Dreamscape | The Toyah Willcox Fansite

Watch Toyah perform Be Proud Be Loud ( Be Heard) of Top Of The Pops at BBC iPlayer now!

BBC Four at Twitter marked Toyah’s iconic, classic and utterly unforgettable Be Proud Be Loud (Be Heard) repeated Top Of The Pops studio appearance tonight with some tweets, including this… In 1982, Toyah was so famous, she even had a lion-tailed macaque named after her on Animal Magic, and appeared on the show to meet it, and this… Toyah’s friend and erstwhile #TOTP presenter Kenny Everett was also on TV this week (his show was repeated on @BBCTwo on 20 October 1982). Click below to watch the show at BBC iPlayer. It’s also repeated.

Another airing on BBC4 for the retro episode of Top Of The Pops with Toyah performing the euphoric Be Proud Be Loud (Be Heard)…

Top Of The Pops: BBC4: Thursday 8th December: 7.30pm
Top Of The Pops: BBC4: Friday 9th December: 1am
Top Of The Pops: BBC4: Saturday 10th December: 10.30pm
21.10.1982. Peter Powell presents the weekly pop chart show, first broadcast in October 1982. Includes appearances from The Piranhas, Toyah, The Kids from Fame, Imagination, Kool and the Gang, Bauhaus, Spandau Ballet, Culture Club, Sharon Redd and Shakin’ Stevens.

Toyah’s final ever Top Of The Pops studio appearance is repeated on BBC4 in early December. The band perform Be Proud Be Loud (Be Heard).

Top Of The Pops: BBC4: Thursday 8th December: 7.30pm
Top Of The Pops: BBC4: Friday 9th December: 1am
21.10.1982. Peter Powell presents the weekly pop chart show, first broadcast in October 1982. Includes appearances from The Piranhas, Toyah, The Kids from Fame, Imagination, Kool and the Gang, Bauhaus, Spandau Ballet, Culture Club, Sharon Redd and Shakin’ Stevens.

33 years ago this week The Vow was released. Taken from the album Love Is The Law, it was also Toyah’s final single on Safari Records. A rousing rock ballad with fantastic vocals from Toyah, incredible guitar from Joel Bogen, and moving lyrics. But in love and war I’ll never desert you…

Pay a visit to June 1982 at BBC iPlayer and watch Toyah’s Brave New World (should have been a Top 10 hit without a doubt!!) video on Top Of The Pops, as well as hits by Echo & The Bunnymen, ABC, Bow Wow Wow, Duran Duran and Adam Ant.

There are now three airings for the edition of TOTP which includes Brave New World.

Top Of The Pops: BBC4: Thursday 20th October: 7.30pm
Top Of The Pops: BBC4: Friday 21st October: 1am
Top Of The Pops: BBC4: Sunday 23rd October: 1.25am
Simon Bates presents the weekly pop chart show, first broadcast on 17th June 1982. Includes appearances by Natasha, Roxy Music, Echo and the Bunnymen, Duran Duran, ABC, Bow Wow Wow, Queen, Toyah and Adam Ant.

Toyah’s timeless and iconic Brave New World, via the still mesmerising 1982 promo video, is featured very soon on BBC4’s repeats of classic editions of Top Of The Pops.

Top Of The Pops: BBC4: Thursday 20th October: 7.30pm
Top Of The Pops: BBC4: Friday 21st October: 1am
Simon Bates presents the weekly pop chart show, first broadcast on 17th June 1982. Includes appearances by Natasha, Roxy Music, Echo and the Bunnymen, Duran Duran, ABC, Bow Wow Wow, Queen, Toyah and Adam Ant.

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)

Toyah guested on Gaby Roslin’s BBC Radio London show yesterday afternoon, a three-hour marathon of chat and music.

The interview begins at approximately 15 minutes into the show with a play of It’s A Mystery, and lasted for 15 minutes but Toyah was a studio guest for most of the programme.

She chatted about how busy she currently is with gigs, films etc, discussed her music being used in Crime and Punishment, not letting technology completely take over, her health, her mindset “I’m still a punk” and much more.

• Listen to the full show at BBC iPlayer.

Toyah has a successful go at covering Martha & The Muffins classic. Released in 1987 this was off the album “Desire” and see’s her go for a more mainstream sound. Mike Hedges gives it enough weird synth sound and the vocal delivery is spot on. The track is remixed by English electro-dance duo, The Quick and it polishes up the original really well. B-side, “Plenty,” was written by Toyah even has a Motown feel to it with a horn section and a guitar solo, weird!

• Continue reading at My Vinyl Dreams.

Toyah’s Top Of The Pops performance of Good Morning Universe from the Four More From Toyah EP, originally broadcast on Thursday 26th November 1981, is currently available to watch online at the BBC TOTP website. The programme rcently re-aired on BBC Four. Browse all of Dreamscape’s recent Top of The Pops posts here and click below to watch the programme.

Hot on the heels of Toyah’s ‘Thunder In The Mountains’ studio appearance comes their ‘Good Morning Universe’ performance on Top Of The Pops.

Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Friday 3rd June: 7.30pm
Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Saturday 4th June: 1.05am
Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Sunday 5th June: 1.50am
26.11.1981: Mike Read presents the pop chart show, first broadcast on 26 November 1981. Includes appearances by Kim Wilde, Jets, Toyah, Kool and the Gang, Earth Wind and Fire, Cliff Richard, Ultravox, and Queen and David Bowie.

Toyah’s ‘Thunder In The Mountains’ Top of The Pops studio appearance, which re-aired on BBC Four last week. (Thanks to MadFranko008)

Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Friday 20th May: 7.30pm
Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Saturday 21st May: 0.00am
15/10/1981. David ‘Kid’ Jensen presents the TOTP hits of the week, first broadcast on 15 October 1981. Includes appearances from BA Robertson & Maggie Bell, Squeeze, Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin, This Year’s Blonde, Toyah, the Creatures and Bad Manners. Also includes a dance sequence by Legs & Co. (NB: Toyah’s appearance is via the TITM video)

Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Thursday 19th May: 7.30pm
Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Friday 20th May: 0.30am
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).

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.

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.