Neil Tennant’s Smash Hits Christmas aired on ‘BBC Radio 2′ in December 2012. An interesting look back at the golden years of the magazine, including contributions from Toyah, talking about ‘Smash Hits’ in general as well as her iconic Brave New World cover from 1982. The programme isn’t currently available at BBC iPlayer and isn’t being repeated any time soon. Click below to listen to a recording of the programme at You Tube.
Toyah is the cover star of the August 2016 issue of Henley Life magazine, with an 80s Icons/Rewind feature inside.
HENLEY LIFE – August 2016
WHAT’S HOT THIS MONTH – REWIND!
• Experiences: A Night at the Zoo
• We Interview: 80’s Icons & DIY presenter Nick Knowles
• My Henley Life: Olympian Will Satch
REGULARS:
• Diary Highlights – ‘What’s On’ and where.
• Food & Drink : Cornwall Delights.
• Beauty : Summer Haircare.
• Fashion : Summer Holiday Packing
• The Directory: Find local goods and services
• Further info here. The digital issue of the magazine is available to read online here.
The latest issue (#360, June 2016) of Scootering magazine was published yesterday and this special edition comes with a full, and free, reprint of the issue which had Toyah on the cover – originally published back in February 1994.
Toyah: From Quadrophenia to Peter Pan – Exclusive Interview
FREE reprint of the entire 1994 TOYAH edition bagged with every copy.
Jam-packed edition out on the newsstands Thursday 26th May!
Preview a digital edition now (cut down version of #360) at issuu.com here.
Toyah is the cover star of the latest issue (#3, March/April 2016) of Discover Cardiff, which also includes a three-page feature on her inside – Punk Princess To High Priestess Of TV – based on the bio from toyahwillcox.com.
Toyah Willcox is a uniquely gifted performer. Charismatic, outspoken and impossible to categorise, she is one of Britain’s iconic household names – an award-winning rock legend as well as a much-loved actress and music composer.
Toyah is one of our most versatile and popular personalities whose vibrance and energy has won over many audiences in a career spanning thirty-nine years.
The Acoustic, Up Close & Personal tour, now in its third successful year of delighting audiences up and down, and indeed in and around the UK, plays the Acapela Studio in Cardiff on Friday 3rd June.
• Read the full feature here. More info on/book tickets for the Cardiff Acoustic date here. Keep an eye on Toyah’s Official Gigs page – You just never know where the tour will stop off at next!
Toyah didn’t release any new music in 1984 but ‘Smash Hits’ still included her in their special extra issue –The Smash Hits Christmas Party, published in association with Woolworth – in December 1984: Will You Be Watching The Queen’s Speech? When you jump up after the Christmas Top Of The Pops, is it to stand to attention for Her Majesty or a mad dash to switch off the TV? We asked a selection of pop stars if they’d be tuning in to that speech… Click below to view a larger version – Read the full issue here.
Toyah is the cover star of the new issue of Boyz Magazine (10th September 2015). There is also an interview with her inside – Read it online by clicking below.
This month’s Total Film magazine includes a small photo of Toyah (yes, the now almost legendary shot of her with that frying pan) and article on Aaaaaaaah! on their “agenda” page feature on FrightFest 2015 – the film festival which began today in London.
FrightFest 2015 offers 75 horror movies in five days! Here are a few that are making Agenda’s spine tingle…
We know Steve Oram can do weird, wild and wonderful – with Alice Lowe, he wrote and starred in Ben Wheatley’s Sightseers – but his directorial debut is a different kettle of fish altogether. Or make that barrel of monkeys, because the cast (Noel Fiedling, Toyah Willcox, Oram, Lowe…) communicate only with ape-noises in this bizarre talke of the battle to take over a community. Proof that human beings really are animals.
Like Punk Never Happened: Smash Hits Archive has been continuing to upload retro issues of ‘Smash Hits’ magazine 30 years to the day they were originally published in the UK.
Various “recent” issues have included Toyah – Minx and its related singles were being released around this time back in 1985.
• Smash Hits, June 19 – July 2, 1985: This issue includes a full-page advert for the single Soul Passing Through Soul. Toyah is also included in the feature – “Who Is Pop’s Mr Clever Trousers?” – Read the issue here…
• Smash Hits, June 5 – 18, 1985: Toyah is included in the feature – “Oh! You’re Not As Tall As You Are On The Telly!” – Read the issue here…
• Smash Hits, May 22 – June 4, 1985: This issue includes the feature – “Toyah: Personal File” – Toyah answers lots of slightly odd questions, such as “When was the last time you saw a spirit?“. This was Toyah’s second “Personal File” for ‘Smash Hits’, the other was in early 1983 – Read the issue here…
• Smash Hits, May 8 – 21, 1985: This issue includes the songwords for the single Don’t Fall in Love (I Said) – Read the issue here…
• Smash Hits, April 24 – May 7, 1985: This issue includes a full-page advert for the single Don’t Fall in Love (I Said) – Read the issue here…
Flexipop!, the legendary 80s magazine which featured Toyah on one of its covers, is back. A new book is in the planning, but they need your help.
