• Vinyl Dreams: Toyah – Thunder In The Mountains/Street Addict: The one with the Mad Max Vid (thanks to Godley and Creme), a gem from 1981. Lots of operatics and bombast with main track, Lady Ga Ga borrowed a lot from her! “Street Addict” is a slower, much darker track and a rare, fan favourite. (Thanks to Andrew)
• From Sheep Farming To Anthem 2011: We Are at the 02 Islington, London in June 2011. View at You Tube. (Thanks to Mark Evans)
• Jelly, featuring Stevie Bray, are playing more live dates. Further details on where and when is available at their Facebook page.
• The Changeling Tour 1982: ‘Angel and Me’, live at the, now demolished, Glasgow Apollo in July 1982. Listen at Fuck Yeah Toyah – and browse some rare photos too, including Toyah with Marianne Faithfull in 1981!
• Angels and Demons: 350 Months Later: Some of the A&D Toyah fans, who famously provided backing vocals on the title track of ‘Love Is The Law’ in Summer 1983, revisited the Mermaid Theatre last week, 30 years after they made it their temporary home while Toyah played Trafford Tanzi. View some photos of the reunion at the ‘I Was A Teenage Toyah Fan’ Facebook.
• From Sheep Farming To Anthem 2011: Ieya at the 02 Islington, London in June 2011. View at You Tube. (Thanks to Mark Evans)
• Trey Gunn’s The Third Star album, originally released in 1996, was reissued in a remastered/extended edition last year, with six unreleased tracks. Toyah, of course, co-wrote and sings vocals on the brilliant ‘Symbiotic’. More info here.
• The Burbank Leader: DVD review: ‘Quadrophenia’ gets remixed: The visuals have been nicely restored, but the greatest effort has clearly gone into the creation of a 5.1 surround track.
• Toyah @ Twitter: Lots of tweets over the last few days from Seattle, and the recording sessions for The Humans’ third elpee!
• Shapers Of The 80s: Are giving The Changeling Resurrection II a great ‘plug’ at their website: ✱ Sep 19–Nov 3: Expect new sounds and new styles as Toyah Willcox celebrates various 30th anniversaries with her Changeling Resurrection II Tour, roaming the UK from Middlesbrough to Brighton.
• The Official Toyah Facebook is getting ready for The Changeling Resurrection II.
• A rare Safari Records promo photo from early 1979, which includes the first and very quickly changed Toyah logo, has recently appeared on eBay.
• Blog Critics: DVD Review: Quadrophenia – The Criterion Collection: There is no question that this is the definitive edition of the film, and if you have a 5.1 system, the sound of it is absolutely incredible.
• DPRP News Blog: Robert Fripp quit music: Toyah is mentioned in this news article on Robert: His last live outings were in 2009 when he performed with wife Toyah Willcox’s band the Humans and toured with Theo Travis to support the duo’s Threads album.
• Themusic.com: Toyah is also mentioned in, ‘Going For The One, an article on Australian band Greenthief: An Englishman in Byron Bay, Steve James produced everyone from The Jam to The Rutles, Toyah Willcox to The Sex Pistols, Cold Chisel’s The Last Wave Of Summer to Skunkhour’s The Go.
• Toyah on TV: The Most Fertile Man In Ireland is airing again on Sky Movies Indie (& HD), Sunday 16th September @ 9.45am.
• University of Bristol: O Brave New World: This devised performance by final year students is inspired by Derek Jarman’s 1979 film of The Tempest, shot during the winter of discontent, and Jubilee, the punk musical he made a year earlier. View the trailer.
• Listen to the Alternate Mix of ‘Be Proud Be Loud (Be Heard)’, view amazing Toyah 80’s memorabilia or just browse some iconic imagery… all at Fuck Yeah Toyah, the new Toyah photo blog at tumblr.
• Cinema Sentries: Quadrophenia Criterion Collection DVD Review: Dressed Right For a Beach Fight: Quadrophenia is a great coming-of-age story and a wonderful period piece of an era long past. The restored picture and sound make the Criterion Collection a must own for fans of the film.
