Dreamscape – Toyah Willcox Fansite

Toyah guested on Richard Green’s BBC Radio Devon show on Saturday.

Faye from Steps, The Retro Hour features Howard Jones, Toyah and Brother Beyond.

Toyah talks Posh Pop and more, with the interview beginning around 2hr 10m into the show and runs for around 10 minutes. There were plays of I Want To Be Free and Space Dance, the latter of which Toyah chose to be played on the show.

• Listen to the show/interview for the next four weeks at BBC Sounds.

It’s episode 6 of Toyah at Home & On The Road. Toyah delves into the inspiration behind the songs from the top 30 charting album Posh Pop. This week it’s Kill The Rage which Toyah uncovers the meanings behind and introduces the video for the track which features Sidney Jake.

Toyah is interviewed in the latest issue (523, October 2021) of Record Collector magazine.

“I thought I was part of the movement, but the movement never accepted me.”

Re-energised by a long overdue reissue campaign of her early music and the release of Posh Pop, her first album for 13 years, Toyah talks to RC523 issue

ISSUE NO: 523
Exclusive features include:

THE TOP 200 RARITIES IN THE WORLD TODAY – You read about the 200 rarest and most valuable collectable records in the UK in these pages last year. Now we’re looking further afield for hard-to-find vinyl,
this time scattered across the globe. Warning: may require second mortgages
TOYAH – As her early albums are finally reissued, Ms Willcox talks punk, punching Adam Ant and lockdown celebrity
THE WHO – A pictorial potted history of the mod pioneers, from beat pop riot boys to still-windmilling Britrock royalty
WANDA JACKSON – The queen of 50s rockabilly and contemporary of Elvis and Johnny Cash is still going strong – but is her new album to be her swansong?
STEPHEN DUFFY – The mercurial folk-pop songwriter retraces his early days in neglected Brum post-punks The Hawks
FAUST – The “Dada Beatles” early output still sounds thrillingly unhinged 50 years on. We hear about its suitably anarchic evolution from four of those who lived to tell the tale

• Record Collector magazine, Issue 523 is on sale now!

It’s episode 5 of Toyah at Home & On The Road. Toyah delves into the inspiration behind and meanings in Barefoot On Mars from the Posh Pop album, and introduces the premiere of the video for the track. The track has already gone down as something of a favourite with listeners of the top 30 charting album.

Browse Dreamscape’s Posh Pop news archive: Reviews, interviews, charts, press, release news, tour news, photos and more – And much more to come! (Photo © Toyah Willcox)

There’s a rhythm – and bubbles – at The Official Toyah Willcox website…

Read Toyah’s latest blog at toyahwillcox.com. It includes an exclusive soundcheck performance video of Rhythm In My House with the Posh Pop band + another soundcheck photo.

This week’s Retro Charts show is packed with legends like Toyah, Duran Duran, Donny Osmond, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Eric Clapton and more.

The Retro Charts show counts down the top 10 current albums and singles from singers and bands that have been around for more than 25 years. It’s the only chart of its kind based on actual sales. No, it’s not an oldies show!

This edition is for the chart week ending Thursday 2 September, 2021.

This show is owned by the chart provider, Retro Charts. Follow this channel on Mixcloud, and follow us on Twitter and Facebook@retrocharts to be notified when the new chart is released each week. The show is aired on great radio stations worldwide. If you are a radio station and you want to air this weekly show, or get a version with custom links and idents, contact us via email: retrocharts@aol.co.uk

• Continue reading at Retro Charts @ Mix Cloud.

The first update to Dreamscape’s Gallery for quite a while – With the addition of a new page for the Posh Pop Tour 2021/22. Thanks again to Ian Davis for his great photos from the first gig of the tour – Please click below to take a look!

Toyah scores highest solo album placement with ‘Posh Pop’

The ’80s icon has teased plans to tour the album across the UK, Europe and the US.

‘Posh Pop’ is Toyah’s best charting album of her solo career. The singer’s 16th LP, featuring the singles Levitate, Zoom Zoom and Summer of Love, debuted at No. 22 on the UK chart, beating her solo debut ‘Minx’, which peaked at 24.

It’s beaten only by ‘Anthem’ and ‘The Changeling’, both of which were released by the singer’s eponymous new wave band, of which she was frontwoman. ‘Anthem’ was a UK No. 2 hit, while ‘The Changeling’ reached No. 6. The live album “Warrior Rock’ also hit No. 20.

• Continue reading at Retro Pop. Read Retro Pop’s recent interview with Toyah.

It’s episode 4 of Toyah at Home & On The Road, as Toyah checks-in with insights into and footage from her working week, and introduces the premiere of the official video for Rhythm In My House from the album Posh Pop. Watch at You Tube by clicking below. (Image © Toyah Willcox)

Toyah / Posh Pop is also #1 on the Retro Charts Album Top 10.

