Dreamscape – Toyah Willcox Fansite

Toyah remains an iconic figure across several decades of the UK music scene. Outside of her acting career, she chalked up a series of chart hits as a musician including ‘It’s A Mystery’, ‘I Want To Be Free’ and ‘Thunder In The Mountains’.

More recently, she returned with the album Posh Pop which reached the top 25 in the UK charts. She also enjoys her regular (and popular) Sunday Lunch video shows, alongside husband Robert Fripp.

This October sees Toyah supporting Billy Idol as part of his Roadside tour. Meanwhile, Toyah’s classic 1981 album Anthem is also being reissued this September. Blitzed sat down with Toyah to discuss her busy autumn plans…

You’ve got the Billy Idol tour coming up in October, which is an interesting contrast. You’re both very different, yet at the same time you’re both seasoned travelers from that fervent 80s pop scene.

It’s great and don’t forget punk rock. Billy used to be based in London with Generation X, which is when I met him. We both have 45-year careers, are quite diverse in our individual journeys as musicians and then you’ve got Television performing Marquee Moon.

I think it’s quite a clever line up because I’m only on stage for 7:30 to 8:00 o’clock and I’ve got to fit in 28 albums and 15 hit singles. That’s quite a journey to make, but what all of us have in common on this bill is we started in punk and we’ve both, all of us, evolved into rock. I think it’s quite diverse. I’m not just an 80s icon. I’ve been pretty present, especially in the last few years. I think it’s a very clever mix I hope that I can get in some good punk rock material. Obviously the 80s material, but also the new stuff as well because Posh Pop went to No. 1 in 36 charts, 22 in the main charts on August the 27th last year and I’m certainly going to be including some Posh Pop tracks.

• Continue reading at Blitzed.

• Toyah At Home: The Anthem Specials: Part 1 – Watch… Robert At Home: Episode 6 – Watch… • Toyah & Robert’s Objects Of Desire – Watch… • Toyah & Robert’s Sunday Lunch – Heroes – Watch…

Press for Toyah & Robert’s Sunday Lunch – This week paying respects to Queen Elizabeth II with David Bowie’s Heroes. (Image © Toyah Willcox)

• Brooklyn Vegan: Watch Toyah & Robert Fripp cover David Bowie’s “Heroes” in tribute to the Queen – Continue…

• Brave Words: Robert Fripp & Toyah Perform David Bowie’s “Heroes” In Honour Of Queen Elizabeth II – Continue…

• DGM Live: Toyah & Robert’s Weekend – Continue…

The first series of The Older Woman, the six-part radio drama which was originally broadcast in 1993, is currently airing again on BBC Radio 4 Extra.

Toyah plays Elsa, alongside Martin Clunes and Zoë Wanamaker as Roy and Jane in this excellent, and slightly surreal, drama by Tony Bagley. Toyah also performs the theme song to The Older Woman.

The series, produced by Paul Schlesinger, also features David Troughton, Geoff McGivern, David Holt, Keith Drinkel and Melanie Hudson in a variety of roles.

The Older Woman: BBC Radio 4 Extra: Tuesday 20th September: 1.30am
The Older Woman: BBC Radio 4 Extra: Tuesday 20th September: 4.30pm
The Older Woman: BBC Radio 4 Extra: Wednesday 21st September: 4.30am
Episode 3 of 6. Roy’s quest to insinuate himself further into Jane’s good books gets a new lease of life when she requests his help to save a tree. Stars Zoe Wanamaker, Martin Clunes and Toyah Willcox. From January 1993.

One of the most long-awaited titles by Toyah fans finally comes home this November. ‘Toyah Live At The Rainbow’ will be released on CD+DVD and aqua-blue transparent vinyl LP by Cherry Red Records on Friday 25 November 2022.

Featuring the original 12-song concert film released for the first time ever on DVD, much requested and sought after by fans for decades.

The previously unreleased concert audio is released for the first time ever on CD with seven additional songs, all previously unheard and unreleased; restored exclusively for this release. These include ‘Bird In Flight’, ‘Mummies’, ‘Computer’ and ‘Love Me’.

For this release, the original Rolling Stones multitrack reels have been revisited and remixed from scratch by Nick Watson at Fluid Mastering to create a new full stereo mix of the gig for the first time in its history. All audio remastering was approved by Joel Bogen.

This newly remastered and expanded release is the fifth in the Toyah reissue programme.

Celebrating the much-loved February 1981 concert at North London’s legendary Rainbow Theatre, this hotly anticipated title marks the first time ever the concert audio has been released on vinyl.

