Dreamscape | The Toyah Willcox Fansite

Congratulations to Toyah. Anthem returns to the Official UK Album Chart, exactly 40 years after it left – in 1982, after spending a year on the chart.

Anthem placed at #33 today, following the reissue of the album on Deluxe and Super Deluxe formats, giving Toyah her sixth charting album in the past four years.

Anthem is also high up in numerous other charts, including #1 on the official Independent chart, #6 on the official Physical chart, #6 on the official Sales chart, #6 on the official Vinyl chart, #61 on the official Download chart and #6 on the official Scottish chart. Anthem also places at #29 on the official Record Store chart. Great stats! As with Posh Pop last year, if the Album Chart was, as it used to be, a sales chart, Toyah would certainly have another Top 10 album!

• Chart Stats: Toyah has now had six albums on the Official Charts in the past four consecutive 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, Toyah! Toyah! Toyah! (2022) #72, Anthem (2022) #33.

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

• Official Charts: And finally, a remastered reissue sees Toyah’s Anthem re-enter the Top 40 (33). The record originally peaked at Number 2 upon its release in 1981 – Continue reading…

• Official Charts @ Twitter: British icon Toyah’s 1981 record Anthem re-enters the Top 40 this week – Continue reading…

• Cherry Red Records @ Twitter: Congratulations Toyah on her Top 40 charting place for the deluxe Anthem reissue! – Continue reading…

• Anthem: Click to buy the album on 2CD+DVD, Colour Vinyl or Super Deluxe. (Update: The Anthem Super Deluxe box set is currently out of stock)

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

• Dreamscape: Browse our “Toyah On The Official Charts” news archive…

Join Toyah for a deep dive into the music and stories and your questions answered in the second of three new specials dedicated to Anthem. As the classic Gold-certified selling album receives its long-awaited remastered, expanded and deluxe release on Friday 9th September, this special celebrates the songs, the images and history in style. Enjoy much-loved songs, rarely seen footage plus and an extended selection of your questions answered by Toyah as she goes behind the music.

• Toyah At Home – The Anthem Specials: Part 2 premieres on Saturday 17th September, 11am at Toyah’s Official You Tube channel & Facebook. (Image © Cherry Red)

** Toyah Willcox and the Toyah team wish to extend condolences to the Royal Family, and respect the dedication HRH Elizabeth II showed her country during her unprecedented reign. This special was filmed before the news of the sad death of Her Majesty the Queen.**

The celebrations for Anthem‘s 40th (+1) Anniversary continue with the opening gig of the Anthem Tour, taking place this evening at Epic Studios, Norwich. The album has just been released on 2CD+DVD, Gold Vinyl and Super Deluxe Box Set, with great reviews and hopes for a good chart placing later today (Official Charts, 6pm). Click below to browse all the tour dates and ticket links.

Toyah and, Anthem – and many other Toyah releases during the Safari Records years – producer, Nick Tauber are interviewed in The Guardian today, discussing It’s A Mystery, from the Four From Toyah EP and the, just reissued in deluxe formats, iconic/legendary/magnificent 1981 album, Anthem.

Toyah on It’s a Mystery: ‘I told Princess Margaret I was a punk rocker. She said “How ridiculous”’

‘There was a vinyl shortage when it was released. Old records had to be sent to the factory to be melted down and pressed. But soon it was selling 75,000 copies a day’

I was a cult punk singer playing sweaty little clubs and getting covered in so much gob that dry cleaners would go: “Yeuch! We’re not touching that!” Then a brilliant PR woman called Judy Totton turned everything around. She put me in every parish magazine in the country that would talk to me. I soon had all these fans who said they discovered me because their parents or grandparents had told them about this punk rocker.

I was making singles that were eight minutes long with reams of lyrics and had never had a hit. When Safari Records played my 1980 single Ieya on rotation in their office, a man apparently appeared at their door with a knife and said: “If you play that song again, I’ll kill you!” I started working with a new producer, Nick Tauber, who said I needed to simplify the message. He was completely right.

