Dreamscape – Toyah Willcox Fansite

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Successful & Happy 2020.

Christmas Eve 2012, Toyah guested on Marlow FM’s Musical Milestones on The Eclectic Light Show. She discussed her life and career and chose six songs along the way. As this aired on Christmas Eve and the station didn’t have a Listen Again function I recorded it and uploaded to Dreamscape a low quality mp3 of the 30-minute special. Click below to listen/download.

Christmas 2012, BBC Radio 4 aired Neil Tennant’s Smash Hits Christmas on 20th December – a real festive pop treat for everyone who grew up in the 1980s. The programme was an interesting look back at the golden years of the UK’s biggest music magazine of the Eighties. Neil recalls the golden days of, the iconic, Smash Hits magazine, when he worked as a writer in their Carnaby Street office.

There were also contributions and memories from founder and legendary magazine maker Nick Logan, editors David Hepworth and Mark Ellen, writers Miranda Sawyer and Sylvia Patterson, and from regular Smash Hits cover girl, Toyah., talking about Smash Hits in general and her Brave New World cover from the Summer of 1982.

Neil Tennant had a life as a journalist before he became famous as a Pet Shop Boy. In fact, it was on a Smash Hits trip to New York that he had his big breakthrough with the record producer Bobby O. Also included is a rare recording from the 1982 Christmas Flexidisc (a message from the stars) and probably Neil Tennant’s first recording – the music for a trailer advertising Smash Hits stickers. (Producer: Susan Marling. A Just Radio Ltd. production for BBC Radio 4). The half-hour programme is no longer available at BBC iPlayer and has also been removed from You Tube. Maybe the BBC will, in their wisdom, one day repeat it.

Christmas 1984, Toyah guested on the Pop Quiz Christmas Special on BBC1. The programme aired at 4.15pm on Christmas Eve.

This was the penultimate edition of the original Pop Quiz. There were four series, plus five specials, 48 episodes in total, with Toyah guesting four times. The final Pop Quiz Special aired a few days later on 28th December 1984. Though there have been a number of revivals since.

Pop Quiz was a British television quiz programme that originally aired on BBC1 from 4th July 1981 to 28th December 1984 with a Top of the Pops special on 4th January 1994 hosted by Mike Read. It was then revived from 21st May to 9th July 1994 on the same channel but this time hosted by Chris Tarrant (Toyah also guested on this series, alongside Pete Burns). It was revived again on Red TV from 14th June to 30th August 2008 with Mike Read returning as host. He also hosted two specials on BBC Four in December 2016 and January 2017.

Christmas 2016, Toyah attended a ceremony to be inducted into the Birmingham Walk Of Stars.

Toyah said: “I am thrilled to be receiving a star on the Birmingham Walk of Stars. Having spent my childhood and teenage years in this great city, I developed my love of music and theatre here, thanks to all the great music venues and theatres available within the one city.“

• See news on Toyah attending the Birmingham Walk Of Stars event here and here. (Photo © Birmingham Mail)

Britain’s Favourite Christmas Carol
Channel 5, 6.50pm, Saturday
Countdown shows have fallen somewhat out of fashion since their 1990s heyday, but nobody has ever accused Channel 5 of being ahead of the curve. They’re continuing to resurrect the Saturday schedule-filler with this 90-minute injection of very light entertainment. Feel free to dip in and out of this countdown of the nation’s 20 best-loved Christmas carols that unspools in the usual fashion, by deploying famous(ish) faces to provide humorous or revealing commentary in between clips.

Those expressing their thoughts on Ding Dong Merrily on High et al include Toyah Willcox, radio presenter Katie Thistleton and DJ Pat Sharpe. But what may elevate this special is the addition of musical and historical experts – including Rev Canon Ann Easter, Chaplain to the Queen (no less) – to describe the musical innovations that make particular carols appealing, and to share surprising stories behind some of the classics.

Performances will come both from a raid on the television archives for memorable clips and from choirs nationwide. Of course, television countdowns are no more scientific than a poll of your friends at the pub, but this piece of televisual tinsel should at least put you in a festive mood.

Christmas 1982, Toyah covers a 70’s Christmas classic! The build up to Christmas wouldn’t be complete at Dreamscape without this… I think I’ve mentioned I Believe in Father Christmas every December for the last 20 years, so here we go again…

Toyah covers the Greg Lake 1975 classic (which also features Robert Fripp, Toyah confirmed a few years ago on Toyah’s Christmas at the Zoo) for ITV’s Pop Goes Christmas in 1982. She sounds great, looks amazing and Keith Hale and Joel Bogen are having a right old festive time in the forest of lit up trees. Bravo!

