Fresh up and exclusive to cherryred.tv – The Safari Records Story with John Craig (interviewed by Iain McNay). John Craig was the co-founder and CEO of Safari Records, an Independent label which flourished between 1977 and 1985. One of the label’s first signings was Wayne County, the controversial American artist who had helped to build his profile by performing at Max’s Kansas city club in New York. His Track ‘Fuck Off’ (also known as ‘If you don’t want to fuck me baby fuck off’) was a top Independent selling single in the UK for nearly a year. Wayne then became Jayne – one of the first transgender artists. Safari also had two successful albums with the Boys before signing Toyah in 1979. This led to consistent single and album chart success for the label. John talks us through the stories behind these and many other signings. Watch his fascinating story.
He runs to the water’s edge, To feel the sea, To smell the air, To feel he’s free, He does not really need to see…
Toyah’s third single, and first new music of the Eighties, was the double A-Side, Bird in Flight/Tribal Look. The single was released in February 1980 on Safari Records. Bird in Flight is a brave, raw and ambitious classic from Toyah’s discography and has stood the test of time well, still sounding as good today as upon its release 39 years ago! Though Toyah has said she now finds the lyric “excruciatingly wrong”!
Bird in Flight/Tribal Look were both written by Willcox/Francis/Bogen/Bush/Bray.
Toyah’s second single, the Sheep Farming In Barnet (EP/AP), was released in July 1979. The traditional EP contained four songs, Safari Records wanted to differentiate from that format and decided to release SIX songs on one single (a mini album really). This was the first, and last, AP release. Tracks were: A. Neon Womb, Indecision, Waiting; B. Our Movie, Danced, Last Goodbye.
The band members were Pete Bush: Keyboards, Mark Henry: Bass, Joel Bogen: Guitar, Steve Bray: Drums, Toyah Willcox: Verbals. As with the debut single, this was a huge hit on the UK indie chart, and also increased the band’s, already growing, popularity in other parts of Europe. The, now iconic, cover shot for the single was taken at the RAF Fylingdales radar station near Whitby in Yorkshire. Unfortunately, the “golf balls” were demolished in the mid 1980′s.
Safari Records’ late 70s/early 80s timeline of Toyah dates the band signing to the label as January 1979, though their “Our History” implies it may have been late 1978:
In 1978 a Melody Maker postage stamp picture of Toyah together with a small but glowing review of one of the very few gigs that her band had ever played led us to a leaky rehearsal space under Waterloo Bridge, where we saw the band and they signed with Safari who then were pleasantly surprised to learn of Toyah Willcox, actress, her performances in The Corn is Green (starring Katherine Hepburn), Jubilee, Quadrophenia and her current casting as Miranda in Derek Jarman’s forthcoming The Tempest.
News of a Safari nature is expected to be announced, via Toyah’s Breaking Through newsletter, imminently. There will also be a Safari reissue project later in 2014.
• Subscribe: Sign up to ‘Breaking Through’, to receive regular newsletter updates, here.
• Safari Records: Lots of Toyah at the website’s Home Page at the moment… Including the recently digitally released ‘Love Is The Law’ – Visit the site… (Thanks to Jimi LaLumia)
• Toyah @ Instagram: Toyah recently shared a photo: “Sean chapman & dean stockings have taken over my home! We r shooting Rebel Run bedroom poster and tour t-shirt concept” – View photo…
• We Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday: Toyah tweeted: “Recording Vintage Christmas with brummie pal roy wood of wizard” yesterday – View the photo…
• Express: ‘I came back from the brink’ says China in Your Hand singer Carol Decker: A mention for Toyah in this article published today – Continue reading…
• Dabbler: The Last Set Of Brief Lives For The Time Being: Willcox, Toyah (British popstrel, b. 1958). Mindful of her status as a cultural icon, Toyah Wilcox maintains a separate property solely for the storage of her archive, including press cuttings and VHS recordings of all her appearances on Top Of The Pops. – Continue reading…
A preview of just one of the pages and images from the excellent Love Is The Law digital booklet, featuring an update to the red/yellow combo originally used in the vinyl album’s inner sleeve. There’s been some great feedback about the download release of Toyah’s uplifting 1983 album over the last couple of weeks.
A variety of great Toyah news is included in the latest Breaking Through newsletter, just emailed out to subscribers this evening, including that Love Is The Law is to be released digitally on 15th July.
The track list includes the full 10-track album plus nine bonus tracks: To The Mountains High, Baptised In Fire, Haunted, Be Proud Be Loud (Be Heard), Laughing With The Fools, Urban Tribesman, The Furious Futures, Stand Proud, Ieya 1982 [Full Length Version].
A new digital booklet containing Toyah’s intro note, imagery and lyrics accompanies the new release. The cover has also been slightly revised. This also now means that Toyah’s complete Safari discography – every song – is available digitally. Fantastic news!
• Sign up to the ‘Breaking Through’ newsletter at toyahwillcox.com.
Guaranteed to put a smile on your face! What a great photo, a fantastic, and rare, band shot from 1980. This was originally a Safari Records promo photo, possibly mailed out to radio stations etc. Please click below to view a larger version. (Thanks to Andi)
As previously mentioned, the 2013 reprint of the 2005 CD reissue of Toyah’s 1985 Safari Records album ‘Mayhem’ is now available to pre-order at Burning Shed and will ship from 3rd June. This is the same edition as the ’05 CD, but the album is also now available digitally for the first time. Here’s a new Dreamscape “advert” for Mayhem. Please click for a larger version.
This fascinating album gives an insight into late 70s/early 80s works in progress by Toyah and comprises finished songs not included on EPs and albums.
These Safari Records photos were recently on sale at ebay. The photos aren’t rare these days but as Safari promos they are quite unique. This was possibly the only time Safari released photos that promoted Toyah as an actress (in The Corn Is Green).
Incidentally, The Corn Is Green airs very early tomorrow (and also in June) on True Movies.
The Corn is Green: True Movies 2: Friday 24th May: 1.00am The Corn is Green: True Movies 1: Thursday 6th June: 1.00am
Academy Award winner Katharine Hepburn stars as a schoolteacher determined to help the people of a turn-of-the-century Welsh mining town. With Ian Saynor, Bill Fraser, Patricia Hayes, Anna Massey, Artro Morris, Dorothea Phillips, Toyah Willcox, Huw Richards, Bryn Fon, Dyfan Roberts and Robin John. Directed by: George Cukor (1979).
News of a Safari nature is expected to be announced, via Toyah’s 