At the time, the Toyah band had seen a new line-up with Willcox and Joel Bogen joined by Nigel Glockler, Phil Spalding and Adrian Lee. In February 1981, the lead track ‘It’s A Mystery’, from the EP ‘Four From Toyah’, rose up through the charts and following an appearance on BBC’s Top Of The Pops, saw the band ‘Toyah’ crossover to mainstream singles chart success. This concert, originally due to take place at the Lyceum, was upgraded to the Rainbow following the EP’s success and demand for tickets.

Safari Records decided to record this unique moment in history as the band were ascending to greater fame and recognition, and before they’d recorded an album to follow the success of ‘It’s A Mystery’.

‘Toyah Live At The Rainbow’ includes the classic tracks ‘It’s A Mystery’, ‘War Boys’, ‘Angels & Demons’, ‘Race Through Space’, ‘Danced’ and ‘Ieya’.

• Pre-Order “Toyah Live At The Rainbow” on CD+DVD and Transparent Aqua Blue Vinyl at Cherry Red, where you can also see the full tracklist for both formats.

** Toyah Willcox and Robert Fripp wish to extend condolences to the Royal Family, and respect the dedication HRH Elizabeth II showed her country during her unprecedented reign. **

The Sunday Lunch series is paused to play “Heroes” in acknowledgement of the passing of Her Majesty the Queen.

Join Toyah for a deep dive into the music and stories and your questions answered in the first of three new specials dedicated to Anthem. As the classic Gold-certified selling album receives its long-awaited remastered, expanded and deluxe release on Friday 9th September, this special celebrates the songs, the images and history in style. Enjoy much-loved songs, rarely seen footage plus and an extended selection of your questions answered by Toyah as she goes behind the music. There’ll be surprises too and Toyah will also announce the winners of the Anthem Cherry Red pre-order competition!

• Toyah At Home – The Anthem Specials: Part 1 premieres on Saturday 10th September, 11am at Toyah’s Official You Tube channel & Facebook. (Image © Toyah Willcox)

Toyah guested on BBC Radio Scotland’s The Afternoon Show today, talking Slave To The Rhythm and more. Toyah’s interview is now available as a downloadable podcast.

Musician, artist and TV presenter Toyah Willcox chats about returning to music with the release of her brand new single.

• Listen to Toyah’s interview at BBC Sounds.

Toyah to feature in packed Ironbridge Festival of Imagination line-up

Pop icon Toyah Wilcox will be performing at an 18-day festival held across an historic county location.

The Festival of Imagination returns to Ironbridge from September 15 to October 2, with a packed programme of events.

Taking place across various venues throughout the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site, including the Salon Perdu spiegeltent – a large travelling tent made of wood and canvas and decorated with mirrors and stained glass – to be located in Dale End Park.

Across the festival there will be a variety of music, workshops, poetry and walking events. From music icon Toyah to The Graffiti Classics, there will be a host of other performers, including folk music from The Unthanks and the razzle dazzle of the Queenz Show.

Toyah will be performing on Thursday, September 22, at the Salon Perdu. It comes after the released of her top-25 charting album Posh Pop last year.

• Continue reading at the Shropshire Star. NB. This gig is part of the Anthem 40 +1 Tour. More details here.

Read Toyah’s latest blog at toyahwillcox.com. Including news on the Anthem Tour, and that there will be three “Toyah At Home” Anthem shows this month.

It’s the final Toyah Tuesday before the release of the Remastered + Expanded editions of Toyah’s Gold-selling album Anthem

This exclusive clip from the 2CD+DVD edition of Anthem is Toyah talking about how the track Pop Star came about. Pre-order Gold coloured Vinyl, 2CD+DVD or Super Deluxe Box Set now at Cherry Red.

In anticipation of the Anthem 40+1 Tour premiering, Official Toyah shared this amazing photo. The tour begins on Friday 16th September. Get your tickets by clicking below. (Photo © Toyah Willcox)

Most Shocking Moments In Pop: Channel 5: Sunday 18th September: 10.55pm
Series 1, Episode 4. Tamzin Outhwaite narrates a selection of memorable incidents involving musicians, including Zayn Malik leaving One Direction and Robbie Williams rejoining Take That. There are lessons in etiquette from Grace Jones, the scoop on Beyonce’s sister Solange taking on Jay-Z and the British singing legend who was one of the first to take on the Apartheid regime. With insight from Toyah Willcox, Rick Wakeman, Bez, Dan Hipgrave, Harvey, Jay Aston, Carrie and David Grant and Linda Lewis, with comments from Ralf Little, Matt Richardson, Katie Puckrik, Pat Sharp and Robert Elms.