• Continue reading at The Guardian.

Almost mirroring Posh Pop last year, Anthem is high in the Official Charts Album Chart Update (aka midweeks) today, placing at number 8. Posh Pop was at number 9 in the midweeks and eventually achieved number 22 in the confirmed/final chart later in the week, so things are looking very good for Anthem this Friday!

Join Toyah for a deep dive into the music and stories and your questions answered in the first of three new specials dedicated to Anthem. As the classic Gold-certified selling album receives its long-awaited remastered, expanded and deluxe release on Friday 9th September, this special celebrates the songs, the images and history in style. Enjoy much-loved songs, rarely seen footage plus and an extended selection of your questions answered by Toyah as she goes behind the music. There’ll be surprises too and Toyah will also announce the winners of the Anthem Cherry Red pre-order competition!

• Toyah At Home – The Anthem Specials: Part 1 premieres on Saturday 10th September, 11am at Toyah’s Official You Tube channel & Facebook. (Image © Toyah Willcox)

Read Toyah’s latest blog at toyahwillcox.com. Including news on the Anthem Tour, and that there will be three “Toyah At Home” Anthem shows this month.

In anticipation of the Anthem 40+1 Tour premiering, Official Toyah shared this amazing photo. The tour begins on Friday 16th September. Get your tickets by clicking below. (Photo © Toyah Willcox)

Toyah: 40 years on, a celebration of her groundbreaking album Anthem

It is now 40 years since Toyah released her groundbreaking album Anthem and stunned the music world with her energy, her imagery and her music.

The album was certified gold and next week we can expect a deluxe box set with all you ever wanted to hear.

Looking ever youthful and cheeky as ever during lockdown in 2020 started a Sunday Lunch session of covers live from her kitchen along with her 74-year-old husband Robert Fripp.

He is an amazing guitarist and best known for his work with the prog rock band, King Crimson. Together they would take on short versions of Teenage Kicks, My Generation, Breaking The Law & Toxic, once a week at noon with elaborate costume and make up.

This won them new fans who may have missed the duo’s chart success days.

This new remastered set will satisfy both though and comes as a 2CD + DVD set, LP in gold vinyl and Super Deluxe Set of 3CD, DVD, 2 LP + 7” single. A 24-page booklet offers unseen images, classic studio photos from that time plus a newly penned introduction by Toyah herself.

• Continue reading at Fife Today.

A four star review of the Anthem Deluxe reissue, by Classic Pop magazine. The 2CD+DVD, colour vinyl and Super Deluxe box set is released on Friday 9th September, and can be pre-ordered here.

Absurdly kept from the top spot by Starsound’s Stars On 45, Toyah’s third album marked her transformation from cult punk to chart revolutionary. With co writer/guitarist Joel Bogen the only survivor from the band’s previous incarnation, the new line-up did a brilliant job of maintaining the ferocity of old while ditching the more outre excesses for facing radio playlists head on. You’ll know It’s A Mystery and I Want To Be Free, with the pointed Marionette and Pop Star similarly unstoppable bursts of fire.

As ever, archivist Craig Astley is exemplary in unearthing extras. The regular Anthem is back on vinyl, there’s a 2CD+DVD set or the boxset is a mighty 3CD, DVD, 2LP and a 7″ of the Flexipop single Sphinx on proper vinyl. The box’s second LP comprises everything from standalone single Thunder In The Mountains, though annoyingly the Anthem LP is a picture disc in the box. Bah.

Alongside a BBC six-song session, the highlight of the extras are a handful of unreleased instrumentals: why Toyah didn’t turn Dropped Earring into a hit is, well, a mystery. Throw in Toyah causing havoc on the DVD’s TV appearances and you get a fabulous document of an ex-punk rivalling Adam Ant for seizing the moment.