Toyah’s reaction and thank you message on finding out her album Posh Pop has entered the UK album charts at #22.

Can I just say… I always try to remain professional with this website, but yesterday I just felt ridiculously proud and pleased for Toyah, and yes, slightly emotional. I’ve been a fan of this amazing and inspirational artist since I was knee high to a grasshopper and know that throughout her entire 43+ year career she has worked tirelessly and never asked for or expected anyone’s praise or thanks, and yet has always been dedicated to her craft and produced such high quality work – so that’s what makes the success and the achievement of Posh Pop all the more worthy and well deserved. What a great artist. Talent will always win in the end!

This is incredible news, and a huge congratulations to Toyah. As well as Simon Darlow, Bobby Willcox and the entire team who brought us Posh Pop.

The 2021 studio album charts today at #22 on the Official UK Album Chart. Posh Pop becomes Toyah’s highest charting studio album since 1982, when The Changeling peaked at #6. Warrior Rock: Toyah On Tour, a live double album – which will be reissued in the next year or so, as will the rest of Toyah’s post-The Blue Meaning Safari Records’ back catalogue – peaked at #20 that same year.

The only other Toyah albums to peak higher than this are Anthem (1981) #2, The Changeling (1982) #6 and the aforementioned Warrior Rock: Toyah On Tour (1982) #20. Posh Pop equals with, another live album, Toyah! Toyah! Toyah! (1980) which hit #22 in early 1981.

Further great news is that Posh Pop achieves Toyah her highest ever chart position as a solo artist, and the album is also #1 on the official Independent chart, #6 on the official Physical chart, #6 on the official Sales chart, #9 on the official Vinyl chart, #20 on the official Download chart and #8 on the official Scottish chart. Phew! Amazing stats! If the Album Chart was, as it used to be, simply a sales chart Toyah would certainly have a Top 10 album!!

• A Message From Toyah: Watch Toyah announce the news – Continue watching…

• Official Charts: See this week’s full Top 100 Album Chart – Continue reading…

• Official Charts: Further down, Beach Boys boxset Feel Flows: The Sunflower & Surf’s Up Sessions 1969-1971 enters at 19, Toyah earns her eighth Top 40 album with Posh Pop at 22, and a remastered edition of Supergrass’ In It For The Money lands at 28 – Continue reading…

• Official Charts: See Toyah’s full charts stats on the Official Chart – Continue reading…

• Official Charts @ Twitter: 10 new releases land in this week’s Official Albums Chart Top 40, including a massive boxset by The Beach Boys, Toyah’s Posh Pop, and a reissue of Supergrass’ In It For The Money – Continue reading…

• Chart Stats: Also great to consider that Toyah has had four charting albums on the Official Charts in the past two years: In The Court Of The Crimson Queen (2019) #74, Sheep Farming In Barnet (2020) #99, The Blue Meaning (2021) #59, Posh Pop (2021) #22.

• Posh Pop: Click below to buy the album on CD+DVD, CD, Colour Vinyl and Digital Download. Or stream the album at Spotify and watch a selection of album videos at Toyah’s Official You Tube channel. (All Photos/Images © Toyah Willcox)

The second great review of the day for Posh Pop, this from Liam Rudden in the Edinburgh Evening News.

Fabulous​,​ flawless, five star pop from Toyah

It’s a mystery how time has flown. I remember clearly the first time I heard the name Toyah Willcox.

I was 15, hanging around the square behind the family home in Leith when a purple-mohicaned punk called Pete appeared. He was visiting pals in the scheme and we got talking about music. He was a fan of a singer who, he claimed, could unite mods, rockers and punks. Some feat in those days.

“Everyone charges to the front when she comes on,” he said, adding, “They don’t even fight when Toyah’s singing.” The next day I headed to Ards Record Shop on Great Junction Street and found a copy of Sheep Farming In Barnet. One listen and I was hooked.

That was 42 years ago, it’s still a brilliant album as is Toyah’s latest, Posh Pop, released last weekend. Reunited with long term collaborator Simon Darlow and with husband Robert Fripp on guitar, Posh Pop is at once reflective and optimistically forward thinking.

…Barefoot On Mars, my highlight of the album, is an arrestingly emotional, uplifting​ and joyous tribute. A tear-inducing salute to Toyah’s mother, it ​will ​touch the soul of ​anyone who has ​​lost a ​truly ​loved one.​ ​A degree of lightness returns with Rhyth​​m ​I​n ​M​y ​H​ouse​, ​an easy listening ​number brought to life with ​unicorn​s​ and bubbles​, which is followed by ​Summer ​O​f ​Love and an unapologetic Sixties’ ‘love and peace’ vibe​.

