Dreamscape | The Toyah Willcox Fansite

More of your social, emotional and music tuning predicaments are addressed with care and attention by the deeply unqualified Toyah Willcox and Robert Fripp.

Toyah & Cherry Red Records are delighted to announce the long-awaited newly remastered and expanded release of Toyah’s debut album Sheep Farming In Barnet which kickstarts a reissue programme of Toyah’s entire Safari Records catalogue.

Sheep Farming In Barnet will be reissued on 4 December 2020 as a limited edition white vinyl LP and expanded 2CD+DVD package.

Limited quantities of both formats come with a different design postcard signed by Toyah.

Produced by Steve James and Keith Hale (Blood Donor), the album reached number 1 on the UK Independent Albums in February 1980 and celebrates its fortieth anniversary in 2020.

The album has been remastered from the original mastertapes and the 2CD+DVD package includes 30 bonus tracks including 20 that are previously unreleased.

The 7” single Victims Of The Riddle (1979) was Toyah’s very first release and is included here. This was followed up by 6-track mini-album Sheep Farming In Barnet that contained three tracks per-side on a 33 1/3 playing 7” vinyl. This mini-album was then expanded to a full length 11-track album (originally for the German market) in early 1980 by adding the Victims 7” A-Side/B-Sides and some further tracks also recorded at Chappell Studios, London.

This album contains the fan favourites Race Through Space, Neon Womb and Danced, all of which went on to become signature songs for the band. Non-album Double A-Side single Bird In Flight/Tribal Look produced by The Boys’ lead singer Matt Dangerfield is also included.

2CD+DVD digipack with a fully illustrated 24-page booklet containing a brand new introductory note from Toyah plus rare and unseen imagery including album cover shots taken at RAF Fylingdales Early Warning site, Yorkshire.

The album has been remastered by Nick Watson from the original mastertapes with mastering approved by Joel Bogen.

The expanded 2CD+DVD edition features 30 bonus tracks compiled by Craig Astley and is made up of non-album singles, rarities and demos. Amongst the 20 previously unreleased tracks are versions originally recorded for Shoestring, the original improvisation vocal that became Victims of The Riddle and the band’s first ever pre-signing 1978 demos.

Includes a sleevenote by Toyah’s archivist Craig Astley, researched with input from co-writer/guitarist Joel Bogen, chronicles the creation of the album, musician line-ups and reveals the recording origins of the album and bonus material for the first time.

The package includes a DVD (NTSC/Region Free) containing two brand new features with Toyah Willcox; ‘The Story Behind The Album’ is an in-depth interview about the album/period, a Track-by-Track Album Commentary interview plus an exclusive acoustic three-song session of songs from the era – all filmed August 2020.

The DVD also includes rare archive TV footage available on DVD for the first time ever including a 1979 interview/performance clips of Race Through Space filmed at Toyah’s Battersea warehouse ‘Mayhem’ for broadcast on What’s On (ITV Midlands-only region) and two songs, Danced, Indecision, filmed February 1980 for BBC’s The Old Grey Whistle Test.

• Continue reading at toyahwillcox.com to see the full tracklist, hear a preview track and read further details on the release. Pre-order Sheep Farming In Barnet, 2CD/1DVD Deluxe Edition, and Limited Edition Colour Vinyl LP here.

Band shots, solo shots, live shots! – Amazing, previously unseen, photos from the Sheep Farming In Barnet era and beyond have been shared on Toyah’s official social media spaces over the past fortnight… (Photos © 1, 3 & 4. Cherry Red Records Ltd, 2. Watkins/Astley)

Kavanagh Q.C.: Drama: Wednesday 23rd September: 8pm
A Family Affair. Kavanagh finds himself caught up in a bitter family feud when he represents a frustrated father who has kidnapped his son in a desperate attempt to win custody. On the home front, Kavanagh’s daughter wants to let her boyfriend stay overnight. Directed by Renny Rye. With John Thaw, Holly Aird, Robert Ashby, Toyah Willcox and Lisa Harrow.

• Drama is available to watch on Sky (Channel 143), Freeview (Channel 20), Virgin Media (Channel 130), Freesat (Channel 158), Sky Ireland (Channel 158), Virgin Media Ireland (Channel 164).

Something special coming soon on Cherry Red – Announcement on Toyah At Home, airing from 11am, today at the official Toyah You Tube channel and Facebook page. (Photos/Images © 1. Neil Anderson, 2. Official Toyah, 3. Cherry Red Records Ltd)

Toyah’s Sack The Stylist?! Top 30: NOW 80s: Tuesday 15th September: 9pm
Pop legend Toyah brings 30 memorable videos featuring a cavalcade of clothing calamities from superstars including Bowie, Madonna, Adam Ant and many more in this crazy countdown!

