Vote for your top albums of 1982 in the third Slicing Up Eyeballs poll. ‘The Changeling’ is included as an option. Voting closes on 26th April and the results will be announced at the beginning of May. Click below to participate in the poll.
The results of the Slicing Up Eyeballs‘ 1981 Albums Poll was announced at the beginning of the month – ‘Anthem’ placed at number 65!! Click below to view the Top 100.
Happy Easter! It’s the end of March, and by this time in 1983 Trafford Tanzi was in residence at The Mermaid Theatre in London with Toyah in the lead role. She was also just about to start recording the album ‘Love Is The Law’. Dreamscape is Remembering 1983 all this year… here is the full set of LITL imaginary singles. Please click below to zoom.
A short teaser of Weekend Guitar Trio’s forthcoming live album with Toyah Willcox and Jan Bang. Recorded at Kings Place, London on 26 February 2011.
1. Let’s Make A Bomb
2. Don’t Even Try
3. Break The Mould
4. Toyah Bang
5. How A Group Is Born
6. Boredom Is A Killer
Toyah co-wrote all six of the songs. Listen to the preview at You Tube or Soundcloud.
In the Court of the Crimson Queen was Toyah’s fifteenth solo 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 Crimso 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. Preorder now for 1st April shipping date
1. Sensational, 2. Latex Messiah (Viva La Rebel In You), 3. Heal Ourselves, 4. Lesser God, 5. Angel In You, 6. Love Crazy, 7. Bad Man, 8. Hyperventilate, 9. Come, 10. Legacy. Bonus Track: 11. 21st Century Supersister
Toyah: Lead Vocals, Simon Darlow: Instruments, Backing Vocals, Production, Mix. Arranged and written by Toyah/Darlow. (Thanks to Brian Marsh)
There’s just two days to go until voting in the Slicing Up Eyeballs Best Albums Of 1981 poll closes. If you haven’t already voted please visit and add your voice to the sound of the crowd… (PS. Toyah’s 1981 masterpiece ‘Anthem’ is included as a choice)
The second poll of Slicing Up Eyeballs’ Best of the ’80s albums is now open: Part 2: Vote for your top albums of 1981. There are 125 albums to choose from, and this time a Toyah album is included: ‘Anthem’ of course.
Slicing Up Eyeballs say: Our year-long Best of the ’80s feature continues this month as we turn to 1981, and once again ask Slicing Up Eyeballs’ readers to weigh in on their favorite albums of that year in our ongoing quest to rank the releases of each year of the decade over the course of 2013, concluding, come December, with a poll to determine the best of the ’80s.
It’s a simple process: We’ve assembled a list of 125 albums released in 1981, and you’re welcome to vote for up to 10 of them — or write in any title(s) you wish that we didn’t include.
Voting will be open through 5 p.m. EDT March 22, and results will be posted the first week of April — at which time we’ll launch the 1982 poll and take it from there.
The revised cover art for the 2013 reprint of Toyah’s ‘In The Court Of The Crimson Queen’ album. The Official Toyah website will be announcing details on how to order the CD soon.
As the label on the cover of the re-print of ‘In The Court Of The Crimson Queen’, included in the first Breaking Through newsletter a couple of weeks ago, suggested ‘Sensational’ by Toyah is played (not performed) in Hormonal Housewives.
The tour continues tonight at Southport Theatre and tomorrow at the Victoria Theatre, Halifax.
Great news! ‘Sheep Farming in Barnet’ is included in Slicing Up Eyeballs‘ Top 100 Albums Of 1980 poll, announced online yesterday. The respected and influential music website – named after a lyric in the song ‘Debaser’ by the amazing PIXIES – is running a year-long “Best of the 80s” feature – an ambitious, year-by-year poll to determine just what were the best albums of each year of the 1980s.
‘Sheep Farming in Barnet’ places at #92 and is in the company of some truly incredible albums. Slicing Up Eyeballs’ poll for 1981 opens next week – Surely ‘Anthem’, with some support from Toyah’s online fans, will also figure?
• Coincidentally, I put together a ‘Sheep Farming in Barnet’ image earlier this week before I knew about the Slicing Up Eyeballs poll, Click above to view a larger version.
The album art and tracklist for the forthcoming Weekend Guitar Trio/Toyah/Jan Bang CD ‘Live At Kings Place’ was revealed yesterday by toyahwillcox.com. The six-track album is due to be released in April 2013.
The album tracklist is: 1. Let’s Make A Bomb, 2. Don’t Even Try, 3. Break The Mould, 4. Toyah Bang, 5. How A Group Is Born, 6. Boredom Is A Killer.
All six tracks feature writing credits for Toyah.
• Visit Weekend Guitar Trio’s website and Facebook page to stay updated.
Over a decade ago Dreamscape reported that Toyah was regularly appearing in Eastenders.
Eagle-eyed viewers of one of Britain’s favourite (and most depressing!) soaps spotted the classic Quadrophenia poster showing up regularly onscreen on Billy Mitchell’s wall.
In January 2012 Damon King sent us photos of the Toyah! Toyah! Toyah! (K-Tel) album he had spotted on one of the market stalls and now, the ultimate… one of the greatest live albums… Warrior Rock hits Elstree/Walford!!! Click on the photos to zoom. (Thanks again to Damon and also to Larwi)
There will be a series of live dates this autumn to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the album Love Is The Law. Last year there was a voting element to the autumn tour. For the moment whilst the tour is in planning stages toyahwillcox.com wonder which songs you are most wanting to hear on this autumn tour from the period in question. There’s a rare wild card bonus track too. Take part in the survey and select the two songs you want to hear the most. After that it’s up to Toyah and the band to see what works best. Vote online by clicking below.
