It’s another Saturday Song with Toyah and to celebrate the beginning of Strictly Come Dancing this weekend its a classic song and very rarely seen footage. Enjoy the absolute Toyah anthem “I Want To Be Free” in a super rare 1981 Italian TV performance.
Toyah performing I Want To Be Free at the Vive Le Rock Awards on 12th April 2024. (Thanks to Piranah Pete)
A very rare performance of I Want To Be Free for last week’s Toyah Tuesday/Anthem Deluxe countdown. NB. Go here for a preview of the upcoming Toyah Tuesday premiere.
It’s Tuesday, and that means Official Toyah continue the countdown to the Remastered and Expanded editions of Toyah’s Gold-selling album Anthem – released by @Cherry Red Records on 9 September. Pre-order Gold coloured Vinyl, 2CD+DVD or Super Deluxe Box Set now at Cherry Red.
Next up, it’s a very rare performance of the iconic I Want To Be Free. So rare in fact you may never have seen Toyah in this particular outfit.
From Victims of The Riddle to The Vow, Danced to Dance In The Hurricane and I Want To Be Free to Levitate… stream the new Toyah Singles Collection playlist at Spotify by clicking below.
It’s A Mystery from Toyah’s gig at Lavenham Air Theatre on Tuesday evening. Click here for I Want To Be Free from the gig. See Toyah’s Official Gig Guide for all of 2021’s live dates.
The Best 1981 Party Ever: NOW 80s:
Wednesday 4th August: 7pm
2 hours of the biggest party tunes – all from 1981. Including Duran Duran, Dollar, Soft Cell & Tenpole Tudor.
Seven Inch Heroes: NOW 80s:
Wednesday 4th August: 11.20pm
Before the CD, the perfect pop songs were spun by singers & bands on 7 inch vinyl. From 1980-1984 these were the classic UK hits that invaded the world!
Janice Long’s Ladies With Attitude: NOW 80s:
Thursday 5th August: 9am
The 25 greatest women in rock and pop from across the decade, whose attitude and strength were never in doubt! Hosted by Radio 1 legend Janice Long.
This Is Now said: What a performance by Toyah – See the tweet. (Photo © This Is Now)
Toyah, performing a crowd-pleasing version of It’s A Mystery at Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham last Friday night at the first concert of the Let’s Rock Winter three-date tour. There are another two dates to be played later this month. See I Want To Be Free performed here. (Thanks to Darren)
It’s the 1981 Gallery! It’s Anthem, it’s I Want To Be Free, it’s Thunder In The Mountains, it’s At The Rainbow, it’s Good Morning Universe, it’s the College Tour, it’s The Old Grey Whistle Test, and yes… It’s A Mystery!
The Vintage TV Sessions, with Toyah performing acoustic versions of Thunder In The Mountains and I Want To Be Free, which originally aired in March 2014, is repeated this week.
The Vintage TV Sessions: Vintage TV: Thursday 5th July: 4am
Five great acts sing two songs apiece at our Vintage TV Sessions: indie rockers The Struts, punk princess Toyah Willcox, singers Judie Tzuke and Josephine and Nik Kershaw.
Exclusively on vinyl next month comes eighties alternative. This offers 30 ‘alternative’ eighties songs from a variety of artists including Scritti Politti, Pixies, Propaganda, Bauhaus and John Foxx.
As is often the case with these kind of compilations the definition of ‘alternative’ is rather broad, so as well as the artists above, tracks from Howard Jones, Bronski Beat and Dead Or Alive also feature.
No CD release for this 2LP set, which is clearly designed to appeal to those who have re-embraced vinyl, and it’s pretty good value at under £17 in the UK. eighties alternative is released on 1 June 2018 on Demon Records.
• Continue reading at Super Deluxe Edition. More info on this here. (NB: I Want To Be Free by Toyah is included on LP2 of this double vinyl album).
Following its inclusion on last year’s The 80s Pop Annual, Toyah’s classic 1981 pop anthem I Want To Be Free is featured on another double-vinyl compilation set to be released this Summer.
Eighties Alternative is released on Demon Records – the label who are also releasing Desire on red vinyl tomorrow – on 1st June 2018.
Available exclusively on vinyl – 4 Sides of Defining Eighties Hits.
The album also includes songs by Scritti Politti, Propoganda, Pixies, Dead or Alive, The Lotus Eaters, The Primitives, Adam & The Ants, Bow Wow Wow, Altered Images, John Foxx and numerous others, so Toyah is in great company.
• Further info on/Pre-order this release at Amazon.
Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Tuesday 23rd January: 1am
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 iconic 1981 Top 10 hit I Want To Be Free is included on, the just released, The 80s Pop Annual double-vinyl compilation album.
