Yet another retro Top Of The Pops featuring Toyah has just been added to the television schedules, airing later this month on BBC Four. This edition was originally shown on 4th June 1981 and includes a play of the, Godley & Creme, promo video for I Want To Be Free.
Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Friday 11th March: 7.30pm Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Saturday 12th March: 0.00am Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Sunday 13th March: 2.20am 04/06/1981. Richard Skinner introduces the pop programme, featuring Siouxsie and the Banshees (Spellbound), Shakin’ Stevens (You Drive Me Crazy), Kate Robbins (More Than in Love), Squeeze (Is That Love?), Imagination (Body Talk), The Jam (Funeral Pyre), Michael Jackson (One Day in Your Life), Toyah (I Want To Be Free), Phil Collins (If Leaving Me Is Easy), Adam & The Ants (Stand & Deliver), Odyssey (Going Back To My Roots).
• Toyah’s next appearance on Top Of The Pops after this was on 1st October 1981, with the band performing Thunder In The Mountains in the studio. The TITM promo video was also shown on 15th October. On 26th November the band performed Good Morning Universe. All of these will re-air on BBC Four in the coming months. Stay tuned!
Toyah is, again, the pictured artist on the BBC website for an upcoming re-airing of a retro Top Of The Pops. This will include Toyah’s studio performance of I Want To Be Free from May 1981.
Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Friday 4th March: 7.30pm Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Saturday 5th March: 00.30am Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Sunday 6th March: 2.25am 14/05/1981. Tommy Vance introduces the pop programme. Includes appearances from Toyah (I Want To Be Free), Thin Lizzy (Are You Ready?), Department S (Is Vic There?), Tenpole Tudor (Swords Of A Thousand Men), Sheena Easton (When He Shines), Kim Carnes (Bette Davis Eyes) and Adam & the Ants (Stand & Deliver), plus a dance performance by Legs and Co.
There’s another retro 1981 Top Of The Pops appearance from Toyah on BBC Four in early March.
I *think* this is the edition that originally aired on 14th May 1981 and was a “Cup Final Special”, with Toyah performing I Want To Be Free in the studio. More detailed info should be available soon. (Update: BBC website have now confirmed it is!!)
Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC4: Fri 4th March: 7.30pm / Sat 5th March: 00.30am Sunday 6th March: 2.25am
Tommy Vance introduces the pop programme. Includes appearances from Toyah, Thin Lizzy, Department S, Tenpole Tudor, Sheena Easton, Kim Carnes and Adam and the Ants, plus a dance performance by Legs and Co.
The Four From Toyah EP, Toyah’s sixth UK single, was released this week in 1981. This was Toyah’s chart breakthrough release after almost three years of albums, singles and tours. Toyah can be seen performing the lead song, It’s A Mystery on Top Of The Pops on BBC Four tonight at 7.30pm and again at 11pm. It will also be available to watch online at BBC iPlayer after airing. Click below to view Dreamscape’s 30th Anniversary feature on the EP, from 2011.
Toyah’s iconic first Top Of The Pops performance aired on Thursday night on BBC4. Watch the full episode at BBC iPlayer. TOTP is repeated late Saturday night/early Sunday morning, at 1.45am.
Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Thursday 4th February: 7.30pm/11.30pm Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Sunday 7th February: 1.45am
Mike Read presents. Duran Duran (Planet Earth), Talking Heads (Once In A Lifetime), Adam & The Ants (Kings Of The Wild Frontier), Toyah (It’s A Mystery), Shakin’ Stevens (This Ole House), Motorhead & Girlschool (Please Don’t Touch), Phil Collins (I Missed Again), Kool & The Gang (Jones Vs Jones), Teardrop Explodes (Reward), The Who (You Better You Bet), Joe Dolce (Shaddap Your Face). This originally aired on BBC1 on 5th March 1981. Toyah’s appearance is a repeat of their first studio performance which aired two weeks previously on 19th February 1981.
Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Thursday 11th February: 7.30pm/11pm Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Sunday 14th February: 1.40am
Peter Powell presents. The Jacksons (Can You Feel It?), Sharron Redd (Can You Handle It?), Shakin’ Stevens (This Ole House), Dave Stewart & Colin Blunstone (What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted?), The Who (You Better You Bet), Stevie Wonder (Lately), Phil Collins (I Missed Again), Bucks Fizz (Making Your Mind Up), Visage (Mind Of A Toy), Duran Duran (Planet Earth), Toyah (It’s A Mystery), Roxy Music (Jealous Guy). This originally aired on BBC1 on 19th March 1981 and was Toyah’s second studio appearance/performance (pictured above).
Last Thursday’s repeat of Top Of The Pops on BBC4 included Four From Toyah in “The Charts” rundown. The EP had climbed into the Top 30 for the first time. Click here to view larger versions of the screen caps and below to watch the programme at BBC iPlayer.
Top Of The Pops: 26/02/1981: Peter Powell introduces the pop programme, featuring Status Quo, Kim Wilde, Madness, Kiki Dee, Coast to Coast, the Passions, Roxy Music and Joe Dolce, and a dance performance from Legs & Co.
Another retro Top Of The Pops appearance from 1981 for Toyah, airing 35 years later on BBC4 in February. There’s more info at the BBC website.
Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC4: Thursday 11th February: 7.30pm/11pm
Peter Powell introduces the pop programme, featuring Sharon Redd, Bucks Fizz, Colin Blunstone and Dave Stewart, Toyah, the Who, Phil Collins, Shakin Stevens, Visage, Roxy Music and Duran Duran, and a dance performance from Legs and Co.
• Look out for further retro Toyah on Top Of The Pops appearances this year on BBC4 – In 1981 Toyah guested in the Top Of The Pops studio six times, performing ‘It’s A Mystery’ (three times), ‘I Want To Be Free’, ‘Thunder In The Mountains’ and ‘Good Morning Universe’.
It’s Slade: BBC 4: Saturday 12th April: 0.00am
Documentary, narrated by Radio One’s Mark Radcliffe, about one of Britain’s greatest and best-loved bands. Apart from Noddy and his bandmates – Dave Hill, Jim Lea and Don Powell – the cast here also includes Noel Gallagher of Oasis (who covered Cum On Feel the Noize), Status Quo, Toyah Willcox, Suzi Quatro and Ozzy Osbourne. (Also airing on BBC4 HD)
Toyah’s classic 1982 appearance was included in last night’s The Best Of Kenny Everett’s Television Shows on BBC4. Toyah’s hair changes colour numerous times, Kenny plays Toyah, Toyah plays Kenny, plus both perform their own versions of ‘I Want To Be Free’. Brilliant stuff!
The full transcript of Toyah and Robert’s Love and Marriage interview, which aired on BBC4 earlier this month, is available at The Toyah Willcox Interview Archive. The full episode is also available to view online at You Tube. (Thanks to Lärwi)
Love and Marriage: A 20th Century Romance: BBC4: Tuesday 2nd October: 9.00pm Love and Marriage: A 20th Century Romance: BBC4: Wednesday 3rd October: 2.35am Love and Marriage: A 20th Century Romance: BBC4: Sunday 7th October: 00.55am To Have and to Hold. Three-part series which follows the ups and downs of marriage in Britain from the 1900s to the present day using the moving personal stories of couples – and their children – from all walks of life. The final part explores how marriage has survived, and for many got stronger, in the modern era from the 1980s onwards. Although the divorce rate increased, reaching an all time high in the mid 1990s, marriage has adapted to these pressures. The programme looks at the heartache – and joy – of five couples whose relationships personify modern marriage, and what it takes to make a happy marriage in today’s world. Punk rocker Toyah Willcox and her prog rocker husband Robert Fripp are amongst those who tell their stories.
It’s Slade: BBC 4: Saturday 12th April: 0.00am