Christmas 2019, and only 6 days until Christmas Day, why not download some, Christmas/festive-related, Toyah music/releases to help make the rest of the countdown more melodic.

1. I Believe In Father Christmas; Toyah’s version of the Greg Lake 70s festive classic (which was voted one of the greatest ever Christmas songs in a 2012 poll) has gathered quite a history over the years: It was originally recorded for ITV’s Pop Goes Christmas in 1982, Safari then included it on the Mayhem compilation album in 1985, and later it was also made available on the CD Live & More. At Christmas 2012 it was released as a digital single. Download at iTunes. 2.Winter In Wonderland; One year on and at Christmas 2013 there was another new digital single, make that an EP, for Christmas – Winter in Wonderland… Download at iTunes. 3. Has God Ceased To Dream You; Toyah released this four-song EP in December 2014 as a companion piece to the recently digitally released Take The Leap! album… Download at iTunes.

Christmas 2008, Good Times magazine – published in the US – named In The Court Of The Crimson Queen their “CD Of The Year”.

I must devote some space to what is, for me, the event of the year, a new CD, “In The Court Of The Crimson Queen” by UK pop/rock icon Toyah. She’s been married to King Crimson founder/guitarist Robert Fripp since 1985, and the CD title is a play on Crimson’s ‘Court Of the Crimson King”, a late 60s timepiece. Let’s take a look, track by track.

• Read the full review, by Jimi LaLumia, here.

Christmas 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1984. In the early eighties Toyah’s Official Fanclub – Intergalactic Ranch House – sent out Christmas cards to subscribing members each December, with Toyah taking the time to sign each and every card, which numbered around 6,000 at the height of the fanclub’s popularity.

This tradition was carried on for an extra year, in 1984, when the Intergalactic Ranch House became simply the Toyah Fanclub after Toyah left Safari Records after five years and she signed to the CBS/Portrait Records.

All four cards featured photos of Toyah, showcasing great early eighties imagery and creating a unique set of fanclub memorabilia that became collector’s items.

Christmas 2018, Toyah became a Mastermind! She won Episode Two of Series 17 of Celebrity Mastermind, which aired on BBC1 on Saturday 22nd December.

John Humphrys puts four celebrities to the test in another episode of the classic quiz. Taking part are comedian Joe Pasquale, Newsround presenter Ricky Boleto, singer Toyah Willcox and Olympian Jeanette Kwakye. They answer questions on werewolf films, 1990s number one singles, Boudica and Disney animations.

Christmas 1996, Toyah contributed a thoughtful festive recollection of Christmas Times past to the charity publication Once Upon A Christmas (Memories and Recipes From Your Favourite Celebrities). This book is now long out of print and unavailable.

In this delightful Christmas book, a host of our most popular and well-known celebrities from all walks of life have contributed stories, memories, recipes and thoughts about Christmas to make this the most irresistible festive anthology there is… Once Upon A Christmas will help to put – and keep – you in the Christmas spirit.

Toyah Willcox: Broadcaster and Singer

Childhood Christmasses were the most magical. It was the appearance of the Christmas tree that cued two weeks of sheer all-encompassing joy. I’m talking about being four years old. Just able to talk but unable to comprehend the hidden meanings of the words of wisdom from the giants, the adults…

• Continue reading Toyah’s Once Upon A Christmas contribution at Dreamscape’s Press Archive.

Christmas 1982, Happy Christmas From The Stars, a “Free Christmas Record (12 Minutes of Festive Fun)”, was attached to the December 9-22, 1982 issue of Smash Hits magazine. The festive flexi-disc featured numerous pop stars – Abba, ABC, Adam Ant, Bananarama, Bucks Fizz, Captain Sensible, Culture Club, Duran Duran, Funboy Three, Haircut 100, Imagination, The Jam, Madness, Mari Wilson, Musical Youth, The Piranahs, The Police, Steve Strange, Toyah, Ultravox – sending readers Christmas greetings, messages and Yuletide tunes.

Click below to listen – Toyah arrives at the Christmas 1982 Pop Star Party at 4.46, in-between Martin Fry of ABC and Steve Strange of Visage. Too-de-loo!! Part One is available here.

