Dreamscape – Toyah Willcox Fansite

Cherry Red Records release a special limited edition 10” vinyl EP of Toyah’s 1982 version of the seasonal Greg Lake classic I Believe In Father Christmas.

Originally recorded for inclusion on the ITV special Pop Goes Christmas, the track features Toyah Willcox (vocals), Joel Bogen (acoustic guitar) and Keith Hale (keyboards). The much-loved version is newly remastered from the original master tapes, and the EP also includes three previously unreleased variations unearthed from the archives.

Side One includes the main version and the backing track that enables Toyah’s evocative backing vocals for the track to be heard clearly. Side Two features an alternate vocal from the November 1982 Marquee Studios session, without additional overdubs and backing vocals. An Instrumental version completes the EP.

The 10” vinyl is pressed on snow white vinyl and protected by a festive red die-cut inner disco bag inner sleeve that carries the a gift wrap design featuring a repeated classic Toyah logo motif. The EP outer jacket is a newly designed and sports fantastically festive and relevant period photography from the 1982 television programme the track was recorded for.

All EPs come with a colour Toyah Christmas Card (with a rare colour image of Toyah) in a throwback to the annual Christmas cards posted out to members of The Intergalactic Ranchhouse, the official Toyah fan club ran by Safari Records.

The EP is the third in a series of 10″ vinyl releases. The second 10″ EP, Rebel Run reached number 1 in the UK Singles Vinyl Chart, no.3 on the Physical Singles Chart on Friday 27 September.

• Pre-Order I Believe In Father Christmas on 10″ Vinyl EP at Cherry Red. Read the news at toyahwillcox.com. Watch Toyah announcing the release during, a surprise bonus episode of, Toyah At Home (which also includes a special video for The Vow from The Saturday Show in 1983).

We’ve reached the final day of our Christmas Countdown 2023…

In every waking hour I miss you, In my dreams I never kiss you, And in the shadows creatures want to hurt you, but in love and war I’ll never desert you…

Christmas 1983, Toyah was promoting The Vow, the final single for Safari Records, the Love Is The Law album, and travelling the UK on the Rebel Run Tour. Toyah, and the band, appeared on numerous TV shows in the UK and Europe through November and December, being interviewed as well as performing The Vow and Rebel Run.

The TV shows included; Pebble Mill, Did You See?, Pop Watch, Saturday Superstore, Breakfast Time, Razzmatazz, The Saturday Show, Harty, Crackerjack and Judgendbund. Other shows included in ‘The Vow’ promotion were; TVAM: Good Morning Britain and 60 Minutes.

A little, albeit unconventional, retail therapy at one of London’s top department stores made the fourth festive season of the 80s a very memorable one for Toyah fans and viewers of Good Morning Britain on TVAM.

Christmas 1983, Toyah, and her Brave New World video co-star Messenger, went early Christmas shopping in November… Pop singer and actress Toyah Willcox has always wanted to do her Christmas shopping on horseback! With a little help from TV-am’s ‘Fantasy Time’, and Liberty London in Regent Street, Toyah rode a white horse called Messenger through the store.

• Watch the full TVAM clip at Toyah’s Official You Tube channel and click below to see larger versions of the screen captures of Toyah and Messenger.

35 years ago today, 12th November 1983, Toyah’s 14th single, The Vow, entered the UK Singles chart. The single was released on 7″ and 12″ vinyl and was backed with I Explode (by Willcox/Bogen) and extra song Haunted (by Willcox/Simon Darlow).

The Vow, written by Toyah Willcox, Joel Bogen and Phil Spalding, was the final single release by the early 80s Toyah band and final physical single release on Safari Records.

Toyah worked her Love Is The Law/Rebel Run baseball shoulder pads off promoting The Vow everywhere – TV show appearances included Pebble Mill, Did You See?, Pop Watch, Saturday Superstore, Breakfast Time, Razzmatazz, The Saturday Show, Harty, Crackerjack, Judgendbund, TVAM: Good Morning Britain and 60 Minutes.

