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Toyah – Chameleon – The Very Best of Toyah: Album Review

First-ever career-spanning collection covers Toyah’s entire recording career – the band years, the solo years and the adventures alongside husband Robert Fripp. Chameleon REALLY is a ‘Best Of’ collection

Release Date: 5th September 2025
Label: Cherry Red Records
Formats: 2xCD, 3xCD+Blu Ray, 2LP Vinyl

A TRUE ‘BEST OF’ COLLECTION
Rule-breaker, boundary-pusher, consummate entertainer. Even, dare I suggest it – National Treasure. Toyah Wilcox has been, and remains, all of these things – and she fulfills her roles in many guises, from attitude-loaded punk to loving companion. As the title to this career-spanning collection suggests, Toyah is a persona-shifting chameleon.

It’s hard to believe that Chameleon is the first ever comprehensive retrospective of Toyah’s varied recording career, a career that began as long ago as 1977 when fledgling actor Toyah hooked up with guitarist/songwriter Joe Bogen and keyboardist Pete Bush to form the band that would soon be christened ‘Toyah.’ Tall trees from little acorns grow – Toyah’s musical career went on to spawn over 20 albums and delivered eight Top 40 singles. And the highlights of that career are all here. Chameleon is, truly, a ‘Best Of’ collection.

• Continue reading at At The Barrier. See links to other Chameleon: The Very Best Of Toyah reviews here. Buy the album on 3CD/Bluray Boxset, 2CD & Double Vinyl at Cherry Red.

Toyah: Chameleon: The Very Best Of Toyah
Box Set Review

From humble beginnings of a young girl from Kings Heath in Birmingham, the rebellious nature shone through early with acts that thrill the heart such as setting off a multitude of clocks from underneath the stage of her school that disrupted a speech from the then Education Secretary Margaret Thatcher, and which led rightly to her being hailed within a few short years as the Queen of the British Punk movement.

It is in that reassurance of Time shaping our future without our realising that those who hear the ticking of the clock act with a kind of urgency that commands attention, that regards even a minute wasted as a tolling bell ringing out the laments of lost opportunities and creative despair; a kind of passing of the moment that would never resurface.

The be the best in the world you have to take it on, the ticking of the clock that signals each beat of a life’s intended mission, the chameleon’s camouflage adapting, changing, altering with every circumstance and yearning, of breaking free…this is the heartfelt and honourable belief that comes from every pore of the Cherry Red release of Chameleon: The Very Best Of Toyah.

• Continue reading at Liverpool Sound and Vision. See links to other Chameleon: The Very Best Of Toyah reviews here. Buy the album on 3CD/Bluray Boxset, 2CD & Double Vinyl at Cherry Red.

Review | Chameleon – The Very Best of Toyah [Cherry Red Records]

Toyah Willcox’s career has always defied easy classification, and Chameleon – The Very Best of Toyah leans into that restlessness, offering a panoramic view of her 45-year arc as punk agitator, pop icon, and enduring creative force. Released via Cherry Red Records, this career-spanning anthology is the first to fully embrace the breadth of her recording history, and it does so with a curatorial precision that mirrors Willcox’s own chameleonic artistry.

The collection’s structure tells a story. CD1 captures the original Toyah band years (1979–1983), where the collision of Joel Bogen’s spiky guitar and Willcox’s commanding, otherworldly vocals forged a sound that felt both feral and theatrical. Singles like “It’s A Mystery” and “I Want to Be Free” may have cemented her as a chart presence, but it’s deeper cuts like “Jungles of Jupiter” and “We Are” that underline her singular lyrical vision, tapping into cosmic anxieties and spiritual yearning against the urgency of post-punk rhythms. The material retains its charge, a reminder of how Toyah helped broaden the vocabulary of British new wave beyond mere attitude.

• Continue reading at Ottic Media. See links to other Chameleon: The Very Best Of Toyah reviews here. Buy the album on 3CD/Bluray Boxset, 2CD & Double Vinyl at Cherry Red.

A new interview with Toyah, from The Sunday Post. This was also included in P.S. magazine, with Toyah on the cover.

Toyah Willcox on the 50 years of hard graft that have kept her at the top of her game

It’s Wednesday lunchtime and I am telling Toyah Willcox my own favourite Toyah story.

I remember going to see you as part of a 1980s revival night in Glasgow, alongside Belinda Carlisle, Go West and various members of Spandau Ballet, I say. This must have been back in the late 1990s, early 2000s. I’m a bit hazy on the date, I admit.