• National Trust: A letter from the Magazine Editor – Autumn 2012: We’d asked Toyah Willcox, Coast presenter Miranda Krestovnikoff and the novelist and poet Ben Okri – to talk to us about where they like to roam and why, to help us launch our big autumn walking festival. ‘I love the views, the lake and cakes,’ said Toyah of her favoured ramble site, Croome, in Worcestershire…
• The Humans are in Seattle. Recording and… eating!! View the photographic evidence @ Twitter.
• RockURadio: Restored Version of Film Based on The Who’s “Quadrophenia” Arrives Today on DVD and Blu-ray
• Hampton Roads: Criterion hits all the high notes with ‘Quadrophenia’: Has alienation ever looked or sounded so grand?
• Toyah and Chris Wong are off to Seattle to record the third album by The Humans. View Toyah’s recent tweets about this.
• The edition of Saturday Live, which originally aired on ‘BBC Radio 4’ last August, is available again online to listen to. Go here (it’s the sixth programme down). Toyah talks about meteorites, and more, in their ‘Secret Life’ series.
• Alexa De Strange mention Toyah in a new interview with Dominion at Terrorizer.com: “Rumour has it that Mister Cowell will be making an appearance at our Toyah shows, along with fire dancers and a faceless nun (and I’m not joking!) !!!”
• All Toyah at ‘You Tube’ is coming along nicely…
A few newsy bits on Toyah’s Manchester Pride PA. There was a very large crowd for Toyah headlining the Women’s Stage at Sackville Gardens (Alison Moyet was the Main Stage headliner) and after the gig Toyah chatted to, and was photographed with, fans at the artist’s gate.
• Toyah tweeted: “Manchester Pride was excellent. Great crowd & so friendly & welcoming. I Loved it.”
• A lot of footage from Toyah’s set have been uploaded to You Tube. Highlights include, the previously mentioned, Thunder In The Mountains, It’s A Mystery, I Want To Be Free and Echo Beach.
• There’s also a 17 minute upload of Toyah’s performance. View here.
• The photos I’ve posted here over the last few days will be added to Dreamscape’s Gallery soon. View all of our Toyah at Manchester Pride news.
Thanks to Paul Lomas and Paul Cable for the photos, videos and info!!
• Official Toyah: The news at toyahwillcox.com has been updated, with details on The Humans (recording of third album + info on The Humans: Live, Up Close & Personal Podcast series), BBC4’s Love & Marriage (due to air next month) and ‘The Changeling Resurrection II’.
• Cult Queens: The brilliant 2007, Toyah as Medusa, image is included at ‘Cult Queens’. Toyah was previously featured by the site in March.
• Now Daily: A few past Toyah news posts have been collected together at ‘Now’ magazine’s website.
• Style Icons Past & Present: Toyah is included in this collection at ‘Pinterest’.
• Not exactly earth-shattering news, but… The King’s Arms in Salford has a Toyah mirror. Take a look.
• Very rare print sheets of two retro Toyah badges, the logo and Intergalactic Fanclub membership, were recently up for auction at eBay. The sheets were originally produced by badge-making company de Graff and printed in the early 1980’s. View the logo sheet here, and the IRH here.
• VinceFont: Lee Fletcher’s “Faith” is no worthless thing: Both Toyah and Robert Fripp are mentioned in this review of Lee’s new album. He worked with Toyah a few years ago via This Fragile Moment.
• Quadrophenia: The legendary film is released on Region A/1 Blu-ray next week. Pay a return visit soon for a bumper Quadrophenia news update.
• Toyah plays Manchester Pride this coming Bank Holiday weekend. She headlines the Women’s Stage at Sackville Gardens on Sunday. View more info here.
• Heart Shaped!: Check out Toyah’s unique tomato at Twitter.
