Dreamscape | The Toyah Willcox Fansite

On this day, 21st October 1982, exactly 30 years ago Toyah made their final studio appearance on Top Of The Pops – performing Be Proud Be Loud (Be Heard).

• Like Punk Never Happened: Smash Hits Archive: October 14-27 1982: Lots of Toyah content in the latest issue uploaded exactly 30 years to the day it was originally published: Toyah back cover pin-up, Songwords: Be Proud Be Loud (Be Heard), Singles Review: Be Proud Be Loud (Be Heard), Be Proud/Warrior Rock: Full-page advert.

• Brave New World: A brilliant fan made tribute to Toyah’s 1982 video. Filmed in ’82 and completed this year.

• 366 Weird Movies: Capsule: The Tempest (1979): Pop singer Willcox makes for an endearingly sexy Miranda.

• Toyah supports the 2012 Breast Cancer Campaign/Wear it Pink. Visit their website here.

• I Was A Teenage Toyah Fan: One Year On: “A year rolls around – this time in 2011 I was editing and finalising the layout in between going to Toyah gigs whilst posting teaser extracts on this page…”

• The Isle Of Everywhere: Toyah – Thunder In The Mountains: Associated with punk, I never really gave Toyah a chance, even when I heard that she was married to Robert Fripp (one of my guitar idols), but it turns out, she’s more like a dyed-hair loud Kate Bush sort. Good songs, bright hair, and quite an alright voice.

• Toyah’s Vintage Christmas: Clips from last year’s mammoth festive special have recently been uploaded to You Tube by Vintage TV. (Thanks to Paul Lomas)

• The Independent: Stars flock to St Paul’s for Sassoon memorial: Sassoon’s widow, Ronnie Holbrook, was joined by a celebrities from the fashion, film, art and design industries, among them Sir Michael Caine, Zandra Rhodes, John Frieda, Nicky Clarke, singer Toyah Willcox and designer Mary Quant.

Possibly Toyah’s most iconic song? ‘Ieya’ was, of course, originally released as a single on Safari Records in 1980 and included on the album ‘The Blue Meaning’. It was also re-recorded and released again, as ‘Ieya ’82’, in the Summer of 1982, with Toyah performing it on various TV shows, including Hold Tight and the 6.55 Special. The single even charted. Here’s to the 30th (and 32nd!) anniversary of an absolute classic… Ieeeeeeeeeeyyaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

• Vinyl Dreams: Toyah – Thunder In The Mountains/Street Addict: The one with the Mad Max Vid (thanks to Godley and Creme), a gem from 1981. Lots of operatics and bombast with main track, Lady Ga Ga borrowed a lot from her! “Street Addict” is a slower, much darker track and a rare, fan favourite. (Thanks to Andrew)

• From Sheep Farming To Anthem 2011: We Are at the 02 Islington, London in June 2011. View at You Tube. (Thanks to Mark Evans)

• Jelly, featuring Stevie Bray, are playing more live dates. Further details on where and when is available at their Facebook page.

Seven years apart and very, very different music and imagery, but both “classic” Toyah – The iconic ‘Danced’, the live version from ‘Toyah! Toyah! Toyah!’ released as a single in late 1980, and ‘Desire’ the album released in Summer 1987 that includes some of Toyah’s best lyrics, showcasing what a fine songwriter she is. Please click on each to zoom.

The ‘Desire’ photo is actually from a 1986 shoot but image/time wise it’s close enough to be associated to the 1987 album! (Thanks to Andrew York for working his magic on the photo)

Two more Dreamscape creations. Toyah has such a rich history of visuals, it’s good to dip into the photos and try to construct something ‘new’ from the familiar images. I never tire of ‘The Blue Meaning’ and ‘I Want To Be Free’ is an iconic single. Click on each to zoom.

One of the best singles of 1981, excellent production by Nick Tauber and iconic visuals on the single’s sleeve (and 12″ picture disc) and the accompanying video. I’ve always believed that this could be a massive hit again if it was included on the soundtrack of a big movie…

The incredible The Changeling/Brave New World art by Melissa Mailer-Yates is now available to purchase by print: When asked by the artist for her favourite photograph from the 1980s Toyah chose the wonderful image from ‘The Changeling’. The resultant painting inspired by this awesome picture was displayed at the premiere of ‘The Power Of Three’ movie in London, November 2011. The production of a print was discussed, and Toyah chose the hospice which cared for her mother, St Richard Hospice, as a beneficiary from the sales.