But Toyah’s not. “2002,” she interrupts emphatically.

Ah, right. Anyway, you came bounding on to the stage and exclaimed: “Glasgow, I’ve come for your men!” And a woman in the crowd shouted back: “Take them! Take them!”

“I remember it happening!” Toyah tells me gleefully over Zoom.

Speak to the singer, actor and presenter and it’s quickly clear that she remembers everything. Dates, chart positions, people. Her memory is a Google search engine containing the records of nearly 50 years in showbiz. And there’s a lot to remember.

• Continue reading at The Sunday Post.

Cherry Red will release Chameleon: The Very Best Of Toyah next month across three formats

A 3CD+blu-ray edition comes in clamshell box packaging with disc one devoted to the band Toyah with hits such as ‘I Want To Be Free’ and ‘It’s A Mystery’ while the second CD covers Toyah’s career as a solo artist. CD 3 is devoted to rarities, while the blu-ray includes 12 promo videos, 22 TV performances and concert footage.

The 2CD digipak edition omits the rarities and the blu-ray from the box set and a 2LP set pressed on gold-coloured vinyl offers 28 tracks from band and solo years.

Chameleon: The Very Best Of Toyah will be released on 5 September 2025, via Cherry Red.

• Continue reading at Super Deluxe Edition.

Still Bouncing: Toyah on 46 Years of Music, Strictly, and Her New Greatest Hits

It is 46 years since Toyah bounced onto the music scene as the lead of a band that took her name. With her distinctive vocals, captivating image, and lyrical prowess, it’s hardly surprising that she continues to thrive 46 years later. After experiencing a significant surge during the Covid-19 lockdowns, Toyah ventured into Strictly and has been on the road multiple times in the past few years. As the touring continues, she has teamed up with Cherry Red for a fully comprehensive Greatest Hits collection – Chameleon – which not only celebrates the hits but also offers real insight. We caught up with Toyah to learn more…

J: Hello Toyah, How are you?

T: I’m good. How are you, Jeremy?

J: I’m very well, very well indeed, thank you. Thank you so much for joining us today. Now, the important thing we need to know is—are you ready to share some juice with us?

T: Okay? Oh, I just hope my mind is in gear—but you know, cross your fingers, Jeremy. Anything could happen!

J: Let’s see what happens. Here we go. We want to take you back to your childhood for now—what was your initial ambition? Did you always want to be a performer?

T: In the beginning, when I didn’t yet understand the difference between boys and girls, I wanted to be a muscle man—which amused everybody. Then I wanted to be an astronaut. But very quickly, by the time I was seven and had seen The Sound of Music about seven times, I knew I wanted to become a singer and an actress.

• Continue reading at Chimeo.

Toyah Willcox to Grace Southport Flower Show with Q&A sessions

Toyah Willcox will be joining us on Friday 15th August. Tickets into the show will get you access to see a Q&A with Toyah and our show compere Paul Crone.

Alan Adams, General Manager said “We can’t wait to welcome Toyah to this year’s show. She will be doing two Q&As in the Garden Theatre at 11am and 1pm. I am sure it will be busy so make sure you get your seats early”.

Toyah Willcox has spent over five decades captivating audiences as a singer, actress, and writer, earning multiple awards. She received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Central England in 2001 and was recognized in 2018 by Paul McCartney with a LIPA Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts Companionship for Outstanding Achievement in music, drama, performance, and media.

• Continue reading at Eye On Southport. See also The Guide Liverpool and Stand Up For Southport.

Some recent press for Toyah’s 2026 tour: An Evening With Toyah: Songs And Stories…

• Redditch & Alcester Advertiser: Toyah: 80s punk star set for Redditch Palace Theatre show – Continue…

• Bromsgrove Advertiser: Toyah: 80s punk star set for Worcestershire shows – Continue…

• We Are South Devon: Iconic punk legend Toyah brings Songs & Stories Tour to the Palace Theatre Paignton in 2026 – Continue…

• Muddy Stilettos: And why’s Toyah Willcox in Chelmsford? – Continue…

• Visit Scotland: An Evening With Toyah – Continue…

• An Evening With Toyah: Songs And Stories – Book tickets…

Punk icon Toyah to perform at the Beacon Arts Centre in 2026

Punk icon Toyah is set to perform at the Beacon Arts Centre as part of her 2026 UK tour. The Quadrophenia star is set to entertain fans with a live performance and storytelling evening on June 11.