Christmas 2019, Toyah rounded off an incredibly busy year of live concerts by playing the three-date Let’s Rock – The Retro Winter Tour. A festive extravaganza which played three arenas; Motorpoint in Nottingham (29th November), The SSE Hydro in Glasgow (11th December) and Wembley Arena in London (tonight, 13th December).

The tour also featured Tony Hadley, Marc Almond, ABC, Jimmy Somerville, Nik Kershaw, Boney M, Altered Images, Toyah, Sonia, Annabella Lwin, Peter Coyle, Dr & The Medics.

Here’s the Let’s Rock Winter promo image and photos of Toyah ready to hit the stage at Motorpoint, Nottingham and the Crimson Queen with Clare Grogan at Glasgow’s Hydro. (Photos © Toyah Willcox/Clare Grogan)

Christmas 2011, Toyah presented a three-hour festive spectacular for the, relatively, new music channel Vintage TV.

Toyah’s Vintage Christmas was a constant that Christmas, airing numerous times in December, with Toyah introducing festive pop videos and sharing seasonal trivia. The programme was repeated in subsequent years, and Toyah would go on to present other Christmas shows right through until Vintage TV – still sadly missed – closed in 2017.

Christmas 2018, Toyah was pictured at The Birmingham Old Rep Theatre’s Christmas Gift Guide.

Santa and his Elves have been working very hard with The Old Rep team over the past few weeks spreading the Christmas cheer with Pinocchio. And with only two weeks to go until Christmas, we have some amazing gift ideas. There really is something for everyone!

Name a seat at The Old Rep
Naming a seat at The Old Rep is the perfect Christmas gift. For just £150 for 5 years you will play a role in securing the future of the theatre and help us continue creating opportunities for young people and emerging artists.

Each plaque featured in our auditorium is unique and inscribed with a personal message. Your plaque will be installed amongst our patrons Brian Cox, Brian Blessed, Toyah Willcox, June Brown and Albert Finney. (Photo © Toyah Willcox)

Christmas 2011, Toyah was featured in the Winter 2011/Issue 10 of The Magical Times magazine. With a wonderfully festive cover image and an exclusive “fairytale” interview with Toyah inside! – Toyah Willcox speaks about fairies!

The pages of issue 10 are set to shine a splash of colour and a magical sparkle to your winter season…!

Inside this edition we present an exclusive interview with 80’s punk princess Toyah Willcox, who shares with us her spiritual experiences and why she believes that fairies do exist!

Kyle Gray writes about Angels and Ascension, Kit Berry speaks about her journey to Stonewylde and Laura Daligan explains to us how we can welcome the goddess Aphrodite’s loving energies into our everyday life.

Christmas 2012, Toyah guested on Steve Lamacq’s Rock College on BBC Radio 2 discussing how absolutely life-changing first discovering David Bowie was for her when growing up in Birmingham in the early 1970s.

Toyah talks about the legendary album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, and of first glimpsing, and hearing, Bowie performing Starman on the music programme Lift Off With Ayshea.

This was such a great audio clip it would’ve been a real shame to just let it disappear after its week on iPlayer back in 2012… so here it is! Click below to listen.

Christmas 2016, and BBC Four aired a repeat Top Of The Pops, which was originally broadcast in October 1982 on BBC1, with Toyah’s studio performance of the single, Be Proud Be Loud (Be Heard). This site described it as “iconic, classic and utterly unforgettable“.

While the retro TOTP aired, BBC Four also tweeted: “In 1982, Toyah was so famous, she even had a lion-tailed macaque named after her on Animal Magic, and appeared on the show to meet it“.

Toyah’s December/Christmas 2019 blog is available to read at The Official Toyah Willcox website.

Toyah says “Happy Christmas Everybody!” and talks about 2019, gigs, film shoots, Christmas and life! As well as looking ahead to 2020: “2020 is bringing some very well timed surprises, especially as I am gearing up to tour with Hazel O’ Connor, in fact quite a few surprises are coming over the following year for my fans and record collectors.”

Christmas 1984, The Ebony Tower written by John Fowles and originally published in 1974 – aired on ITV on the 9th December.

Toyah filmed the 90-minute television drama, which was produced by Granada TV, in the Dordogne region of France during the Summer of 1983. She starred alongside Sir Laurence Olivier, Greta Scacchi and Roger Rees.

View promo shots from the drama here and here. Read an interview with Toyah, published when The Ebony Tower aired, by Outlook magazine, and another from around the same time, by Cosmopolitan magazine. Read Dreamscape’s 2011 DVD review, and view a couple of our fan adverts. (Thanks to andy for the screen cap below)