In 2001 Dreamscape placed 324th out of over 2,600 music websites, in 2002 we did even better by coming 244th from 3000 sites. The following year we placed at number 129 from thousands of music based websites, and in 2004 Dreamscape came 195th from over 6000 entrants. Last year we were number 165 from approximately 10,000 music websites.

• Toyah is pictured, wearing that famous bright pink hat from last year, in this week's 'TV Quick' magazine, dated 2nd - 8th September. It's a small article also featuring Cluadia Schiffer, Zandra Rhodes and others:

"Its A Mystery why singer Toyah Willcox doesn't Want To Be Free from that odd looking hat-but al least it matches the carpet" [ Thanks to sheepfarminginbarnet @ Dreamscape's forum ]

• BBC Worldwide are featuring the recently released Peter Pan 2 disc CD as one of their "products of August" in their BBC Radio Collection.

When Peter Pan flies into the night nursery of Wendy, John and Michael Darling, he takes them on the journey - and the adventure - of a lifetime. Mermaids, wolves and Indians weave their spell in the magical Never Never Land - where also lurks the wicked Captain Hook. Toyah Willcox stars as Peter Pan with Ron Moody as Captain Hook, Roy Hudd as Smee and June Whitfield as Mrs Darling in this spectacular BBC Radio 4 dramatisation, recorded in Dolby Surround Sound with stunning sound effects and specially composed music.

[ Source: www.bbcworldwide.com - August 2006 ]

• The recently re-issued Special Edition Quadrophenia DVD was one of the DVD's of the week in the "Culture" section of the 'Sunday Times' (dated 20th August 2006):

Quadrophenia special edition 
Film Four stars
Extras Four stars

The zeitgeist-capturing, cult-classic story of sharply suited, pill-popping, party-going and - who could forget? - Lambretta-riding teens is rereleased on a new DVD featuring that rare commodity: interesting and well-produced extras. The story of Jimmy (Phil Daniels) and his merry band of mods, as they dance, shag and fight their way from Shepherd’s Bush to Brighton beach, to a soundtrack provided by the Who, is revisited by the director, Franc Roddam, and many of the lead actors, including Daniels and Toyah Willcox, who reflect on the film’s themes of coming of age and forging an identity. Neatly titled sections of the documentary cover everything a die-hard fan could want to know, from the music to the suits to the fact that Sting can’t really dance. HG: Universal, 18, 115 mins; £17.99.

[ News Source: The Sunday Times - 20th August 2006 ]

Toyah talked about working with the legendary Katharine Hepburn... and her first forays into theatre and music:

"I enjoyed theatre but I didn’t want to do musicals, the music did not appeal to me at all, I was a rock chick. I started going around asking punk bands 'Does anyone need a singer?' There was no path to being a punk singer- it was all about chance. Eventually I got into a band from Golders Green and we used to rehearse at the cemetery."

She also talked about, the recently rereleased, Quadrophenia: "I first auditioned for the Leslie Ash role and John Lydon (Johnny Rotten) was going for the Phil Daniels part but the film company would not insure him, they thought he was a liability. Then I had to fight for the role of Monkey, I went round to the directors house and Phil Daniels happened to be there so I had to snog him but that was fine as I knew him anyway… and then I got the role"

Toyah went on to talk about the hits: "People always think of 'It’s A Mystery' as my first hit but to me, the one in my heart is 'Victims Of The Riddle' because it number one for 12 months in the Independent Chart. I was proud of that. To me the Indie chart is where all the important stuff is. 'Blue Meaning' was no 2 in the Album chart, but singles were much bigger back then, that’s what counted"

On favourite songs from her own back catalogue: "All the songs are infused with so many memories, what was happening at the time…so I can’t really name any favourites. For instance I don’t like 'Mystery' because the band had just split, they thought I concentrated too much on acting so it was just me and Joel left. It was heartbreaking.

And when I was writing 'Thunder' I was pacing around my flat, Diana & Charles getting married on the telly, two stalkers had my phone number so they were outside the house phoning every five minutes…and they were stopping me from doing the one thing that would make them feel better - writing new songs.

