Screen caps from Toyah’s 1982 guest appearance on Pop Quiz on BBC1. Meanwhile, 2016’s Pop Quiz: The Comeback, also featuring Toyah, is still available to watch online at BBC iPlayer…
Great article, by Liam Rudden, in yesterday’s Edinburgh Evening News (see above), which also solved the longtime “mystery” of this photo – “No stranger to Edinburgh, one of Toyah’s earliest visits was in May 1978, when she caught up with Colin Chisholm of Bilbo Baggins (pictured) for the premiere of Jubilee.” – Thanks Liam
A rare photo of Toyah from 1983. I’m not sure where this, circa The Vow, shot originates from but it was obviously taken at the same time as the photo session these two, previously available, photos are from. Click below to view a larger version.
Two retro radio interviews with Toyah from the early 1980s have just been transcribed by The Toyah Willcox Interview Archive: Radio Reading (1982) and Piccadilly Radio (1983). (Thanks to Lärwi for making these available)
A variety of previously unseen photos of Toyah, from well-known photo sessions, have been appearing in various places online recently. Here’s a glimpse of four via low resolution thumbnails. (Thanks to Mark for photo four)
Gina Glockler recently sent me a collection of previously unseen photos from 1981’s ‘Anthem Tour’. A really interesting selection of shots from Nigel Glockler’s personal archive, and being shared publically for the first time. I’ll be creating a gallery for these special shots soon but here’s a preview of some. (Thanks to Nigel & Gina Glockler | Photos © Nigel Glockler)
The poster/advert for the release of Nine to Five by Adam & Toyah (aka Maneaters) in 1982. Both objected to this “cash-in” release at the time but it’s an interesting item of memorabilia all the same, bringing together two of the 80s most interesting and colourful icons. (Thanks to Andy)
We haven’t had a Classic Toyah post for a while – Rectifying this with a very rare magazine advert from July 1981, from Finnish magazine ‘Soundi’. They also published an issue with Toyah’s Brave New World image on their cover in 1982, and another full-page advert for The Changeling. Click below to see the full size advert. (Thanks to Juha Merilainen for this amazing scan)
Andy has created some new Melissa Caplan inspired outfits, and very Toyah-esque and fantastic they look too. Amazing attention to detail as always. Please click on the photo below to view the full version. (Thanks again to Andy)
A short, but fantastic, clip of one of Toyah’s appearances on TISWAS in 1981. Performing “I’m A Misery” with the band and various presenters, and then flanned by the Phantom Flan Flinger. A classic clip. Click on the caps to watch, and visit Dreamscape’s You Tube Channel.
It’s been a while since we posted about Andy’s awesome Toyah dolls, so to rectify that here are a couple of great recent photos of these uncanny creations. A collection of four classic Toyah images; Ieya/The Blue Meaning, Anthem, Brave New World/The Changeling, Be Proud Be Loud (Be Heard), plus a recreation of a 1980 photos session. Click below to view the original photos and visit Andy’s Instagram.
I had to share this with Dreamscape’s visitors – The only way this could be better is if it was a real magazine. Andy Westhorpe has designed a collection of mock “Q Special Edition” Toyah magazine covers for my birthday this weekend, using iconic Toyah photos, and I think they are utterly fantastic. So thoughtful of Andy to take the time to do this but he has always been a great friend to me and this website. I’ll add the other three covers tomorrow. Click below to view a larger version.
A fantastic retro, and quite lengthy, Toyah interview from Finnish magazine SOUNDI.
A huge thanks to Lärwi. of The Toyah Willcox Interview Archive, for the scans and translation.
Interview by Dougie Gordon, published in June 1981.
The door opens. A short, 145 cm tall figure stands in front of me. She’s wearing a blue and grey tunic which has gold embroidery on it. The fiery red hair looks a like a burning bush against the backdrop of the outfit. The figure moves forwards like a Samurai warrior poised for an attack but you can see a smile on her face which you can not resist. She’s Toyah Willcox, England’s Jeanne d’Arc of latter times.