This is part of her 49-date tour, titled the Songs and Stories Tour, which will see her reflect on her 50-year career in the industry.

Toyah, known for hits such as It’s a Mystery, said: “It will be really exciting for me to look back on my career and share stories with audiences across the country. “It will be a very special tour.”

• Continue reading at the Greenock Telegraph. Tickets are on sale for all 49 dates of An Evening With Toyah: Songs And Stories – Book here.

Toyah Willcox talks Margate memories, It’s A Mystery, touring and more ahead of Rewind by the Sea at Dreamland

Singer, actor, writer and presenter Toyah Willcox heads to Margate to join other 80s stars for Rewind-by-Sea, being held at Dreamland for the first time this June.

Her memorable single It’s A Mystery exploded into the charts in 1981 and was so popular with fans – including a 12 year old me- that production struggled to keep pace.

That single is just one part of an all-reaching 50 year career in music, film, theatre, TV, radio and YouTube, ranging in diversity from 80s punk princess and Quadrophenia to Songs of Praise and Posh Pop.

I was lucky enough to talk to Toyah about the upcoming show, memories from Margate and what’s ahead for the “small woman in a big industry.”

Some 50 years since her career began, Toyah Willcox is still a powerhouse, radiating energy, creativity and that famous rebellious streak which earned her the title of ‘punk princess.’

Toyah, 67, has worked across the gamut of creative industries, joining the National Theatre aged 18 in 1976 and appearing in director Derek Jarman’s 1978 film Jubilee alongside punk scene figures Siouxsie Sioux, Adam Ant and Richard O’Brien.

She took the role of ‘Monkey’ in the 1979 cult classic Quadrophenia and signed to Safari Records, releasing a debut single “Victims of the Riddle”, which topped the UK Indie Chart in 1979.

Toyah said: “It allowed me to meet musicians. Where I come from in Birmingham, there were not many opportunities for women. Being in London with the National Theatre, I could put a band together. I always wanted to sing and write songs and music and I knew I had to do it while I was still in my teens. The punk movement was very welcoming to people who did not look like Olivia Newton John or Farah Fawcett, like supermodels, which I didn’t. I’m 5ft tall, powerfully built and punk suited me.”

• Continue reading at The Isle Of Thanet News.

Toyah will tour the UK between March and June 2026, on An Evening With Toyah: Songs And Stories. Tickets are on sale from tomorrow at 10am. Watch a “Behind-The-Scenes” video of the tour photo shoot.

• See new press reports on the tour announcement at: The Official Toyah Willcox website, Northumberland Gazette, Colchester Gazette, Dudley Council.

Toyah and Robert Fripp dine with Robert Plant at restaurant

Musicians Toyah Willcox and Robert Fripp recently stopped by a restaurant in the West Midlands for a spot of lunch with Robert Plant and his band.

Staff at Dominique’s Restaurant, near Bewdley, said it was an “absolute pleasure” to cook for the famous couple.

Toyah and Robert have a popular YouTube channel where they share cover versions of famous songs and talk about ‘upbeat moments’ in their lives.

In one video, they praise the family-run restaurant, with Robert, best known for being the guitarist of prog band King Crimson, saying he “highly recommended” the restaurant. Toyah added that it was “really great food”.

• Continue reading at Stourbridge News.

Classic Rock/Prog Magazine has, this week, re-published their great 2020 interview with Toyah. She talks Robert Fripp, Toyah & The Humans, Bill Rieflin, her music influences, career and more.

“I’ve heard Robert Fripp say no to everybody. David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, you name it, he always has an excuse not to play… He’s a wonderful husband but professionally it’s done me no favours”: Toyah Willcox is more than just Mrs King Crimson

From post-punk icon and award-winning female solo artist to becoming regarded as just the prog mastermind’s wife, her rebellious creative energy is fired by Roxy Music, Devo, The Tubes and all things off the wall

Toyah Willcox began her career as an actor in Quadrophenia and Quatermass, and as a post-punk in the 80s declared she wanted to be free. In the 21st century she teamed up with the late Bill Rieflin, Markus Reuter and her husband Robert Fripp, and was even In The Court Of The Crimson Queen. In 2020 – just as Toyyah And Robert’s Sunday Lunch presented the pair in a new, light-hearted light – we asked the question: how prog is she?

Most people think they know Toyah Willcox. She’s rooted in popular perception as the rebel queen of 80s new wave, responsible for mega-hits like It’s A Mystery, I Want To Be Free and Thunder In The Mountains. But there’s a whole other, less-celebrated side to her – the edgy adventurer, surveying the worlds of improv, art rock and experimental music.