If I really had to choose one favourite song it would be 'Martian Cowboy'.  I was doing a play called Trafford Tanzi during the evening and recording the 'Love Is The Law' album all through the night. I used to take sleeping pills to chill out so when I did the vocals to 'Martian' I sounded so relaxed! I used to slip the pills into Joel’s coffee as well!"

Toyah on sexuality: "It never ever occurred to me that I could use sexuality to sell records until later, Madonna opened my eyes to that. I hated my 30’s, I put on weight…in my 40’s I Iost two stone, I was at my most sexually potent, I have made a point of being sexual, hence the short skirts. I’ve never bothered with children so I’ve taken the last embers of my biological clock on stage."

And on learning: "I wish I’d learned more! I wish I’d paid attention at school…I just pissed my school days away, I was very lazy. I wish I’d learned an instrument, not doing that has always held me back. I wish I‘d read more. I was dyslexic but I could plough my way through a book."

And, finally, on the future: "I have a lot of projects coming up. I’m a director and a co-presenter on a gameshow that is probably going to go on Channel 5. I’ve started a company called Eccentric Games with a friend of mine. There’s a TV series called China Detective, lead role in Medusa, film with Phil Daniels…I’m not at home watching the telly! I’m busier than ever. People ask me 'what are you doing at the moment?' and I say you really don’t want to know! People don’t realise there’s so many projects that just boil over and never happen…"

[ A HUGE THANKS to Minna Kelland ]

Thunder In The Mountains
Be Proud Be Loud (Be Heard)
It's A Mystery
Martian Cowboy
Obsolete
I Want To Be Free
Echo Beach
The Vow
Angels & Demons
It's A Mystery (Weybridge Mix)

[ THANKS to Minna Kelland ]

Collectormania G-Mex - Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th November 2006
Central Hall, The G-Mex Centre, Windmill Street, Manchester, Lancs, M2 3GX

[ News Source: www.collectormaniagmex.co.uk - August 2006 ]

• Toyah will be a contestant on BBC1's Celebrity Masterchef (At Large) this Autumn. [ NB: Update: This is scheduled to begin airing sometime in September ]

• 'Take The Leap!' and 'Toyah! Toyah! Toyah!' are being released/reissued on CD in September/October 2006.

• Toyah plays Butlins in October (6th, Skegness), and November (26th, Bognor).

• She tours England and Wales in October/November/early December with AbC and Howard Jones on 'The Hitmakers Tour'.

• Faith & Music, the ITV documentary series, includes a Toyah special (filmed earlier this year) in their new run. This may air on the channel before the end of 2006.[ NB: Update: The new 12-part series of Faith & Music begins on ITV tomorrow night, so Toyah should be in there somewhere ]

• As reported above, it looks likely that Toyah will be a guest at the 'Collectormania 2006' G-Mex convention in November.

• Rounding off the year is Aladdin at the Theatre Royal in Brighton.

[ News Source: www.remembertheeighties.com - 24th August 2006 ]

The 'It's A Mystery' (Weybridge Mix) will close the programme at Midday.

TOYAH WILLCOX - NO LONGER A MYSTERY
Monday August 28th : 10.00am. - 12.00 Midday (GMT + 1)
net Talk Radio : www.nettalkradio.co.uk

[ Thanks to Craig @ www.toyahwillcox.com ]

• Toyah is mentioned in an interview with photographer Jon Sturdy, at the 'Sudbury Today' website:

Soon he was capturing images of iconic bands like The Stranglers, Tears for Fears, Status Quo, Madness and Duran Duran for publicity shots and album covers.

His candid shot of Toyah Willcox was used huge on the front of Melody Maker.

"I think I got there by being in the right place at the right time," he said.

