Dreamscape is marking the 35th Anniversary of the release of Toyah’s gorgeous 1983 album, Love Is The Law. Here is a double dose of Eighties rebellion… Rebel of Love and Rebel Run. Click on either to zoom.
The 35th Anniversary of the release of Love Is The Law is fast approaching. Here is a review of the album from No. 1 magazine, with a deceptive title as it’s essentially a very positive review of the album and opinion piece on Toyah circa 1983. Click below to zoom.
October marks the 35th Anniversary of the release of Toyah’s final studio album on Safari Records and final album release as a band, Love Is The Law. A wonderful album released in October 1983 and packed full of Toyah’s most melodic music, great lyrics and soaring vocals – Time Is Ours is such an underrated classic – Broken Diamonds and Dreamscape similarly. Stay tuned to toyah.net over the next few weeks for LITL related content and posts…
• America For Beginners 2018: Toyah tweeted: “Just heard 1st mix for AMERICA FOR BEGINNERS for the soundtrack album of @1985thefilm ….WOW! It’s totally different and very 1985!” – Continue reading…
• BBC Scotland: Barmy Aunt Boomerang: Richard Madden is currently earning fulsome praise for his portrayal of Sergeant David Budd in BBC Oneʼs Bodyguard, but itʼs far from the first time heʼs been on our screens. Back in 1999, 13-year-old Richard starred in Barmy Aunt Boomerang as Sebastian, a boy whose life is thrown into chaos by the arrival of his ghostly aunt, played by Toyah Willcox – Continue reading at BBC Scotland…
• Live 2018: Toyah still has Acoustic, Up Close & Personal gigs in Huddersfield, Evesham and two nights at Trading Boundaries in Sheffield Green, an Electric gig in Bedford PLUS those four #Toyah60/40 Years of Music concerts – More info/Ticket links here…
• Outside Org: Thousands of party goers join Rewind Festival’s sold out 10th Birthday celebrations in Henley-On-Thames: The blissful weekend was compered by Toyah Willcox and The Doctor of Doctor & The Medics with DJ Massaoke keeping the tunes and sing-alongs going strong between the main stage performances, getting everyone hyped with some of the biggest 80s hits – Continue reading…
• God’s Jukebox: Brave New World: Can’t have #HairWeek without Toyah. This was the lead single from her 4th album, The Changeling. The video was directed by David Mallet, who directed the Ashes to Ashes video for Bowie – Continue reading/watching…
Toyah has recorded a new version of the song America For Beginners, which was originally a track on her 1985 album Minx. The song was written by Steve Skaith and Mike Jones of the band Latin Quarter. Toyah has recorded the 2018 version for inclusion in the forthcoming 1985 The Film.
Toyah’s 1980 album The Blue Meaning was released 38 years ago today. Full of atmosphere, drama and great songs, accompanied by Toyah’s fantastic imagery, it was ahead of its time, and still sounds amazing in 2018!! See a larger version of Dreamscape’s anniversary image here and click below to see Toyah’s tweet about the album.
Limited quantities of In The Court Of The Crimson Queen, signed by Toyah, are currently available from Burning Shed.
In the Court of the Crimson Queen was Toyah’s fifteenth studio album
Originally released in 2008, the album title (referencing King Crimson’s debut album) was suggested by producer/co-author Simon Darlow and was endorsed by Crimson head honcho (and Toyah’s husband) Robert Fripp. “At last my husband’s done something for my career!” Toyah commented.
A powerful Bowie-esque Art Rock statement, the album was New York Good Times ‘Album Of The Year’. This is the 2013 reissue with bonus track, 21st Century Supersister.
• Further info/Buy the CD at Burning Shed.
Exclusively on vinyl next month comes eighties alternative. This offers 30 ‘alternative’ eighties songs from a variety of artists including Scritti Politti, Pixies, Propaganda, Bauhaus and John Foxx.
As is often the case with these kind of compilations the definition of ‘alternative’ is rather broad, so as well as the artists above, tracks from Howard Jones, Bronski Beat and Dead Or Alive also feature.
No CD release for this 2LP set, which is clearly designed to appeal to those who have re-embraced vinyl, and it’s pretty good value at under £17 in the UK. eighties alternative is released on 1 June 2018 on Demon Records.
• Continue reading at Super Deluxe Edition. More info on this here. (NB: I Want To Be Free by Toyah is included on LP2 of this double vinyl album).
Toyah Willcox and her band stop by Guildford’s Bonaparte Records shop
Take a trip back to the 1980s, when record shops were 10 a penny, and post-punk visited Guildford
Post-punk singer and actress Toyah Willcox and her band members paid a visit to the Bonaparte Records shop in Phoenix Court, Guildford, prior to playing a gig at the Civic Hall later that night, on May 29 1980.
Toyah, who was only 22 at the time, was signing copies of the band’s new single Ieya, from the album The Blue Meaning.
