Dreamscape – Toyah Willcox Fansite

The Official Toyah LP Countdown concludes today with a special announcement about In The Court Of The Crimson Queen – great news on a limited edition vinyl album, with amazing new artwork and photos, to be released for RSD, Record Store Day 2019.

REIMAGINED CRIMSON QUEEN VINYL FOR RECORD STORE DAY

On Sat 13 April, Toyah will release a special re-imagining of In The Court OF The Crimson Queen on Demon Records for Record Store Day UK #RSD. The 11-track LP features brand new opening track Dance In The Hurricane and completely new artwork. Toyah and producer/co-writer Simon Darlow have remixed all tracks and added new instrumentation to all of the songs. These mixes appear for the first time on vinyl, pressed on Translucent Purple 180g Vinyl and limited to just 1500 copies!

• Further info, and larger versions of the new In The Court Of The Crimson Queen vinyl artwork photos, at the Official Toyah Instagram and Facebook pages. See also toyahwillcox.com.

It’s the penultimate day of the 40th Music Anniversary Official Toyah LP Countdown. Over the last few days there have been entries for Kiss Of Reality, Take The Leap!, Dreamchild, 90s Compilations, Velvet Lined Shell, We Are The Humans, This Fragile Moment, Sugar Rush and Strange Tales. Check in tomorrow for the final entrie(s)… See our previous posts about the countdown here and here. Click below to visit the Official Toyah Instagram.

A rare photo of Toyah with, German band, Kiss Of Reality was posted by Official Toyah at their current Toyah LP Countdown feature. Toyah collaborated with KOR in 1993 on an album that is one of a number of lesser-known treasures included in Toyah’s magnificent 40-year discography:

The Toyah LP Countdown touches 1993 and the third entry for a side project from the core albums released under the ‘Toyah’ artist name. The band Kiss Of Reality consisted of David Pittaway, Volker Rehn & Jörg Schwickerath. David had previously toured across the world with Robert Fripp and The League of Crafty Guitarists in the late 80s/early 90s.

Toyah asked German progressive rock trio Kiss Of Reality if she could write lyrics to some of their music and collaborate with them in 1992. After laying down some demos Toyah recorded six tracks for the album in early 1993. The CD was only released in Germany by M+D Records and is very sought after by fans. Toyah features on six of the eleven tracks, for which she also wrote lyrics…

• Continue reading at The Official Toyah Instagram. (Photo © David Pittaway)

It’s a double-whammy anniversary/birthday celebration today for two of Toyah’s legendary career landmarks! Sheep Farming in Barnet (the album rather than the AP) was released on this day in 1980, and Toyah played At The Rainbow on The College Tour this very evening in 1981…

The Official Toyah 40th Music Anniversary feature on social media continues with entries for Love Is The Law, Toyah Toyah Toyah – All The Hits, Mayhem, Minx, The Lady Or The Tiger, Desire, Prostitute, Ophelia’s Shadow, Kneeling At The Shrine… with more still to come. See our first post about the countdown here. Click below to visit the Official Toyah Instagram.

Toyah’s debut live release was the Toyah! Toyah! Toyah! album issued on Safari Records in November 1980.

Recorded at a concert on 17th June 1980 – on the Ieya UK Tour – at the Lafayette Club in Wolverhampton, the concert was also filmed by ATV as part of the documentary TOYAH, which aired in the UK in December of that year.

A single was also released from the album, Danced (Live), backed with Neon Womb (Live). This was Toyah’s sole live single release.

Toyah! Toyah! Toyah! was released on CD in 1990 by the Great Expectations label (along with coloured vinyl and cassette) and a new remastered reissue Toyah! Toyah! Toyah! (Special Edition) CD was released in October 2006 on Cherry Red Records.

• See further info on Toyah! Toyah! Toyah! at Toyah’s Official Instagram and the album’s Wikipedia page.

It’s the 1981 Gallery! It’s Anthem, it’s I Want To Be Free, it’s Thunder In The Mountains, it’s At The Rainbow, it’s Good Morning Universe, it’s the College Tour, it’s The Old Grey Whistle Test, and yes… It’s A Mystery!

Following The Resurrection Tour (1979), Sheep Farming In Barnet Tour (1979) and Bird In Flight Tour (1980) Toyah again hit the road, for the fourth time in just 18 months, for the Ieya Tour in the Spring and early Summer of 1980. The tour promoted the new album The Blue Meaning.

