CD+DVD:

• Toyah Willcox provides a brand-new introduction in the 24-page booklet which contains stunning classic and rare images plus previously unseen outtakes from photoshoots from the period.

• Compiled by Craig Astley, Toyah’s official archivist, who also provides new sleevenotes to the expanded 2CD+DVD release. includes the remastered album complimented by 25 bonus tracks. Amongst these is the standalone hit single Thunder In The Mountains, associated B-Sides and rarities plus 15 previously unreleased tracks.

• A six-song live session recorded on 1 April 1981 at BBC’s Paris Theatre in London, originally broadcast on BBC Radio 1 is released commercially for the first time ever, and includes the classics It’s A Mystery, Angels & Demons, Neon Womb and Ieya.

• Thunder In The Mountains, the third top single of 1981 by the “Anthem” Toyah line-up features along with its B-Side Street Addict, its 12” vinyl-only B-Side Voodoo Doll and a further two unheard instrumental outtakes from the same studio sessions in July/August 1981.

• A previously unreleased unfaded version of the flexi-disc track For You features alongside previously unreleased instrumentals of I Want To Be Free, Jungles Of Jupiter, I Am, Pop Star, and an extended instrumental of It’s A Mystery.

The accompanying DVD (NTSC/Region Free) presents a fascinating new in-depth interview feature with Toyah about the creation of the album plus a track-by-track commentary and exclusive renditions of three “Anthem” songs.

For the first time ever classic footage of Toyah’s 1981 BBC performances of Its A Mystery, I Want To Be Free and Thunder In The Mountains is released on DVD. This includes four different appearances on the legendary Top Of The Pops alongside performances originally broadcast on Something Else, Cheggers Plays Pop and Multi-Coloured Swap Shop.

The DVD also includes the classic promo videos for I Want To Be Free and Thunder In The Mountains, both directed by Godley & Creme.

SUPER DELUXE EDITION BOX SET

Curated and compiled by Craig Astley, Toyah’s official archivist, the limited Super Deluxe Edition of Anthem comes in a 12”x 12” outsize box with lift off lid and includes:

• The deluxe expanded 2CD+DVD set as above

EXCLUSIVE TO THIS BOX SET
• Bonus CD – More Rare & Archive Material contains a further 20 previously unreleased tracks from the archives, newly unearthed and remastered. This includes

• the special studio re-recording of It’s A Mystery used for lip-synching on Top Of The Pops and alternate vocal versions of Revelations, I Want To Be Free, War Boys and Thunder in The Mountains.

• a breathtaking acoustic recording of I Am offers a glimpse into the album recording sessions. Rough mixes of several album tracks also feature alongside previously unheard instrumental outtakes Japan, Dropped Earring and the earliest incarnation of Clapham Junction.

• Album Picture Disc: The 11-track Anthem album is also presented on a 12” picture disc featuring the iconic original album front cover + unseen shot on the reverse.

• Standalone hit single Thunder in the Mountains is expanded into a 12” vinyl mini-album splatter-coloured, and brings together the single, its b-sides and four previously unreleased instrumental versions. This features a newly designed inner bag featuring previously unseen images and full lyrics. The yellow/red coloured splatter vinyl echoes the iconic sunflower hair that Toyah sports on the legendary front cover shot.

• A 7” orange-coloured vinyl EP celebrates the non-LP tracks Sphinx and For You, recorded during the Anthem album sessions and previously issued as a flexi-disc in 1981 with the magazine Flexipop. Marking the first time these two songs have ever been pressed on regular hard vinyl, the EP features a new full colour sleeve and includes instrumental versions of both tracks on its flipside.

• A 44-page perfect bound book: This exclusive book contains stunning rare and unseen colour images from the Safari archives alongside anecdotes and insights from Toyah Willcox about the 11 songs on Anthem + Thunder In The Mountains, plus lyrics for the full album and its associated B-Sides.

• A 12×12-inch print of the album cover illustration is signed by Toyah Willcox.

• Four exclusive colour postcards celebrate the Four From Toyah photography.

