Dreamscape – Toyah Willcox Fansite

A very rare performance of I Want To Be Free for last week’s Toyah Tuesday/Anthem Deluxe countdown. NB. Go here for a preview of the upcoming Toyah Tuesday premiere.

On Friday 9 September, Cherry Red Records will release the newly remastered editions of Toyah’s 1981 Gold-selling album “Anthem”.

PRE-ORDER NOW

Produced by Nick Tauber, with arrangements by the band and Toyah, the album features a line-up that saw Toyah Willcox and Joel Bogen joined by Nigel Glockler, Phil Spalding and Adrian Lee.

The release is available in three stunning formats:

• Egyptian Gold Vinyl w/inner bag + lyric insert
• Deluxe Expanded 2CD+DVD feat 25 bonus tracks
• Super Deluxe Edition Box Set – 3CD/2LP/1DVD/7”

The first 300 copies of the 2CD+DVD and the Egyptian Gold Vinyl include an exclusive postcard SIGNED BY TOYAH.

These both feature an unseen image from a 1981 photoshoot. A different design accompanies each release. Only available at the Cherry Red website.

Anthem has been remastered by Nick Watson from the original mastertapes and approved by Joel Bogen.

DELUXE EXPANDED 2CD+DVD:

• Toyah Willcox provides a brand-new introduction in the 24-page booklet which contains stunning classic and rare images plus previously unseen outtakes from photoshoots from the period.

• Compiled by Craig Astley, Toyah’s official archivist, who also provides new sleevenotes to the expanded 2CD+DVD release. includes the remastered album complimented by 25 bonus tracks. Amongst these is the standalone hit single Thunder In The Mountains, associated B-Sides and rarities plus 15 previously unreleased tracks.

• A six-song live session recorded on 1 April 1981 at BBC’s Paris Theatre in London, originally broadcast on BBC Radio 1 is released commercially for the first time ever, and includes the classics It’s A Mystery, Angels & Demons, Neon Womb and Ieya.

• Thunder In The Mountains, the third top single of 1981 by the “Anthem” Toyah line-up features along with its B-Side Street Addict, its 12” vinyl-only B-Side Voodoo Doll and a further two unheard instrumental outtakes from the same studio sessions in July/August 1981.

• A previously unreleased unfaded version of the flexi-disc track For You features alongside previously unreleased instrumentals of I Want To Be Free, Jungles Of Jupiter, I Am, Pop Star, and an extended instrumental of It’s A Mystery.

The accompanying DVD (NTSC/Region Free) presents a fascinating new in-depth interview feature with Toyah about the creation of the album plus a track-by-track commentary and exclusive renditions of three “Anthem” songs.

For the first time ever classic footage of Toyah’s 1981 BBC performances of Its A Mystery, I Want To Be Free and Thunder In The Mountains is released on DVD. This includes four different appearances on the legendary Top Of The Pops alongside performances originally broadcast on Something Else, Cheggers Plays Pop and Multi-Coloured Swap Shop.

The DVD also includes the classic promo videos for I Want To Be Free and Thunder In The Mountains, both directed by Godley & Creme.

SUPER DELUXE EDITION BOX SET

Curated and compiled by Craig Astley, Toyah’s official archivist, the limited Super Deluxe Edition of Anthem comes in a 12”x 12” outsize box with lift off lid and includes:

• The deluxe expanded 2CD+DVD set as above

EXCLUSIVE TO THIS BOX SET
• Bonus CD – More Rare & Archive Material contains a further 20 previously unreleased tracks from the archives, newly unearthed and remastered. This includes

• the special studio re-recording of It’s A Mystery used for lip-synching on Top Of The Pops and alternate vocal versions of Revelations, I Want To Be Free, War Boys and Thunder in The Mountains.

• a breathtaking acoustic recording of I Am offers a glimpse into the album recording sessions. Rough mixes of several album tracks also feature alongside previously unheard instrumental outtakes Japan, Dropped Earring and the earliest incarnation of Clapham Junction.

• Album Picture Disc: The 11-track Anthem album is also presented on a 12” picture disc featuring the iconic original album front cover + unseen shot on the reverse.

• Standalone hit single Thunder in the Mountains is expanded into a 12” vinyl mini-album splatter-coloured, and brings together the single, its b-sides and four previously unreleased instrumental versions. This features a newly designed inner bag featuring previously unseen images and full lyrics. The yellow/red coloured splatter vinyl echoes the iconic sunflower hair that Toyah sports on the legendary front cover shot.

• A 7” orange-coloured vinyl EP celebrates the non-LP tracks Sphinx and For You, recorded during the Anthem album sessions and previously issued as a flexi-disc in 1981 with the magazine Flexipop. Marking the first time these two songs have ever been pressed on regular hard vinyl, the EP features a new full colour sleeve and includes instrumental versions of both tracks on its flipside.

• A 44-page perfect bound book: This exclusive book contains stunning rare and unseen colour images from the Safari archives alongside anecdotes and insights from Toyah Willcox about the 11 songs on Anthem + Thunder In The Mountains, plus lyrics for the full album and its associated B-Sides.

• A 12×12-inch print of the album cover illustration is signed by Toyah Willcox.

• Four exclusive colour postcards celebrate the Four From Toyah photography.

