Someone has, just today, uploaded the full HQ Rock In The City Toyah Special, from 1981, to You Tube. A 30-minute programme filmed at Toyah’s Ulster Hall, Belfast gig: Setlist: Race Through Space, Angels & Demons, It’s A Mystery, Indecision, Danced, It’s A Mystery (again), plus an interview with Toyah! Click below to watch. View larger versions of the caps here.
NB: Screen caps not taken from the YT upload. These are my originals first posted years ago!
Yet another rare retro Toyah interview. This one is from ‘Rock Star News’ in 1980 and it’s vaguely bizarre. Definitely “of its time” but still an interesting read. Toyah talks ‘The Blue Meaning’, death dreams, her teenage years and more. Click below to read. View all of our recent retro Toyah press articles & interviews here. (Thanks again to Andi)
Another retro Toyah interview, this one from ‘Zig Zag’ magazine in mid-1980. Alan Anger follows Toyah on the first few dates of the, now legendary, ‘Ieya Tour’. It’s a really interesting read: Last time I did a feature on Toyah was in March. It was based on an interview with Miss Willcox just as she and her band began to take off outside London. Since then, Toyah have been regular chart toppers of the alternative charts, her appearance in Derek Jarman’s film of ‘The Tempest’ has received much acclaim and the band have, by now, completed a UK tour to coincide with the release of the new album, “The Blue Meaning”. Click below to read. (Thanks again to Andi)
Another Toyah article from the 80s. This one is from ‘New Chartbusters’ magazine, published in late 1980: Toyah Willcox is a very talented young lady who has achieved a much deserved reputation in both the theatre, and in such movies as Derek Jarman’s ‘Jubilee’ and ‘The Tempest’ as well as having just finished appearing in ‘Sugar and Spice’ at The Royal Court Theatre, London. Click below to read. (Thanks to Andi)
This fanzine, the first issue of ‘Shout!’ from 1981, recently listed on eBay appears to include two rare photos of Toyah. Difficult to tell with the smaller one but I can’t remember ever seeing the main photo. Toyah is interviewed about the break up of the band and the ATV docu!
Amazing, and rare, photos of Toyah from one of the band’s European gigs (most probably the Theatre Le Palace, Paris) on the ‘Good Morning Universe’ 18-date tour in December 1981. Click below to view larger versions. (Thanks again to Andi)
Rare photos of Toyah live at Torrington in 1987. This was a charity concert where Toyah performed songs from her, recently released, ‘Desire’ album and Cabaret, with Robert Fripp on guitar. Please click below to view larger versions. (Thanks to Andi)
A rare three-page interview with Toyah, plus a review of The Tempest upon receiving its first video release, from a 1982 issue of ‘Video Times’ magazine: Multi-talented singer and actress Toyah talks video, pop, films, cosmetics and big business with John Kercher. Click below to read. (Thanks to Andi for this great article)
The full, rarely seen, four-page Smirnoff advertising feature from ‘Company’ magazine in 1980.
To a gifted jewellery designer, we dedicate the Mint Gem. To a rising star, who played Miranda in The Tempest, we present the Stormy Weather cocktail…
Toyah Willcox: Star of Derek Jarman’s The Tempest, subject of an ITV documentary, founder of her own band and leading lady in a new Royal Court play, is the phenomenon of 1980. Can she continue to succeed as both a rock singer and serious actress? ‘I have the energy, so of course I can’. Of the future, the fiery redhead says quite simply: ‘I’d like to be an astronaut.’ – Dress, Bruce Oldfield; jewellery, Butler & Wilson.
NB: Valerie Robertson, also included in this feature, was the designer of the famous gold & black bangle Toyah wore in numerous photos in the early 80s. Gill Smith, also in the feature, is wearing Toyah’s famous bronze bangles!
• Click below to view a larger version of the feauture. (A huge thanks to Andi for this rarity)
A rare photo of Toyah from 1980! Plus a great shot from 1983 when she was starring in Trafford Tanzi at the Mermaid Theatre, London, and at the same time recording the ‘Love Is The Law’ album. Please click on each to zoom. View another picture from the 1980 photo session. These are the only two I know of from it! (Thanks to Michael Tyler & Andi)
Most, if not all, Toyah fans know that Toyah appeared in a Smirnoff print advert in 1980… But have you ever saw the full four-page magazine feature? If you’d like to… Check back later…
Two rare-ish photos of Toyah from 1981. The first is a great shot from the ‘Melody Maker’ cover feature, “Toyah Unmasked”, photo session, and the other is a fantastic live image from the ‘Anthem Tour’. Please click on each to zoom. (Thanks to Lärwi & Andi)
I’ll be adding more rare Toyah photos over the coming weeks so do please make a return visit as there are some great shots to come | View all of our recent Classic Toyah posts.