TRACK LISTINGS
CD1: ANTHEM + BONUS TRACKS
1 I Want To Be Free
2 Obsolete
3 Pop Star
4 Elocution Lesson
5 Jungles Of Jupiter
6 I Am
7 It’s A Mystery (Album Mix)
8 Masai Boy
9 Marionette
10 Demolition Men
11 We Are

Bonus Tracks

12 It’s A Mystery – EP Version
13 Revelations
14 War Boys
15 Angels & Demons
16 Walkie Talkie
17 Alien
18 Sphinx
19 For You (Unfaded Version)*
20 I Want To Be Free (Instrumental)*

CD2: RARE & ARCHIVE MATERIAL
1 Thunder In The Mountains
2 Street Addict
3 Voodoo Doll
4 War Boys (Live At Paris Theatre London April 1981)*
5 Neon Womb (Live At Paris Theatre London April 1981)*
6 Danced (Live At Paris Theatre London April 1981)*
7 Angels & Demons (Live At Paris Theatre London April 1981)*
8 It’s A Mystery (Live At Paris Theatre London April 1981)*
9 Ieya (Live At Paris Theatre London April 1981)*
10 It’s A Mystery (Extended Instrumental)*
11 I Am (Instrumental)*
12 Pop Star (Instrumental)*
13 Jungles Of Jupiter (Instrumental)*
14 Joel & Phil (Instrumental Outtake)*
15 Turkish Delight (Instrumental Outtake)*
16 Television (Instrumental Outtake)*

* Previously Unreleased

DVD: RARE & ARCHIVE FOOTAGE
1 The Story Behind The Album
2 Track By Track Commentary
3 I Want To Be Free: Electro/Acoustic Session 2021
4 It’s A Mystery: Electro/Acoustic Session 2021
5 We Are: Electro/Acoustic Session 2021
6 I Want To Be Free: Promo Video
7 Thunder In The Mountains: Promo Video
8 It’s A Mystery: Top Of The Pops 19/02/1981
9 It’s A Mystery: Top Of The Pops 19/03/1981
10 I Want To Be Free: Top Of The Pops 21/05/1981
11 Thunder In The Mountains: Top Of The Pops 01/10/1981
12 I Want To Be Free: Cheggers Plays Pop 18/05/1981
13 It’s A Mystery: Swap Shop 10/10/1881
14 Ieya: Something Else 30/10/1981
15 Thunder In The Mountains: Something Else 30/10/1981

Anthem Egyptian Gold Vinyl LP

Side One (Once Upon A Time)
1 I Want To Be Free
2 Obsolete
3 Pop Star
4 Elocution Lesson
5 Jungles Of Jupiter
6 I Am

Side Two (Happy Ever After?)
7 It’s A Mystery (Album Mix)
8 Masai Boy
9 Marionette
10 Demolition Men
11 We Are

SUPER DELUXE EDITION BOX SET ONLY

CD3 – ANTHEM – MORE RARE & ARCHIVE MATERIAL
All Previously Unreleased

1. It’s A Mystery – Top Of The Pops Version
2. Revelations Alternate Vocal
3. War Boys Alternate Mix
4. I Want To Be Free Alternate Vocal
5. I Am Acoustic
6. Pop Star Rough Mix
7. Marionette Rough Mix
8. Demolition Men Rough Mix
9. Thunder In The Mountains Alternate Vocal
10. Walkie Talkie Instrumental
11. Japan Instrumental Outtake
12. The Door Is A Whore Instrumental
13. For You Instrumental
14. Masai Boy Instrumental
15. Alien Instrumental
16. Thunder In The Mountains Original Instrumental
17. Street Addict Instrumental
18. Voodoo Doll Instrumental
19. Clapham Junction Original Instrumental
20. Dropped Earring Instrumental

Vinyl One: Anthem Picture Disc (same as Egyptian Gold Vinyl LP)

Side One (Once Upon A Time)
1 I Want To Be Free
2 Obsolete
3 Pop Star
4 Elocution Lesson
5 Jungles Of Jupiter
6 I Am

Side Two (Happy Ever After?)
7 It’s A Mystery (Album Mix)
8 Masai Boy
9 Marionette
10 Demolition Men
11 We Are

Vinyl Two: Thunder In The Mountains

Side One (Thunder Side)
1. Thunder In The Mountains
2. Street Addict
3. Voodoo Doll
4. Clapham Junction

Side Two (Lightning Side)
1. Thunder In The Mountains Original Instrumental
2. Street Addict Instrumental
3. Voodoo Doll Instrumental
4. Clapham Junction Original Instrumental

Vinyl Three: Sphinx/For You

Side One:
1. Sphinx
2. For You

Side Two
1. Sphinx Instrumental Demo
2. For You Instrumental

• Pre-Order Anthem on 2CD+DVD, Gold Vinyl & Super Deluxe Edition at Cherry Red (The editions with signed postcards will no doubt have sold out almost immediately!). Read the press release at toyahwillcox.com. Watch Toyah announcing the release during this morning’s Toyah At Home (which also includes an incredibly rare performance of It’s A Mystery from Italian music show Popcorn).

Also available to pre-order at Cherry Red:  The official Anthem t-shirt, available in a range of sizes, the t-shirt is classic fit and comes in white only. The design is screen printed and is 100% cotton. The official Anthem pin-badge! This high quality hard enamel pin badge is pinned through a card backer.

