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.
There’s a repeat airing of the Toyah Special of Video Killed The Radio Star on Sky Arts later this month. This great half hour programme originally premiered in August 2018.
Video Killed The Radio Star: Sky Arts: Tuesday 13th April: 4.30pm
Toyah Willcox. (Series 7, Episode 6) An insight into the making of videos by Toyah Willcox, whose hits included It’s A Mystery, Thunder in the Mountains and I Want To Be Free.
This Is Now said: What a performance by Toyah – See the tweet. (Photo © This Is Now)
Carol Decker’s 30 Rock Chicks!: NOW 80s: Friday 6th November: 10pm
T’Pau’s Carol Decker brings a bit of Heart and Soul to a countdown of ’80s ladies who like to rock! With Joan Jett, Tina Turner, Stevie Nicks and Pat Benatar. (as well as Toyah via the Thunder In The Mountains video)
There’s a repeat airing of the Toyah Special of Video Killed The Radio Star on Sky Arts later this month. This great half hour programme originally premiered in August 2018.
Video Killed The Radio Star: Sky Arts: Monday 16th November: 4.30pm
Video Killed The Radio Star: Sky Arts: Tuesday 17th November: 10.30am
Toyah Willcox. (Series 7, Episode 6) An insight into the making of videos by Toyah Willcox, whose hits included It’s A Mystery, Thunder in the Mountains and I Want To Be Free.
“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.
“I knock the phone from the table, and the room starts purring, smash the contents from a drawer, and a photo starts twirling…”
Last Saturday’s episode of Toyah At Home featured two more live archive performances: The 1987 single, from the Desire album, Echo Beach – also a single for Martha & The Muffins in 1980 – and the truly amazing Angel & Me, from the 1982 album, The Changeling.
Click below to watch/rewatch episode 19, with a guest appearance by Robert Fripp, and Toyah reminiscing about playing Calamity Jane, currently revisiting albums including The Blue Meaning, not being part of the Band Aid single in 1984, and more. Episode 20 of Toyah At Home airs this Saturday at 11am at Toyah’s official You Tube channel, and Facebook.
Who Won Wot? 1980 – 1989: NOW 80s: Sunday 25th October: 9am
From Smash Hits “Most Unwanted Person of 1980” to the Brits “Best Group” of 1989 – Mark Goodier’s 10 hour marathon of 80s award winners lasts nearly as long as the Oscars. (The first artist played from 1981 is Toyah, with the Thunder In The Mountains video. Mark said: “We begin 1981 with a 4ft 11 pop star who had the biggest hair of the entire decade, here’s the Most Fanciable (as voted by Smash Hits magazine readers) Toyah Willcox with Thunder In The Mountains“). Click on the screen caps to zoom.
Now available, personalised artworks hand-drawn by Toyah, with your favourite Toyah lyric and an autograph, on high quality paper, and ready for mounting and/or framing. A great gift for a friend, relative or even yourself! Watch Toyah’s info video at Instagram, and click below for more details or to order your personalised gift from Toyah or Robert Fripp.
“I’m crashing cymbals, in outer space, for all the aliens to hear…”.
Last Saturday’s episode of Toyah At Home featured two archive performances: The glorious (and cosmic) Good Morning Universe, from the Four More From Toyah EP, and Toyah’s uplifting 1982 single, Be Proud Be Loud (Be Heard).
Click below to watch/rewatch episode 17, with lots of fun from Toyah and Robert! Toyah revealed she is currently working on the reissue of The Blue Meaning, and about to become the Patron of the Derek Jarman Film Award. Episode 19 of Toyah At Home airs tomorrow at 11am at Toyah’s official You Tube channel, and Facebook.
Last Saturday’s episode of Toyah At Home featured two archive performances: The mighty Danced, from Sheep Farming In Barnet, and one of the best pop songs of the 1980s (or any other decade), Thunder In The Mountains.
Click below to watch/rewatch episode 16, in which Toyah reveals there are plans to release a trio of live Toyah/Toyah & The Humans concerts from Trading Boundaries, East Sussex, and O2 Islington in the not too distant future.
Carol Decker’s 30 Rock Chicks!: NOW 80s: Friday 9th October: 1am
T’Pau’s Carol Decker brings a bit of Heart and Soul to a countdown of ’80s ladies who like to rock! With Joan Jett, Tina Turner, Stevie Nicks and Pat Benatar. (as well as Toyah via the Thunder In The Mountains video)
A new interview with Matt Dangerfield, who produced Toyah’s first single of the 1980s, Bird In Flight/Tribal Look.
