1. Why are you referred to as a giraffe and Kermit. I can't see any resemblance?
Sometimes there can be a slight resemblance, especially in the morning.
 

2. What are your favourite bands?
I like many different types of bands, U2 and Big Country are my favourites
 at the moment.
 

3. What do you do when you are not working with the band?
Mostly I spend my spare time writing music and playing guitar. Also I like
 to play squash and walk my dog, Honey Monster.
 

4. Do you believe in ghosts? UFO's? The devil?
I would very much like to be ET.
 

5. Who are your favourite musicians?
All the musicians we have worked with have been an inspiration.
 

6. What's your reaction when you see someone in the audience eyeing you up?
Don't think I can answer this one. (You shouldn't be so bashful Joel)
 

7. Does it bother you when Toyah gets most of the limelight?
No not at all.
 

8. Who would you most lke to meet?
I would like to meet historical figures, like King Arthur, as history and
 legends fascinate me.
 

9. Are you engaged, married or do you have a girlfriend?
All three, possibly.
 

10. Have you any bad habits?
Of course I have.
 

11. What guitars do you use?
Mainly I use a Roland synth guitar, with or without the synth module.
 On the new album I also used a Travis Bean guitar and a Tokai STJO.
 

12. When did you start to play guitar and why?
At 16 I started to play, mainly because school didn't hold my interest.
 

13. Have you seen any of Toyah's films/plays, if so what do you think of them?
I have seen them all, Trafford Tanzi is my favourite.
 

14. Which guitarists do you admire?
Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Adrian Belew, Robert Fripp, Eddie Van Halen and Alan Holdsworth.
 

15. Di you like school?
School could be fun, but I found it hard to sustain an interest in lessons.
 

16. Funniest thing that happened to you on stage?
As yet nothing very funny has happened to me on stage.
 

17. What perfume do you wear?
The great smell of Henry Cooper.
 

18. Have you ever had anything/animal/person named after you?
A hamster and a couple of actors.
 

19. Are you nervous before a show?
Some shows I suffer from nerves and others I don't. It depends a lot on how
 much everyone else is feeling.
 

20. What other jobs have you done?
After leaving school I did a few part time jobs before being signed to Safari
 Records. My favourite was being a delivery boy for a delicatessan.
 

Originally published in 'Intergalactic Ranchouse' - Issue 17: 1983.

"Glenn (Marks, one of Toyah's first friends in London) suggested that I should meet Joel to explore 
the possibility of forming a band. In the same sentence he praised and crucified Joel: 'He's good, he 
can play guitar real well, but he's a shit.' So I called Joel and went to meet him, in his bedroom in 
the suburbs of Finchley. He wasn't a shit. He was cute. A family boy and, unlike Glenn and 
me, a boy with a happy disposition.

In Joel's bedroom there was a Marshall stack, an echo unit and a few guitars and Joel played
 'Free Bird' for the first half hour before graduating on to Deep Purple. We talked and improvised
 around a few chords. I found Joel particularly melodic, rather than thrashy, and it appealed to
 my ears. So we decided to give it a go and form a band...." Toyah, Living Out Loud (2000)

Joel Bogen - Tiny Factfile

Joel was born on 3rd September, 1958, in Finchley, London. He, like Toyah, celebrated
 his 46th birthday in 2004.

HELLO!
Instead of writing about myself, I think
...........................................................
...........................................................
...........................................................
...........................................................
We hope you enjoyed the Gig,
love, Joel
P.S. I still believe Giraffes are fine animals.
P.P.S. One day I promise to stand up, but
 for now it is more comfortable to sit.
And, enjoy the album!
 

Many thanks to Andi Westhorpe for the rare Joel/Toyah band pictures.