Dreamscape – Toyah Willcox Fansite

2018 is a big deal – This year Toyah celebrates the landmark event of turning 60, on 18th May. Not only that, this year is also the 40th anniversary of Toyah first making music.

Ten years ago I had a blast counting down to and celebrating Toyah’s fantastic 50th and hope to share some celebratory posts in the build up to Toyah’s 60th in just over two month’s time. Toyah’s official website and social media spaces are also celebrating #Toyah60 with special content and Toyah memories, career achievements and highlights.

• Dreamscape is now in its 19th year of sharing Toyah news so we have a comprehensive archive to look back on and simultaneously celebrate Toyah hitting 60! Have a browse at our many features looking at Toyah’s flabbergasting career and stay tuned for more memories…

Snow, snow and, yup, more snow! Brrrr!! Welcome to March in the UK…

There’s another chance to see one of the greatest pop images in modern music history – brought to life in Toyah’s iconic Brave New World 1982 promo video – very soon on BBC4′s re-airing of classic editions of Top Of The Pops.

Top Of The Pops: BBC4: Tuesday 6h March: 1.30am
17/06/1982. Simon Bates presents the weekly pop chart show, first broadcast on 17th June 1982. Includes appearances by Natasha, Roxy Music, Echo and the Bunnymen, Duran Duran, ABC, Bow Wow Wow, Queen, Toyah and Adam Ant.

On This Day 24.2.1982 the British Rock & Pop Awards (now The Brits) was broadcast on BBC One. Toyah received the award for Best Female Singer presented by Leo Sayer. These stunning shots (left) were taken earlier in the day when the ceremony was filmed. (Images © Official Toyah – See the anniversary British Rock & Pop Awards posts at Toyah’s Official Instagram)

• See Dreamscape’s British Rock & Pop Awards related posts here. Here’s a fantastic shot of Toyah and Joel performing I Want To Be Free at the awards show.

Official Toyah’s gorgeous At The Rainbow anniversary image, along with info on the gig:

On This Day 22.2.1981 Toyah performed a headline gig at the Rainbow Theatre, London with Joel Bogen, Phil Spalding, Nigel Glockler, Adrian Lee. The gig was hot on the feels of the EP Four From Toyah charting in the Top 40 singles chart. Safari Records decided to film the concert and record the audio on the Rolling Stones mobile recording unit. It was then licenced it to BBC who televised a 30-min edit and released a 55-min version on the recently launched home video market on #VHS and #Laserdisc formats, the latter containing Nick Tauber’s stereo mix. The full concert had a rather long set list but since the band had only recently formed they performed arrangements of material from the albums Sheep Farming and The Blue Meaning. They did however perform all 4 of the songs from the EP Four From Toyah which at this point were the only recordings they’d made together. The full set list for this gig was as below and the repeated encore versions of War Boys and Mystery were used in final video edit. (Image © Official Toyah)

37 years ago this very evening Toyah played their, legendary, At The Rainbow concert at The Rainbow Theatre in Finsbury Park, London.

“The irrepressible Toyah Willcox is marching on, opening up new horizons in audio-visual entertainment… She is now number one in a field of one… An original.” London Trax

The Rainbow Theatre, originally known as the Astoria Theatre, is a former cinema which still stands today in Finsbury Park, London and is now a Grade II listed building. It closed as a music venue in December 1981 and lay derilict for many years but was restored in the 1990s and is now used as a church.

“Toyah – a great rock performer, an inimitable individualist of the music scene. The legendary Rainbow Theatre in North London is the setting for this spectacular show, among the laser beams, through clouds of swirly smoke, Toyah struts and strides – a truly spine tingling performance. “Toyah” – band and vocalist – frenzied, pulsating, mystical fabulous – an explosive experience.”

