Dreamscape | The Toyah Willcox Fansite

1.1 million streams on Spotify… A great year for Toyah!

Christmas 2022, Toyah announced the release of a special 10” cherry red coloured vinyl EP commemorating the classic 1982 single Brave New World. To be released in March 2023, and limited to 500 copies only.

This became the first in a series of 10″ single releases by Toyah, with Rebel Run, and I Believe In Father Christmas also receiving limited edition releases on the format in 2024.

The EP contained four tracks, all previously unreleased versions, including the long-awaited Dawn Chorus (6.55 Special Mix). The release was part of Cherry Red Records’ special ‘45s at 45’ vinyl series marking the 45th Anniversary of the label.

The Tracklist: Side One: 1. Brave New World (Razzmatazz Mix). 2. Street Creature (Razzmatazz Mix) | Side Two: 1. Dawn Chorus (6.55 Special Version), 2. Ieya 1982 (Edited Version)

Thunder In The Mountains, the classic 1981 single by the Toyah band, is now available as a digital 3-track single on streaming/digital platforms.

Limited edition baubles, hand painted from the inside. Each one is boxed with a mini card hand signed by Toyah and numbered on the back. Choose from Anthem or Thunder In The Mountains. (Screenshot © Toyah)

Toyah’s classic Brave New World was released as a new 4-track single on digital platforms on Friday 17th October. Featuring the A-Side/B-Side, plus an instrumental and the unsegued Full Length version, the latter two previously unavailable on digital platforms.

• Stream at YouTube and Spotify.

Another chance to catch Top Of The Pops with Toyah’s studio performance of Thunder In The Mountains. This originally aired on BBC One on Thursday 1st October 1981 and wasn’t repeated by the BBC until almost 35 years later – on BBC Four in May 2016. This is only the third airing, nine years after that first repeat!

Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Friday 3rd October: 8pm
01/10/81. Mike Read introduces the pop programme. Includes appearances from Godley & Creme (Under Your Thumb), Sheena Easton (Just Another Broken Heart), The Teardrop Explodes (Passionate Friend), The Creatures (Mad Eyed Screamer), Ottawan (Hands Up [Give Me Your Heart]), Toyah (Thunder In The Mountains), Bad Manners (Walking In The Sunshine), Altered Images (Happy Birthday), Dollar (Hand Held In Black & White), Adam & The Ants (Prince Charming).

A specially created extended cut of the classic 1982 promo video of Brave New World for the release of Chameleon: The Very Best of Toyah. Utilising the iconic and original footage filmed at Battersea Power Station and Birling Gap, this new edit includes previously unseen B-roll footage without any AI effects or recreations, to extend the narrative of the original audio-visual production.

The quintessential image of Toyah, and a firm favourite of Toyah herself, the striking hair was by Robert Lobetta and ethereal otherworldly make-up by Carolyn Cowan. (Screenshots from a video that is © Cherry Red)

50 Wild Women Of The 80s!: NOW 80s: Monday 8th September: 11am
Brilliant songs, big voices, blazing hair & bags of attitude – the ladies of the 80s had the lot! From Toyah to Tina & Joan Jett to Janet Jackson.

Something I’m working on for inclusion in the new fanzines… A huge, celebratory feature on – in my humble opinion the most iconic moment in music history – Toyah’s Brave New World. I’ve covered and featured BNW in the fanzine (and on this website) many times previously but the new extended cut of the video has brought fresh inspiration and a timely reminder – not that I need to be reminded – of how truly iconic the imagery, song and era is….

• Toyah At Home: August 2025 – Watch… • Toyah & Robert: UpBeat Moments – Watch… • Toyah & Robert’s Sunday Lunch – Paranoid – Watch… (Image © Cherry Red)

Toyah’s 1987 promo video for the single, Echo Beach, has been upscaled to HD format

Carol Decker’s 30 Rock Chicks!: NOW Rock: Monday 16th June: 6pm
T’Pau’s Carol Decker brings a bit of Heart and Soul to a countdown of ’80s ladies who like to rock! With Joan Jett, Tina Turner, Stevie Nicks and Pat Benatar. (as well as Toyah via the Thunder In The Mountains video).

