Dreamscape – Toyah Willcox Fansite

Like Punk Never Happened: Smash Hits Archive has been continuing to upload retro issues of ‘Smash Hits’ magazine 30 years to the day they were originally published in the UK.

Various “recent” issues have included Toyah – Minx and its related singles were being released around this time back in 1985.

• Smash Hits, June 19 – July 2, 1985: This issue includes a full-page advert for the single Soul Passing Through Soul. Toyah is also included in the feature – “Who Is Pop’s Mr Clever Trousers?” – Read the issue here…

• Smash Hits, June 5 – 18, 1985: Toyah is included in the feature – “Oh! You’re Not As Tall As You Are On The Telly!” – Read the issue here…

• Smash Hits, May 22 – June 4, 1985: This issue includes the feature – “Toyah: Personal File” – Toyah answers lots of slightly odd questions, such as “When was the last time you saw a spirit?“. This was Toyah’s second “Personal File” for ‘Smash Hits’, the other was in early 1983 –  Read the issue here…

• Smash Hits, May 8 – 21, 1985: This issue includes the songwords for the single Don’t Fall in Love (I Said) – Read the issue here…

• Smash Hits, April 24 – May 7, 1985: This issue includes a full-page advert for the single Don’t Fall in Love (I Said) – Read the issue here…

Toyah didn’t release any new music in 1984 but ‘Smash Hits’ still included her in their special extra issue – The Smash Hits Christmas Party, published in association with Woolworth – in December 1984: Will You Be Watching The Queen’s Speech? When you jump up after the Christmas Top Of The Pops, is it to stand to attention for Her Majesty or a mad dash to switch off the TV? We asked a selection of pop stars if they’d be tuning in to that speech… Click below to view a larger version – Read the full issue here. (Thanks to Like Punk Never Happened – Smash Hits Archive)

• Smash Hits Archive: The latest issue of ‘Smash Hits’, February 16 – 29 1984, has recently been uploaded to the fantastic Like Punk Never Happened: Smash Hits Archive, 30 years to the day it was originally published. There’s just a tiny news piece, in “Bitz”, on Toyah but worth linking to as this was one of very few mentions for Toyah in the magazine throughout 1984, and it’s also significant as it’s about the first ever Toyah compilation – Visit here…

• Digital Spy: What did we see at the Splash final & wrap party? Anna Williamson’s blog: A couple of photos of Toyah in this article – Continue reading…

• DGM Live: Vintage Fripp: Was great to see Robert Fripp’s website using a screenshot from Dreamscape recently. He made last weekend’s My Vintage really watchable and interesting and seems like a very caring and humble gentleman – View here…

• Toyah’s Speech: Not sure when this is from but ‘Learning-Southwest’ have published a full transcript – Continue reading…

• Live 2014: 48 Hour Party!: Come and join over 1500 people as they rock the night away 80′s style – Continue reading…

• DEF: Donkaster Elektronische Freundschaft’s Jan Doyle Band Support Toyah!: Not only are this band supporting Toyah on her Crimson Queen/Greatest Hits…Live! date at Warehouse 23, Wakefield in April, but any tickets bought via them raises cash for a worthy charity – Continue reading…

• Smash Hits Yearbook 1984: The fantastic Smash Hits Archive uploaded scans of the full 1984 Yearbook at the weekend. This includes Toyah content in the “Gonna Write A Classic” feature, which has original lyrics by Toyah – View the page here, and the full Yearbook here.

• Official Countdown: Following the excellent second Digital Advent another countdown happened in early January – Toyah’s Official Facebook page posted water-themed updates, including the great cover photo from The Lady Or The Tiger. Of course these were leading to the Splash! announcement but it was also mentioned that the 1986 spoken word album has now been digitised and could be available digitally at some point in time.

• Birmingham Post: Proud city film-maker salutes hero: A Birmingham film-maker is giving away his new movie to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of city inventor Alexander Parkes… On January 18, Steve will begin his next feature production, Fun With Caravans, starring actor David Proud, who was Graham in N.F.A. “I’d love to get Toyah involved in that one,” he says – Continue reading…

• The Skinny: Film News: Derek Jarman at BFI; Boba Fett movie rumours; the death of Optimus Prime: Derek Jarman, one of the most important British filmmakers of the last 50 years, will be given an in-depth retrospective in February and March this year at London’s BFI – Continue reading…

• Toyah Live 2014: A new Acoustic, Up Close & Personal date has been added to Toyah’s gig diary: Victoria Hall, Settle on 25th July – Visit Toyah’s Official Gigs page…

• Toyah @ Twitter: Lots of tweets from Toyah through Christmas and into the New Year- Follow Toyah here…

• Splash! Tickets: The tickets for next Saturday’s show featuring Toyah’s dive are fully booked but here is the link which also includes 18 January should Toyah also be diving that evening too!

