Dreamscape – Toyah Willcox Fansite

Toyah Solo is a new 7 CD + DVD anthology of collected works by Toyah, released 28 February 2020 by Edsel Records

RELEASE DATE: 28 February 2020
CAT NO: TOYAHBOX01
FORMAT: 7 CD + DVD in wallets in 2-piece box with 48 page booklet

An Amazon Exclusive edition features a signed print and is strictly limited to 500 copies.

The first Toyah box set ever features six studio albums (Minx, Desire, Prostitute, Ophelia’s Shadow, Take The Leap!, Velvet Lined Shell) alongside 44 bonus tracks, including rarities, B-sides, collaborations, and several unreleased tracks, plus a DVD of promo videos and a brand new exclusive interview filmed in December 2019.

In 1985, after five studio albums and two live albums with her band, Toyah decided to go solo, and signed to Sony’s portrait label. The album Minx contained two hit singles, Don’t Fall In Love (I Said) and Soul Passing Through Soul, as well as covers of Alice Cooper’s School’s Out and Rare Bird’s Sympathy. 1987’s Desire, featured appearances from Robert Fripp and Ron Wood and Toyah’s cover of Echo Beach, and now contains the previously unreleased outtake “Mesmerised. Prostitute (1988) was an arresting and fascinating departure from the pop formula, a trend continued by 1991’s Ophelia’s Shadow. In 1994, Take The Leap” featured new songs and intriguing revisits of several of her earlier pop hits. 2003’s “Velvet Lined Shell took Toyah back to her guitar punk roots.

Amongst the bonus tracks are Toyah’s collaborations with Tony Banks, Trey Gunn, German band Kiss Of Reality, Family Of Noise and This Fragile Moment. The lavishly-illustrated 48 page booklet features annotation about each album written by Toyah herself. Also featured is an essay on the period covered by the box by Toyah’s official archivist and compiler of this box set, Craig Astley. As Craig says: “eclectic is an often-overused word but is an accurate description of this intriguing and revelatory body of work. From unashamed pop and avant-garde to progressive rock and back to punk, the Common factors throughout are Toyah’s voice and lyrics but moreover, a sense of forging and following her own creative solo path”.

• Continue reading about Toyah Solo at toyahwillcox.com.

A new box celebrating Toyah’s career is on its way • 500 with signed print

Toyah’s solo career is to be celebrated in a new box set due next month from Demon.

Toyah Solo mops up the era from 1985 onwards when Willcox signed as a solo turn to Sony’s Portrait Records and then subsequent EG releases, and comprises of seven CDs and a DVD plus a 48 page book. (If you’re a cursory fan and a bit confused and wondering ‘hang on, wasn’t she always solo?’ it transpires that up until then, Toyah was the name of the band she fronted.)

The box charts the Birmingham post-punk lungsmith’s progression from chart star – with hits such as ‘Soul Passing Through Soul’ and her cover of ‘Echo Beach’ – to increasingly experimental artist and back again, and features the six albums Minx (released 1985) Desire (1987), Prostitute (1988), Ophelia’s Shadow (1991), Take The Leap! and Velvet Lined Shell (both 1994) alongside Remixed, Revisited & Rare 1992-98 which contains updates on some of her biggest hits.

• Continue reading at Super Deluxe Edition.

The fantastic cover art for Toyah’s first ever box set release – Toyah Solo. A new 7 CD/DVD anthology released 28 Feb by Edsel Records. Includes 6 studio album across 7 discs w/ 44 bonus tracks, B-Sides, rarities & collaborations.

The full contents of the aforementioned Limited Edition version of the Toyah Solo box set. Toyah tweeted: Sssooooooo Very Excited! Toyah Solo has been 3 years in the making. It’s a beautiful box set of some of my most adventurous music plus previously unheard material. ENJOY XXXX

The pieces are coming together! Toyah Solo… is coming soon! (28.02.2020 to be precise)

Expect an official release announcement soon on this very exciting collection – An eight-disc set – Toyah’s first ever box set release. The very limited edition signed version has been spotted. Get it before it sells out!

(Amazon Exclusive Signed Edition): Signed Edition, Limited Edition, Box Set, Extra Tracks.

This Amazon Exclusive comes with a print signed by Toyah and is limited to 500 copies. This 7 CD + DVD box set (the first Toyah box set ever) features six albums (Minx, Desire, Prostitute, Ophelia’s Shadow, Take The Leap, Velvet Lined Shell) and 44 bonus tracks, including rarities, b-sides, collaborations, and several unreleased tracks, plus a DVD of promo videos and a brand new exclusive interview filmed in December 2019.

Photo © Toyah Willcox/Dean Stockings – Official Toyah have been sharing archive photos from Toyah’s Solo career era (post 1984) over the past few weeks, including this very rare jigsaw.

Toyah’s first blog of the new decade is available to read at toyahwillcox.com!

Toyah and Hazel’s upcoming joint headlining 2020 tour is selling out fast!

Pointless Celebrities: Challenge: Thursday 9th January: 7pm
Music. A special celebrity music edition of the general knowledge quiz in which four teams try to come up with the answers that no-one else could think of. Presented by Alexander Armstrong and co-host Richard Osman. Featuring Fish and Barbara Dickson, Nick Heyward and Toyah Willcox, Heather Small and Mari Wilson, and Jessica Taylor and Kelli Young. (Photo © BBC)

Kavanagh Q.C.: Drama: Sunday 19th January: 0.00am
A Family Affair. Kavanagh finds himself caught up in a bitter family feud when he represents a frustrated father who has kidnapped his son in a desperate attempt to win custody. On the home front, Kavanagh’s daughter wants to let her boyfriend stay overnight. Directed by Renny Rye. With John Thaw, Holly Aird, Robert Ashby, Toyah Willcox and Lisa Harrow.

• Drama is available to watch on Sky (Channel 143), Freeview (Channel 20), Virgin Media (Channel 130), Freesat (Channel 158), Sky Ireland (Channel 158), Virgin Media Ireland (Channel 164).