The band line-up was Toyah (Vocals), Joel Bogen (Guitar), Charlie Francis (Bass Guitar), Steve Bray (Drums), Pete Bush (Keyboards).

The Ieya Tour began at Tiffany’s, Glasgow on 25th May and culminated at Wolverhampton’s Lafayette Club on 17th June. A gig that was filmed and recorded for inclusion in the ATV documentary TOYAH, and the related live album Toyah! Toyah! Toyah!

The tour was an eventful one, with tales of water-pistol fights, Toyah injuring her ankle at Ruffles, Aberdeen, and even fans helping build the stage for the date at Bristol’s Factory. The largest gig of the month-long tour was at The Lyceum, London.

Bird in Flight, Ieya, The Blue Meaning, Sugar & Spice, The Old Grey Whistle Test, The Ieya Tour, Toyah! Toyah! Toyah!, ATV documentary… 1980 was a great Toyah year! Visit the 1980 Gallery by clicking below.

Toyah’s debut studio album, The Blue Meaning, was released in June 1980. There has always been a degree of confusion regarding this as Sheep Farming In Barnet was, obviously, released first but that album is a compilation. Not that these details matter as both albums are incredible, accomplished collections of recordings.

The Blue Meaning was recorded during April 1980 at Parkgate Studios in Battle, East Sussex and mixed at Marquee Studios, London: The band line-up was Toyah Willcox – Verbals & Unusual Sounds, Joel Bogen – Guitar, Pete Bush – Keyboards, Trumpet, Charlie Francis – Bass Guitar, Steve Bray – Drums. All songs were written by the Toyah band, and the album was produced by Steve James and Toyah. James also engineered and mixed the album with Perry Morgan as Assistant Engineer.

The album was released while the band travelled the UK on the Ieya Tour. Promotion for The Blue Meaning was “multi-media”, an idea that was a fairly new concept in 1980 but something Toyah was interested in and had mentioned previously in interviews.

Aside from the month-long UK tour there were television appearances by Toyah and the band – mostly regional – including Granada Reports in the North West, and Straight Talk in the Midlands. Press ads ran in most of the major music press and Toyah was interviewed by NME, Sounds, Zig Zag, Record Mirror, Time Out, Fab and Smash Hits. Some of these also reviewed the album.

An innovative and interesting aspect of the promotion for The Blue Meaning was a series of in-store appearances at various Woolworth stores, with Toyah meeting fans and signing the album and single(s).

The Blue Meaning was first released on CD in 1990 by the Great Expectations label, along with a cassette and coloured vinyl. There was also a 2CD set in 2002 by Safari Records (with bonus songs and new sleeve notes) which saw the album coupled with Sheep Farming In Barnet.

The Blue Meaning peaked at number 40 on the UK Album chart upon its release and in retrospect is viewed as a crucial part of Toyah’s mighty 40-year discography. A pop-punk-gothy mix of mayhem, magic and magnificent music. A classic!

• See further info on The Blue Meaning at Toyah’s Official Instagram and the album’s Wikipedia page.

A great new Official Toyah 40th Music Anniversary feature on social media, with entries so far for Sheep Farming in Barnet, The Blue Meaning, Toyah! Toyah! Toyah!, Anthem, The Changeling, and Warrior Rock – Toyah On Tour… with lots more still to come!

Toyah’s second single, the Sheep Farming In Barnet (EP/AP), was released in July 1979. The traditional EP contained four songs, Safari Records wanted to differentiate from that format and decided to release SIX songs on one single (a mini album really). This was the first, and last, AP release. Tracks were: A. Neon Womb, Indecision, Waiting; B. Our Movie, Danced, Last Goodbye.

The band members were Pete Bush: Keyboards, Mark Henry: Bass, Joel Bogen: Guitar, Steve Bray: Drums, Toyah Willcox: Verbals. As with the debut single, this was a huge hit on the UK indie chart, and also increased the band’s, already growing, popularity in other parts of Europe. The, now iconic, cover shot for the single was taken at the RAF Fylingdales radar station near Whitby in Yorkshire. Unfortunately, the “golf balls” were demolished in the mid 1980′s.

The 40th anniversary year of Toyah’s recording career has got off to a great start with news of new recordings!