Early in February 1980, Dangerfield produced labelmate Toyah’s ‘Bird in Flight’ single, just a year before they broke the mainstream with the Four From Toyah E.P. This extended play release featured ‘It’s A Mystery’, which became the breakthrough hit for the band, fronted by singer-songwriter Toyah Willcox.
“The reason I was brought in to produce that single was to get her airplay. She was having lots of publicity and everybody was interested in her, but the music wasn’t very radio-friendly“.
‘Bird in Flight’ wasn’t featured on an album release at the time, although it was added to the 2002 reissue of Toyah’s debut album Sheep Farming In Barnet, and was also included on the 2005 compilation The Safari Singles Collection Part 1: 1979-1981.
• Continue reading/watch the full interview at PhilMarriott.net.
Carol Decker’s 30 Rock Chicks!: NOW 80s: Wednesday 16th September: 1pm
T’Pau’s Carol Decker brings a bit of Heart and Soul to a countdown of ’80s ladies who like to rock! With Joan Jett, Tina Turner, Stevie Nicks and Pat Benatar. (as well as Toyah via the Thunder In The Mountains video)
Song of the week, on Episode Nine of Toyah At Home, was, the mighty, and mightily iconic, Ieya.
This was the first At Home hosted by Toyah outside in the garden. Click below to watch the episode, which ended with an archive acoustic performance of, the sublime, Jungles Of Jupiter.
Rebel Run was song of the week on the seventh episode of Toyah At Home, which aired at Toyah’s official You Tube channel on Saturday.
Toyah performed a rousing live performance of the 1983 hit and discussed the album, Love Is The Law, from which it is taken. She also talked about how much she loved 1983: starring in Trafford Tanzi, recording Love Is The Law and a role in The Ebony Tower alongside Laurence Olivier.
Toyah’s famous Melissa Caplan outfits made a cameo appearance (along with lots of handbags).
Toyah talked about the cover art for The Changeling and Toyah! Toyah! Toyah!, and the artist who painted the cover for that album, Dexter Brown. Episode Seven also saw Toyah discuss: the learning curve of dealing with outside forces which affect creativity; the albums she is most proud of; favourite outfits; Divine/John Waters; Kate Bush; the songs Street Creature and The Packt.
• Click below to watch/re-watch : Toyah At Home: Episode #7, which closes with an archive live performance of, the timeless, Martian Cowboy…
Episode Seven of Toyah At Home airs this Saturday at You Tube and Facebook. Submit your questions at Instagram or any of Toyah’s other social media spaces.
Be Proud Be Loud (Be Heard) was song of the week on the sixth episode of Toyah At Home, which aired at Toyah’s official You Tube channel on Saturday.
Toyah performed a live version of the anthemic 1982 song, the third single release of that year by Toyah. She also talked about the song.
There was another cameo appearance from Robert at the beginning of this episode. Toyah also talked about the secret to a happy marriage; does she ever regret not having children (what a personal question!!); does she ever consider giving up her career; being a female icon in the music industry; appearing on This Is Your Life; taking a TARDIS trip to revisit any concert or moment of her life; potentially playing a part in Doctor Who; singing songs by The Beatles; memories of working with Kenny Everett; playing with The Stranglers in 1980 at the Rainbow Theatre; Patti Smith; the story and meanings in the song Bird In Flight.
• Click below to watch/re-watch Toyah At Home: Episode #6, which closes with an archive live performance of, the wonderful, Bird In Flight…
A fired-up live version of Be Proud Be Loud (Be Heard) was one of the highlights of, possibly, the best episode yet of Toyah At Home, which aired yesterday morning.
Carol Decker’s 30 Rock Chicks!: NOW 80s: Sunday 26th July: 2pm
T’Pau’s Carol Decker brings a bit of Heart and Soul to a countdown of ’80s ladies who like to rock! With Joan Jett, Tina Turner, Stevie Nicks and Pat Benatar. (as well as Toyah via the Thunder In The Mountains video)
Brave New World was song of the week on the fifth episode of Toyah At Home, which aired at Toyah’s official You Tube channel yesterday.
Toyah performed a live version of the iconic 1982 single and also discussed the song and the album it is included on, The Changeling.
There was a cameo appearance from Robert at the beginning of the episode. Toyah also talked about what her 1980 self would ask her today; anything she would do differently in her early career; an alternative career; her bucket list; writing new songs; Quadrophenia and what Monkey would have been doing 40 years later; the (non Toyah) song that inspired passion in her; the iconic artwork, make-up and photo shoots; and the TV play Little Girls Don’t.
• Click below to watch/re-watch Toyah At Home: Episode #5, which closes with an archive live performance of I Explode…
