Dreamscape | The Toyah Willcox Fansite

Toyah & Peter’s 9 Hours is available now. Click below for links to buy the single.

The Official Toyah newsletter – Breaking Through – recently revealed details of a new digital single release entitled 9 Hours which is astonishingly Toyah’s first ever real duet…. if we discount the Cabaret musical song Money, Money recorded with Nigel Planer in 1996.

The single is a collaboration with Peter Coyle of New Wave band The Lotus Eaters who also wrote the track. It will being released under the name Toyah & Peter (at Peter’s request) and will be released in early August 2017.

There is an exclusive preview now on Toyah’s Official Soundcloud.

More airdates for Top Of The Pops, featuring the Rebel Run video.

Top Of The Pops: BBC4 
Saturday 22nd April: 0.00am/11.20pm
22.09.1983. Simon Bates and Mike Read present the pop chart programme, first broadcast in September 1983. Featuring Toyah Willcox, David Bowie, Nick Heyward, The Alarm, Howard Jones and Hot Chocolate.

Praying to the silent man…

‘Rebel Run’, released in September 1983, was Toyah’s 13th single in the UK.

This was one of only two singles to be released by Toyah in 1983 and was the debut from the album ‘Love Is The Law’. It was written by Toyah and Simon Darlow and reached number 24 in the UK Top 40.

Toyah made a memorable video for the single and promoted it with numerous appearances and interviews on shows including TVAM’s Summer Run, Hold Tight, The Saturday Show, Saturday Superstore, and German TV show Jugendabend. The video was also played on Top Of The Pops – being repeated later this month on BBC tv for the first time since the 1980’s.

Toyah said of the imagery: “This is the Rebel Run look. I was into armour. A friend, Simon, made a bronze headdress based on the skeletal structure of American football players.”

• Download ‘Rebel Run’ at iTunes, view the promo video, and the airing on Top Of The Pops. Watch Toyah perform the single on Hold Tight and Saturday Superstore. Listen to the song live at Hammersmith Odeon on the ‘Rebel Run’ Tour in December 1983. Andromeda Rising covered the song in 2005. Listen to their version here.

The video for Toyah’s power-pop 1983 hit Rebel Run airs on a retro edition of Top Of The Pops later this month… You’ve got to get away…

Top Of The Pops: BBC4: Friday 21st April: 7.30pm
22.09.1983. Simon Bates and Mike Read present the pop chart programme, first broadcast in September 1983. Featuring Toyah Willcox, David Bowie, Nick Heyward, The Alarm, Howard Jones and Hot Chocolate.

Neil Tennant’s Smash Hits Christmas aired on ‘BBC Radio 2′ in December 2012. An interesting look back at the golden years of the magazine, including contributions from Toyah, talking about ‘Smash Hits’ in general as well as her iconic Brave New World cover from 1982. The programme isn’t currently available at BBC iPlayer and isn’t being repeated any time soon. Click below to listen to a recording of the programme at You Tube.

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.

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)