• Sugar Rush: Toyah & Robert Fripp: Read a great article about Robert at The Humans’ Fansite.
• Invisible Guy Recommends: Toyah: Danced: Even though I believe the live-version is better, I just have to recommend the studio-version of the song Danced by Toyah. Featured on her debut-album Sheep Farming In Barnet.
• Check out Toyah’s Official Twitter: Over the last couple of weeks she has tweeted about vistiting the National Portrait Gallery, Robert Fripp, tasty food from homegrown veg, the Olympics, recent gigs, traffic jams and more!
• Irenebrination: The (Blitz) Kids That Never Were (According to the Fashion Mainstream): A new mini-article on Melissa Caplan.
• Top Of The Pops: The Story Of 1976 is currently available to watch at BBC iPlayer.
• Samantha Fox mentions Toyah in a new article at The Quietus in which she chooses her 13 Favourite Albums: Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams: I remember when Annie Lennox first came out I just loved her voice and loved her image. She’s very androgynous and different to everyone else, other than someone like Toyah Willcox, who when I was younger I thought; ‘oh, she’s different.’
• Jelly, the band which includes Stevie Bray of the original Toyah (Sheep Farming/Blue Meaning/Toyah! Toyah! Toyah!) line up, have been playing gigs recently. They are revisiting The Water Rats in Kings Cross for another date later this month (Friday 31st August). Visit the events page at Facebook for more info. Check out Jelly’s Facebook page for links to some of their songs.
• New Wave Photos: Toyah: An excellent selection of photos of Toyah from an appearance on Belgian TV in 1981. (Thanks to Dawn)
• DVD Beaver: Quadrophenia (Blu-ray): Quadrophenia looks highly impressive on Blu-ray from Criterion. Textured grain is prominent and establishes a strong image quality through the 1080P. I can easily state that this is the best I have seen Quadrophenia look. Sweet.
• Spy Vibe: Mod Movie Returns: The long out-of-print Mod classic, Quadrophenia (1979), will be released on DVD and Blu-ray by the Criterion Collection on August 28th.
• A previously unseen photo of Toyah and Nick Heyward, taken at the Let’s Rock The Moor 2012 festival in May of this year, was tweeted by the organisers this week. View it here. It’s similar to another photo, released at the time of the concert. (Photo © Let’s Rock The Moor)
• View all of our ‘Let’s Rock The Moor 2012’ updates, including photos, press, videos, here.
• The Toyah Willcox Interview Archive: Read a full transcript of Toyah’s ‘BBC Radio WM’ interview.
• Toyah headlines the Women’s Stage at Manchester Pride 2012 later this month. View Toyah content at their website here. here and here.
• Sound + Vision: New Blu-rays for August 7, 2012: The Tempest (1979) is Jarman’s campy adaptation of William Shakespeare’s theatrical masterpiece which includes a full-scale Hollywood production number of Elisabeth Welch singing “Stormy Weather”…
• Indiewire: Playlist: DVDs You Should Know About Including ‘Jaws,’ ‘Quadrophenia,’ and A Pair of Derek Jarman Films.
• Coming Soon to BBC4: Love & Marriage: A new three-part BBC series on the story of love and marriage in Britain from the 1930s up to the present day, based on the personal memories of those who have the strongest tales to tell. This will include Toyah & Robert (no transmission date available yet).
• Lytham Proms 2012: More than 25,000 people attended the three Lytham Proms concerts to see Olly Murs, Alfie Boe and the “Here and Now” stars of the 1980s. The three-day extravaganza was hailed by Fylde Council’s tourism chief as a “great success” in attracting crowds – and tourism cash – to the area. (News Source: Fylde Borough Council)
• The Acoustic Pineapple: The Concert: In 1980, I become aware of a diminutive, flame-haired singer called Toyah Willcox. Imaginative lyrics, containing elements of mysticism and science-fiction, were often backed by thumping, tribal rhythms. From the outset I am intrigued by Toyah.
