Dreamscape – Toyah Willcox Fansite

Toyah performing It’s A Mystery at Let’s Rock Leeds last weekend.

It’s A Mystery, Toyah’s forever iconic 1981 hit, from the Four From Toyah EP, was the “Big 45” on The Simon Mayo Drivetime Show on Greatest Hits Radio on Tuesday.

Toyah wishing everyone a Merry Christmas Eve this morning on Toyah At Home, and taking us back to a vintage performance of It’s A Mystery on Top Of The Pops, Christmas Day 1981. I can still clearly remember watching this that day all those (41) years ago! (Image © Toyah Willcox)

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.

• Continue reading at The Guardian.

Toyah delves into the story behind one one of the songs that changed her life, It’s A Mystery. in today’s Toyah At Home & On The Road. You will also get a sneak peek behind the scenes of Proud Cabaret. Premieres 11am today. Click here or below to watch at Toyah’s official You Tube channel. Toyah & Robert’s Burning Questions also airs this evening at 6pm.

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.

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.

“I feel its power within me, bells ringing in my head, so often I have heard its cry, but forgotten what it said, it’s a mystery…”

Last Saturday’s episode of Toyah At Home – the 20th!! – had a few ghosts in the machine (well, it was a Halloween Special) and featured two more archive performances: It’s A Mystery, from the 1981 album, Anthem, and Brave New World, from the 1982 album, The Changeling.

Click below to watch/rewatch Episode 20, with talk about ghosts, pink highlights, making jewellery in lockdown, new films Swiperight and Heckle, film scripts and much more! Episode 21 of Toyah At Home airs this Saturday at 11am at Toyah’s official You Tube channel, and Facebook.

This week’s edition of Fairkytes Live Presents (Ep. 4) features a trip down memory lane to enjoy many of the fantastic artists we have seen play at the venue in the last six years. Toyah is included, performing It’s A Mystery. Click below to watch at You Tube.

The entire, almost 8hr, Virtual Woo Fest 2020 is now available online to watch again, or watch for the first time if you missed it on Saturday. Toyah contributed a performance of It’s A Mystery to the festival, which raised £13,000 for St. Richard’s Hospice. Donations are still welcome, with details of how to do so at the website. Click on the screen shots of Toyah below to go to the festival page. Toyah’s performance is at approximately 4hrs 16m in! (Screenshots from a video that is © Toyah Willcox)

Toyah’s performance of It’s A Mystery from Lechlade Festival 2014 is included in their new classic moments playlist.

Inspired by this weekend’s Glasthomebury we’ve put together classic live moments from previous years at Lechlade.

Including Status Quo, That 80s Rock Show, Scouting For Girls, The Proclaimers, Toyah, Doctor and the Medics, Tasha Leaper as Madonna, Light Zeppelin, The Inflatables, Frankenstein’s Lobster, Sam Draisey, Genevieve Miles Music, Hellsinki v, Benji & Hibbz, Voodoo Vegas…

We can’t wait to create more momentous moments in 2021! Early Bird Tickets are on sale now for a limited time only.

• See the full playlist at You Tube. Browse our Lechlade Festival 2014 news.

Info from Saturday’s third instalment of Toyah At Home, which aired at Toyah’s official You Tube channel.

• It’s A Mystery: from Toyah’s second EP was the song of the morning. She talked about her reaction when first hearing the song, written by Keith Hale of Blood Donor, and how it ultimately changed her life.

• The Humans: “It’s Humans day!!” said Toyah, and a very quick look at all of the Toyah & The Humans releases – Four vinyls and a great box set. Toyah mentioned Bill Rieflin wanted to call it “The Humans’ Greatest Hits”.

• Derek Jarman: Toyah talked about her experiences working with the late writer/director on the films from her early career; Jubilee and The Tempest.

• The Tempest: Detailed discussion on working on this film. Lots of memories from Toyah, including two wonderful keepsakes Derek Jarman gave her at the end of filming, and playing Miranda as a wild child. Toyah said: “The Tempest for me was one of the most important films of my career“, and her introduction to Shakespeare.

• Making Movies in Los Angeles: Toyah talked about relocating, or more to the point not relocating, to the USA for acting work, and whether her younger self would have done so now if she had the opportunity.