TRACK LISTINGS
CD1: ANTHEM + BONUS TRACKS
1 I Want To Be Free
2 Obsolete
3 Pop Star
4 Elocution Lesson
5 Jungles Of Jupiter
6 I Am
7 It’s A Mystery (Album Mix)
8 Masai Boy
9 Marionette
10 Demolition Men
11 We Are

Bonus Tracks

12 It’s A Mystery – EP Version
13 Revelations
14 War Boys
15 Angels & Demons
16 Walkie Talkie
17 Alien
18 Sphinx
19 For You (Unfaded Version)*
20 I Want To Be Free (Instrumental)*

CD2: RARE & ARCHIVE MATERIAL
1 Thunder In The Mountains
2 Street Addict
3 Voodoo Doll
4 War Boys (Live At Paris Theatre London April 1981)*
5 Neon Womb (Live At Paris Theatre London April 1981)*
6 Danced (Live At Paris Theatre London April 1981)*
7 Angels & Demons (Live At Paris Theatre London April 1981)*
8 It’s A Mystery (Live At Paris Theatre London April 1981)*
9 Ieya (Live At Paris Theatre London April 1981)*
10 It’s A Mystery (Extended Instrumental)*
11 I Am (Instrumental)*
12 Pop Star (Instrumental)*
13 Jungles Of Jupiter (Instrumental)*
14 Joel & Phil (Instrumental Outtake)*
15 Turkish Delight (Instrumental Outtake)*
16 Television (Instrumental Outtake)*

* Previously Unreleased

DVD: RARE & ARCHIVE FOOTAGE
1 The Story Behind The Album
2 Track By Track Commentary
3 I Want To Be Free: Electro/Acoustic Session 2021
4 It’s A Mystery: Electro/Acoustic Session 2021
5 We Are: Electro/Acoustic Session 2021
6 I Want To Be Free: Promo Video
7 Thunder In The Mountains: Promo Video
8 It’s A Mystery: Top Of The Pops 19/02/1981
9 It’s A Mystery: Top Of The Pops 19/03/1981
10 I Want To Be Free: Top Of The Pops 21/05/1981
11 Thunder In The Mountains: Top Of The Pops 01/10/1981
12 I Want To Be Free: Cheggers Plays Pop 18/05/1981
13 It’s A Mystery: Swap Shop 10/10/1881
14 Ieya: Something Else 30/10/1981
15 Thunder In The Mountains: Something Else 30/10/1981

Anthem Egyptian Gold Vinyl LP

Side One (Once Upon A Time)
1 I Want To Be Free
2 Obsolete
3 Pop Star
4 Elocution Lesson
5 Jungles Of Jupiter
6 I Am

Side Two (Happy Ever After?)
7 It’s A Mystery (Album Mix)
8 Masai Boy
9 Marionette
10 Demolition Men
11 We Are

SUPER DELUXE EDITION BOX SET ONLY

CD3 – ANTHEM – MORE RARE & ARCHIVE MATERIAL
All Previously Unreleased

1. It’s A Mystery – Top Of The Pops Version
2. Revelations Alternate Vocal
3. War Boys Alternate Mix
4. I Want To Be Free Alternate Vocal
5. I Am Acoustic
6. Pop Star Rough Mix
7. Marionette Rough Mix
8. Demolition Men Rough Mix
9. Thunder In The Mountains Alternate Vocal
10. Walkie Talkie Instrumental
11. Japan Instrumental Outtake
12. The Door Is A Whore Instrumental
13. For You Instrumental
14. Masai Boy Instrumental
15. Alien Instrumental
16. Thunder In The Mountains Original Instrumental
17. Street Addict Instrumental
18. Voodoo Doll Instrumental
19. Clapham Junction Original Instrumental
20. Dropped Earring Instrumental

Vinyl One: Anthem Picture Disc (same as Egyptian Gold Vinyl LP)

Side One (Once Upon A Time)
1 I Want To Be Free
2 Obsolete
3 Pop Star
4 Elocution Lesson
5 Jungles Of Jupiter
6 I Am

Side Two (Happy Ever After?)
7 It’s A Mystery (Album Mix)
8 Masai Boy
9 Marionette
10 Demolition Men
11 We Are

Vinyl Two: Thunder In The Mountains

Side One (Thunder Side)
1. Thunder In The Mountains
2. Street Addict
3. Voodoo Doll
4. Clapham Junction

Side Two (Lightning Side)
1. Thunder In The Mountains Original Instrumental
2. Street Addict Instrumental
3. Voodoo Doll Instrumental
4. Clapham Junction Original Instrumental

Vinyl Three: Sphinx/For You

Side One:
1. Sphinx
2. For You

Side Two
1. Sphinx Instrumental Demo
2. For You Instrumental

• Pre-Order Anthem on 2CD+DVD, Gold Vinyl & Super Deluxe Edition at Cherry Red (The editions with signed postcards will no doubt have sold out almost immediately!). Read the press release at toyahwillcox.com. Watch Toyah announcing the release during this morning’s Toyah At Home (which also includes an incredibly rare performance of It’s A Mystery from Italian music show Popcorn).

“You give me, fire!”

This weekend has been something of an official “unofficial” celebration of one of Toyah’s most glorious pop moments.

The uplifting 1982 anthem Be Proud Be Loud (Be Heard) – written by Toyah Willcox and Joel Bogen, and originally released in August 1982 – and it’s gorgeous related imagery. With a Toyah At Home special, a retro, and incredibly rare, performance of the song from Italian music show, Popcorn, which aired on Italian TV channel Canale 5 from 1980 to 1985!

Official Toyah popped the cherry on the icing of the “Be Proud” cake by also sharing a previously unseen shot from the Be Proud Be Loud (Be Heard) beach photo session.

“Soul deep!”

Aside from all that, how ahead of the curve was Toyah? The positivity and message of Be Proud Be Loud (Be Heard) is relatable, and relevant, to right now. And the song still sounds so good, from that zoom-in intro to the very last second… (Photo © Cherry Red Records / Screen Caps from a video that is © Canale 5)