The fantastic Brian Aris photo shoot from mid-1981. This featured on magazine covers and a variety of press articles on Toyah through late 1981 and into ’82. Amazing photos that look current in 2012! Click below to view more at Dreamscape’s 1981 gallery.
• Something to look forward to: It looks likely that Toyah’s 1987 album ‘Desire’ will be reissued, on download, later this year. Toyah’s Official Facebook said on Sunday: “There are no plans for a CD reissue of Desire. Plans for a digital release later in 2012 however.”
• Thanks for the feedback on Stevie Bray’s interview, and to everyone who has visited the feature so far.
• ‘I Was A Teenage Toyah Fan’ has now been available for over six months. The Kindle version, from Amazon, can be bought for the very bargainesque 80p. You don’t even need a Kindle to read it! View all of our IWATTF news here.
• Stylish Elegance: Toyah Willcox is 54 today…
Dirty Sexy Funny: Olivia Lee: Comedy Central Extra: Saturday 2nd June: 03.35am
Dirty Sexy Funny: Olivia Lee: Comedy Central Extra: Monday 4th June: 03.00am
Olivia Lee stars in this hidden camera sketch show. Deaf Bubba makes a mess of things at the marina, Door Bitch takes a punt and Elaine Caine meets Toyah Willcox.
Original member of TOYAH, drummer on the iconic albums ‘Sheep Farming In Barnet’ and ‘The Blue Meaning’… Stevie Bray. Check out FTE’s interview with him…
The complete four-part radio version of J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, with Toyah in the title role, is re-airing on ‘BBC Radio 4 Extra’ this month. This was originally broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 1995.
A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of J. M. Barrie’s tale of childhood adventure starring Toyah Willcox as Peter Pan and Ron Moody as Captain Hook. These audio editions, especially dramatised for BBC Radio, are of timeless stories that have enchanted generations of readers both young and old.
Also starring Roy Hudd as Smee and June Whitfield as Mrs Darling, this sparkling production is directed by award-winning producer Dirk Maggs, with an original music score and stunning sound effects.
J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan: BBC Radio 4 Extra: Sunday 27th May: 9.00am/4.30pm
J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan: BBC Radio 4 Extra: Monday 28th May: 5.00am
Spring Cleaning Time Again.Wendy longs for home, but first she and the brothers must be rescued from Captain Hook. Stars Toyah Willcox and Ron Moody. Episode 4 of 4.
• Episode Two (In The Mermaid’s Lagoon) is still available to listen to at BBC iPlayer, until early AM this Monday. Episode Three (An Awfully Big Adventure) airs on ‘BBC Radio 4 Extra’ tomorrow and Monday. Full details here.
Hole In The Wall: CBBC: Monday 28th May: 5.45pm
Anton Du Beke hosts the madcap gameshow where celebrities dress in tight silver suits and try to avoid getting pushed into a pool of cold water by a fast-moving wall. The celebrity contestants are TV chef Simon Rimmer, singer Toyah Willcox, actress Zaraah Abrahams and presenter Barney Harwood, captained by rugby legend Austin Healey and EastEnders’ Joe Swash. Joe gets to play a special wall with a mystery guest.
Toyah co-presented Look! Hear! for ‘BBC Midlands’ for three series between 1979 and 1981. The programme covered music and the arts in The Midlands and was made at BBC Pebble Mill studios. This programme, from the 1981 series, includes two live performances from Duran Duran. Click below to watch the full edition (in six parts). (Thanks to Andi)
Screen caps from Look! Hear! Click below to view larger versions.
Toyah appeared in, what was billed as a “younger version of Not The Nine O’Clock News“, Dear Heart in Spring 1982. There was only one series, which aired on BBC2. The best known of the numerous characters Toyah played was probably “Super Advice Person”, who appeared every week. Click below to view a full edition (in five parts). (Thanks to Andi)
Screen caps from Dear Heart. Please click below to view larger versions.
Sending Best Wishes to Toyah from Falling To Earth and all our visitors… Happy Birthday. Please return later today for our birthday updates… Nothing as elaborate as years gone by I’m afraid, but I hope you like them anyway… Click below to zoom in on our ‘card’!
• Toyah was quoted yesterday in an article by GScene on a new exhibition “f20-12” from the GPN: Actress and singer, Toyah Willcox, said: “The Gay Photographers Network Exhibition is a wonderful event exploding with vitality, fun, highly original ideas and inspirational images. I recommend it to everyone. it is one of London cultural gems that brakes taboos and enriches the city’s culture.”
• 2 up-top: Toyah: Anthem & The Changeling: Most people think Toyah Willcox is just some saucy older woman, who loves to talk about sex (FTE: do they?) and is married to guitar virtuoso Robert Fripp, but back in the early 1980’s Toyah was a very big pop star who released two very high quality albums ‘Anthem’ and ‘ The Changeling’; mixing pure pop, punk, dark gothic and prog rock in equal measures.
• Toyah will be compering the ‘Rock & Bike Festival 2012’ on Saturday 14th July…. AND performing as special guest with The Sweet on at least one song….. maybe more. (Source: Toyah’s Official Facebook)
• Win weekend passes for the ‘Rock & Bike Festival 2012’ from Kerrang! Radio (entry via text message).