• ‘Rewind 2012’ takes place in Henley in less than a fortnight. Toyah has been a regular at the festival over the last few years. She isn’t playing this year but a related item of memorabilia, signed by Toyah and many others, is up for auction – supporting a good cause. Kim Wilde’s pink guitar!!! View more info on this at Kim’s official website and The Henley Youth Centre website.
• Lytham Proms 2012: Toyah played the festival on Friday night, along with many others. View the full day in 30 seconds at You Tube.
• Mancunian Matters: ‘Louder, prouder and more ‘out’ than ever before’: Your definitive guide to Manchester Pride Festival 2012: The Big Weekend – Friday August 24 – Sunday August 26: Some of Britain’s best female performers including Toyah, Never the Bridge, Kath & the Kicks and Rosie Wilby are set to perform.
• Diva Of The Day – Toyah! An hours un-interrupted mix of classic Toyah. Tuesday 7th august at 2pm. Re-run every 3 hours at Brighton Gay Radio.
• Mark Satchwill: A Photo A Day: Check out Mark’s amazing art and photography, including some Toyah.
• Katrina Bryan, one of Toyah’s Sleeping Beauty 2012 panto co-stars, who also appears in the recent “Fanny” Irn Bru advert, was interviewed by the Daily Record/Sunday Mail yesterday: “They phoned me up and asked if I would be interested in doing panto with Gareth Gates and Toyah Willcox. I was over the moon“.
• The 1980 BBC version of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde has now been released on DVD in Sweden. This release has a slightly different cover to the UK version (released in 2007). The cast includes David Hemmings, Diana Dors and Toyah. View a larger version of the Swedish cover here.
• Derek Jarman’s 1979 version of The Tempest is just about to be released on Blu-ray (Region A/1) for the first time. There’s a new review of the film at the Criterion Cast website: A less easy choice however came in the casting of Miranda, which went to punk rock mega-star (and also star of Criterion-approved Jubilee also from Jarman and the soon to be released Quadrophenia) Toyah Willcox. Always seen as a virginal young woman, Willcox’s punk rock persona far from fit the character, but her performance was really quite entertaining, and the relationship between she and Williams’ Prospero is vital and engaging.
• A larger version of The Tempest Blu-ray cover is also now available. View here.
• Qudrophenia Region A/1 Blu-ray: Read more details on this forthcoming release at Modculture: As they say “You can get a UK Blu-ray already, but the Quadrophenia Criterion Collection Blu-ray release is a considerable step up from that.”
• Also at Modculture: View a limited edition Quadrophenia poster by Piper Gates Design, and read a new article on the movie by Eddie Piller.
• Toyah guested on The Janice Long Review Show last Sunday (repeated Thursday), along with Trevor Horn and Paul Sexton. View the preview clip for this at You Tube.
• Toyah guests again on The Janice Long Review Show this evening (Vintage TV @ 8.30pm). The programme includes a discussion on Toyah’s 1982 album ‘The Changeling’ by Toyah, Janice, Trevor Horn and Paul Sexton. Let’s hope Janice’s opinion of the album has ‘mellowed’ over the last 30 years :)
• Footage of Toyah performing at a private party in Kings Lynn in June can be viewed in, “the ultimate party band”, Madhen’s ‘June Video Diary (Part One)’ at You Tube.
• Financial Times: The Day The Music Died: A very rare interview with Robert Fripp.
• It’s A Mystery: A Tribute To Toyah: Listen to a preview at iTunes of the cover by Ameritz. Maybe some songs just shouldn’t be covered? (Thanks to Michael)
• Toyah on TV (in Sweden): Toyah’s edition of Celebrity Fantasy Homes airs again on BBC Lifestyle, Friday 10th August at 12.05pm, and on Saturday 11th August at Midnight.