Age won’t change Toyah Willcox: ‘We’ve never stopped being rockers, we are just rockers in a different time and place’

Toyah Willcox says she’s far more than a punk princess

Born out of a lockdown-powered creative burst, Toyah Willcox and musician husband Robert Fripp’s weekly online Sunday Lunch videos have quickly become regular news events.

Cheeky, audacious, entertaining, and even eye-watering, each episode has been attracting hundreds of thousands of views.

But if you think they’re big now, wait till you hear what’s next.

‘We are developing a stage show and a movie is in development as well,’ reveals Toyah, adding that the duo are even considering an album.

‘But once you get into a studio situation you’ve got to rethink everything, and how people will experience that in an album form.

‘It’s not a no, but it takes an awful lot of consideration.’

• Continue reading at the Metro.

Tune into Toyah At Home tomorrow at 11am on You Tube and Facebook! A three-song and news special! + A sizzling Summer announcement.

Toyah looks back on a momentous week that included her live debut at the renowned Isle of Wight Festival. There’s a very special news announcement plus reactions from Toyah to some very rare TV performances.

Very rare photo below © Toyah Willcox/Cherry Red

Video Killed The Radio Star: Sky Arts: Thursday 7th July: 11.30am
Toyah Willcox. (Series 7, Episode 6) An insight into the making of videos by Toyah Willcox, whose hits included It’s A Mystery, Thunder in the Mountains and I Want To Be Free.

Tonight is the final gig of the Electric Ladies Tour, taking place in Toyah’s home city, at Birmingham Town Hall. (Photo © Toyah Willcox)

• Toyah At Home: Good Morning Universe – Watch… • Toyah & Robert’s Objects Of Desire – Watch… • Toyah & Robert’s Sunday Lunch – Slave To The Rhythm – Watch…

Press for Toyah & Robert’s Sunday Lunch – This week covering Grace Jones and premiering Toyah’s upcoming new single, Slave To The Rhythm. (Image © Toyah Willcox)

• NME: Watch Toyah Willcox and Robert Fripp cover Grace Jones’ ‘Slave To The Rhythm’: Are you a slave to the ‘Sunday Lunch’ rhythm? – Continue…

• Classic Rock/Louder: Toyah and Robert Fripp controversially resort to miming in this week’s video: Toyah lip-syncs her new single, a cover of Graces Jones’ classic Slave To The Rhythm, but Robert’s guitar part is classic Fripp – Continue…

• Guitar.Com: Toyah Previews Her New Single On This Week’s Sunday Lunch With Robert Fripp: Toyah’s take Slave to The Rhythm will be released as a single on 1 August – Continue…

• Far Out: Toyah Willcox and Robert Fripp cover Grace Jones song ‘Slave To The Rhythm’ – Continue…

• Turn Up The Volume: Toyah and Robert are Slaves To The Rhythm – Continue…

• DGM Live: Toyah & Robert’s Weekend – Continue…

In the Spotlight: Toyah Willcox & Robert Fripp

In the Spotlight showcases a cross-section of an artist’s cover work. View past instalments, then post suggestions for future picks in the comments!

Hmmm–“In the Spotlight” could well be the giveaway, being exactly where at least half of this odd couple seems, more than anything else, to want to be. Odd couple? Well, back in the day, I daresay that the idea of Robert Fripp, the complex guitar wrangler of King Crimson fame, besuited and besitted always, having a lengthy and lasting marriage with Toyah Willcox, the punk-pop princess of Birmingham with the look-at-me dramatics, was not one of life’s great certainties.

I confess to being quite delighted by the couple’s first forays into Sunday Lunchtime COVID-19 entertainment, as much for the bizarre hoops Mrs. Fripp could put her permanently-bemused husband through, in the sake of raising the spirits of those who stumbled onto these little vignettes of, apparently, their life.

According to Willcox, the purpose of these weekly vids was primarily to lift Fripp out of the black dog that permeated him as lockdown locked down, depriving him of both an outlet for and an income for his art. So, on 5th April 2020, those idly browsing the net became party to the extraordinary image of the couple, dressed to the nines, having a bop to Bill Haley’s vintage hit, “Rock Around the Clock.” And looking to be having a whale of a time.

• Continue reading at Cover Me.

Big Fat Quiz Of The 80s: 4Music: Sunday 26th June: 10pm
Jimmy Carr is joined by three teams of top celebrities for another fiendishly difficult pub quiz about news, music, telly and fashions of the 80s. Playing the quiz are David Mitchell, Phill Jupitus, Alan Carr, Sarah Greene, Jack Dee and Jason Donovan. And, as ever, Jimmy is helped by a host of famous question-setters, including Jim Bowen, Kim Wilde, Tony Robinson and Toyah Willcox.

