Dreamscape – Toyah Willcox Fansite

Bird In Flight, the lead song from Toyah’s Double-A Side single – along with Tribal Look – and very first Toyah release of the 1980’s, is included on an upcoming new 4CD compilation.

Heaven Sent – The Rise Of New Pop 1979 – 1983, will be released on 28th July, with Bird In Flight included on CD1.

The compilation boasts a wealth of great late 70s/early 80s bands and artists, including: Soft Cell, The Cure, The Human League, Tears For Fears, Altered Images, Eurythmics, Grace Jones, The Clash, The Associates, Japan, Teardrop Explodes, Hazel O’Connor, The Jam, Madness, Godley & Creme (who directed two Toyah videos in 1981) and many more.

• See further info and pre-order at Cherry Red Records.

A new interview with Matt Dangerfield, who produced Toyah’s first single of the 1980s, Bird In Flight/Tribal Look.

Early in February 1980, Dangerfield produced labelmate Toyah’s ‘Bird in Flight’ single, just a year before they broke the mainstream with the Four From Toyah E.P. This extended play release featured ‘It’s A Mystery’, which became the breakthrough hit for the band, fronted by singer-songwriter Toyah Willcox.

“The reason I was brought in to produce that single was to get her airplay. She was having lots of publicity and everybody was interested in her, but the music wasn’t very radio-friendly“.

‘Bird in Flight’ wasn’t featured on an album release at the time, although it was added to the 2002 reissue of Toyah’s debut album Sheep Farming In Barnet, and was also included on the 2005 compilation The Safari Singles Collection Part 1: 1979-1981.

• Continue reading/watch the full interview at PhilMarriott.net.

He runs to the water’s edge, To feel the sea, To smell the air, To feel he’s free, He does not really need to see…

Toyah’s third single, and first new music of the Eighties, was the double A-Side, Bird in Flight/Tribal Look. The single was released in February 1980 on Safari Records. Bird in Flight is a brave, raw and ambitious classic from Toyah’s discography and has stood the test of time well, still sounding as good today as upon its release 39 years ago! Though Toyah has said she now finds the lyric “excruciatingly wrong”!

Bird in Flight/Tribal Look were both written by Willcox/Francis/Bogen/Bush/Bray.