• Continue reading at the Edinburgh Evening News. This review is also published in The Falkirk Herald and The Southern Reporter. See more Posh Pop reviews.

It looks like there will be a track from Posh Pop, as well as a Toyah classic, on Grant Stott’s Vinyl Collective this evening, in the show’s “Then & Now” feature.

Airing on BBC Radio Scotland from 6pm.

Grant Stott’s Vinyl Collective: BBC Radio Scotland: Friday 3rd September: 6pm
Paging Dr Beat. Celebrating the vinyl revival with new and classic cuts all played from 7″, 12″ or LP. This week, Then & Now tracks from Toyah, Into The Groove with Freeez and music from Chvrches, Miami Sound Machine, The Jam and Horse.

• Listen online at the BBC Scotland website, or post-airing at BBC Sounds.

Great photos from last night’s Posh Pop Tour opening gig at The Mill Arts Centre, Banbury. Return this weekend for more photos from the gig, which will be included in a new Posh Pop Tour page in the Gallery of this website. A huge Thank You to Ian Davis for the photos.

Read on for a breakdown of the gig. Please DO NOT READ ON if you are going to a gig on the tour and don’t like spoilers.

Simon Darlow played at last night’s gig, but he most probably will not be at all, or maybe any, of the future tour gigs so this breakdown essentially applies to last night’s opener only! But the set-list may be similar as to what to expect, though that too may also evolve over the months/gigs!

SET 1:
Band Only
Good Morning Universe
Dance In The Hurricane
Thunder In The Mountains

Band With Simon Darlow
Brave New World
Rebel Run

Toyah, Simon Darlow, Chris Wong and Andy Nicholls (Semi-Acoustic)
Summer Of Love
Space Dance
Zoom Zoom

Band With Simon Darlow
It’s A Mystery

SET 2:
Toyah, Simon Darlow, Chris Wong and Andy Nicholls (Semi-Acoustic)
Rhythm In My House
Take Me Home
Levitate

Band Only
Echo Beach
Sensational
Neon Womb
These Boots Are Made For Walkin’
Danced
I Want To Be Free

Encore
Rebel Yell

• Toyah/Posh Pop Tour 2021/22 at The Mill Arts Centre, Banbury on 02.09.2021 (All photos © Ian Davis)

Another positive review of Posh Pop, this one from God Is In The TV.

Toyah – Posh Pop (Demon Records)

Even in her sixties and not far off her free bus pass, Toyah is still able to turn heads, as evidenced by the striking imagery on the artwork of Posh Pop, and also by the many highly entertaining videos she and her husband, King Crimson‘s Robert Fripp, have been unleashing on us throughout the lockdown period, providing some much-needed light relief along the way.

What I hadn’t expected though, was the diverse range of reference points you can hear on this, her first long-player since 2008. For example, recent single ‘Levitate‘ seems to take its lead from Roisin Murphy‘s recent splendid resurgence, all fidgety dance beats and breathy vocals, whereas the fantastic ‘Barefoot On Mars‘ recalls Bowie in its composition and is a heartfelt paean to her late mother (“Turned my back on all you valued, I held you when you died“) – it’s deep and poignant, and stopped me in my tracks – I hadn’t anticipated that Toyah was going to release one of the strongest songs in her canon this late in her career!

Elsewhere, ‘Zoom Zoom‘ is seventies rock, pop and glam all rolled up and smoked in one pipe, while ‘Monkeys‘ is pleasingly off-kilter in its delightful chorus.

• Continue reading at God Is In The TV. See more Posh Pop reviews.

It’s time! The Posh Pop Tour opens tonight, at The Mill Arts Centre, Banbury. Browse all of the tour dates by clicking below.

Toyah on dyslexia breakthrough: ‘Learning an instrument broadened and deepened my communicative skills’

According to the singer, music lessons helped “rewire” her brain and have helped improve “broaden and deepen” her communicative skills.

Learning to play guitar and keyboards led to a huge breakthrough in Toyah’s lifelong struggle with dyslexia.

The Summer of Love hitmaker was diagnosed with the learning difficulty at a young age, which can cause problems with reading, writing and spelling.

Speaking exclusively with Retro Pop ahead of the release of her latest album ‘Posh Pop’, Toyah reflects on the profound impact lockdown had on her, both personally and professionally, and reveals lessons in piano and guitar have enhanced her life in numerous ways.

“I can now play guitar, I can now play keyboards, and it means that my communicative skills are much broader and much deeper,” she explains.

• Continue reading at Retro Pop. Read Retro Pop’s review of Posh Pop.