• The latest issue of Classic Pop is on sale now! (Thanks to Minna)

This Tuesday’s Anthem Countdown gifted a vintage live performance of Danced with the Anthem band from a concert in Ulster which was broadcast on BBC Northern Ireland in 1981. A version of Danced from Paris Theatre, London can be heard on CD2 of the 2CD+DVD edition of Anthem.

The third and final audio preview from the forthcoming expanded deluxe remaster of Toyah’s Anthem. Television is an instrumental outtake recorded by the Anthem line-up in the Thunder single sessions, July 1981.

Just two weeks on Friday until the release of Anthem on Gold vinyl, 2CD+DVD and Super Deluxe Edition box set (2LP/3CD/DVD/7” single).

• Stream/Download Television by clicking below.

It’s Tuesday, and that means Official Toyah are continuing the countdown to the Remastered and Expanded editions of Toyah’s Gold-selling album Anthem – released by Cherry Red Records on 9th September.

This vintage live performance of Masai Boy is from the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London, from Christmas Eve 1981. Premieres 6pm, Tuesday 23rd August 2022. Pre-order Gold coloured Vinyl, 2CD+DVD or Super Deluxe Box Set now at Cherry Red.

It’s Tuesday, and that means Official Toyah are continuing the countdown to the Remastered and Expanded editions of Toyah’s Gold-selling album Anthem – released by Cherry Red Records on 9th September.

This vintage interview comes from TISWAS, September 1981 as the single Thunder In The Mountains was newly released. Premieres 6pm, Tuesday 16th August 2022.

A very rare performance of I Want To Be Free for last week’s Toyah Tuesday/Anthem Deluxe countdown. NB. Go here for a preview of the upcoming Toyah Tuesday premiere.

It’s Tuesday, and that means Official Toyah continue the countdown to the Remastered and Expanded editions of Toyah’s Gold-selling album Anthem – released by @Cherry Red Records on 9 September. Pre-order Gold coloured Vinyl, 2CD+DVD or Super Deluxe Box Set now at Cherry Red.

Next up, it’s a very rare performance of the iconic I Want To Be Free. So rare in fact you may never have seen Toyah in this particular outfit.

As well as Warboys – Live at Paris Theatre being made available today, there’s also a concert video premiere of War Boys – Live in Germany at Toyah’s You Tube channel. Click below to watch.

The next preview of the remastered edition of Anthem drops this coming Friday. War Boys – Live at Paris Theatre is out to stream/download on Friday 29th July. Pre-save the track now by clicking on the stunning digital artwork below.
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This track was performed live during an in concert session for the BBC at their London Paris Theatre on 1st April 1981. It’s never previously been released on any commercial release or Toyah release. Newly remastered from the BBC mastertapes, it appears with five other tracks from the same concert on the 2CD+DVD edition which is also part of the Super Deluxe Box Set. ⁣
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• Pre-order Anthem LP, 2CD+DVD or Super Deluxe Box Set at Cherry Red.

Official Toyah continue the countdown to the Remastered and Expanded editions of Toyah’s Gold-selling album Anthem – released by Cherry Red Records on 9th September.

It’s Tuesday, and that means Official Toyah continues the countdown to the Remastered and Expanded editions of Toyah’s Gold-selling album Anthem – released by Cherry Red Records on 9th September.

Next up, it’s a preview of the BBC Something Else performance of Thunder In The Mountains. Recorded in Aberdeen, the performance is completely live and features Toyah on vocals alongside Joel Bogen on guitar, Adrian Lee on keyboards, Phil Spalding on bass and Nigel Glockler on drums. The full song features on the DVD inside the 2CD+DVD and Super Deluxe Edition.

The countdown to the Deluxe Expanded editions of Toyah’s Gold-selling album Anthem continues. Here is the first listen of the 2022 remaster with the brand new Official Lyric Video for the fan favourite Sphinx.