• Rest in Peace Donna Summer. Sad news. The Soul and Disco legend passed away today. Toyah covered Donna’s ‘Love’s Unkind’ on her second solo album, ‘Desire’ in 1987.
• Check out The Pauper Kings, aka The Lost Boys from Vampires Rock. View a photo of Toyah. Robert and two of The Pauper Kings doing lunch.
Just a reminder that the 1980 episode of Minder, ‘All Mod Cons’, in which Toyah appeared airs again this morning and tonight on ITV4.
Minder: ITV4: Thursday 17th May: 8.00am/8.00pm
Minder: ITV4 +1: Thursday 17th May: 9.00am/9.00pm
All Mod Cons. Arthur decides to sell Terry’s flat without his permission. Meanwhile, Terry gets a job minding at a local club and ends up getting into more trouble than he had planned for when he realises the club’s manager is on the fiddle. Starring: George Cole, Dennis Waterman, Toyah Willcox, Simon Cadell, James Ottaway, and Tony Osaba. (Series 2, Episode 8, 1980). Also showing on ITV4 HD.
Quadrophenia is also coming to Blu-ray in the US later in the year. Blu-ray.com have the film listed for release, through The Criterion Collection, with more information than there is for The Tempest.
Quadrophenia (1979)
London, 1965: Like many other youths, Jimmy hates the philistine life, especially his parents and his job in a company’s mailing division. Only when he’s together with his friends, a ‘Mod’ clique, cruises London on his motor-scooter and hears music such as that of ‘The Who’ and ‘The High Numbers’, he feels free and accepted. However, it’s a flight into an illusionary world.
Quadrophenia (August 28th, 2012)
• New high-definition digital restoration of the uncut version
• Original 2.0 stereo soundtrack as well as an all-new 5.1 surround mix, supervised by the Who and presented in DTS-HD Master Audio
• New audio commentary featuring director Franc Roddam and director of photography Brian Tufano
• New interview with Bill Curbishley, the film’s co-producer and the Who’s co-manager
• New interview with the Who’s sound engineer, Bob Pridden, discussing the new mix, featuring a restoration demonstration
• On-set and archival footage
• Behind-the-scenes photographs
• A booklet featuring an essay by critic Nick James, a reprinted personal history by original mod Irish Jack, and Pete Townshend’s liner notes from the album
• According to Blu-ray.com Derek Jarman’s 1979 film The Tempest, with Toyah in a lead role as Miranda, will be released on Blu-ray later this year. Kino Video will release The Tempest in America on 7th August 2012. (NB: This isn’t the Blu-ray cover :))
• Fans of The Tempest may be interested in a recent edition of BBC Radio 3’s Arts & Ideas: Philip Dodd presents a Landmark edition devoted to Shakespeare’s The Tempest, a drama reimagined by artists from Purcell to Derek Jarman via TS Eliot, Derek Walcott and Thomas Adès. The podcast is available here.
• Last night’s Dark Night Of The Soul with Julie, on WFMU, opened with two Toyah songs and one by The Humans: ‘Rebel Run’, ‘Angel & Me’ and ‘Love In A Different Way’.
Happy Anniversary to Robert and Toyah. It’s 26 years since they married, and also since their first collaboration, ‘The Lady Or The Tiger’, was released. Best Wishes from FTE.
A record crowd of 6,000 packed into the heart of Cookham for an eighties rock festival.
Let’s Rock the Moor, which took place on Saturday, was sold out.
The event, which began in 2009, attracted its biggest crowd yet with headliners Billy Ocean, Heaven 17, Toyah and Go West singing to 6,500 people on a brand new site at Marsh Meadow. Organiser Nick Billinghurst said: “The crowds were fantastic, full of energy. It was mostly local people from Cookham, Maidenhead, Marlow, Wycombe, so everyone was very well behaved. Toyah actually called them a posh crowd.”
• Continue reading at Bucks Free Press. (Photos © Bucks Free Press)
Singing legend Billy Ocean serenaded nearly 7,000 people in Cookham on Saturday at the biggest Let’s Rock the Moor! festival to date.
The sell-out event attracted its largest crowd ever, with 6,500 tickets snapped up and a brand new site set up on Marsh Meadow to fit everyone in.
It was headlined by Eighties icon Ocean, who performed hits including Caribbean Queen and Love Really Hurts Without You to a crowd of all ages.
Children’s TV favourites Pat Sharp and Dave Benson Phillips shared presenting duties at the event, introducing acts such as Toyah, Boney M and Heaven 17.
Rain stayed away from the festival, which is now in its fourth year, and families enjoyed a range of food and drink as well as plenty of attractions for children.
Proceeds are expected to exceed £20,000; the majority of which will be split between two main charities which fit in with its family feel.
(All photos © Maidenhead Advertiser)
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.
Thousands of Eighties music fans descended on Cookham on Saturday to see the likes of Billy Ocean and Toyah play Let’s Rock The Moor. The event, now in its fourth year, was held on Marsh Meadow and all 6,500 tickets sold out.
• Continue reading, and view their gallery, here. Read a review of the concert here.