Her moves are a part of her carefully calculated image. She’s has consciously made herself into a mystery which invites the audience to explore her world further. But you can’t fit all of the pieces together – it’s not easy to find the real person behind this made-up facade. Her aggression can turn into warmth in a second – and the other way round. Her mindset changes from a hearty laugh into the deepest despair. Her sentences are deep and meaningful half of the time, the other half you’re left wondering what on earth is she on about? Toyah is like dynamite made out of flesh, the slightest emotional spark will set her off.
She also has a soft sweeter side which the audience rarely gets to see. The aggression she hides behind when dealing with the mass media is of course there on purpose. The media in turn treats her with contempt and suspicion. For this reason she feels misunderstood and defends herself in a way even Lou Reed would be proud of.
• Continue reading at Dreamscape’s Press Archive. Read another rare Finnish interview with Toyah here.
A rare 1982 article from German music magazine Popcorn, featuring great photos of Toyah, Joel Bogen and Phil Spalding from ‘The Changeling’ Tour. Would any German visitors care to translate? Click below to view a larger version. (Thanks to Glyn Whelan for this great scan)
One of the famous “Toyah bonnets” by Gary Price. This was the first one (an MG) from 1981 and, apparently, he did numerous others over the next couple of years. He got stopped by a policeman in the early hours of Christmas Day 1981 while travelling home from the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane ‘Good Morning Universe’ gig and when ‘I Want To Be Free’ was in the charts kids used to dance round the car at traffic lights. By Spring 1982 he was on the dole and working on a portfolio to apply to go to Chelsea Art College. At this time he couldn’t afford to run the car so it was kept in a garage.
By around mid 1982 Gary was working on a third bonnet and was planning another two – he was hoping when they were all complete that there would be a photo session done with Toyah. Unfortunately this didn’t happen. It sounds as though there were various artworks designed for subsequent bonnets. This first one was in loads of magazines (at least eight by early ’82) and on Nationwide and TISWAS!!!
• Click here to view a larger version. (Thanks to Andi | Photo by Tara Nowy)
A few more Jubilee photos from 1977 and very early ’78. View these, the last lot posted a couple of weeks ago, and a few more at Dreamscape’s Gallery. (Thanks to Andi)
Toyah was on the cover of, and interviewed in, ‘Hot Press’ twice in 1981. This is the first, from 17th April of that year.
Tara Winter Uncovers The Many Faces Behind The Make-Up
1) Toyah is a dilletante, dabbling in fashionable performance arts for sheer self-gratification.
2) Toyah is a violent sub-cult, fronted by a spitting vixen, getting her kicks from other people’s boots.
3) Toyah is an egomaniac, keeping the musicians in her group in neutral tones, in the dark, out of the picture.
4) Toyah is arrogant, difficult, unreliable, and wears all that make-up to hide acne.
Did you spot the deliberate mistake? Stay behind, anyone who realised that all of the above areuntrue, and I’ll teach you to dance the mashed potato.
When we met on a still-foggy Belfast morning, Toyah was already wide awake, sitting with utter composure amid the bleary salesmen and snaking hoovers that characterise preprandial hotels. We would talk for half an hour, please, and then there was a plane to catch. Tom, Toyah’s boyfriend/minder, set the alarm on his watch…
• Read the full classic Toyah interview by clicking on each of the above scans.
Rare photos from The Tempest. Toyah played Miranda in the 1979 film and her performance won her a nomination as Best Newcomer at the 1980 Evening Standard Awards. Click below to view these photos, and more, at Dreamscape’s Gallery. (A huge thanks to Andi for these)
Rare photos from the filming of Jubilee in 1977. The film premiered in February 1978 and is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year. Click below to view larger versions of the photos. Browse Dreamscape’s recent Jubilee news here. (Thanks to Andi)
Low quality photos of a cover feature on Toyah from 1981. These are from Italian music magazine ‘Melody News’, which included a couple of very rare photos of Toyah. Click below to view slightly larger versions. (Thanks to Andi)
A selection of rare photos, none of which were subsequently used, from the ‘Anthem’ album photo sessions in early 1981. These great shots were taken by photographer Jay Myrdal. Click below to view larger versions. (Thanks to Andi | All photos © Jay Myrdal)