Toyah has recorded a new song for the end credits of Kaleidoscope Man. In The Court Of The Crimson Queen is also currently being remixed by Toyah and Simon Darlow. (Photos © Toyah Willcox)

Toyah’s debut single Victims Of The Riddle was released in April 1979. A brave choice as the first release as it was hardly a commercial sounding, radio friendly, song. The single reached number one on the Indie Chart in the UK and spent many months of 1979 there.

The sleeve featured an intentionally disturbing image. At the time of release few knew the gruesome story behind the photo and assumed it was a doll. Victims Of The Riddle was also released later in Spain, with the far more appealing Sheep Farming In Barnet artwork. The beginning of an amazing music career and a brave choice to get started with.

2019 is a very special anniversary year. It marks 40 years since Toyah’s first recordings – Victims Of The Riddle and the Sheep Farming in Barnet AP were both released by Safari Records in 1979.

The genesis of an astonishing, and ridiculously underrated, music career. Did Toyah record and release even one duff song during five years at Safari?

Even tracks that were given away free by Flexipop magazine – Sphinx, For You – were far superior to actual single releases by other bands at the time.

Post-Safari saw Toyah become really experimental and release albums and music that are now considered works of genius – Prostitute, Ophelia’s Shadow, In The Court Of The Crimson Queen – Toyah’s 40 year discography is one of the finest of any artist/musician/pop star, with incredible song after song after song. Soaring choruses, unforgettable melodies, wonderful lyrics – Each album is a completely different experience. For sure, the past 40 years of music would have been far less of an adventure without Toyah!

Stay tuned to Dreamscape for sporadic anniversary updates to mark Toyah’s 40 years of music.

35 years ago today, 12th November 1983, Toyah’s 14th single, The Vow, entered the UK Singles chart. The single was released on 7″ and 12″ vinyl and was backed with I Explode (by Willcox/Bogen) and extra song Haunted (by Willcox/Simon Darlow).

The Vow, written by Toyah Willcox, Joel Bogen and Phil Spalding, was the final single release by the early 80s Toyah band and final physical single release on Safari Records.

Toyah worked her Love Is The Law/Rebel Run baseball shoulder pads off promoting The Vow everywhere – TV show appearances included Pebble Mill, Did You See?, Pop Watch, Saturday Superstore, Breakfast Time, Razzmatazz, The Saturday Show, Harty, Crackerjack, Judgendbund, TVAM: Good Morning Britain and 60 Minutes.

No official promo video was filmed for the single so ITV’s The Saturday Show and Toyah filmed one. As with every single release during the 80s Toyah had a unique image for The Vow, strikingly different to her recent Rebel Run look.

The Vow was produced by, longtime Toyah producer, Nick Tauber. It peaked at No. 50 and spent seven weeks on the chart.

Toyah has been trick or treating on social media today, sharing fab photos of herself from the Devil Queen days of Vampires Rock. Though this image was originally created in 2007 for the track Lesser God, from the album In The Court Of The Crimson Queen, and subsequently also performed in the aforementioned Vampires Rock. (Photos © Toyah Willcox)

Love Is The Law was released exactly 35 years ago this week. It entered the UK Album Chart the first week in November, eventually peaking at number 28. The album was reissued, with bonus songs, on CD in 2005 and to mark 30 years a digital release, with even more bonus songs, was made available in 2013. Love Is The Law still sounds as vibrant and fresh today as it did, upon first listening, back in late October 1983…

On This Day, 21 Oct in 1979, Toyah played at London Marquee with Joel Bogen, Pete Bush, Steve Bray & Charlie Francis. This slideshow includes images from that evening, set to an audio clip of the early (abandoned) song “Watch Me Sane” from a bootleg of the gig. Get your tickets for Toyah’s four anniversary gigs this autumn.

A fantastic treat for Toyah fans yesterday from Official Toyah. Click here for a gallery of the images. and below to view the post at Instagram.

Toyah’s four-date Autumn Anniversary Tour begins one week today – Friday 26th October – at Ruby Lounge, Manchester. There will be lots of new merchandise available at the gigs, including the Rebel Run/Love Is The Law tote bag.

Coincidentally, next Friday is almost 35 years to the day the Love Is The Law album was released. Click below to book tickets for the forthcoming concerts…