• View a larger version of the Dreamscape LITL creation above here.
Another report on the recent news about Simon Darlow. This one from Record Of The Day.
The article mentions Toyah, ‘Sensational’, and ‘In The Court Of The Crimson Queen’: You can currently hear Simon’s music on every X Factor show and the Weight Watchers TV advert with Patsy Kensit featuring ‘Sensational’ from his recent album with Toyah Willcox, ‘In the Court of the Crimson Queen’.
• Read other reports on Simon being named Chairman of U.K. Rights Org BASCA at Billboard and Complete Music Update.
Another two “new” Tom Leon Toyah tracks/mixes were uploaded to house-mixes.com over the weekend: Pop Star – A Dream Within A Dream (Tom Leon Full Vocal Ultra Long Version 2013), and mARTian cowBOY (Tom Leon Extended Version 2013).
As with Tom’s other mixes, these are unofficial and for “private and promotional use only”. Great use of Andrew’s Toyah art too ;)
• View all of our news posts on Tom Leon and his Toyah remixes here (I’ve updated the links and all are now working again). Visit Tom’s Official Website.
A third remix of a classic Toyah song, this time ‘Jungles of Jupiter’ from Anthem, has been made available by Tom Leon.
First it was “Awake’n Dreams: Alan Parsons Project vs Toyah Willcox” (using ‘Pop Star’), then “Let Me Go (Here It Comes Again 2012 Remix)”, and now TOM LEON brings us “Jungles Of Jupiter (Tom Leon and Toyah: Sad Android Extended Version)”.
Completely unofficial and, as with Tom’s previous mixes for “private and promotional use only”, it’s interesting to hear Toyah’s songs being experimented with. Not everyone will approve, as these are of course regarded as classics, but Tom doesn’t do anything too drastic with them!
The track is also included on the album ‘Quantam Sequences 2013’
• Listen to ‘Jungles Of Jupiter (Tom Leon and Toyah: Sad Android Extended Version)’ here. View more details about Tom’s album here.
• View info on the previous Toyah remixes by Tom Leon in our past news posts.
Fragments, a new blog series by Craig Astley, is sure to be an interesting read for Toyah fans over the coming months, as we head towards the 30th anniversary of the ‘Love Is The Law’ album and ‘Rebel Run’ UK Tour. Craig met Toyah for the first time during the tour back in 1983 (before he was even 5!!)
I Was A Child Toyah Fan…….
2013 marks something of a milestone for me. It is thirty years since an exciting thing happened to me as a child. A child who was a pop music lover and devoted fan of Toyah.
• Continue reading at Fragments: Toyah Tales From Now & Then.
I’ve had a few great comments about the “imaginary” single cover for Snow Covers The Kiss (a wonderful song from 1985) so I thought I’d share the “ad” for it too. Please click to zoom.
Photos of Toyah taken in 1979 during the soundcheck/rehearsal for the gig at Hammersmith Riverside Studios, West London, on 18th July. Thanks to Craig Watkins. (Photos © Philip Grey)
More rare photos of Toyah, taken at Mayhem in Battersea in July 1979. See four more photos from this session in our recent post and click below to view larger versions of these. Thanks again to Craig Watkins. (Photos © Philip Grey)
• Portrait Records: A history of the label Toyah was signed to for around 18 months in the mid-1980s has just been updated at Wikipedia: In 1985, British singer Toyah released her album Minx on the Portrait label.
• Vents Magazine: Dutch pop-rockband Chabliz, who play adventurous alternative rock, popnoir and gothicjazz, cite Toyah as one of their musical influences in a new interview at ‘Vents Magazine’.
• The Changeling Resurrection: Lots of video footage of Toyah’s gig at The Tunnels Bristol last April has been added to You Tube over the last couple of days.
• Channel 4 News: Is Punk Back From The Dead? is now available to watch at You Tube. As a new book is published featuring the origins of punk music in the lower east side of New York, Katie Razzall looks at how Punk magazine changed life in Britain.
• FM: The epsiode of FM in which Toyah makes a, very, brief appearance, but is mentioned a lot, has recently been uploaded in full at 
You Tube. Series One, Episode Two – System Addict: The group try to stick to some new resolutions: Dom gives up booze, Jane gives up cigarettes, and Lindsay gives up giving up on girls. Featuring a performance by The Wombats, and guest appearance by Toyah Willcox.
• Back To The 80s: The Ultimate Megamix Of The Year: A 43-minute mix which includes ‘I Want To Be Free’ (or “Upside Down”) and ‘Thunder In The Mountains’ and numerous other great tunes from 1981.
• Absolute 80s Radio: ‘It’s A Mystery’ has just been played this afternoon on AR. Apparently the ‘I Want To Be Free’ video is also being shown a lot on Vintage TV at the moment. (Thanks Michael)
• The Visitors: No, not ABBA’s 1981 album… The hits to Dreamscape last night and this morning have went through the roof. Always great news when the site is busy, though this time a large chuck of the visitors have arrived after searching for “wagon’s den geordie shore charlotte” or similar!!