• Glastonbury: The experience of playing the legendary festival (in 2016) but never attending it as a festival-goer!

• Most Haunted: Toyah chatted about the various haunted homes she has stayed in, and the activity generated within them.

• In The Fairground: Interesting chat about the song from the 1981 EP Four More From Toyah; its origins, what the lyric is about, and how it relates to today.

• In The Fairground: Toyah said: “I listened to that and thought, wow this track, it’s really nice. I could probably sing it a lot better now than I did back then. Back then we were on tour, we had to deliver for Christmas. It was 1981 and was pretty much made in between live shows, and I think I could develop that now much better for the acoustic show“.

• New Studio Album: by the Toyah band of now? There are a number of obstacles, including geography, finances, the ongoing pandemic, but “It’s a possibility” Toyah said.

• Telepathic Lover: Live archive footage of this great song from Four From Toyah: Birthday Edition EP and 2019’s In The Court Of The Crimson Queen album. Toyah said: “One of my favourite songs live. I just love the groove and when we’re on stage, this is the Toyah band at their best. It’s absolutely fabulous“.

• Ask Toyah: Toyah said “Please keep those questions rolling in. It’s really good to do this. I love, I love It, I love it! They are wonderful!“.

• Toyah at Home: This week’s show was promoted on Toyah’s official Instagram with a rare Four From Toyah era photo (directly above).

• See you next week for Toyah At Home #4.

A number of people have asked what would it sound like if Toyah and King Crimson’s music came together. In this week’s sunday lunch, it’s no longer a mystery.

The Serbian Council of Great Britain held an online fundraising concert on Sunday 3rd May 2020 as a call to action during the COVID Crisis. Toyah supported the cause by performing It’s A Mystery.

• Click on the screen shots below to see/hear Toyah’s full performance (begins 11m into the clip). Visit the crowdfunding page here.

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)

Let’s Rock Winter also features Tony Hadley, Marc Almond, Jimmy Somerville, Nik Kershaw, Boney M, Clare Grogan of Altered Images, Then Jericho, Sonia, Annabella Lwin of Bow Wow Wow, Peter Coyle of The Lotus Eaters and Dr & The Medics.

Toyah’s debut Top 10 hit It’s A Mystery (from the 1981 Four From Toyah EP) is included on the forthcoming The 80s Pop Annual 2 double-vinyl compilation album.

The 80s Pop Annual 2 is the Latest Exclusive to Vinyl release on Demon Records. 4 Sides of Vinyl containing 30 Tracks of Essential Classic Pop of The Eighties. Housed in a Gatefold Sleeve with Original Artwork & Pressed on 2x 180G Heavyweight Vinyl. Hits from artists such as; Cyndi Lauper, Belinda Carlisle, The Bangles, The Jacksons, Adam & The Ants and many more.

Release information Label: Demon Records
Format: Vinyl • Date: 09/11/2018
Cat#: DEMRECOMP020 • Genre: Pop

• Further info on The 80s Pop Annual 2 here. Last year I Want To be Free was included on the first vinyl release – The 80s Pop Annual.

Toyah, via one of her 80s chart hits, makes yet another appearance on a 100 Hits compilation CD set – It’s A Mystery is included on 100 Hits: The Best 80s Album which is scheduled for release on 2nd November.

100 Hits – The Best 80s Album contains the best hits from the decade from artists including Bonnie Tyler, Belinda Carlisle, The Bangles, Adam Ant, Nena, Five Star, Kenny Loggins, Run-DMC, Bronski Beat, The Communards, Aretha Franklin and many more.

Release information Label: 100 Hits
Format: CD • Date: 02/11/2018
Cat#: DMGN100227 • Genre: Pop

• Further info on 100 Hits: The Best 80s Album here.

On Valentine’s Day 1981, the Four From Toyah EP entered the UK Top 40 singles chart. It would rise to a peak position of 4 and after many years of frequenting the Indie Charts would be the first of Toyah’s singles to cross into the mainstream. (Image © Official Toyah)

Click below to view Dreamscape’s 2011 30th Anniversary feature on the iconic EP,  and browse our sporadic Four From Toyah news posts – from 2012 onwards (go further back in time at our News Archive).

Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Friday 12th January: 0.00am
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: Tuesday 16th January: 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).

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)