• Sugar Rush: A great new look for 2014 from The Humans’ fansite Sugar Rush.

Uploaded to the Smash Hits Archive exactly 30 years since originally being published, the latest issue of ‘Smash Hits’. This one includes full-page songwords for ‘The Vow’. Click below to view.

A few Toyah bits & pieces included in the latest issue of ‘Smash Hits’, November 10 – 23, 1983, uploaded to the Smash Hits Archive exactly 30 years since originally being published.

Singles: Reviewed by Mark Steels TOYAH: The Vow (Safari) Not yer classic rock ballad but enough folksy guitar bits and flowery keyboard patterns to get a whole forest of peace-signs pointing skywards at next year’s Reading Festival. Laurence Olivier will love it – View at the SH Archive…

Bitz: Toyah’s latest single, “The Vow” precedes a massive British tour – her first since her pre-Christmas jaunt in ’82 – that takes her through November and December. See Dates for details  – View at the SH Archive…

Dates: Includes a Love Is The Law photo of Toyah and the full tour dates for the Rebel Run Tour  – View at the SH Archive…

Just uploaded to the Smash Hits Archive, the latest issue (October 27 – November 9 1983) of the late 70s/early 80s must-have magazine, exactly 30 years to the day it was originally published. This includes a full page advert for the Love Is The Law album and a 7 out of 10 review for the album too.

TOYAH: Love Is The Law (Safari) This has imaginatively powerful tracks such as “Broken Diamonds” and “Dreamscape” which conjure up vivid futuristic images of things such as “scrapyards of human emotion” and general planetary desolation. Even so, Toyah has developed a softer side to her music. “The Vow” is a haunting romantic melody and one of the high points of the album. Don’t know whether it will gain her any new admirers but her fans will love it (7 out of 10) Lisa Anthony

• Visit the ‘Smash Hits Archive’ here. Here are direct links to view the advert and review.

The Smash Hits Archive collection at flickr has a new layout, making browsing each issue far easier than previously. The archive is currently at mid 1983, with tons of Toyah content including her three cover issues: View 27 November – 10 December 1980, September 3 – 16 1981 and May 27 – June 9 1982.

• More retro Toyah magazine articles: View Toyah articles from three issues of 80’s music magazine ZigZag. (Thanks to John Kidd)

The March 17-30 1983 issue of ‘Smash Hits’ has been uploaded to the Smash Hits Archive, exactly 30 years ago to the day it was originally published.

The magazine, with Tracie Young and Paul Weller on the cover, includes a “Bitz” news clipping with the first mention of Toyah appearing in Trafford Tanzi.

Poll-winning warbler and sometime actress, your very own Ms Toyah Willcox, is due to begin treading the boards of the Mermaid Theatre, London from some time in late March. She’ll be taking over the title role in Trafford Tanzi, a very successful feminist musical that takes the form of a wrestling match. Rehearsals for the new cast have just been started, and they sound somewhat strenuous! The reason that there’s no precise opening date is because the show can’t go on until they’re all “in shape”.

Meanwhile, over in New York, Debie Harry is getting in shape to take the same role in a Broadway production of the same play! All this theatrical activity means, of course, that meantime there won’t be many records from either of this pair.

• Continue reading at the Smash Hits Archive.

The March 3-16 1983 issue of ‘Smash Hits’ has been uploaded to the Smash Hits Archive, exactly 30 years ago to the day it was originally published.

The magazine, with Eurythmics on the cover, includes their first “Personal File” on Toyah (they printed another one in 1985 around the time of ‘Dont Fall in Love’ & ‘Minx’).

NAME: Toyah Ann Willcox
BORN: May 18, 1958, in Kings Heath, Birmingham, at home. I can’t remember much about it.
FIRST MEMORY: Sometimes I feel I can be aware of when I was inside my Mum. Otherwise, my first memory is of my first day at school. I was never told what school was; I was told about the day before that I was going to school. It was the first time I was ever parted from my mother and I never forgave her for it. I was petrified and cried and fought all day. I remember holding on to my Mum’s clothes and having to be ripped apart from her.

• Continue reading at the Smash Hits Archive.

The All-Star Request issue (January 6 – 19 1983) of Smash Hits magazine was published 30 years ago today. This included ‘Ieya’ by Toyah and many other songword favourites. The complete issue has just been uploaded to the Smash Hits Archive.