[ Source: www.sudburytoday.co.uk - 24th August 2006 ]

• Toyah @ 'Remember The Eighties': TOYAH's CD reissues series continues in September with the release of her 1993 album 'Take The Leap!' (which includes writing collaborations with KAJAGOOGOO's NICK BEGGS among others) which combined new material with new versions of Toyah classics, and 1980's live album 'Toyah! Toyah! Toyah!'. 'Take The Leap!' will be released on CD for the first time outside Japan on September 25th and will feature a number of previously unreleased bonus tracks. 'Toyah! Toyah! Toyah!', recorded in Wolverhampton for a TV documentary, has been expanded to include bonus tracks which include b-sides and four previously unreleased live tracks from Toyah's 1982 'The Changeling' tour plus tracks from her 1980 show at London's ICA. 

[ Source: www.remembertheeighties.com - 17th August 2006 ]

Never Mind The Buzzcocks : UKTV G2 - Thursday 7th September : 11.00pm 
Never Mind The Buzzcocks : UKTV G2 Plus 1 - Friday 8th September: 00.00am
Comedy pop quiz hosted by Mark Lamarr, with team captains Phill Jupitus and Bill Bailey. Guests include Steps survivor Lisa Scott Lee, 80's survivor Toyah Willcox and rockers Larry Hibbitt from 100 Reasons and Nick Atkinson from Rooster.

[ Thanks to Craig @ www.toyahwillcox.com ]

TOYAH WILLCOX - NO LONGER A MYSTERY

Toyah Willcox was one of the biggest pop stars of the 80's and is still touring to sell-out audiences today.....

On Bank Holiday Monday at 10 a.m. tune into Toyah talking about her life in music, the theatre, TV and film. This one hour special documentary recorded at Toyah's home recently, is a MUST NOT MISS show.

She talks openly and frankly about her life, time spent with Sir Laurence Olivier and a possible encounter with the ghost of his ex wife!

This is an exclusive to Net Talk Radio.

Monday August 28th 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. (GMT + 1)

NB: This interview will be repeated later in the week after its first broadcast. Actual day/time of the repeat will be added to the 'Net Talk' website at some point over the next week.

Thanks to Ross Hemsworth

[ Source: www.nettalkradio.co.uk - 23rd August 2006 ]

Another interesting new extra is 'On Location With Franc' - Franc Roddam revisits several locations used in the film  There is also use of a split-screen to compare old locations with how they look now.

[ Source: Quadrophenia - Two Disc Special Edition DVD ]

It's incredibly difficult to review Quadrophenia as a movie in 2006. Many of us have been brought up with it, been inspired by it and ultimately distanced ourselves from its movie simplistic view of what 'Mod' is. But try to take away any pre-conceptions you may have and watch it again - you'll realise that Quadrophenia is still a very powerful British youth movie which maintains an edge over 25 years after its initial release.

And if you're serious about buying the movie, buy this version. Quadrophenia: Special Edition is the version of the movie that's been waiting to come out for years. The original DVD was a straight copy over of the video, the US version by Rhino (which I did some of the extras for) was an improvement, but still lacked in terms of picture and sound. This version seems to get it just right.

To read the full review please click on the screenshot or link below.

[ News Source: www.modculture.co.uk - 7th August 2006 ]

Toyah commented on a number of topics, including: Punk:, MTV, and Sheena Easton.

Toyah was attending a performance of the hit musical Guys & Dolls. 

This was the official first night with Patrick Swayze in the role of Nathan Detroit.

To view a few larger captures, complete with screen graphics, and a description of Toyah's appearance (courtesy of Minna Kelland) please click here.

Take The Leap! + [ DIAB 8081 ]
On 25 September, the Edsel label release Toyah's 1993 album Take the Leap! in a specially expanded reissue. Technically, this is the first domestic UK release of the album which has only been issued on CD in Japan until now. Take the Leap! features writing collaborations with Simon Darlow (Dollar, Grace Jones), Phil Nicholas (Mombassa), Cris Bonacci (Girlschool) and Nick Beggs (Kajagoogoo), and also contains eight back catalogue songs (including Neon Womb and It's A Mystery), re-recorded in a fresh, heavy rock style. 