THE FLEXIPOP! BOOK IS READY TO ROCK!
Here it is. After two years of blood, sweat and tears, The Flexipop! Book.
But this isn’t just any old book. It’s a catalogue of calamity, cock-ups and guffaws featuring many of the greatest moments to ever grace the pages of Flexipop! There’s also a Best Of Magazine plus an exclusive free flexi disc by Spandau Ballet and Marc Almond made with love by Pirates Press – the only flexi-making company left in the world and based in San Francisco.
We originally published 27 issues of Flexipop! with flexi discs on the cover (the next six didn’t have one) so the new record is numbered 28. But here’s the thing. We can’t publish the book without a bit of help and we need to hit a figure of £10,000 to breakeven. You can help us reach that goal by pre-ordering a copy now, which retails at £24.99.
Happy Christmas From The Stars, a “Free Christmas Record (12 Minutes of Festive Fun)”, the flexi that was attached to the December 9-22, 1982 issue of ‘Smash Hits’ magazine, featured numerous pop stars sending readers festive greetings. Click below to listen – Toyah arrives at 4.46, inbetween Martin Fry of ABC and Steve Strange of Visage. Too-de-loo!!
Neil Tennant’s Smash Hits Christmas aired on ‘BBC Radio 2′ on the 20th December 2012.
An interesting look back at the golden years of the magazine, including contributions from Toyah, talking about ‘Smash Hits’ in general as well as her iconic “Brave New World” cover from 1982. Listen to the full programme at You Tube.
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. Here, 30 years after his first stint on pop’s most successful and inventive magazine, Neil recalls the golden days of Smash Hits. We hear 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.
In his fortnightly column, Shineback/Tinyfsh man Simon Godfrey reflects on his new life in the States.
September wasn’t just any old month boys and girls. It was the month King Crimson came to town.
Being located right next to the sound desk, I dutifully leaned over to a woman sat behind it and said ‘That guy is bootlegging the show I think.’ pointing in the direction of the bloke in front of me. It was only then that I realized the lady in question was Robert Fripp’s wife, Toyah Willcox. I’m not entirely sure what I expected Toyah to do with this information but the 14 year old boy in me who had fancied her madly back in the 1980s, probably hoped she would fell the guy with a well aimed flying kick and then thank me with a snog.
Well a boy can dream can’t he?
The reality was a little different. Toyah looked at me with a look of utter confusion on her face. In my haste to explain what I had seen over the thunderous sound of the band, I had taken to using hand gestures in an attempt to clarify what I had witnessed. To my horror, I realized that what had been an attempt to mimic the duel microphones using my index fingers either side of my head, actually looked like I was pretending to be a cow.
Former Toyah member, and all round legendary drummer, Simon Phillips is the cover star of two monthly magazines, Drummer and Rhythm, both dated October 2014. (Thanks to Lärwi)
The brilliant I Was A Teenage Toyah Fan can be bought in paperback at Amazon. Visit the book’s website. Read more of Dreamscape’s IWATTF related news here.
As previously mentioned, Toyah is interviewed in the latest issue of Classic Pop magazine, in their “Godmothers Of Pop” feature.
From punk rock to Top Of The Pops, cinema and theatre to All Star Mr & Mrs – it’s been a frantically varied 33 years since Toyah’s first hit single It’s A Mystery and the Four From Toyah EP in 1981. We caught up with her at the start of an autumn packed full of live dates…
One of my personal highlights from your back catalogue is the acoustic album from 1994. The piano version of It’s A Mystery was very striking…
I liked the orchestral version as well. Every so often I’m given the chance to do something outside the norm. I’m touring an acoustic show at the moment and it’s going down a storm. It’s lovely that you can see the songwiriting, you can see the song. The song isn’t veiled with noise.
• Issue 13 (September 2014) is available now. Visit classicpop.com. (Thanks to Lärwi)
The latest issue, number 13, of Classic Pop magazine is published on 17th September, and it includes a new interview with Toyah. You can view a preview of some of the new issue pages at Facebook.
Toyah is the cover star of ‘Scene’, the magazine supplement that accompanies tomorrow’s ‘Rotherham Advertiser’. View a larger version at Toyah’s Twitter. (Thanks to Gareth Dennison)
There’s great Toyah content in, the just published, Issue 12 of Classic Pop magazine. She is pictured and mentioned in a review of Let’s Rock Bristol. There’s also a competition to win tickets for the Songs From The Intergalactic Ranch House UK Tour. Click below to visit the Classic Pop website. (Thanks to Lärwi for the scans)
Toyah is the cover star of the July – September 2014 issue of The Stroud Subscription Rooms magazine. Toyah plays an Acoustic, Up Close & Personal tourdate at the venue on 5th September. Click below to view the magazine online. (Thanks to Kevin McNamara)
As previously mentioned, Toyah is interviewed in the latest issue of 
