There are two helpings of Toyah in the latest issue (#79, January/February 2023) of Classic Pop magazine: A review of the forthcoming ‘Rhythm Deluxe Edition’ of studio album In The Court of The Crimson Queen, and Four From Toyah, in a Top 20 EPs feature, with the 1981 release included at #15.
• Click below to view larger versions of both articles. The latest issue of Classic Pop magazine is available to buy in store and online. (Thanks to Minna of The Toyah Willcox Interview Archive for both scans)
Toyah and, Anthem – and many other Toyah releases during the Safari Records years – producer, Nick Tauber are interviewed in The Guardian today, discussing It’s A Mystery, from the Four From Toyah EP and the, just reissued in deluxe formats, iconic/legendary/magnificent 1981 album, Anthem.
Toyah on It’s a Mystery: ‘I told Princess Margaret I was a punk rocker. She said “How ridiculous”’
‘There was a vinyl shortage when it was released. Old records had to be sent to the factory to be melted down and pressed. But soon it was selling 75,000 copies a day’
I was a cult punk singer playing sweaty little clubs and getting covered in so much gob that dry cleaners would go: “Yeuch! We’re not touching that!” Then a brilliant PR woman called Judy Totton turned everything around. She put me in every parish magazine in the country that would talk to me. I soon had all these fans who said they discovered me because their parents or grandparents had told them about this punk rocker.
I was making singles that were eight minutes long with reams of lyrics and had never had a hit. When Safari Records played my 1980 single Ieya on rotation in their office, a man apparently appeared at their door with a knife and said: “If you play that song again, I’ll kill you!” I started working with a new producer, Nick Tauber, who said I needed to simplify the message. He was completely right.
With Sun and Sephine Lo cover It’s A Mystery in celebration of Cherry Red’s 40th Anniversary release of Four From Toyah for RSD 2021. NB: With Sun’s Dad, Keith Hale, wrote It’s A Mystery.
Click below to view Dreamscape’s 2011 30th Anniversary featureon the iconic EP, and browse our sporadic Four From Toyahnews posts– from 2012 onwards (go further back in time at our News Archive).
The Four From Toyah EP, Toyah’s sixth UK single, was released this week in 1981. This was Toyah’s chart breakthrough release after almost three years of albums, singles and tours. Toyah can be seen performing the lead song, It’s A Mystery on Top Of The Pops on BBC Four tonight at 7.30pm and again at 11pm. It will also be available to watch online at BBC iPlayer after airing. Click below to view Dreamscape’s 30th Anniversary feature on the EP, from 2011.
Toyah’s iconic first Top Of The Pops performance aired on Thursday night on BBC4. Watch the full episode at BBC iPlayer. TOTP is repeated late Saturday night/early Sunday morning, at 1.45am.
Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Thursday 4th February: 7.30pm/11.30pm Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Sunday 7th February: 1.45am
Mike Read presents. Duran Duran (Planet Earth), Talking Heads (Once In A Lifetime), Adam & The Ants (Kings Of The Wild Frontier), Toyah (It’s A Mystery), Shakin’ Stevens (This Ole House), Motorhead & Girlschool (Please Don’t Touch), Phil Collins (I Missed Again), Kool & The Gang (Jones Vs Jones), Teardrop Explodes (Reward), The Who (You Better You Bet), Joe Dolce (Shaddap Your Face). This originally aired on BBC1 on 5th March 1981. Toyah’s appearance is a repeat of their first studio performance which aired two weeks previously on 19th February 1981.
Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Thursday 11th February: 7.30pm/11pm Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Sunday 14th February: 1.40am
Peter Powell presents. The Jacksons (Can You Feel It?), Sharron Redd (Can You Handle It?), Shakin’ Stevens (This Ole House), Dave Stewart & Colin Blunstone (What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted?), The Who (You Better You Bet), Stevie Wonder (Lately), Phil Collins (I Missed Again), Bucks Fizz (Making Your Mind Up), Visage (Mind Of A Toy), Duran Duran (Planet Earth), Toyah (It’s A Mystery), Roxy Music (Jealous Guy). This originally aired on BBC1 on 19th March 1981 and was Toyah’s second studio appearance/performance (pictured above).
Last Thursday’s repeat of Top Of The Pops on BBC4 included Four From Toyah in “The Charts” rundown. The EP had climbed into the Top 30 for the first time. Click here to view larger versions of the screen caps and below to watch the programme at BBC iPlayer.
Top Of The Pops: 26/02/1981: Peter Powell introduces the pop programme, featuring Status Quo, Kim Wilde, Madness, Kiki Dee, Coast to Coast, the Passions, Roxy Music and Joe Dolce, and a dance performance from Legs & Co.
Exactly 34 years ago today, Valentine’s Day 1981, Four From Toyah entered the UK Singles Chart. Toyah’s sixth single and second EP eventually peaked at number four and spent 14 weeks on the chart. The rest, as they say, is history…
• Four From Toyah (White Label): A rare ‘Four From Toyah’ promo 7″ is currently up for auction at Ebay – View here… (Thanks to Shaun)
• Four From Toyah 30: Dreamscape’s 30th anniversary feature on Toyah’s legendary 1981 EP – View here…
• Vintage TV: Toyah will film two specials at her home to air later in the year on UK music channel ‘Vintage TV’. The station has just celebrated its third birthday. View a photo of Toyah and the Head of Vintage (plus lashings of tasty looking treats!) at Toyah’s Instagram…
• Toyah Live 2014?: It looks like there will be further live Toyah dates to look forward to very early next year. At least two new gigs have recently shown up in news feeds: Holmfirth Picturedome on Friday 21st February and Queens Hall, Nuneaton on Saturday 22nd February. Toyah has already said that the Love Is The Law & More Tour will the last “anniversary” dates for a while so it’s a mystery (doh) what these could be for!!
The Popjustice forum has been running another comprehensive countdown, this one detailing the Top 100 Singles Acts of the 80s. Based entirely on UK sales of singles from 1980 to ’89, Toyah places at number 84 for the decade, selling close to 1.5m singles.
84. TOYAH (1,481,000)
TOTAL HITS: 12
BEST YEAR: 1981
BEST SELLER: FOUR FROM TOYAH (EP) (381,000)
Knocking around since the late 70s, Toyah are more than just spokesman Toyah Willcox whose striking image was the main factor in getting press coverage in the early days. It started out very well for the group with 4 straight top 20 hits, and then……no more!
• View the opening page of the thread for details on the countdown, and the page that includes the info on Toyah. The countdown was completed yesterday, with Madonna revealed as selling the most singles of the 1980s. View here.
• The fantastic Revelations, from the 1981 EP ‘Four From Toyah’, was played on ‘Q Radio’ on Thursday night. Still sounds great after, almost, 32 years!
• Toyah tweeted a great photo of herself, James Endeacott and Frankie from Frankie and The Heartstrings when they guested on Steve Lamacq’s Roundtable yesterday.
• Dark Beauty Mag: Brilliance From The Past: Lady Gaga, Madonna, and so many others would never match up. (This tribute to Toyah was published in January 2011 so I’m not sure why it showed up in my news feeds today but I’m glad it did!)