An interesting, very rare, interview with Toyah from 1981. This was originally published by Finnish music magazine ‘Suosikki’.
FIERCE REDHEAD TOYAH SAYS: “I’M CRAZY ABOUT RABBITS!”
Now I have seen her, today’s hottest rock singer in the world, Toyah (Willcox). Compared to this tiny redheaded whirlwind rest of the female singers- and some men- look like salt statues. Toyah is 145 centimetres of pure sex appeal and energy!
After the concert Suosikki Magazine got an exclusive interview with Toyah, an honour not bestowed on many publications in the world. Markku Fagerlund asked the questions and Toyah answered. At the same time Toyah read the latest issue of Suosikki and liked it so much she sent the readers a special message: “Keep going strong!”
Toyah Willcox is a 23 year old multi-talented artist who has this year finally reached the top. Her latest album “Anthem” has been well received in most European countries (it’s number 2 in the UK at the moment) and her gigs have been massively successful.
As well as being a famous singer Toyah is an actress. We’ve been able to admire her sexy persona in “Quadrophenia”, “Jubilee”, “The Corn Is Green” and various TV series including “Radioetsivä” (Shoestring) which aired also in Finland.
• Read the full interview at Dreamscape’s Press Archive. (Thanks again to Lärwi for this rare interview and for taking the time to translate it for Dreamscape News’ visitors)
This time exactly 30 years ago Toyah were halfway through ‘The Changeling Tour’. 4th July 1982 saw the band play the first of two nights at Bristol’s Colston Hall before they headed up north and to Scotland. Thanks to Andi Westhorpe for sharing this rare photo from the tour.
Click on the photo for a larger version | Visit Dreamscape’s The Changeling 30 website | View all of our The Changeling Resurrection news, photos and reviews, plus news, so far, on The Changeling Resurrection II. There’s also The Changeling: The Complete Songwords.
Check back to Dreamscape News soon for a brilliant, and rare, 1981 interview with Toyah, courtesy of our very good friend Lärwi, from Finnish pop magazine ‘Suosikki’ (similar to the UK’s ‘Smash Hits’): Toyah is 145 centimetres of pure sex appeal and energy…
Three from the 80s: The ‘Anthem Tour’, 1981; Toyah and Hazel O’Connor at The British Rock & Pop Awards, 1982; and Toyah, Maril Wilson and Kim Wilde at the launch of ‘Just Seventeen’ magazine, 1983. Please click on each to zoom. (Thanks to Andi)
This has been one of my favourite Toyah photos ever since I saw it in a magazine exactly 30 years ago in Summer 1982. I tried rescanning it over the weekend and Andrew York has, yet again, worked his magic to restore it. Click to view a larger version.
As the Queen celebrates 60 years on the throne, we look back at the changing celebrity hairstyles which have influenced hairdressing trends, clients and photographic collections since her reign began. Here we look at the edgy eighties icons that rocked a generation. Celebrity Hairdresser, Richard Ward comments on 80s hair trends.
Toyah Willcox “I remember Toyah as being the punk girl that your mum could love; she crossed the divide between the dying breed of Punk Rocker and the emerging New Romantics.
Today’s teenagers think Pink, Katie Perry and Rihanna are setting the trend in outlandish hair colour – but Toyah Willcox was setting the trend back in the 80s which proves that what goes around comes around.”
• Continue reading at Hairdressers Journal Interactive.
I spent most of yesterday colouring this photo. Crazy I know, but I’ve always wanted to see a non b&w version of it as it’s my favourite band shot from that era… Click to zoom!
Two more Dreamscape creations. Toyah has such a rich history of visuals, it’s good to dip into the photos and try to construct something ‘new’ from the familiar images. I never tire of ‘The Blue Meaning’ and ‘I Want To Be Free’ is an iconic single. Click on each to zoom.
One of the best singles of 1981, excellent production by Nick Tauber and iconic visuals on the single’s sleeve (and 12″ picture disc) and the accompanying video. I’ve always believed that this could be a massive hit again if it was included on the soundtrack of a big movie…
