Toyah: Anthem 1981 (Deluxe Edition) + The Changeling 1982 (Deluxe Edition)

 

Toyah Ann Willcox was born in Birmingham, England on May 18, 1958, and trained as an actress

at the Old Rep Drama School. She was launched as an anti-establishment figure when she appeared in two cutting-edge films in the late '70s: Jubilee, the punk rock movie directed by Derek Jarman in which she played a character named Mad, and the Who's mod film version of their early-'70s rock opera album Quadrophenia, in which she played the equally bizarrely named character Monkey.
                  

She moved on to front a punk rock band named Toyah, which featured Joel Bogen on guitar, Mark

Henry on bass, Steve Bray on drums, Peter Bush on keyboards, and Toyah herself on vocals, cutting a very striking visual image at this time with bright orange hair with pink tips.
                  

         
Between 1977 and 1983, Willcox fronted the eponymous band Toyah, before embarking on a solo

career in the mid-1980s. At the Brit Awards 1982, Willcox was nominated for British Breakthrough Act, and Best Female Solo Artist. She was nominated a further two times in this category in 1983, and in 1984. Her hit singles, which she co-wrote, include "It's a Mystery", "Thunder in the Mountains" and "I Want to Be Free".
                      

In London, Willcox lived in a place called "Mayhem", a converted British Rail warehouse serving as a studio. It was here the band Toyah recorded their first demos. For the lack of proper bed she slept for a

while in a "second-hand" coffin, reportedly used by the French Red Cross to transport victims of fatal accidents. Her First album Initially released in Germany, in 1979 it was re-released as an LP, comprising the original six tracks, "Victims of the Riddle" A and B sides and three tracks that were previously unavailable on vinyl. Willcox's second album, The Blue Meaning, went to no. 40 in the UK Albums Chart in June 1980. By this time, she is reported as announcing she had severed all ties with punk aesthetics.
                

In 1986 she married guitarist Robert Fripp, formally of King Crimson, who joined her on her 1991 album Ophelia's Shadow, and she formed a new band along with her husband called Sunday All Over

the World. Forming the Humans with Bill Rieflin (R.E.M.) and Chris Wong, Toyah set to work on the group's debut album, We Are the Humans, which arrived in May of 2009. A 2019 reissue of In the Court of the Crimson Queen landed her at number 74 in the U.K. albums charts, marking her first appearance there since 1985. In the 21st century,  released a new album project, In the Court of the Crimson Queen, in the spring of 2008.
                         

TOYAH - ANTHEM 1981

                    

Anthem is a studio album by the English new wave band Toyah, fronted by Toyah Willcox, released in 1981 by Safari Records. It was the band's most successful album, reaching number 2 in the UK Albums

Chart and featuring the Top 10 singles "It's a Mystery" and "I Want to Be Free". The album was certified gold in 1981 for selling more than 100,000 copies in the UK. Anthem was the band's first full-length album recorded with the new lineup which consisted of Willcox, Joel Bogen, Phil Spalding, Nigel Glockler and Adrian Lee. The material was recorded at the Marquee Studios in London and produced by Nick Tauber.
                  

The album cover features a painting by Steve Weston which presents Toyah as a female fairy with

wings, carrying the head of a decapitated male humanoid, with pyramids and smoke in the background. The singer explained that it refers to the theme of strength and domination, and that it was inspired by science fiction works of such authors as J. R. R. Tolkien and Philip K. Dick.
                     

Toyah – Anthem
Label: Cherry Red – TOYAH100
Format: CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered, Stereo, 2 x CD, Box Set, Limited Edition Sep 9, 2022
Country: UK
Released: 1981
Genre: New Wave, Electronic, Rock
Style: Indie Pop, Post-Punk, New Wave

CD 1.