• Toyah At Home: Castaways – Watch… • Robert At Home: Episode 5 – Watch… • Toyah & Robert’s Objects Of Desire – Watch… • Toyah & Robert’s Sunday Lunch – 5 Mins With Fripp – Watch…

Press for Toyah & Robert’s Sunday Lunch – This week covering Pantera. (Image © Toyah Willcox)

• Guitar.Com: Robert Fripp and Toyah Willcox Spend 5 Minutes Alone In new Pantera Cover: The couple pay homage to the recently reformed Groove metal band with their latest addition to Sunday Lunch – Continue…

• NME: Toyah Willcox and Robert Fripp share rocking cover of Pantera’s ‘5 Minutes Alone’: “Robert is back and on top form” – Continue…

• Classic Rock/Louder: Holy hell! Toyah and Robert Fripp have only gone and covered Pantera: Robert Fripp and Toyah get their groove metal thing on with an unlikely cover of Pantera’s 5 Minutes Alone – Continue…

• Brooklyn Vegan: Watch Toyah & Robert Fripp cover Pantera’s “5 Minutes Alone” – Continue…

• Metal Sucks: Your Favorite Cover Artists Toyah and Fripp Are Back with “5 Minutes Alone” – Continue…

• Consequence: Robert Fripp and Toyah Take on Pantera’s “5 Minutes Alone”: The couple’s latest “Sunday Lunch” performance pays homage to the recently reactivated metal band – Continue…

• Metal Addicts: Robert Fripp and Toyah Wilcox cover Pantera’s ‘5 Minutes Alone’ – Continue…

• Brave Words: Robert Fripp & Toyah Perform Pantera’s “5 Minutes Alone” – Continue…

• Guitar World: Robert Fripp and Toyah take on Pantera’s 5 Minutes Alone – Continue…

• The Pit: LOL: King Crimson’s Robert Fripp + Toyah Cover Pantera’s ‘5 Minutes Alone’ Holy Hell You Are Not Prepared For This – Continue…

• DGM Live: Toyah & Robert’s Weekend – Continue…

Toyah’s Sack The Stylist?! Top 30: NOW 80s: Monday 12th September: 9am
Pop legend Toyah brings 30 memorable videos featuring a cavalcade of clothing calamities from superstars including Visage, Five Star, Divine, Cher, The Jam, Bananarama, Dead Or Alive, Bucks Fizz, ABC, Depeche Mode, David Bowie, Madonna, Adam & The Ants, A Flock Of Seagulls, Roxy Music, Kajagoogoo, Duran Duran, Grace Jones, Su Pollard, Toyah herself and more in this crazy countdown! See the full Toyah’s Sack The Stylist?! Top 30 playlist here.

Happy Birthday Joel: All the best to Joel Bogen who is 64 today. Toyah’s guitarist and songwriting partner from the very beginning of her music career and through all the Safari Records years and albums. He co-wrote songs like Neon Womb, Danced, Computer, Elusive Stranger, Our Movie, Race Through Space, Vision, Love Me, Ieya, Bird in Flight, Jungles of Jupiter, Castaways, The Packt, Dawn Chorus, Brave New World, Laughing With The Fools, Angel & Me, Be Proud Be Loud (Be Heard), Dreamscape, Martian Cowboy, Moonlight Dancing and many others.

Favourite Singers With Nick Heyward: NOW 80s: Tuesday 6th September: 1am
Mr Favourite Shirts is back on NOW 80s – this time he selects his Favourite Singers! Including some who influenced him the most such as David Byrne & XTC’s Andy Partridge.

80s Stars – Then & Now!: NOW 80s: Tuesday 6th September: 9am
Where are they now? Classic hits, followed by some recent songs – Including Pet Shop Boys, Kylie, Toyah, The Stones, Gary Numan, The Pretenders, New Order, Rick Astley & T’Pau!

Toyah Willcox to star in Weightless, a short film being shot on the Isle of Wight

A fantastic coup for Ventnorian Rowena Amos, as Toyah Willcox is confirmed for a new short film being shot on the Isle of Wight next month

Congratulations are in order for the powerhouse Ventnor resident, Rowena Amos, who has just announced that she’s secured the musician, actress and presenter, Toyah Willcox, for her next short film.

Weightless will be filmed on the Isle of Wight in Ventnor and Freshwater at the end of September 2022.

“Legendary punk princess and cult actress”

Rowena is incredibly excited about securing the “legendary punk princess and cult actress”, Toyah for the role.

Toyah’s career in music, acting and presenting spans 40 years, during which she had eight Top 40 singles and a prolific 20 albums. She’s married to the founder and guitarist of the progressive rock group King Crimson, Robert Fripp, who thousands enjoyed watching perform with Toyah during Lockdown via YouTube.