“I could feel the love in the room” Toyah’s Isle of Wight Festival Big Top show

Singer Toyah told the County Press her Isle of Wight Festival Big Top experience was ‘breathtaking’.

Speaking after her show on Sunday, she said the audience had been amazing and she was given a fantastic welcome.

She said: “The Big Top was breathtaking, it was so good because I could see the whole audience.

“I could feel the love in the room, which was so nice. Everyone knew the music which was great, even my newer music. Also, the weather was amazing for me as it wasn’t too hot!”

• Continue reading at Yahoo News. See also the County Press.

Toyah guests on the new BBC Radio 4 programme Ziggy Stardust at 50.

• Listen to the programme at BBC Sounds.

Quadrophenia Reunited – 40 Years On: Sky Arts: Saturday 2nd July: 00.30am
Lauren Laverne hosts a one-off special bringing the stars of Quadrophenia together. Featuring reminiscing, interviews, a table-read of the script and plenty of surprises.

Quadrophenia – Our Generation: Sky Arts: Saturday 2nd July: 2am
Celebrity fans and cast members come together to shed light on the making of Quadrophenia and explore the legacy that the cult film has left behind, 40 years after its release.

Celebrity Catchphrase: ITV2: Thursday 30th June: 6pm
Stephen Mulhern hosts a celebrity special of the classic game show, with Nicola Coughlan, Stephen Mangan and Toyah Willcox all trying to say what they see as they guess well-known phrases for the chance to win a £50,000 jackpot for their chosen charity.

• Toyah At Home: Reaction to vintage Rebel Run performance (Hold Tight at Alton Towers 1983) – Watch… • Toyah & Robert’s Objects Of Desire – Watch… • Toyah & Robert’s Sunday Lunch – Killing In The Name – Watch…

Press for Toyah & Robert’s Sunday Lunch – This week covering Rage Against The Machine. (Image © Toyah Willcox)

• NME: Robert Fripp and Toyah Willcox give paint-covered Rage Against The Machine performance – The latest Sunday Lunch cover sees the couple tackling the 1992 track – Continue…

• Classic Rock/Louder: OMG Toyah and Robert Fripp have covered Killing In The Name: Toyah daubs herself in red paint as she pays tribute to Gil Scott-Heron with a cover of a Rage Against The Machine classic – Continue…

• Brooklyn Vegan: Watch Toyah & Robert cover Rage Against The Machine’s “Killing In The Name” – Continue…

• Metal Sucks: King Crimson’s Robert Fripp and Toyah Willcox Cover Rage Against The Machine’s “Killing In The Name” – Continue…

• Consequence: Robert Fripp and Toyah Take on Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing in the Name”: The married couple’s latest cover comes weeks before RATM kick off their highly anticipated reunion tour – Continue…

• Yahoo! Entertainment: Robert Fripp and Toyah Take on Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing in the Name” – Continue…

• Brave Words: Robert Fripp And Toyah Perform Rage Against The Machine Classic “Killing In The Name” – Continue…

• Metal Addicts: King Crimson’s Robert Fripp and Toyah cover RATM’s ‘Killing In The Name’ – Continue…

• DGM Live: Toyah & Robert’s Weekend – Continue…

Toyah’s Sack The Stylist?! Top 30: NOW 80s: Monday 13th June: 9am
Pop legend Toyah brings 30 memorable videos featuring a cavalcade of clothing calamities from superstars including Visage, Five Star, Divine, Cher, The Jam, Bananarama, Dead Or Alive, Bucks Fizz, ABC, Depeche Mode, David Bowie, Madonna, Adam & The Ants, A Flock Of Seagulls, Roxy Music, Kajagoogoo, Duran Duran, Grace Jones, Su Pollard, Toyah herself and more in this crazy countdown! See the full Toyah’s Sack The Stylist?! Top 30 playlist here.

Tales Of The Unexpected: Sky Arts: Tuesday 21st June: 4.30pm
Tales Of The Unexpected: Sky Arts: Wednesday 22nd June: 1.30pm
Tales Of The Unexpected: Sky Arts: Thursday 23rd June: 9.30am
Tales Of The Unexpected: Sky Arts: Saturday 25th June: 10am
Blue Marigold. Series 5, Episode 1. Dropped by her agency for her diva-like behaviour, supermodel Marigold’s mental health deteriorates. Years later, she plots a comeback. Director: Giles Foster. Starring: Toyah Willcox, Ralph Bates, Sharon Duce, Helen Fraser, Billy Hamon, Edward Jewesbury.