Another chance to see a retro edition of Top Of The Pops, airing in early June on BBC Four. This edition was originally shown – almost exactly 44 years ago – on Thursday 4th June 1981 and includes a play of the, Godley & Creme,  promo video for I Want To Be Free.

Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Friday 6th June: 7.30pm
Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Saturday 7th June: 2.05am
04/06/1981. Richard Skinner introduces the pop programme, featuring Siouxsie and the Banshees (Spellbound), Shakin’ Stevens (You Drive Me Crazy), Kate Robbins (More Than in Love), Squeeze (Is That Love?), Imagination (Body Talk), The Jam (Funeral Pyre), Michael Jackson (One Day in Your Life), Toyah (I Want To Be Free), Phil Collins (If Leaving Me Is Easy), Adam & The Ants (Stand & Deliver), Odyssey (Going Back To My Roots).

• Toyah’s next appearance on Top Of The Pops after this was on 1st October 1981, with the band performing Thunder In The Mountains in the studio. The TITM promo video was also shown on 15th October. On 26th November the band performed Good Morning Universe.

Carol Decker’s 30 Rock Chicks!: NOW 80s: Wednesday 28th May: 3pm
T’Pau’s Carol Decker brings a bit of Heart and Soul to a countdown of ’80s ladies who like to rock! With Joan Jett, Tina Turner, Stevie Nicks and Pat Benatar. (as well as Toyah via the Thunder In The Mountains video).

Get 15% off Toyah’s back catalogue titles this month using code TOYAH15 at checkout at Cherry Red!

The discount ends at midnight (GMT) 31 May 2025

Toyah performing It’s A Mystery at Jasper Carrot’s Trevor Francis Memorial Concert on Thursday night at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall.

Top Of The Pops: BBC Four: Friday 21st March: 8.35pm
Top Of The Pops: BBC Four: Saturday 22nd March: 1.15am
19/03/1981. Peter Powell presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 19 March 1981. Featuring Sharon Redd, Bucks Fizz, Colin Blunstone and Dave Stewart, Toyah, The Who, Phil Collins, Shakin Stevens, Visage, Roxy Music and Duran Duran. Plus, a dance performance from Legs & Co.

NB. This originally aired on BBC1 on Thursday 19th March 1981 and was Toyah’s second Top Of The Pops studio appearance/performance (screenshot below, with details from an episode featuring a repeat of Toyah’s very first TOTP studio performance).

Toyah’s interview with Michael Parkinson, on his chat show Parkinson, airs for the first time, since it was originally broadcast in October 1981, this weekend on BBC Four.

Parkinson: BBC Four: Saturday 15th March: 10.45pm
Dave Allen, Toyah Willcox and Peter Skellern. Michael Parkinson in conversation with comedian Dave Allen, actress and singer Toyah Willcox and singer-songwriter Peter Skellern. First broadcast 31 October 1981.

Video Killed The Radio Star: Sky Arts: Wednesday 26th February: 5am
Toyah Willcox. (Series 7, Episode 6). An insight into the making of videos by Toyah Willcox, whose hits included It’s A Mystery, Thunder in the Mountains and I Want To Be Free.

The release of I Believe In Father Christmas on 10″ vinyl single in December gave Toyah yet another Official Charts entry – Following many of the reissued deluxe albums since 2020, Posh Pop giving Toyah her highest ever charting solo album (so far!), and the Rebel Run 10″ hitting No. 1 on the Official Vinyl Singles chart in late September 2024 – I Believe In Father Christmas entered the same chart at No. 9 on 13th December!

Christmas 2022, Toyah announced the release of a special 10” cherry red coloured vinyl EP commemorating the classic 1982 single Brave New World. To be released in March 2023, and limited to 500 copies only.

This became the first in a series of 10″ single releases by Toyah, with Rebel Run, and I Believe In Father Christmas also receiving limited edition releases on the format in 2024.

The EP contained four tracks, all previously unreleased versions, including the long-awaited Dawn Chorus (6.55 Special Mix). The release was part of Cherry Red Records’ special ‘45s at 45’ vinyl series marking the 45th Anniversary of the label.

The Tracklist: Side One: 1. Brave New World (Razzmatazz Mix). 2. Street Creature (Razzmatazz Mix) | Side Two: 1. Dawn Chorus (6.55 Special Version), 2. Ieya 1982 (Edited Version)