Dreamscape – Toyah Willcox Fansite

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). Click on any of the images in this post to listen to Neil Tennant’s Smash Hits Christmas at You Tube.

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 Christmas flexi was originally an idea by Neil Tennant – who worked as a journalist at Smash Hits before global pop stardom as a Pet Shop Boy. It was produced in association with Levis, released by Lyntone Records, produced by Trevor Dann and recorded by Mark Ellen.

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!!

NB. I’d like to dedicate this post to Terry Hall, not only of The Specials and Funboy Three, but two other great bands, The Colour Field, and Terry Blair & Anouchka. He truly was the voice of a generation! Rest in Peace.

Christmas 2012, BBC Radio 4 aired Neil Tennant’s Smash Hits Christmas on 20th December.

A fascinating look back at the golden years of the UK’s biggest pop magazine of the Eighties. A publication Toyah featured in a lot between 1980 and 1985, and also graced a trio of covers in 1980, ’81 and ’82.

The programme included contributions from Tennant, various Smash Hits editors and writers, and 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, interviewing many of the pop stars and bands of the era, including a very early interview with Madonna. In fact, it was on a Smash Hits trip to New York that he had his big breakthrough with the record producer Bobby O.

Neil Tennant’s Smash Hits Christmas, a 30-minute radio docu, hasn’t been available at BBC iPlayer/BBC Sounds since Christmas 2012, but you can click below to listen to a recording of the programme at You Tube, or download direct from Dreamscape, here.

Who Won Wot? 1980 – 1989: NOW 80s: Friday 16th September: 12pm
From Smash Hits “Most Unwanted Person of 1980” to the Brits “Best Group” of 1989 – Mark Goodier’s 10 hour marathon of 80s award winners lasts nearly as long as the Oscars. (The first artist played from 1981 is Toyah, with the Thunder In The Mountains video. Mark said: “We begin 1981 with a 4ft 11 pop star who had the biggest hair of the entire decade, here’s the Most Fanciable (as voted by Smash Hits magazine readers) Toyah Willcox with Thunder In The Mountains“).

Who Won Wot? 1980 – 1989: NOW 80s: Saturday 2nd October: 9am
From Smash Hits “Most Unwanted Person of 1980” to the Brits “Best Group” of 1989 – Mark Goodier’s 10 hour marathon of 80s award winners lasts nearly as long as the Oscars. (The first artist played from 1981 is Toyah, with the Thunder In The Mountains video. Mark said: “We begin 1981 with a 4ft 11 pop star who had the biggest hair of the entire decade, here’s the Most Fanciable (as voted by Smash Hits magazine readers) Toyah Willcox with Thunder In The Mountains“).

Who Won Wot? 1980 – 1989: NOW 80s: Monday 9th August: 9am
From Smash Hits “Most Unwanted Person of 1980” to the Brits “Best Group” of 1989 – Mark Goodier’s 10 hour marathon of 80s award winners lasts nearly as long as the Oscars. (The first artist played from 1981 is Toyah, with the Thunder In The Mountains video. Mark said: “We begin 1981 with a 4ft 11 pop star who had the biggest hair of the entire decade, here’s the Most Fanciable (as voted by Smash Hits magazine readers) Toyah Willcox with Thunder In The Mountains“).

Who Won Wot? 1980 – 1989: NOW 80s: Sunday 25th October: 9am
From Smash Hits “Most Unwanted Person of 1980” to the Brits “Best Group” of 1989 – Mark Goodier’s 10 hour marathon of 80s award winners lasts nearly as long as the Oscars. (The first artist played from 1981 is Toyah, with the Thunder In The Mountains video. Mark said: “We begin 1981 with a 4ft 11 pop star who had the biggest hair of the entire decade, here’s the Most Fanciable (as voted by Smash Hits magazine readers) Toyah Willcox with Thunder In The Mountains“). Click on the screen caps to zoom.

