A great review, by Velvet Thunder, of The Changeling reissue
TOYAH – THE CHANGELING: DELUXE REISSUE (CHERRY RED)
“Far from being the musical Yin to Fripp’s Yang in those 1980s days, comparison of their respective works reveals as many creative similarities as there are differences.”
The excellent Cherry Red reissue campaign of Toyah’s classic early 1980s catalogue continues here with 1982’s The Changeling, the fourth Toyah studio album in just over three incredibly prolific years. Nowadays it is common for people, particularly those from a prog rock background, to simply regard Toyah as her contemporary incarnation as ‘Mrs Robert Fripp’, and the person responsible for dragging the famously irascible and studiously earnest King Crimson keystone out of his shell and into an ongoing series of light-hearted and often hugely entertaining YouTube video clips of them performing together in a variety of guises. All of which is fine as far as it goes, but there was far more to her wonderfully creative musical side than that – and this reissue series really ought to bring that to the fore in the public consciousness. Far from being the musical Yin to Fripp’s Yang in those 1980s days, comparison of their respective works reveals as many creative similarities as there are differences.
Following an intensely creative 1981, it would have been a very tempting – and indeed understandable – development for The Changeling to follow a relatively commercial and public-pleasing course. Just a year previously, the album Anthem – and particularly its two hugely successful singles It’s A Mystery and I Want To Be Free – had sent her into the world of mainstream TV and media in an easily marketable guise as a sort of ready-made ‘pop-punk with glam’ persona, with subsequent hits such as Thunder In The Mountains continuing that impression. As that whirlwind year came to an end, however, Toyah and her band (led by her chief songwriting partner and musical soulmate Joel Bogen) had other ideas. Indeed, not only did Toyah want to go back to the darker, more challenging template of previous works such as 1980’s The Blue Meaning, but she also planned to base the new album conceptually around how the events of 1981 had affected her on a personal level. The resulting album was certainly not the one which the record company executives wanted or expected her to produce, yet despite, or indeed because of that fact, it has remained one of her key creative statements.
The Changeling was placed fifth best reissue of the year from RetroPop
If there’s one thing we love more than new material from our favourite artists, it’s diving into the vaults and unearthing forgotten gems from their classic eras – the hallmark of a strong reissue.
This year, there have been plenty and in addition to revisiting iconic releases and sharing unreleased cuts, an increasing number of acts have taken to reworking and remixing their best-loved recordings for a new avenue of bonus material that bridges the gap between ‘then’ and ‘now’.
Looking back on highlights from the year, here are Retropop’s Top 10 Reissues Of 2023.
5. Toyah – The Changeling (Cherry Red)
The seminal 1982 album from Toyah was expanded across two audio discs – including 20 previously unreleased tracks – and a further three previously unavailable on any CD, for its latest reissue, which contains outtakes, B-sides, an alternate album sequence of ‘work in progress’ variations, and home demo recordings. Meanwhile, the accompanying DVD features a wealth of classic content, plus up-to-date commentary from the lady herself!
• See the full Top 10, plus more year end Best Of 2023 charts, at Retropop. The Changeling is available to buy from Cherry Red Records – a great Christmas gift for the music fan in your life.
SDEtv takes a look at all three physical formats of the recent Toyah The Changeling reissue, including the super deluxe edition box set. The Changeling is out now, via Cherry Red. Watch at You Tube. See also Super Deluxe Edition.
The Changeling gives Toyah another Top 100 album this week, with the album landing at #79 on The Official Albums Chart.
The Changeling also places incredibly well in other Official Chart countdowns.
Independent Album Chart at #9, Vinyl Album Chart at #11, Physical Sales Chart at #13, Album Sales Chart at #15, Scottish Album Chart at #19.
• Chart Stats: Toyah has now had eight albums on the Official Albums Chart in the past five 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, Live At The Rainbow (2022) #100, The Changeling (2023) #79.
NB. As well as those album stats, the two box sets, Toyah Solo (March 2020), and The Humans: Noise In Your Head (July 2020), both entered a number of the Official Charts, including Sales and Independent.