This 2006 reissue (catalogue number DIAB 8081) presents the full album alongside a selection of previously unheard bonus tracks. This includes material recorded with Phil Nicholas and the demo Requite Me (performed in an earlier incarnation with Toyah and husband Robert Fripp's band, Sunday All Over the World) recorded with Simon Darlow. The long sought-after Tribal Version of It's A Mystery (Weybridge Mix), originally planned for release on Take the Leap! and then on a stand alone EP, is also included and finally released on CD. 

Take The Leap! + TRACKLIST
1. Now I’m Running 
2. Lust For Love 
3. Invisible Love 
4. Name Of Love 
5. Winter In Wonderland 
6. God Ceases To Dream 
7. IEYA 
8. Waiting 
9. Neon Womb 
10. Elusive Stranger 
11. Our Movie 
12. Thunder In The Mountains 
13. I Wanna Be Free 
14. It’s A Mystery
Bonus Tracks
15. Requite Me (Demo)
16. Tears For Elie (Demo)
17. Waiting (Alternate Mix)
18. It’s A Mystery (Weybridge Mix)

Toyah! Toyah! Toyah! (Special Edition)
CDMRED 299

Originally released in 1980, Toyah! Toyah! Toyah!  was the first live Toyah album and followed up two studio albums and a string of singles (Ieya, Victims of the Riddle, Bird in Flight - all included here) which charted well in the independent charts. 

ITV (then ATV) commisioned a documentary on Toyah in 1980 in which cameras followed her acting, presenting, recording and rehearsing. A concert in Wolverhampton was also filmed for inclusion and is where this live album hails from. The full concert was recorded but a pair of tracks were excluded and used as b-sides to the a single release of "Danced (live)". 

This special edition of the album - with expanded artwork - brings together all of these live tracks for the first time. In addition further live bonus tracks make their CD debut including songs recorded at the ICA, London recorded just before this line-up of the Toyah band disbanded forever. Four previously unreleased tracks from 1982's The Changeling Tour close the CD. Recorded in Glasgow, these include the uncut unexpurgated Dawn Chorus/War Boys suite. 

Toyah! Toyah! Toyah! (Special Edition) TRACK LIST
1. Victims of the Riddle
2. Indecision 
3. Love Me 
4. Vision 
5. Tribal Look 
6. Bird in Flight 
7. Danced
8. Insects 
9. Race Through Space 
10. Ieya 
Bonus Tracks
11. Ghosts
12. Neon Womb 
13. Love Me 
14. Waiting 
15. Street Creature 
16. Neon Womb 
17. Dawn Chorus
18. War Boys

11-12 Danced Live B-Sides / 13-14 ICA London,1980 / 15-18 The Changeling Tour, Glasgow Apollo 1982

[ News Source: www.toyahwillcox.com - 15th August 2006 ]

The ceremony gets underway on Saturday evening with a spectacular Opening Ceremony starting at 6.30pm. 

The event will culminate with a dramatic firework display at 9.15pm.

"Get me those fucking locations now, or you’re all fucking fired!"

A motivational moment, there, from first-time director Franc Roddam, recounting his bottle-waving bollocking of a gaggle of surly scouts. (They did indeed get him the fucking locations.)

Roddam’s a fascinating case: a plummy TV doc-jockey who somehow marshalled a generation of upstart Brits (Phil Daniels, Ray Winstone, Leslie Ash, Toyah Willcox) and cajoled and improv-ed and corner-cutted an instant classic that still stands up as a blueprint for modern restless-yoof pics.

Daniels’ showpiece take on troubled Mod-squadder Jimmy is a joyous mesh of hormonal torment and snarling bluster. He’s the howling, scowling embodiment of – in old Philip Larkin’s phrase – “the strength and pain of being young”. The backdrop (Mods, Rockers, 1965 and all that) might have fallen away, but Jimmy’s plight will always ping with kids today, kids anyday: love/hate relationship with his family-home cocoon; living for the weekend; too young to strike out, too old to sit still... The irony stings sharpest in his confrontation with freshly matured old Rocker Winstone (“I don’t wanna be the same as everybody else. That’s why I’m a Mod, see?”).

