A new, 30 minute, audio interview. Toyah chats about the frustration of currently not playing live, looking forward to a decadent 2020s and a busy 2021, having a diverse career, how the entertainment industry has changed over the past four decades, fighting against ageism, and much more.
Cat interviews Toyah Willcox
May 2020: My guest today really needs no introduction.
She’s appeared in the 1978 film Jubilee, and Quadrophenia the following year. Her early hit singles included It’s A Mystery and I Want To Be Free, and by 1982 she had made two platinum-selling albums. And, after more than 40 years in the music business, she is as creatively hungry as she was in her teens.
She is a singer, an actress, a writer, a punk, rebel, and an icon…but most importantly, she’s an independent, strong woman who doesn’t take any prisoners.
Toyah and Robert read The Girl With The Unicorn – aka La Fille à la Licorne – by Dominic Toller. The short story is about hope and self-belief and all funds go to the mental welfare charity Young Minds.
Dominic said: “I wrote the original as a one-off birthday gift to my friend’s daughter – she loved unicorns; the character in the story is based upon her, her dog and her ‘teddy’. But the subtext is also about my own belief in the power of having hope, and how important this is for all of us in dealing with the stresses of our lives. Everyone has mental health and so mental health welfare has relevance to everyone.” (Source: theisleofthanetnews)
Why have one retro Toyah interview from 1981 when you can have a quadruple? Click below to listen online or download My Top 12, The Annie Nightingale Show and Talkabout – all from BBC Radio One, plus an interview from BFBS Radio from December of that great year.
1. Radio One: My Top 12 (Nov 1981): Toyah chooses her favourite songs and talks about her life, music, hobbies, childhood, fans, career… 2. Radio One: The Annie Nightingale Show (Aug 1981): Toyah talks to Annie about her life, 1981 and new single. 3. BFBS Radio: (Dec 1981): Toyah interviewed in Europe at the end of her successful 1981. She talks about the year, her future plans, Christmas and the band’s new EP ‘Four More From Toyah’. 4. Radio One: Talkabout (Feb 1981): A Valentine’s Day special.
A couple of retro Toyah radio appearances: The New Recruit, from BBC Radio Four (April 1994), and an interview with Toyah (and Sting) from The Annie Nightingale Show, which aired on BBC Radio One (January 1984). Click on each below to listen or download.
Toyah guested on BBC Radio Four’s In The Psychiatrist’s Chair in September 1992. A fascinating interview with Dr Anthony Clare. Certainly one of the most honest and interesting of the many Toyah has given over the last 40 years. This originally aired on 9th September 1992 and runs for approximately 40 minutes. Click below to listen or download.
Four rare radio interviews with Toyah; 1979 – 1982. Click below for the Downloads section.
1. Capital Radio: Mummy’s Weekly (1979): Fighting talk from Toyah! She also chats about being discovered, ‘Victims Of The Riddle’ and more. 2. Radio One: Rock On (1980): Toyah talks Shoestring, Glitter, the band’s influences, mayhem, ’Sheep Farming In Barnet’, ‘Neon Womb’, and future plans. 3. Radio Trent: (January 1981): Toyah, interviewed just before the release of the ‘Four From Toyah’ EP. Great interview with lots of interesting pre-mainstream fame chat. 4. Radio One: Rock On (May 1982): Toyah talks to, former ‘Smash Hits’ writer and eternal cynic, Mark Ellen about ‘The Changeling’, aliens, fairies, her ‘Brave New World’ image and much more.
Just rediscovered in my collection, and uploaded to Dreamscape, an interview with Toyah from ‘BBC Radio London’ 10 years ago. This aired just before Toyah appeared on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! She discusses that, religion, ‘Velvet Lined Shell’ and much more. Click below to listen.
There’s a great page at Focus On The Family on the Radio Theatre production of Les Misérables. Toyah plays Fantine in the 2007 full-cast audio drama which is available to buy on CD or download.
A Radio Theatre Classic: It’s one of the world’s masterpieces of storytelling. Against the stirring background of the French Revolution, follow the tale of Jean Valjean as he encounters the savage injustice of the law — and then the gentleness and grace of God. It depicts events like the battle at the barricade and a heroic rescue through the underworld of Paris.
Toyah Willcox as Fantine: Toyah co-starred with Sir Laurence Olivier in the acclaimed British TV production Ebony Tower. Her film roles include Miranda in The Tempest, Jubilee,Quadrophenia and The Corn is Green with Katharine Hepburn.
