Coming tomorrow at 11am… The Toyah At Home / Love Is The Law special. The songs. the video, the tour, the recording process, the photos. Some of your questions answered by Toyah plus music and lots of unseen photos. Not to be missed. Toyah At Home airs at Toyah’s YouTube channel and Facebook page simultaneously.
• Love Is The Law is out next Friday, 8th November. Pre-order this exciting release at Cherry Red.
It’s Toyah Tuesday and the count down to the official release of the 2024 remastered, expanded edition of Love Is The Law on 8 November. Discover the story behind the recording of the beloved album track Martian Cowboy, a sequel song to Pop Star on Anthem.
Today saw the release of Toyah’s amazing 1983 single, Rebel Run on 10″ grey vinyl, which includes unreleased tracks, including an extended version of the lead song. It feels like a new era of Love Is The Law. I’m celebrating from a fan perspective with a new issue of Toyah Fanzine, which I’m currently working on, focusing on all things Love Is The Law. This bundle also includes part two of our Toyah Album Discography collection – flyers & postcards for every Toyah album release.
• More info on Issue 61, including previews and order link, here.
Love Is The Law – Toyah’s final studio album on Safari Records, originally released in 1983 – is reissued in deluxe formats this November, and we are celebrating with a new issue – #61 – of our fanzine. More info will be available tomorrow – which just happens to be my birthday!!
Toyah’s 1983 studio album Love Is The Law receives new remastered and expanded editions, released by Cherry Red Records on Friday 8 November 2024. This follows the acclaimed and enthusiastically received series of remastered editions of four studio albums and four live albums that chronicle the band’s recording history from 1979-1983.
The album releases can be ordered from www.cherryred.co.uk.
For full track list and more details visit the Album page in the Discography of Toyah’s official website.
Reaching the UK album charts in November 1983, the album saw Toyah, Joel Bogen and Simon Darlow write and record the album whilst Toyah appeared as the lead in the successful theatre production of Trafford Tanzi at the Mermaid Theatre.
Previewed by the single Rebel Run, the album also includes fan favourites Dreamscape, Martian Cowboy and one of Toyah’s long-term personal favourites, I Explode. The title track features a group of fans singing on the song’s chorus after being invited into the Marquee Studios, Soho one evening in August 1983.
Following the acclaimed reissue Toyah series, this release once again features the album remastered from the original mastertapes by Nick Watson, overseen by Joel Bogen.
The LP reissue is pressed on translucent red vinyl and features a new colour inner bag plus a lyric insert. The 2CD+DVD edition features 31 bonus tracks, of which 21 are previously unreleased. Amongst these are B-Sides, alternate mixes, rarities, home demos, instrumentals and studio outtakes.
The DVD features two newly filmed 2024 interviews with Toyah Willcox reflecting on making the LP. These specially edited docu-features include extensive photographs from the Mermaid Theatre fan gatherings and several private studio session photos to bring the “Summer of ’83” story back to life once again.
The LP and 2CD+DVD artwork feature newly scanned archive negatives from the album photo shoot to both refresh the visuals with an alternate front cover and achieve a higher quality print finish, since the exact LP shot negatives are missing.
• Pre-Order Love Is The Law on 2CD+DVD, and semi-transparent red vinyl at Cherry Red (The editions with postcards sold out almost immediately!). Read the news/press release – and listen to a preview of Rebel Run (Extended) – and album page/full tracklist/release gallery at toyahwillcox.com. Watch Toyah announce the release on Toyah At Home.
Toyah’s next episode of Toyah At Home comes a week early, and to bring you a special announcement. It’s the turn of the final Safari studio album “Love Is The Law” to be remastered and expanded. Tune in 11am, Saturday 31 August for all the details.
One Week Today – Saturday 31st August – Toyah announces the remastered / expanded editions of the 1983 album, Love Is The Law in Toyah At Home. 11am at Toyah’s YouTube channel and Facebook. (Image © Toyah Willcox)
Cherry Red reach the final studio album from Toyah this Autumn, with the release/reissue of Love Is The Law. A wonderful album which features Toyah’s vocals at their most soaring and glorious thus far in her career at the time.
I’m happy to say I’ve managed to produce an issue of my fanzine for each and every Cherry Red release over the past four years, and currently working on Issue 61 (gulp!!) in celebration of Love Is The Law. More info soon…
A new t-shirt featuring the iconic Toyah logo from the Rebel Run/Love Is the Law album (1983) is now available for pre-order in the Toyah & Robert merchandise shop! (Image © Toyah Willcox)
Toyah during Saturday’s Toyah At Home: “Look out, as there are more announcements coming up over the next few months… Oh boy! Are there more announcements coming up! Yes!” Pre-order the Rebel Run EP.
Another exciting Toyah reissue. Rebel Run, Toyah’s penultimate physical single release on Safari Records, receives a 10″ colour vinyl EP release on 20th September 2024.
NB. This release features a number of previously unseen Rebel Run/Love Is The Law era Toyah photos, including the great new cover shot – See another at toyahwillcox.com.
TOYAH: REBEL RUN, 10-INCH COLOURED VINYL EXPANDED EP
Newly expanded and remastered EP version of Toyah’s 1983 Top 30 single ‘Rebel Run’. This specially expanded EP is a pre-cursor to the forthcoming Cherry Red reissue of the Toyah band’s final studio album ‘Love Is The Law’.
Recorded in July 1983 at the Marquee Studios, Rebel Run was produced by Nick Tauber, and saw Toyah and Joel Bogen joined by songwriter and keyboardist Simon Darlow to create new material following the silver- certified album ‘The Changeling’.