This fresh edition, with exhaustive docs and chummy commentary, throws thrilling new light on Roddam’s make-do methods. It’s the way he mixes evocative locations with cheapskate artistry that lifts the film beyond regulation kitchen-sink docu-drama: the opening shimmer of a sun-fried Beachy Head; churning Brighton breakers slapping against Jimmy’s parka... In the On Location With Franc featurette, he admits to repeating the trick of “wetting the streets” to gloss a little cinematic sass over the Shepherd’s Bush dank.

This emphasis on sheen occasionally contradicts the thrilling sense of seething, street-level humanity, but Roddam also has a piercing, documentarian’s eye for the poignancy behind the solidarity: trembling and degraded drug-hoovers; futile inter-gang cruelty; inarticulate tribal tubthumping (“We are the Mods! We are the Mods! We are the, we are the, we are the Mods!”).

Not that he doesn’t acknowledge the guts and glamour of the clan, particularly in the sequence where the acne-speckled Mod warriors take formation and thunder down to Brighton on their multi-mirrored Lambretta battle-horses.

[ News Source: 'Total Film' (Issue 119) September 2006 ]

For your chance to win a signed copy of Toyah's book, signed by the author herself, simply answer our quick five question survey and we will enter your details into our free prize draw for a chance to win. Hurry competition ends August 31st!

[ Source: www.consultingroom.co.uk - August 2006 ]

[ Thanks to Craig and Alan @ www.toyahwillcox.com ]

• This is, in fact, not a reissue as 'Take The Leap!' was only ever available in Japan. It was only available to the UK/Everywhere else on import.

• The new CD cover features a revised image of the original, with Toyah alone, rather than with her band of the time.

• The CD will be released on the Edsel label. They have already released 'Warrior Rock', 'Love Is The Law' and Minx' on CD in the past year or so.

• Included are previously unreleased songs; 'Requite Me' and 'Tears for Ellie'.

• The tracklist is comprised of 18 tracks.

• Also included is the, much sough-after, Webridge Mix of 'It's A Mystery', aka the "Tribal Mix".

• 'Toyah! Toyah! Toyah!' (Special Edition) will be available to buy from early October. An actual release date will be announced soon.

• The new CD cover features the full-length Triptych painting of Toyah by Dexter Brown.

• The CD will be released on the Cherry Red Records label. They have already released 'Mayhem and the two volume 'Safari Singles Collection'.

• As well as the full original album, also included are 'Ghosts' and 'Neon Womb' from the same Wolverhampton concert, two songs recorded at the ICA in 1980, and four songs recorded on 'The Changeling Tour' in 1982 at the Glasgow Apollo. (I was at that gig -Yipee!! ;o))

• The tracklist is comprised of 18 tracks.

• With the release of 'Toyah! Toyah! Toyah!' all of Toyah's Safari album releases are now in-print and available to buy.

• With the release of 'Take The Leap!' in the UK all of Toyah's back catalogue of albums (bar 1984's K-TEL Toyah Toyah Toyah) has now been realeased on CD.

[ Thanks to Craig and Alan @ www.toyahwillcox.com ]

To celebrate 150 years of the National Portrait Gallery, well-known people select a portrait from the gallery to comment on.

Toyah chooses Dora Carrington's intimate study of the writer Lytton Strachey - the man Dora adored and with whom she shared a menage a trois. Willcox reveals how she is drawn to Carrington as a free spirit, despite Dora's reputation for promiscuity and enjoying a lesser talent than the others in the Bloomsbury Group.

To listen to this programme again click here or the link below.

[ News Source: www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/portrait - 15th August 2006 ]

An Official e-news bulletin was also emailed to subscribers, with exciting details about forthcoming Toyah CD's to make your music collection far sexier and more interesting.

Read up on Toyah's latest gossip, news, etc by clicking on the screenshot or the link below.

[ Source: www.toyahwillcox.com - Tuesday 15th August 2006 ]

Completists and collectors should also be aware that the 2nd pressing/all future copies of the DVD Wild Essence - Live in the 21st Century has very subtle altered artwork. The back sleeve lists the four promo video titles whilst the disc artwork is also different to the original press.

[ Source: www.toyahwillcox.com: enews :  Tuesday 15th August 2006 ]