RAINBOW SET-LIST

A 30-minute edit of the gig was aired by the BBC in 1981 and a 55-minute version was released on BBC video and laser disc. Neither of these included the full set-list of songs played at the gig:

War Boys, Neon Womb, Waiting, Our Movie, Revelations, Danced, Race Through Space, Angels & Demons, Love Me, Mummies, Insects, It’s A Mystery, Computer, Indecision, Tribal Look, Ghosts, Victims Of The Riddle, Ieya. ENCORE: It’s A Mystery, War Boys , Bird In Flight, Danced

Toyah Willcox (Vocals), Joel Bogen (Guitar), Phil Spalding (Bass), Nigel Glockler (Drums), Adrian Lee (Keyboards). See the Discography page at toyahwillcox.com and read Dreamscape’s 2011 At The Rainbow mini-feature. Re-live the magical gig at You Tube.

Toyah will be an interview guest on the “For One Night Only” anniversary edition of The Old Grey Whistle Test on Friday. Toyah appeared on the series performing Danced & Indecision, March 1980 and live in concert from Drury Lane Theatre Royal as the Whistle Test special on Christmas Eve 1981. This special is airing to mark 30 years since the legendary series was last broadcast.

The Old Grey Whistle Test Live: BBC Four: Friday 23rd February: 9pm
For One Night Only. Hosted by Bob Harris, this live studio show features music, special guests and rare archive footage to mark the 30 years since the legendary series was last broadcast. Featuring performances from Peter Frampton, Richard Thompson, Albert Lee and more. Bob also chats to Whistle Test alumni, including Dave Stewart, Joan Armatrading, Ian Anderson, Chris Difford and Kiki Dee, as well as fans Danny Baker and Al Murray.

On This Day in 1980 Toyah’s double a-side single Bird In Flight/Tribal Look was released. The single was produced by Matt Dangerfield (The Boys) and recorded in Dec 1979 with Joel Bogen, Charlie Francis, Steve Bray & Pete Bush. Click below for a celebration collage from Official Toyah.

On Valentine’s Day 1981, the Four From Toyah EP entered the UK Top 40 singles chart. It would rise to a peak position of 4 and after many years of frequenting the Indie Charts would be the first of Toyah’s singles to cross into the mainstream. (Image © Official Toyah)

Click below to view Dreamscape’s 2011 30th Anniversary feature on the iconic EP,  and browse our sporadic Four From Toyah news posts – from 2012 onwards (go further back in time at our News Archive).

The year 2018 is one which includes several momentous milestones for Toyah. This includes her 60th birthday and the 40th anniversary of her music career as Toyah recorded her first studio demos with Joel Bogen in 1978. Stay tuned to Toyah’s official site, instagram, Twitter & Facebook for regular virtual slices of birthday cake!

Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Thursday 8th February: 0.50am
26.11.1981: Mike Read presents the pop chart show, first broadcast on 26 November 1981. Includes appearances by Kim Wilde, Jets, Toyah, Kool and the Gang, Earth Wind and Fire, Cliff Richard, Ultravox, and Queen and David Bowie.

Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Tuesday 6th February: 1am
15/10/1981. David ‘Kid’ Jensen presents the TOTP hits of the week, first broadcast on 15 October 1981. Includes appearances from BA Robertson & Maggie Bell, Squeeze, Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin, This Year’s Blonde, Toyah, the Creatures and Bad Manners. Also includes a dance sequence by Legs & Co. (NB: Toyah’s appearance is via the TITM video)

Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Thursday 1st February: 1.40am
01/10/81. Mike Read introduces the pop programme. Includes appearances from Godley & Creme (Under Your Thumb), Sheena Easton (Just Another Broken Heart), The Teardrop Explodes (Passionate Friend), The Creatures (Mad Eyed Screamer), Ottawan (Hands Up [Give Me Your Heart]), Toyah (Thunder In The Mountains), Bad Manners (Walking In The Sunshine), Altered Images (Happy Birthday), Dollar (Hand Held In Black & White), Adam & The Ants (Prince Charming).

Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Tuesday 23rd January: 1am
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).

Top Of The Pops: 1981: BBC Four: Friday 12th January: 0.00am
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: Tuesday 16th January: 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).