“I’ve always needed to walk away from the predictable,” she tells Prog. “I love doing the 80s festivals and the touring shows, and my audience turns up in their thousands, which I’m so grateful for. But there’s also a part of me that is very off-the-wall. And I need to feed that.”

• Continue reading at Classic Rock/Prog Magazine.

Toyah Willcox announces Coventry show

UK music icon Toyah Willcox has announced two special shows in London and Coventry this October.
Celebrating The Best of Toyah will see Toyah perform hits from across her career, treating audiences to her signature powerhouse vocals, infectious energy and commanding presence.

These shows will support an exciting celebratory release coming in late summer 2025, with details to follow soon.

On the upcoming shows, Toyah says: “I’m so excited to be heading out on the road this October for two celebratory shows, Celebrating the Very Best of Toyah. I can’t wait to be back on stage, performing the hits from over 40 years of music. Expect to hear It’s a Mystery, I Want to Be Free, Echo Beach, Good Morning Universe – and many, many more! See you there!”

A pioneering figure in the UK’s new wave and post-punk movement, Toyah has made an indelible mark on the entertainment industry with her unique voice, electrifying stage presence, and artistic versatility.

Toyah’s groundbreaking career includes eight Top 40 singles, including It’s a Mystery, Thunder in the Mountains and I Want to Be Free, and 28 albums, such as the Gold-selling Anthem and 2021’s Top 30 album Posh Pop.

• Continue reading at What’s On Warwickshire. Tickets are on sale here.

Toyah announces two special October shows

Toyah Willcox has announced two special October shows in London and Coventry

Celebrating ‘The Best of Toyah’ will see the singer perform hits from across her career, treating audiences to her signature powerhouse vocals, infectious energy and commanding presence.

The shows at London Union Chapel (28 October) and Coventry Warwick Arts Centre (30 October), will support an exciting celebratory release coming in late summer 2025, with details to follow soon.

On the upcoming shows, Toyah says: “I’m so excited to be heading out on the road this October for two celebratory shows. I can’t wait to be back on stage, performing the hits from over 40 years of music. Expect to hear It’s A Mystery, I Want To Be Free, Echo Beach, Good Morning Universe – and many, many more! See you there!”

• Continue reading at Classic Pop. Tickets are on sale here.

Marc Almond and Toyah to join the Human League for Brighton Beach bash

Get ready for a truly iconic night as On The Beach proudly presents synth-pop legends The Human League, live on Brighton Beach for a one-off headline show under the summer sky on Wednesday 23 July 2025, gates open at 4.30pm and curfew at 10pm.

Celebrated for their timeless anthems like ‘Don’t You Want Me’, ‘Human’ and ‘Together in Electric Dreams’, The Human League will bring their unmistakable sound to the seaside for a spectacular evening of nostalgia, energy and pure 80s magic. With the waves crashing beside you and the sun setting over the sea, this is more than a gig – it’s a moment. Join thousands of music lovers for an unforgettable night with one of Britain’s most influential electronic bands, set against the iconic backdrop of Brighton Beach.

Support acts include Marc Almond of Soft Cell fame, Toyah and new act A Thousand Mad Things.

• Continue reading at Brighton & Hove News.

Strictly star Toyah Willcox reveals why she was strip-searched in Sweden

We catch up with singer, actress and TV presenter Toyah Willcox on her top holiday spots and why she was regularly strip-searched on arrival at certain destinations during her early years touring.

Earliest holiday memory?
Playing on the estuary between Rock and Padstow in Cornwall, aged two or three. My siblings and I spent all day in an out of the water and I snacked on everything from candyfloss to cockles.

First trip abroad?
Jersey when I was seven. I fell in love with the island. Among the highlights was visiting Devil’s Hole, a 200ft deep crater, but I was disappointed that we didn’t get to meet the Devil.

Earliest touring memory?
My frustration as a vegetarian on learning that everything food-wise in Germany arrived with bacon, even the cabbage.

How’s touring changed?
On my first UK tour in 1977 I travelled to gigs on a motorbike; now I drive in my car or have a driver.

• Continue reading at the Daily Mail. Browse our Daily Mail archive of Toyah content here.

An excerpt from a new interview with Toyah, from Blitzed Magazine, talking playing live, her back-catalogue reissues and Strictly.