Pressed on grey-coloured 10” vinyl, the EP is led by a previously unreleased extended version of ‘Rebel Run’, mixed during the original album recording sessions in 1983, but which remained in the vaults. Also making its debut from the archives is an Alternate version of the album title track ‘Love Is The Law’ featuring alternate lyrics. Side Two presents new remasters of the two original B-Sides of ‘Rebel Run’ and an unheard Instrumental version of the EP’s title track.
The tracks have been remastered by Nick Watson from the original master tapes and approved by Joel Bogen.
The EP features stunning previously unseen photography from the album photo sessions, depicting a futuristic aesthetic with Toyah in red body armour custom-designed by Swanky Modes. The outfit was worn by Toyah in the single’s promo video inspired by sci-fi movie Tron. A colour inner bag features yet further rare imagery.
A limited edition postcard of a previously-unseen image of Toyah will come with every 10” vinyl EP.
TRACK LISTING
REBEL SIDE (SIDE ONE)
1. Rebel Run (Extended)*
2. Love Is The Law (Alternate)*
RUN SIDE (SIDE TWO)
1. Rebel Run (Instrumental)*
2. To The Mountains High
3. Baptised In Fire
* previously unreleased
• Pre-order at Cherry Red Records. See further info at toyahwillcox.com. See Toyah announce the release at this morning’s Toyah At Home.
Toyah gave viewers of yesterday’s, bonus “Minx Announcement”, Toyah At Home a brief teaser that the Love Is The Law remastered deluxe editions will be announced later this year, and revealed “There’s so many things going on with this release, it’s fantastic!” Watch the episode by clicking below. (Image © Toyah Willcox)
Song of the week, on Episode Ten of Toyah At Home, was Sensational, from the album, In The Court Of The Crimson Queen.
Click below to watch the episode, which ended with an archive performance of, the amazing, Broken Diamonds, from the album Love Is The Law.
Rebel Run was song of the week on the seventh episode of Toyah At Home, which aired at Toyah’s official You Tube channel on Saturday.
Toyah performed a rousing live performance of the 1983 hit and discussed the album, Love Is The Law, from which it is taken. She also talked about how much she loved 1983: starring in Trafford Tanzi, recording Love Is The Law and a role in The Ebony Tower alongside Laurence Olivier.
Toyah’s famous Melissa Caplan outfits made a cameo appearance (along with lots of handbags).
Toyah talked about the cover art for The Changeling and Toyah! Toyah! Toyah!, and the artist who painted the cover for that album, Dexter Brown. Episode Seven also saw Toyah discuss: the learning curve of dealing with outside forces which affect creativity; the albums she is most proud of; favourite outfits; Divine/John Waters; Kate Bush; the songs Street Creature and The Packt.
• Click below to watch/re-watch : Toyah At Home: Episode #7, which closes with an archive live performance of, the timeless, Martian Cowboy…
Episode Seven of Toyah At Home airs this Saturday at You Tube and Facebook. Submit your questions at Instagram or any of Toyah’s other social media spaces.
A little, albeit unconventional, retail therapy at one of London’s top department stores made the fourth festive season of the 80s a very memorable one for Toyah fans and viewers of Good Morning Britain on TVAM.
Christmas 1983, Toyah, and her Brave New World video co-star Messenger, went early Christmas shopping in November… Pop singer and actress Toyah Willcox has always wanted to do her Christmas shopping on horseback! With a little help from TV-am’s ‘Fantasy Time’, and Liberty London in Regent Street, Toyah rode a white horse called Messenger through the store.
• Watch the full TVAM clip at Toyah’s Official You Tube channel and click below to see larger versions of the screen captures of Toyah and Messenger.
The Official Toyah 40th Music Anniversary feature on social media continues with entries for Love Is The Law, Toyah Toyah Toyah – All The Hits, Mayhem, Minx, The Lady Or The Tiger, Desire, Prostitute, Ophelia’s Shadow, Kneeling At The Shrine… with more still to come. See our first post about the countdown here. Click below to visit the Official Toyah Instagram.
A great new Official Toyah 40th Music Anniversary feature on social media, with entries so far for Sheep Farming in Barnet, The Blue Meaning, Toyah! Toyah! Toyah!, Anthem, The Changeling, and Warrior Rock – Toyah On Tour… with lots more still to come!
35 years ago today, 12th November 1983, Toyah’s 14th single, The Vow, entered the UK Singles chart. The single was released on 7″ and 12″ vinyl and was backed with I Explode (by Willcox/Bogen) and extra song Haunted (by Willcox/Simon Darlow).
The Vow, written by Toyah Willcox, Joel Bogen and Phil Spalding, was the final single release by the early 80s Toyah band and final physical single release on Safari Records.
Toyah worked her Love Is The Law/Rebel Run baseball shoulder pads off promoting The Vow everywhere – TV show appearances included Pebble Mill, Did You See?, Pop Watch, Saturday Superstore, Breakfast Time, Razzmatazz, The Saturday Show, Harty, Crackerjack, Judgendbund, TVAM: Good Morning Britain and 60 Minutes.
No official promo video was filmed for the single so ITV’s The Saturday Show and Toyah filmed one. As with every single release during the 80s Toyah had a unique image for The Vow, strikingly different to her recent Rebel Run look.
The Vow was produced by, longtime Toyah producer, Nick Tauber. It peaked at No. 50 and spent seven weeks on the chart.
Love Is The Law was released exactly 35 years ago this week. It entered the UK Album Chart the first week in November, eventually peaking at number 28. The album was reissued, with bonus songs, on CD in 2005 and to mark 30 years a digital release, with even more bonus songs, was made available in 2013. Love Is The Law still sounds as vibrant and fresh today as it did, upon first listening, back in late October 1983…