The bold beginning of an awesome music career! Welcome to Sheep Farming in Barnet Saturday!

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)

Expect a special announcement in this Saturday’s Toyah At Home.

Song of the week, on Episode 12 of Toyah At Home, was Latex Messiah (Viva La Rebel In You), from the album, In The Court Of The Crimson Queen.

Click below to watch/rewatch the episode, which ended with a new recording/version/performance of America For Beginners, from the album Minx.

Toyah’s September 2020 blog is available to read at toyahwillcox.com.

A rare photo of Toyah at the Duke of Lancaster in August 1978. The line up at this times was; Toyah: Vocals⁣⁣, Joel Bogen: Guitar⁣⁣, Jonathan Miller: Bass⁣⁣, David Robin: Drums, Pete Bush: Keyboards. There’s been lots of other rare Sheep Farming in Barnet era photos and content recently at Toyah’s official social media spaces, including Instagram. (Photo © Watkins/Astley)

Toyah & Robert often find cake is a good way to finish Sunday lunch.

More of your social, emotional and music tuning predicaments are addressed with care and attention by the deeply unqualified Toyah Willcox and Robert Fripp.

Song of the week, on Episode 11 of Toyah At Home, was Telepathic Lover, from the album, In The Court Of The Crimson Queen. With a special guest!

Click below to watch/rewatch the episode, which ended with an archive performance of Angel and Me, from the album The Changeling.

Follow the words and if you know the tune then sing-a-long-a dinosaur in this week’s Sunday Lunch with Toyahsaurus and Robert.

• The Sun: Outen On Ice: Denise Van Outen ‘signs £40,000 Dancing On Ice deal after impressing bosses’ – The reality TV contingent included Love Island’s Dr Alex George, 30, and Luke Trotman, 23, Towie’s Billie Faiers, 30, Made In Chelsea’s Olivia Bentley, 24, and Ru Paul’s Drag Race star Baga Chipz, 30. Singer Toyah Willcox, 62, tried out alongside This Morning’s Lisa Maxwell, 56, comic Rufus Hound, 41, vlogger LadBaby, 33, and Tattoo Fixers’ Stephen “Sketch” Porter – Continue reading…

• Telly Mix: Denise Van Outen ‘signs up to Dancing On Ice line up’ – Those said to be in talks include ‘WAG’ Rebekah Vardy, reality star Katie Price, singer, footballer Wayne Bridge, comedian Rufus Hound, Love Island’s Alex George and Luke Trotman and The Mummy Diaries’ star Billie Faiers. Also linked to a place on the cast are RuPaul’s Drag Race queen Baga Chipz, Blue star Antony Costa, Made In Chelsea’s Olivia Bentley, singer Toyah Willcox and actress Lisa Maxwell – Continue reading…

More of your social, emotional and music tuning predicaments are addressed with care and attention by the deeply unqualified Toyah Willcox and Robert Fripp.

In the next episode of Toyah At Home there will be a fan favourite/classic as the outro song. Intro song Telepathic Lover may have a guest too… Episode 11 of Toyah At Home airs this Saturday, 11am at Toyah’s official You Tube channel + social media.

Song of the week, on Episode Ten of Toyah At Home, was Sensational, from the album, In The Court Of The Crimson Queen.

Click below to watch the episode, which ended with an archive performance of, the amazing, Broken Diamonds, from the album Love Is The Law.

Toyah is interviewed, about creativity in lockdown, in the third digital issue of Burnt Frowner – The Chris Wade and Dodson & Fogg magazine. Read it here.

Toyah is someone I’ve always admired. She’s a proper artist in the truest sense, a wild creative spirit who has always stuck two fingers up to the face of convention. She’s a singer, artist, actress, producer, writer, TV personality – but just using those words doesn’t really do her justice. Yes she fits these descriptions, but she’s unique. She’s a pop icon, has been so for almost forty years, and she’s still selling tons of albums and playing sold out venues all over the world… well, when they’re open that is.

Despite years of fame, she still comes across as a creative spirit on the edge, an experimenter, a fearless individual defying expectations. She’s been in classic films like Jubilee and Quadrophenia, acted alongside the likes of Laurence Olivier on TV (in The Ebony Tower), scored hit singles across the world, achieved legendary status in the music business, influenced multiple generations of men and women alike, packed out venues all over the world, has maintained a high profile on TV for decades and been a mentor and role model for countless people.

• Continue reading at Burnt Frowner.