Dreamscape – Toyah Willcox Fansite

More of your social, emotional and music tuning predicaments are addressed with care and attention by the deeply unqualified Toyah Willcox and Robert Fripp.

Toyah guested on BBC Radio London’s David & Carrie Grant show yesterday morning. The show was guest hosted by Jumoke Fashola.

Singer Toyah Willcox looks ahead to an 80s drive-in music experience which aims to help raise money for Help Musicians and celebrating the re-opening of Alexandra Palace with Chief Executive Louise Stewart.

• Listen online to the show, for the next four weeks, at BBC Sounds.

Toyah is interviewed in the print edition of today’s Daily Express. Here is some of the interview.

I suffered ageism in my 30s but at 62 I’m treated like a Goddess

“I’ve never had any maternal instinct and it’s always baffled me why I was expected to have children,” she confesses. “I believe you’re born knowing if you want to have kids and I knew that would not be happening.

“The only time I’ve ever experienced ageism was in my 30s, which was a very, very difficult decade. Back then if you were 30 and a woman, you were expected to have babies. But I had a successful career and never intended to have children and I couldn’t get anyone to hear that. People would say to me ‘Well, why are you married?’ and I would say, ‘er, because I love my husband!’

“I was too much of a bohemian to have children and anything that ties me down into one place is a challenge for me. But now I’m treated like a 62-year old goddess. I can say to women, ‘it does get better’ because people see you as having a wisdom they can tap into”.

Deezer’s 80’s Drive In, with special LIVE appearance by 80s icon Toyah Willcox.

Grab your car keys, because music streaming service Deezer is hosting a one-off drive-in experience to celebrate National Album Day 2020.

DEEZER’S 80’S DRIVE IN
WED 7 OCT – 7:00PM
PRICE: £15 PER CAR
Doors open: 6pm | Start time: 7pm

Join us for a night packed with 80s music and fancy dress! Grab your snacks at 80s prices while you sing your heart out to Madonna. Retro dress code of leg warmers and bright colours is strongly encouraged!

Pull up to Drive In London and you’ll be treated to original tour performance videos from the decade’s biggest icons: (1985) Madonna, ‘The Virgin Tour’, (1987) Prince, ‘Sign O’ The Times’, (1987) Stevie Nicks, ‘Live at Red Rocks’, (1988) David Bowie, ‘Glass Spider Tour’.

100% of event proceeds will go to the Help Musicians charity. There’s limited spots available – so grab your ticket early and get ready to party 80’s style including a special menu at 80’s prices.

• Continue reading/Book tickets at The Drive In.

Celebrating National Album Day UK, Toyah will be making a live appearance 7pm, Wednesday 7th October at Deezer Drive In, London. Packed with 80s music, food + fancy dress, tickets only £15 per car & 100% of profits to Help Musicians charity. Click below to see Toyah’s tweet about this, and here for ticket info.

Toyah At Home is referenced in a new article from the Edinburgh Evening News: Venues glow red as Edinburgh’s entertainment landscape fights for survival

Every Saturday at 11am, again on Facebook, I pop on to join Toyah Willcox for At Home with Toyah. Once more it’s a platform that allows the singer and actress to remain creative and perhaps more importantly stay connected with her fans.

• Continue reading at Edinburgh Evening News. Episode 16 of Toyah At Home airs this morning.

1980 debut reissued as 2CD+DVD set & coloured vinyl

Toyah’s debut album Sheep Farming In Barnet has been remastered and expanded and will be reissued in December. Cherry Red bought the Safari Records catalogue earlier this year and Sheep Farming In Barnet represents the start of a planned reissue programme of Toyah’s entire output on that label, including 1981’s hit-packed Anthem.

Originally a six-track EP issued in August 1979, Sheep Farming In Barnet was expanded to full album status the following year with the addition of five further tracks, including both sides ‘Victims Of The Riddle’, Toyah’s first single (released in 1979).

The reissue is fairly straightforward, with two formats on offer: 2CD+DVD and an LP pressed on white vinyl. The former offers the newly remastered album, plus 30 bonus tracks made up of non-album singles, rarities and demos (20 previously unreleased).

• Continue reading at Super Deluxe Edition.

Carol Decker’s 30 Rock Chicks!: NOW 80s: Friday 9th October: 1am
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)

All proceeds from Prayer, In Tribute to Bill Rieflin, by Chris Connelly and Jessica Gallo, will be donated to the Floyd & Delores Jones Cancer Institute at the Virginia Mason Foundation. Read more about this project by clicking below.

Give Them Wings is based on the true story of severely disabled football fan Paul Hodgson. Starring Daniel Watson, Jacob Anderton, Bill Fellows, Rachel Warren, Katie Sheridan and Toyah Willcox. Directed by Sean Cronin.

A new interview with Matt Dangerfield, who produced Toyah’s first single of the 1980s, Bird In Flight/Tribal Look.

Early in February 1980, Dangerfield produced labelmate Toyah’s ‘Bird in Flight’ single, just a year before they broke the mainstream with the Four From Toyah E.P. This extended play release featured ‘It’s A Mystery’, which became the breakthrough hit for the band, fronted by singer-songwriter Toyah Willcox.

“The reason I was brought in to produce that single was to get her airplay. She was having lots of publicity and everybody was interested in her, but the music wasn’t very radio-friendly“.

‘Bird in Flight’ wasn’t featured on an album release at the time, although it was added to the 2002 reissue of Toyah’s debut album Sheep Farming In Barnet, and was also included on the 2005 compilation The Safari Singles Collection Part 1: 1979-1981.

• Continue reading/watch the full interview at PhilMarriott.net.

Song of the week on last Saturday’s episode of Toyah At Home was Lesser God (which includes one of my favourite Toyah lyrics: “I won’t fake for the sake of peace…“), from the album, In The Court Of The Crimson Queen.

Click below to watch/rewatch the episode, which ended with an archive performance of All In A Rage (a song which also features lyrics which resonate in 2020), from the album Minx.

Episode 16 of Toyah At Home airs this Saturday at 11am at You Tube and Facebook.