NOW 80s’ mammoth 10-hour Who Won Wot? 1980 – 1989 aired yesterday, hosted by Mark Goodier. The first artist played from 1981 was Toyah, with the Thunder In The Mountains video. Mark said: “We begin 1981 with a 4ft 11 pop star who had the biggest hair of the entire decade, here’s the Most Fanciable (as voted by Smash Hits magazine readers) Toyah Willcox with Thunder In The Mountains“. Click on the screen caps to zoom.

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 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 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 4.46, in-between Martin Fry of ABC and Steve Strange of Visage. Too-de-loo!! Part One is available here.

Airing on BBC radio for the first time since it was originally broadcast in December 2012, Neil Tennant’s Smash Hits Christmas includes an interview with Toyah during this fascinating 30 minute special, discussing ‘Smash Hits’ in the early 1980s and also the memorable and iconic ‘Brave New World’ cover issue.

Neil Tennant’s Smash Hits Christmas:
BBC Radio 4 Extra:
Sat 23rd Dec: 7.30am/5.30pm | Xmas Eve: 5.30am

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.

We also sample 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.

Check out a new collection of scans of Toyah in Smash Hits – “the 80s Pop Bible” – All of the magazine’s Toyah features, songwords and clippings published between 1979 and 1985 – brought together by The Toyah Willcox Interview Archive.

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 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.

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…

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.

• Smash Hits Yearbook 1984: The fantastic Smash Hits Archive uploaded scans of the full 1984 Yearbook at the weekend. This includes Toyah content in the “Gonna Write A Classic” feature, which has original lyrics by Toyah – View the page here, and the full Yearbook here.

• Official Countdown: Following the excellent second Digital Advent another countdown happened in early January – Toyah’s Official Facebook page posted water-themed updates, including the great cover photo from The Lady Or The Tiger. Of course these were leading to the Splash! announcement but it was also mentioned that the 1986 spoken word album has now been digitised and could be available digitally at some point in time.

• Birmingham Post: Proud city film-maker salutes hero: A Birmingham film-maker is giving away his new movie to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of city inventor Alexander Parkes… On January 18, Steve will begin his next feature production, Fun With Caravans, starring actor David Proud, who was Graham in N.F.A. “I’d love to get Toyah involved in that one,” he says – Continue reading…

• The Skinny: Film News: Derek Jarman at BFI; Boba Fett movie rumours; the death of Optimus Prime: Derek Jarman, one of the most important British filmmakers of the last 50 years, will be given an in-depth retrospective in February and March this year at London’s BFI – Continue reading…

• Toyah Live 2014: A new Acoustic, Up Close & Personal date has been added to Toyah’s gig diary: Victoria Hall, Settle on 25th July – Visit Toyah’s Official Gigs page…

• Toyah @ Twitter: Lots of tweets from Toyah through Christmas and into the New Year- Follow Toyah here…

• Splash! Tickets: The tickets for next Saturday’s show featuring Toyah’s dive are fully booked but here is the link which also includes 18 January should Toyah also be diving that evening too!

• Sugar Rush: A great new look for 2014 from The Humans’ fansite Sugar Rush.

Uploaded to the Smash Hits Archive exactly 30 years since originally being published, the latest issue of ‘Smash Hits’. This one includes full-page songwords for ‘The Vow’. Click below to view.

A few Toyah bits & pieces included in the latest issue of ‘Smash Hits’, November 10 – 23, 1983, uploaded to the Smash Hits Archive exactly 30 years since originally being published.

Singles: Reviewed by Mark Steels TOYAH: The Vow (Safari) Not yer classic rock ballad but enough folksy guitar bits and flowery keyboard patterns to get a whole forest of peace-signs pointing skywards at next year’s Reading Festival. Laurence Olivier will love it – View at the SH Archive…

Bitz: Toyah’s latest single, “The Vow” precedes a massive British tour – her first since her pre-Christmas jaunt in ’82 – that takes her through November and December. See Dates for details  – View at the SH Archive…

Dates: Includes a Love Is The Law photo of Toyah and the full tour dates for the Rebel Run Tour  – View at the SH Archive…