Toyah talked passionately about David Bowie, and the Ziggy Stardust album, on Steve Lamacq’s Rock College on BBC Radio 2 last week. It’s such a great piece of audio it seems a shame to just let it disappear after its week on iPlayer… so here it is! (click below)
A short excerpt from Toyah’s autobiography, published in August 2000, ‘Living Out Loud’.
Toyah talks about ‘The Changeling’, and some of the events of 1982: Winning ‘Best Female Singer’ at The British Rock & Pop Awards, sacking her manager, feeling that her images and hairstyles were becoming outdated etc.
Toyah also mentions the reasons why herself and Joel decided to record an album with much darker themes after the huge success of ‘Anthem’ the year before.
• Listen to ‘The Changeling’ set of Toyah interviews and audio, at ‘Soundcloud’, here.
Six days to go… Another audio interview that’s been available at Dreamscape and The Changeling 30 sites but good to have it here too in this countdown week to the launch of ‘The Changeling Resurrection’ tour.
This is the only audio that exists from 1982 with Toyah discussing ‘The Changeling’ in any detail.
Toyah guests on Rock On on ‘BBC Radio 1’, talking to Mark Ellen about the album, aliens, fairies, changelings, critics, the ‘Brave New World’ image and much more.
Mark Ellen sounds quite bemused but it’s fair to say that in 1982 he would probably have been far happier interviewing Bruce Springsteen or REO Speedwagon.
• There’s also a full transcript of this interview, at ‘The TW Interview Archive’, here.
2012 marks 10 years since Toyah took on the lead role of Calamity Jane, the musical that toured the UK and also enjoyed a residency at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London’s West End.
The, highly successful, production ran for over a year and, ultimately, played to more than 200,000 people through the UK, receiving numerous positive reviews along the way.
Toyah was great in the musical, and really took on the role of ‘Calamity’, giving an incredibly physical performance, but there were also tender moments. The pivotal scene, and song, of the show was ‘Secret Love’. The song is legendary and forever associated, just like Calamity Jane, to Doris Day. As you’ll hear below Toyah sang the song beautifully and her voice soars.
NB: This is a low-quality audience recording I’m uploading for fans to listen to. It’s highly unlikely that the mooted ‘Cast Recording’ of Calamity Jane will ever be released. Visit Dreamscape’s Calamity Janemini-site here. (Thanks to Alec Kelly)
As Part One was fairly popular (almost 170 listens and six downloads) I’ve transferred and uploaded the second part quicker than I’d planned to. So, here is Part Two of the radio documentary Toyah presented in 1999, To Mother With Love: The Story Of The Tattoo. This originally aired on ‘BBC Radio 2’ on 2nd March 1999. In this part Toyah briefly talks about fans who have her image tattooed on themselves! Listen to Part One here. (Thanks again to Seàn)
This has been available on Dreamscape for a few years but I thought I’d add it here in case anyone hasn’t heard it or wants to listen again. It’s a really interesting interview with Toyah in mid 1980, discussing details about her career up to that point. (Thanks to Giddy Gavin)
Toyah discusses the origins of her name, The Tempest and playing Miranda, how she was “discovered”, Jubilee, Quadrophenia, the forming of the first Toyah band, her career to date, future plans and more. (The sound is quite low so please crank up your volume)
• Read a full transcript of this interview, at ‘The TW Interview Archive’, here. (Thanks to Min)
Toyah presents a radio documentary on the story, and history, of the tattoo: To Mother With Love: The Story Of The Tattoo aired on ‘BBC Radio 2’ on 2nd March 1999. This is Part One. I’ll upload the remainder when I’ve converted it from tape to mp3. (Thanks to Seàn)
Two brief excerpts from last night’s ‘BBC Radio Shropshire/Stoke/etc’ interview, with Toyah talking about ‘The Changeling’ and ‘The Changeling Resurrection’. See below for info on how to hear the full interview. (Apologies for the noises, they are included in iPlayer’s recording)
One you may have missed, or might just want to listen to again: Chris Limb’s interview with Toyah from 1987. Listen here. There’s also a full transcript of the interview, at ‘The Toyah Willcox Interview Archive’, here.
A new, 30 minute, audio interview. Toyah chats about the frustration of currently not playing live, looking forward to a decadent 2020s and a busy 2021, having a diverse career, how the entertainment industry has changed over the past four decades, fighting against ageism, and much more.