• Continue reading at On The Wight.

Toyah: 40 years on, a celebration of her groundbreaking album Anthem

It is now 40 years since Toyah released her groundbreaking album Anthem and stunned the music world with her energy, her imagery and her music.

The album was certified gold and next week we can expect a deluxe box set with all you ever wanted to hear.

Looking ever youthful and cheeky as ever during lockdown in 2020 started a Sunday Lunch session of covers live from her kitchen along with her 74-year-old husband Robert Fripp.

He is an amazing guitarist and best known for his work with the prog rock band, King Crimson. Together they would take on short versions of Teenage Kicks, My Generation, Breaking The Law & Toxic, once a week at noon with elaborate costume and make up.

This won them new fans who may have missed the duo’s chart success days.

This new remastered set will satisfy both though and comes as a 2CD + DVD set, LP in gold vinyl and Super Deluxe Set of 3CD, DVD, 2 LP + 7” single. A 24-page booklet offers unseen images, classic studio photos from that time plus a newly penned introduction by Toyah herself.

• Continue reading at Fife Today.

A four star review of the Anthem Deluxe reissue, by Classic Pop magazine. The 2CD+DVD, colour vinyl and Super Deluxe box set is released on Friday 9th September, and can be pre-ordered here.

Absurdly kept from the top spot by Starsound’s Stars On 45, Toyah’s third album marked her transformation from cult punk to chart revolutionary. With co writer/guitarist Joel Bogen the only survivor from the band’s previous incarnation, the new line-up did a brilliant job of maintaining the ferocity of old while ditching the more outre excesses for facing radio playlists head on. You’ll know It’s A Mystery and I Want To Be Free, with the pointed Marionette and Pop Star similarly unstoppable bursts of fire.

As ever, archivist Craig Astley is exemplary in unearthing extras. The regular Anthem is back on vinyl, there’s a 2CD+DVD set or the boxset is a mighty 3CD, DVD, 2LP and a 7″ of the Flexipop single Sphinx on proper vinyl. The box’s second LP comprises everything from standalone single Thunder In The Mountains, though annoyingly the Anthem LP is a picture disc in the box. Bah.

Alongside a BBC six-song session, the highlight of the extras are a handful of unreleased instrumentals: why Toyah didn’t turn Dropped Earring into a hit is, well, a mystery. Throw in Toyah causing havoc on the DVD’s TV appearances and you get a fabulous document of an ex-punk rivalling Adam Ant for seizing the moment.

• The latest issue of Classic Pop is on sale now! (Thanks to Minna)

The first series of The Older Woman, the six-part radio drama which was originally broadcast in 1993, begins airing again on BBC Radio 4 Extra from next Tuesday.

Toyah plays Elsa, alongside Martun Clunes and Zoë Wanamaker as Roy and Jane in this excellent, and slightly surreal, drama by Tony Bagley. Toyah also performs the theme song to The Older Woman.

The series, produced by Paul Schlesinger, also features David Troughton, Geoff McGivern, David Holt, Keith Drinkel and Melanie Hudson in a variety of roles.

The Older Woman: BBC Radio 4 Extra: Tuesday 6th September: 9.30am
The Older Woman: BBC Radio 4 Extra: Tuesday 6th September: 4.30pm
The Older Woman: BBC Radio 4 Extra: Wednesday 7th September: 4.30am
Episode 1 of 6. Local hack journalist Roy Hitchcock meets his former English teacher, and sets out on a crusade to win her heart against all odds. Stars Zoe Wanamaker, Martin Clunes and Toyah Willcox. From January 1993.

The Older Woman: BBC Radio 4 Extra: Tuesday 13th September: 9.30am
The Older Woman: BBC Radio 4 Extra: Tuesday 13th September: 4.30pm
The Older Woman: BBC Radio 4 Extra: Wednesday 14th September: 4.30am
Episode 2 of 6. Can Roy impress Jane by joining a green pressure group? Meanwhile, Pavarotti appears in his dreams with some invaluable advice. Stars Zoe Wanamaker, Martin Clunes and Toyah Willcox. From January 1993.

• Below are a couple of Radio Times clippings with a little more detail about the series, published when The Older Woman originally aired in January 1993. (Thanks to Anthony Lewis)

This Tuesday’s Anthem Countdown gifted a vintage live performance of Danced with the Anthem band from a concert in Ulster which was broadcast on BBC Northern Ireland in 1981. A version of Danced from Paris Theatre, London can be heard on CD2 of the 2CD+DVD edition of Anthem.