                      

01. I Want To Be Free
02. Obsolete
03. Pop Star
04. Elocution Lesson
05. Jungles Of Jupiter
06. I Am
07. It's A Mystery (Album Mix)
08. Masai Boy
09. Marionette
10. Demolition Men
11. We Are
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)

Flac (24/96) Size: 1.54 GB

CD 2. RARE AND ARCHIVE MATERIAL        

              

01. Thunder In The Mountains
02. Street Addict
03. Voodoo Doll

LIVE AT PARIS THEATRE  05 - 04 - 1981        

                        

  
04. War Boys (Live At Paris Theatre London April 1981)
05. Neon Womb (Live At Paris Theatre London April 1981)
06. Danced (Live At Paris Theatre London April 1981)
07. Angels & Demons (Live At Paris Theatre London April 1981)
08. It's A Mystery (Live At Paris Theatre London April 1981)
09. Ieya (Live At Paris Theatre London April 1981)

MARQUEE STUDIOS DEC 1980 - AUG 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)

Flac (24/96) Size: 1.65 GB

TOYAH - THE GHANGELING 1982

                                

After the amazing commercial success of the album 'Anthem' Toyah did the right thing and produced a

far less commercial set which had the immediate effect of dumping the artist out of the mainstream, almost with immediate effect. One of the most underrated releases of the eighties, this album by Toyah.
             

Over the years Toyah drifted away form her punk roots, her music becoming a kind of alternative pop

with arrangements which held elements from progressive rock and psychedelica and there's off course, the voice of Toyah Willcox, sometimes singing like a fairy, sometimes yelling like a witch, sometimes speaking like a child. Her voice (which sounds like Lene Lovitch meets Kate Bush) is a delight to listen to. Sadly therefore Toyah will be best remembered for a couple of very poppy tracks lifted from the aforementioned album.
            

This is a shame because the first two albums, 'Anthem, and this their fourth album actually offer a very

strong and quite original collection of good quality, creative indie rock tracks.
                   

Toyah – The Changeling
Label: Cherry Red – TOYAH150
Format: CD, Album, Reissue, 2 x CD, Box Set, Deluxe Edition, Limited Edition Sep 29, 2023
Country: Europe
Released: 1982
Genre: Rock
Style: New Wave, Pop Rock
    
CD 1. THE CHANGELING            

                     

01. Creepy Room
02. Street Creature
03. Castaways
04. The Druids
05. Angel & Me
06. The Packt
07. Life In The Trees
08. Dawn Chorus
09. Run Wild, Run Free
10. Brave New World

BONUS TRACKS        

    
11. Warrior Rock
12. Paradise Child
13. Good Morning Universe
14. Urban Tribesmen
15. In The Fairground
16. The Furious Futures
17. Go Berserk (Tour Intro)
18. Stand Proud
19. Clapham Junction
20. I Want To Be Free (Roundhouse Session)
21. Dawn Chorus (6.55 Special Version)

Flac Size: 771 MB
        
CD 2. RARE & ARCHIVE MATERRIAL - ROUNDHOUSE STUDIOS / FEB - JUNE 1982        

                    

  
01. Creepy Room (Work In Progress Mix)
02. Street Creature (Work In Progress Mix)
03. Castaways (Work In Progress Mix)
04. The Druids (Work In Progress Instrumental)
05. Angel & Me (Work In Progress Mix)
06. The Packt (Work In Progress Mix)
07. Life In The Trees (Work In Progress Mix)
08. Dawn Chorus (Work In Progress Mix)
09. Run Wild, Run Free (Work In Progress Mix)
10. Brave New World (Work In Progress Mix)
11. Warrior Rock (Work In Progress Instrumental)
12. Paradise Child (Instrumental Outtake)
13. Untitled No.12 (Instrumental Outtake)

JOEL'S PORTASTUDIO DEMOS / SEPT 1981        

    
14. Chariots (Instrumental Home Demo)
15. The Pied Piper (Instrumental Home Demo)
16. Roxy One (Instrumental Home Demo)
17. Talking To Seifert (Instrumental Home Demo)
18. Piano Ballad (Instrumental Home Demo)
19. Anger (Instrumental Home Demo)
20. Bus Station For Heroes (Instrumental Home Demo)

Flac Size: 683 MB