From princess of punk to accomplished stage actress, Toyah Willcox is a uniquely gifted, well-loved and respected performer. Charismatic, outspoken and very passionate, she is one of Britain’s most beloved household names of stage, screen and radio. The hit singles ‘It’s A Mystery’, ‘I Want to Be Free’, ‘Brave New World’ and platinum-selling albums Anthem and The Changeling confirmed her status as one of the most significant talents of the 1980s. In 1982 she won the Best Female Singer at the British Rock & Pop Awards (which later became The Brits).

In recent years, Toyah has seen her career take on even more challenges with TV, live festivals, re-releases of classic albums, as well as awards and new material too. For issue 18 of Blitzed, we spoke to Toyah about her legacy and kicked off by asking her how she would summarise 2024 in terms of the highs and lows?

The year has been very rewarding, and it’s satisfying to be seen and regarded as an artist of influence in the music industry. I will remember 2024 for the rewards after decades of work. Glastonbury will always be a high point in my life. It is a magical festival that takes place on a very powerful piece of land and the audience add to that. No other experience matches it, it is a truly loving caring community where music is the very heart and soul of everything. The lows, there aren’t really any other than seeing my brilliant 78-year-old husband move into a more fragile time in his life but that is inevitable.

• Continue reading at Blitzed Magazine. Read the full interview with Toyah in issue 18 of Blitzed Magazine.

Fans surprised to find out they’re talking to 80s singing legends on shopping hotline

Martin Kemp, Toyah Willcox and Sinitta manned a 1980s style shopping ‘hotline’ to the delight of fans

Martin Kemp, Toyah Willcox and Sinitta were manning a vintage ’80s hotline, sending fans into a frenzy as they sold them retro-inspired clothing.

The trio of ’80s icons got stuck in and took calls from enthusiasts of the era. Kemp, who rocked the ’80s as Spandau Ballet’s bassist, was dishing out some “Gold” one-liners and even broke into song down the line to a gobsmacked punter.

Toyah, a veteran of the music scene with over 20 albums, got in on the action too, joking: “Don’t trust Martin, Sinitta and I to place your order – all we’re good at is singing.”

• Continue reading at the Daily Star. See also the Express, The Sun, and Toyah’s Facebook.

Toyah Willcox visits Rudheath Senior Academy for SEND day

Eighties icon Toyah Willcox helped to inspire Cheshire teachers with a talk about her experiences living with dyslexia.

The 66-year-old singer-songwriter and actress was paying a visit to the Rudheath Senior Academy for a day dedicated to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

On February 14, the North West Academies Trust (NWAT) hosted its annual Trust Inset Day bringing together 230 educators from the 12 primary and secondary schools it runs, including Rudheath.

And, giving a powerful keynote address, Toyah shared with the audience her experience with dyslexia, which she described as her ‘superpower’.

• Continue reading at Chester Standard. See also: Toyah Willcox shares her dyslexia ‘superpower’ at Chester trust event at Chester Nub News. (Photos © NWAT)

A new interview with Toyah, by Liam Rudden for Must See Theatre, which is also a great “Toyah in Edinburgh” history feature!

Interview: Toyah Willcox returns to Edinburgh Playhouse! Now that’s what I call an Eighties’ icon…

“I’m not going to tell you,” laughs Toyah Willcox, her face beaming, “because it’s a big impact moment that works really, really well…”

It’s 25 years since I first interviewed the effervescent Eighties’ punk princess, and more than I care to remember since I first listened to her music. Tracks like Ieya, Danced and It’s A Mystery were a huge part of my youth, along with the songs of the Pet Shop Boys and hits of Meatloaf, all of which is fitting as today, via Zoom, we are talking Now That’s What I Call A Musical, the 80’s jukebox musical in which the Birmingham-born singer makes a special, one week only, guest appearance during its Edinburgh run.

No stranger to the Scottish capital’s stages, Now That’s What I Call A Musical brings Toyah back to The Playhouse, a venue she has appeared in concert many times; her Changeling Tour stopped off there in 1982 then she returned, revisiting her early hits in 2004’s Best of the 80’s Tour and again for 2017 with the 80’s Invasion Tour. And it wasn’t just her pop persona, however, that brought Toyah to 3,039 capacity theatre, in 2009 she appeared as the Queen of The Night there, in Steve Steinman’s Vampires Rock, a show she describes as “a lot of fun”.

• Continue reading at Must See Theatre. See also The Edinburgh Reporter. Buy Now That’s What I Call A Musical at Edinburgh Playhouse tickets here.