• Toyah’s ‘Walk Of Fame’ tweets: “Hare & Hounds is an excellent venue, great atmosphere & vibe. Can’t wait 2 get on stage“, and “oh no I’ve been arrested at my Walk Of Fame unveiling lol“, along with this great photo, and “Thank u 2 every1 4 2day. Fantastic time & the band rocked“. (Photo © Toyah Willcox)
• Paul of PAC Photography attended Toyah’s ‘Walk Of Fame’ ceremony. He said: “Just back from one of the greatest experiences of my life, great to see Toyah pick up her Walk of Fame award and to be able to capture it”. Paul was also at tonight’s gig, photographing fans and Toyah!
• Toyah compered at the Rock & Bike Fest 2012 on Saturday, and also guested on stage with The Sweet on ‘Ballroom Blitz’. View at You Tube.
• Browse all of Dreamscape’s ‘Walk Of Fame’ news by clicking below.
• Bongorama: It’s Slade: 1999 BBC1 documentary on Slade. Just uploaded to ‘You Tube’ in five parts. Includes Toyah reminiscing about being a fan in the 70s.
• Vintage TV: Everyone here at Vintage TV is delighted to learn that one of our favourite presenters, Toyah Willcox, is being honoured by her home town of King’s Heath with the first-ever star on their Walk of Fame. Huge congratulations Toyah!
• Toyah on TV: Two upcoming tv appearances to look forward to: The Janice Long Review Show will air on a Sunday evening, late July or August on ‘Vintage TV’. Pointless Celebrities was recorded a few months ago and will air on a Saturday evening on ‘BBC1’. More precise info on both when known.
• Toyah @ Twitter: Toyah tweeted from the ‘Rock & Bike Fest’ yesterday: “Having fab day @ Rock n’ Bike Fest. having fun with security….teasing them big time“, and today: “Wild n’ fantastic day at Rock n’ Bike Fest. Got to sing with The Sweet, then shaved a ladies head for charity! how often does that happen!”
• British comedy legend Eric Sykes passed away on 4th July. There have, of course, been numerous tributes to him and his fantastic career over the last week. A number of these have also mentioned Toyah! Why? Well, Toyah and Eric shared the distinction of being two of the three voices on the opening credits of the phenomenon that was/is Teletubbies.
• BBC America: RIP Eric Sykes: Five Of His Best Moments: Teletubbies: The first voice you hear is that of flame-haired post-punker Toyah Willcox, the second is Eric Sykes. You might want to switch off after a bit, unless you’re really into pre-literate TV. Kinda relaxing though, isn’t it…
• Music-News.com yesterday mentioned Toyah in their Learn to play with Elbow and The Charlatans at BIMM Music Summer Schools article: Incidentally, can you guess the musical link between the Foo Fighters, Toyah Willcox, Alien Sex Fiend, Ke$ha, Gwar and the cast of Glee? Yes, they all covered the title track from Alice Cooper 1972 album School’s Out.
• Lärwi’s been busy with her new All Toyah ‘You Tube’ channel. Already added are ‘Nine to Five’ by Maneaters, Sheep Farming In Barnet, Bird in Flight/Tribal Look, The Blue Meaning and all the songs from the 1981 singles It’s A Mystery and I Want To Be Free!
• On This Day: It feels like only yesterday but four years ago today the artwork for Toyah’s most recent studio album ‘In The Court Of The Crimson Queen’ was revealed by toyahwillcox.com. Toyah has recently said that she will be working again with Simon Darlow on a new solo album.
• Lytham Proms: Pat Sharp To Kickstart Lytham Proms!!! Toyah plays this festival which takes place between 3rd – 5th August 2012.
• Brian Aris took some incredible photos of Toyah in the early to mid 1980s. One of those shots is available to buy as a signed print.
• A recent screenshot of Toyah is included at the Track 2 website, in their “head & shoulders” section.
• Apparently there have been rumours that this year’s ‘Rock & Bike Festival’ isn’t going ahead! The official festival website says: The show is going ahead, don’t listen to those rumours!! Gates open Midday on Thursday. Toyah comperes on Saturday and guests on a couple of songs with The Sweet too!