• Browse Toyah’s Official Charts history, including numerous releases from recent years on a variety of Official Album Charts. Order the Remastered reissue of The Changeling by clicking below.
Toyah welcomes you to October for a new instalment of Toyah At Home. There’s a catch-up of the past few weeks, but also it’s Part Two of The Changeling Special with more fan questions, song excerpts and insights to this album. Look out for special clips of previously unseen footage too.
• Order The Changeling Super Deluxe Box Set & other formats, here. Watch Pt 1, of Toyah At Home: The Changeling Special, here.
We’ve screenshotted (is that a word?) from it a couple of times already, but here is the full promo advert/trailer for The Changeling – Remastered, reissued, reborn…
The Changeling has returned to the official UK Album Chart, a mere 41 years after it originally entered. The album is currently at No. 16 in the chart update/midweeks, published by The Official Charts Company.
• See the midweek chart here. Browse more Toyah on The Official Charts news/stats, which has occurred numerous times over recent years, at Dreamscape’s Official Charts archive.
Cherry Red Records is delighted to announce the remastered release of Toyah’s 1982 Silver certified-selling album “The Changeling”. The Changeling is the darker, more grown-up sequel to the previous year’s Platinum-selling album Anthem. The Changeling entered the UK Top 40 in June 1982, peaking at No. 6.
Produced by the acclaimed Steve Lillywhite, the album features a line-up of Toyah Willcox (vocals), Joel Bogen (guitar), the late Phil Spalding (bass) and the revered Simon Phillips (drums). The album also features guest synthesizers/keyboards from Andy Clark (David Bowie’s Super Monster (And Super Creeps, member of Be Bop Deluxe) and Simon Darlow. The brass section from Haircut 100 also features on Street Creature.
For the tenth overall release of the Toyah Safari Records catalogue on Cherry Red, Toyah’s archivist Craig Astley has dug deep to expand the album with a treasure trove of previously unheard bonus tracks, previously unseen footage and unseen, previously thought-lost, imagery.
On the eve of the remastered album being reissued, immerse yourself in The Changeling, via Official Toyah’s The Changeling Resurrection YouTube Playlist. A gorgeous selection of content in celebration of The Changeling‘s imminent release…
Toyah Competition! | Changeling Prizes Signed by Toyah to be won…
In anticipation of this Friday’s deluxe release of Toyah’s Changeling album we’re offering a selection of signed Changeling formats to win! To enter email the answer to the following question to press@cherryred.co.uk with Toyah Changeling Competition in the subject line, and your full name and address*.
Winners of each prize will be picked at random and we’ll be in touch with the lucky winners next week!
With just a week to go until the anticipated release of the expanded, deluxe remaster of The Changeling, this week’s Saturday Song is a live 1982 performance of In The Fairground. The track comes from the 1981 EP Four More From Toyah which features as part of the bonus tracks on CD1 of the 2CD+DVD edition. Released on 29 September on Cherry Red Records.
Last weekend’s Saturday Song was a 1982 vintage TV clip of Ieya filmed for Pebble Mill. This performance features on the 2CD+DVD Edition of the remastered reissue of The Changeling, out 29 September on Cherry Red Records.
With just over 1 week to go until the release of the remastered and expanded editions of The Changeling, we get an advance sneak preview of the Super Deluxe Edition of the album, unboxed by Toyah herself.
A very exciting entry for The Changeling series of Toyah Tuesday episodes is coming this, yup, Tuesday.
Toyah will be unboxing the Super Deluxe Edition of the forthcoming release of the classic 1982 studio album, which is now less than two weeks away – on Friday 29th September!
Official Toyah say: With just over 1 week to go until the release of the remastered and expanded editions of The Changeling, we get an advance sneak preview of the Super Deluxe Edition of the album, unboxed by Toyah herself.
It’s Toyah Tuesday which means another slice of content related to The Changeling as we move toward the album’s remastered, expanded releases on 29 September from Cherry Red.
A great review, by Velvet Thunder, of The Changeling reissue