This giclee print is the result of that discussion and is available in two sizes, 18″ x 18″ and 26″ x 26″. It is printed on a thick, heavyweight watercolour paper (190 gsm), with a textured matte surface giving it the look and feel of a stunning original work of art. Both inks and paper are archival quality. Each print is produced to order, and is individually signed by the artist. Postage and packing is included in the price, and will be dispatched as soon as it is ready.

In it’s 30th birthday week… and the “album version” too. Take a bow ‘Brave New World’, and Toyah, live at Let’s Rock The Moor 2012 in Cookham.

30 years ago this very week Toyah’s 10th single ‘Brave New World’ was released. It entered the UK charts the following week (on 22nd May 1982), ultimately reaching number 21 and spending eight weeks on the chart. The song is held in high regard by many of Toyah’s fans and the unique accompanying imagery, created without the use of digital trickery or airbrushing, on the single sleeve and in the fantastic promo video has, thirty years later, never been surpassed by any other artist. Happy Birthday ‘Brave New World’!

Toyah’s second single, the ‘Sheep Farming In Barnet’ (EP/AP), was released in July 1979. The traditional EP contained four songs, Safari Records wanted to differentiate from that format and decided to release SIX songs on one single (a mini album really). This was the first, and last, AP release. Tracks were: A. Neon Womb, Indecision, Waiting; B. Our Movie, Danced, Last Goodbye. The band members were Pete Bush: Keyboards, Mark Henry: Bass, Joel Bogen: Guitar, Steve Bray: Drums, Toyah Willcox: Verbals. As with the debut single, this was a huge hit on the UK indie chart, and also increase the band’s, already growing, popularity in other parts of Europe. The, now iconic, cover shot for the single was taken at the RAF Fylingdales radar station near Whitby in Yorkshire. Unfortunately, the “golf balls” were demolished in the mid 1980’s. (Thanks to Asher for the Fylingdales photo)

Toyah’s debut single ‘Victims Of The Riddle’ was released in April 1979. A brave choice as the first release as it was hardly a commercial sounding, radio friendly, song. The single reached number one on the Indie Chart in the UK and spent many months of 1979 there. The sleeve featured an intentionally disturbing image. At the time of release few knew the gruesome story behind the photo and assumed it was a doll. ‘Victims Of The Riddle’ was also released later in Spain, with the far more appealing ‘Sheep Farming In Barnet’ artwork. The beginning of an amazing music career and a brave choice to get started with.

This rare television interview is from that amazing Summer of 1982, the fantastic era of ‘The Changeling’. I’m not sure what the programme was called (possibly… It’ll Be A Laugh, Let’s Get The Office Junior To Do The Interviews This Week… just kidding, we love him really!). Toyah looks incredible here (how absolutely vibrant did Toyah look throughout 1982?) and talks ‘Brave New World’, making the video, ‘The Changeling’ tour dates and more.

‘Simply Eighties’ featured ‘Thunder In The Mountains’ in their “Songs of The 80s” yesterday, and Toyah on the cover of ‘Smash Hits’, May/June 1982 issue, on their “80s Heaven’ page at tumblr.

Wow! You can really feel the energy coming from this new wave track by Toyah. Very original, alternative music and having not heard it for such a long time it sounds so fresh, even though this is from the early 80s! Plus, you get meaningful lyrics. This puts much of today’s music to shame.

Thunder In The Mountains reached #4 in the UK singles chart during October 1981, making this the third consecutive Top Ten hit for the band fronted by Toyah Willcox. It was the band’s eighth single release overall.

• Continue reading, at ‘Simply Eighties’, here.

• View the Toyah/Brave New World/Smash Hits page at ’80s Heaven’ here.

Happy Halloween to all Dreamscape’s visitors. The great news this October 31st is that Toyah’s Latex Messiah (Viva La Rebel In You)  is currently number 30 on the iTunes Plus Top 100 Downloads Chart, and, better still, number six in the iTunes Plus Rock chart. It is also no. 92 in the general iTunes Rock chart. Keep downloading!!