The shop was crowded with fans of post-punk, who who were pushing towards the counter, where Toyah and her band were signing albums and singles. Later, the band posed for photos outside, before heading off to sound check at the Civic Hall, where they were to play that night.
• Continue reading at Get Surrey.
One of Toyah’s most colourful photo shoots. These great photos were published in European magazine Pop Rocky and the UK’s Jackie in the Summer of 1982, at the height of The Changeling era. Toyah wears various Melissa Caplan designed outfits that were rarely seen anywhere else aside from a couple of television appearances.
If you missed out on the Record Store Day 2018 vinyl exclusive of Toyah’s Desire on red vinyl then fear not as a handful have been made available on Amazon UK while stocks last!
Following its inclusion on last year’s The 80s Pop Annual, Toyah’s classic 1981 pop anthem I Want To Be Free is featured on another double-vinyl compilation set to be released this Summer.
Eighties Alternative is released on Demon Records – the label who are also releasing Desire on red vinyl tomorrow – on 1st June 2018.
Available exclusively on vinyl – 4 Sides of Defining Eighties Hits.
The album also includes songs by Scritti Politti, Propoganda, Pixies, Dead or Alive, The Lotus Eaters, The Primitives, Adam & The Ants, Bow Wow Wow, Altered Images, John Foxx and numerous others, so Toyah is in great company.
• Further info on/Pre-order this release at Amazon.
Less than one day to go until Desire is released on limited edition translucent red vinyl for RSD2018.
Here are another couple of Desire related posts to finish the countdown…
• Splash: Toyah guesting on ITV’s, short-lived teatime pop show, Splash from 1987 – around the time of the release of Desire. Not great quality but worth a watch to see Toyah having some fun while discussing the album, Cabaret, her earlier career and more – Watch at You Tube… (NB: Not to be confused with this Splash!)
• Echo Beach: Watch/Listen to Toyah’s 1987 single, with remastered audio, at The Official Toyah You Tube channel – Desire, the album from which the single was taken, is also available digitally.
“Only 3 days to go till limited edition red vinyl release of DESIRE. get your stylus ready“, Toyah tweeted today. (All photos © Toyah Willcox/Official Toyah)
I know it’s out of fashion, and a trifle uncool, but I can’t help it… – A couple of Dreamscape’s Desire designs from somewhere in the distance. There’s just three days until the album is released on red vinyl for RSD2018.
Counting down to the release of Desire on RSD2018 this Saturday – Here is the advert which promoted the album’s release in various UK magazines back in 1987.
We’re marking the release of Desire for RSD2018 with some content this week from that great Toyah era. Here’s a short interview with Toyah from BBC Breakfast Time on the very day Echo Beach was released as a single in 1987. Click on the screen caps below to watch the interview at You Tube and view larger versions of the screen caps here.
Excitement is building as it’s now less than a week until Desire – Toyah’s wonderful 1987 studio album – is made available on limited edition translucent red vinyl.
The album is being released for a trio of reasons – as part of Record Store Day 2018, as well as in celebration of Toyah’s forthcoming 60th Birthday and also to help commemorate her incredible 40 years as a recording artist.
This new edition includes, for the first time, an inner sleeve which features Desire-era Toyah photos as well as the full album lyrics.
Of course the album is being listed at numerous online record stores in anticipation of going on sale next Saturday morning. Here are links to a few: Rough Trade, Crash Records, Lost in Vinyl, Banquet Records and Gray Whale.
Play Loud and Proud: Moonlight Dancing, Revive The World, The View, Moon Migration, Deadly As A Woman, Goodbye Baby, When A Woman Cries.
• Further info on Desire at toyahwillcox.com. (Photo below right © 101 Collectors Records)
Just two weeks until Toyah’s 1987 album Desire is released on limited edition translucent red vinyl as a Record Store Day exclusive, on Saturday 21st April.
The LP will be available exclusively in independent record stores only on Record Store Day but will be available beyond this day until stocks are all sold. This new edition is mastered from the original master tapes.
Exclusive to RSD2018, this numbered 30th anniversary edition of Toyah’s Desire pressed on heavyweight red Translucent vinyl was her first album for the EG label, and features her hit single cover version of Echo Beach as well as a cover of Donna Summer’s Love’s Unkind. Produced by Mike Hedges (Tears For Fears, The Cure) the album features Robert Fripp (who co-wrote the title track) and Ronnie Wood. The inner sleeve features the lyrics. This is limited to 1000 units worldwide.
• In the meantime revisit Dreamscape’s celebration of Desire by clicking below… (Thanks to toyahwillcox.com and recordstoreday.co.uk for the above info)
Taking a trip through the Dreamscape Archives… a rare interview uploaded to You Tube in 2011 (by sph476) with Toyah, looking utterly Minxtastic, from 1985.
“Dive in, be rescued” – As previously posted, Toyah’s second solo album, Desire, is being released on limited edition translucent red vinyl as a Record Store Day exclusive on 21 April 2018. See lots more info on the forthcoming release at toyahwillcox.com…