Continuing the tributes to certain decades, this selection concludes with 80s POP ANNUAL. The definitive sound of the 80s, it collects together some of the greatest songs of the decade. Presented in a gatefold sleeve with original artwork and pressed on 2x 180g Heavyweight black vinyl, featuring huge hits: Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (Wham!), Footloose (Kenny Loggins), Kids In America (Kim Wilde), Girls Just Want to Have Fun (Cyndi Lauper), Heaven Is A Place On Earth (Belinda Carlisle ), and many more.
The 80s Pop Annual is available exclusively on vinyl.
SIDE C: Adam & The Ants – Stand And Deliver, Bow Wow Wow – Go Wild In The Country, Haysi Fantayzee – John Wayne Is Big Leggy, Toyah – I Want To Be Free, Altered Images – Don’t Talk To Me About Love, Ultravox – Dancing With Tears In My Eyes, Howard Jones – What Is Love?, The Lotus Eaters – The First Picture of You.
Who Had Four #1’s In The 1981 Indie Singles Chart?
Treat yourself to a chocolate biscuit if you got that one correct. If you don’t have such a thing close to hand then go buy one from a nearby shop and I’ll reimburse you as long as you send me the receipt.
Toyah, contrary to popular belief, was not just a solo project for Ms Willcox. Back in 1977, three friends had spent a brief period playing under the name Ninth Illusion, without recording any music. In the beginning of 1978 they added some more musicians and settled on a new, taking it from their female vocalist who was also just beginning to forge a name for herself as an actress.
By mid-1979 the band had signed to the London-based Safari Records and over the next 18 months here would be a handful of singles and LPs that didn’t really do all that much. By late 1980, there had been further line-up changes with only Joel Bogen remaining from the earlier line-ups and the decision was taken to focus on a more pop-orientated sound.
• Continue reading at The (New) Vinyl Villain.
Toyah was interviewed on Jo Good’s BBC Radio London show earlier today.
Toyah talked playing live, her eclectic career, playing Peter Pan in the 90s, Trafford Tanzi in the 80s, working at The National Theatre, looking after her voice, living at Reddish House, her favourite memory from the early 80s (The Old Grey Whistle Test, Christmas Eve 1981), the 80s Invasion Tour 2017, tonight’s gig at the Islington O2, Crime and Punishment at The Scoop and more.
Toyah also performed live versions of I Want To Be Free and It’s A Mystery.
• The interview begins approximately 10 minutes into the show, lasted around 20 minutes (including the songs) and is available to listen to at BBC iPlayer. (Photo © BBC Radio London)
Yet another retro Top Of The Pops featuring Toyah has just been added to the television schedules, airing later this month on BBC Four. This edition was originally shown on 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 11th March: 7.30pm
Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Saturday 12th March: 0.00am
Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Sunday 13th March: 2.20am
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. All of these will re-air on BBC Four in the coming months. Stay tuned!
Toyah is, again, the pictured artist on the BBC website for an upcoming re-airing of a retro Top Of The Pops. This will include Toyah’s studio performance of I Want To Be Free from May 1981.
Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Friday 4th March: 7.30pm
Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Saturday 5th March: 00.30am
Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Sunday 6th March: 2.25am
14/05/1981. Tommy Vance introduces the pop programme. Includes appearances from Toyah (I Want To Be Free), Thin Lizzy (Are You Ready?), Department S (Is Vic There?), Tenpole Tudor (Swords Of A Thousand Men), Sheena Easton (When He Shines), Kim Carnes (Bette Davis Eyes) and Adam & the Ants (Stand & Deliver), plus a dance performance by Legs and Co.
There’s another retro 1981 Top Of The Pops appearance from Toyah on BBC Four in early March.
I *think* this is the edition that originally aired on 14th May 1981 and was a “Cup Final Special”, with Toyah performing I Want To Be Free in the studio. More detailed info should be available soon. (Update: BBC website have now confirmed it is!!)
Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC4:
Fri 4th March: 7.30pm / Sat 5th March: 00.30am
Sunday 6th March: 2.25am
Tommy Vance introduces the pop programme. Includes appearances from Toyah, Thin Lizzy, Department S, Tenpole Tudor, Sheena Easton, Kim Carnes and Adam and the Ants, plus a dance performance by Legs and Co.
Two live Toyah classics, Thunder In The Mountains and I Want To Be Free, both from the 1982 Safari Records album Warrior Rock, are included in the new Vintage TV/HMV Digital link-up. Toyah played acoustic versions of both on The Vintage TV Sessions (Episode 4) in early 2014. That show is airing again soon.
Vintage TV is delighted to announce an exciting new relationship with HMV Digital!
Vintage TV music-lovers, you can now listen to all your favourite tracks from The Vintage TV Sessions, courtesy of HMV Digital. From Steve Harley to Lulu, Marc Almond to Lisa Stansfield, simply head over to HMV Digital to download your top songs and listen to them over and over again! There are over a 100 songs for you to add to your music library, so what are you waiting for?
• Continue reading at Vintage TV. Visit Vintage at HMV Digital.