No official promo video was filmed for the single so ITV’s The Saturday Show and Toyah filmed one. As with every single release during the 80s Toyah had a unique image for The Vow, strikingly different to her recent Rebel Run look.

The Vow was produced by, longtime Toyah producer, Nick Tauber. It peaked at No. 50 and spent seven weeks on the chart.

We are celebrating the forthcoming 35th Anniversary of Toyah’s seriously stupendous Love Is The Law album. Here’s a really great interview with Toyah from Harty, aired by the BBC in late 1983, plus Toyah and Joel performing ‘The Vow’. Click below to watch at Dreamscape’s You Tube channel and view larger versions of the screen caps here. (Thanks to Andy for the clip)

October marks the 35th Anniversary of the release of Toyah’s final studio album on Safari Records and final album release as a band, Love Is The Law. A wonderful album released in October 1983 and packed full of Toyah’s most melodic music, great lyrics and soaring vocals – Time Is Ours is such an underrated classic – Broken Diamonds and Dreamscape similarly. Stay tuned to toyah.net over the next few weeks for LITL related content and posts…

33 years ago this week The Vow was released. Taken from the album Love Is The Law, it was also Toyah’s final single on Safari Records. A rousing rock ballad with fantastic vocals from Toyah, incredible guitar from Joel Bogen, and moving lyrics. But in love and war I’ll never desert you…

Christmas 1983, Toyah was promoting ‘The Vow’, the final single for Safari Records, the ‘Love Is The Law’ album, and travelling the UK on the ‘Rebel Run’ Tour. Toyah, and the band, appeared on numerous TV shows in the UK and Europe through November and December, being interviewed as well as performing ‘The Vow’ and ‘Rebel Run’.

The TV shows included; Pebble Mill, Did You See?, Pop Watch, Saturday Superstore, Breakfast Time, Razzmatazz, The Saturday Show, Harty, Crackerjack and Judgendbund. Other shows included in ‘The Vow’ promotion were; TVAM: Good Morning Britain and 60 Minutes. 

A rare photo of Toyah from 1983. I’m not sure where this, circa The Vow, shot originates from but it was obviously taken at the same time as the photo session these two, previously available, photos are from. Click below to view a larger version.

Christmas 1983, Toyah was promoting ‘The Vow’, the final single for Safari Records, the ‘Love Is The Law’ album, and travelling the UK on the ‘Rebel Run’ Tour. Toyah, and the band, appeared on numerous TV shows in the UK and Europe through November and December, being interviewed as well as performing ‘The Vow’ and ‘Rebel Run’.

The TV shows included; Pebble Mill, Did You See?, Pop Watch, Saturday Superstore, Breakfast Time, Razzmatazz, The Saturday Show, Harty, Crackerjack and Judgendbund. Other shows included in ‘The Vow’ promotion were; TVAM: Good Morning Britain and 60 Minutes.

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…

It’s the final day of October and also of Dreamscape’s Love Is The Law Month. I hope you’ve enjoyed all the LITL related posts over the last 31 days. Of course the Love Is The Law & More Tour is still in full swing, with another three dates still to be played. To finish off here’s a really lovely interview with Toyah from Harty, aired by the BBC in late 1983, plus Toyah and Joel performing ‘The Vow’. Click below to watch at Dreamscape’s You Tube channel and view larger versions of the screen caps here. (Thanks to Andy for the clip)

Toyah’s second, and final single, from the Love Is The Law album was ‘The Vow’, the first time a ballad had been released as a single by Toyah. This was also the final single on Safari Records (though at the time there were still plans to release ‘Dreamscape’ as a single in early 1984). No official promo video was filmed for the single so ITV’s The Saturday Show and Toyah made one, and it’s a good clip. View at Dreamscape’s You Tube channel by clicking below. View larger versions of the screen caps here. (Thanks to Andy for the clip)