Toyah (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1977 |
| Founder | Toyah Willcox |
| Defunct | 1983 |
| Headquarters | England |
| Products | Music albums, singles, EPs |
Toyah was an English new wave group led by Toyah Willcox from 1977 until 1983. Apart from Willcox, the only steady member throughout the band's existence was Joel Bogen, her main collaborator and guitarist.
Background
At the age of 18, Toyah Willcox began assembling a band during her time at the Royal National Theatre. She initially became part of a punk ensemble based in Golders Green, rehearsing and performing in unconventional locations such as Golders Green cemetery. This group, headed by Glen Marks, played small-scale shows but struggled to gain widespread recognition. Marks introduced Willcox to Joel Bogen, a talented musician who soon became her primary songwriting partner. Their collaboration started with weekly meetings focused on writing songs and responding to advertisements placed in the NME. The band later incorporated keyboardist Pete Bush and rehearsed at his residence in Totteridge, gradually expanding their lineup through contacts within their circle.
The band Toyah
The group’s inaugural performance took place in June 1977, before they had settled on a name or recruited a bass player. After several personnel changes and a short stint under the name Ninth Illusion without producing any recordings, they reassembled in early 1978 as Toyah. Bogen brought together Pete Bush on keyboards, Dave Robin on drums, and Windy Miller handling bass duties, forming a four-piece named after their distinctive lead singer. Toyah’s first show under this name occurred at the Duke of Lancaster pub in Barnet on 27 June, followed by three gigs around London and an appearance at the Young Vic Festival. Their initial demos were recorded in Willcox’s converted warehouse called Mayhem, which served as both rehearsal and recording space for emerging London acts.
The 1978 demo sessions produced tracks such as "Mother," "Hunger Hill," "Computers," and "Problem Child," many of which featured on early releases or later appeared on the 1985 rarities compilation Mayhem. By 1980, after building experience and earning positive critical attention, the band secured a contract with Safari Records. This deal facilitated professional growth, provided steady income, and allowed for more extensive touring.
Safari Records issued Toyah's debut single "Victims of the Riddle" in July 1979, which NME described as "a remarkably listenable slice of paranoia and macabre." This lineup included Willcox, Bogen, Bush, Mark Henry on bass, and Steve Bray on drums. Willcox later reflected that signing with Safari sped up their creative output through monthly demos and offered financial stability that sharpened their focus. Subsequently, the band released the six-track EP Sheep Farming In Barnet in August 1979 along with the non-album single "Bird in Flight / Tribal Look." Their debut album The Blue Meaning (1980) reached number 40 on the UK Albums Chart and drew comparisons to Patti Smith’s vibrant style.
Commercial success
Following Willcox’s role as punk musician Toola in the UK television series Shoestring, ATV produced a documentary showcasing the band both live and behind the scenes. This program attracted an audience of 10 million viewers, significantly raising Toyah’s profile among mainstream audiences. The live album Toyah! Toyah! Toyah! (1980) climbed to number 22 on the UK Albums Chart.
By this stage, it became evident that media interest focused primarily on Willcox rather than her fellow band members. She remarked in 1980 that she invested more effort than anyone else and acknowledged that the band's success relied heavily on her visibility and leadership—despite some resentment from others about her acting career and control over songwriting.
Changes in the Line-up
By 1981, the band’s lineup had narrowed to just Willcox and Bogen, who were then joined by Phil Spalding on bass, Nigel Glockler handling drums, and Adrian Lee on keyboards. They released the successful EP Four from Toyah, which included the lead track "It's a Mystery," originally performed by Blood Donor, a group led by producer Keith Hale. Although initially hesitant, Willcox later acknowledged the track’s commercial appeal, as the EP climbed to No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart.
The 1981 album Anthem reached No. 2 on the charts and featured popular singles such as "I Want to Be Free," which achieved top 10 positions in the UK (No. 8), Ireland (No. 10), and South Africa (No. 10). Willcox noted that this song reflected her own life experiences. A standalone single, "Thunder in the Mountains," also attained a No. 4 position. The subsequent EP Four More from Toyah introduced drummer Simon Phillips, whose entry enhanced the group’s musicianship and reputation.
With Simon Darlow replacing Adrian Lee on keyboards alongside Bogen, the band shifted toward a darker gothic rock sound on their 1982 album The Changeling. Despite being recorded during a difficult time for Willcox personally, the album enjoyed moderate success along with its lead single "Brave New World." The intended follow-up single "Dawn Chorus" was ultimately swapped for "Be Proud Be Loud (Be Heard)." This era was supported by a tour that was captured on the live album Warrior Rock: Toyah on Tour released in 1982.
Disbandment
The last Toyah album, Love Is the Law (1983), showcased another altered lineup: Willcox, Bogen, and Darlow remained, while Andy Duncan replaced Phillips on drums and Brad Lang shared bass responsibilities with Spalding. Both Phillips and Spalding had departed to collaborate with Mike Oldfield. Singles from this record failed to achieve significant chart success, with "The Vow" peaking at only No. 50.
In 1984, Willcox and Bogen ended their partnership after composing several unreleased tracks; Bogen contributed as co-writer to one song on Willcox’s solo debut Minx released in 1985. Transitioning to a solo career, Willcox left Safari Records for CBS's Portrait Records. Meanwhile, Safari issued the rarities collection Mayhem in 1985 without her approval; she publicly criticized it as an inferior and exploitative release.
Following Toyah’s dissolution, Glockler became a long-term member of Saxon; Phillips continued his career as a session drummer; Spalding worked extensively as a session bassist with credits including GTR. Willcox embarked on a solo path blending pop with experimental elements, collaborating with her husband Robert Fripp, and revisiting her late-1970s style in later albums such as Velvet Lined Shell and In the Court of the Crimson Queen. Attempts to reunite the Toyah band during the late 1990s and early 2000s did not come to fruition.
In 2020, Cherry Red Records released an expanded deluxe edition of Sheep Farming in Barnet, featuring demos, previously unreleased tracks, and a DVD containing interviews and performances from 1979–80 along with acoustic recordings made in 2020.
Band lineup
- Toyah Willcox – lead vocals (1978–1983)
- Joel Bogen – guitar (1978–1983)
- David Robin – drums (1978)
- Peter Bush – keyboards (1978–1980)
- John Windy Miller – bass guitar (1978–1979)
- Dennis Andress – drums (1978–1979)
- Mark Henry – bass guitar (1979–1980)
- Steve Bray – drums (1979–1980)
- Charlie Francis – bass guitar (1980)
- Andy Prince – bass guitar (1980)
- Nigel Widdowson – drums (1980)
- Phil Spalding – bass guitar (1980–1983)
- Nigel Glockler – drums (1980–1981)
- Adrian Lee – keyboards (1980–1981)
- Miffy Smith – keyboards (1982)
- Simon Phillips – drums (1981–1982)
- Simon Darlow – keyboards (1983)
- Andy Clark – keyboards (1982)
- Preston Heyman – drums (1982)
- Andy Duncan – drums (1982–1983)
- Brad Lang – bass guitar (1983)
Timeline
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Discography
- Sheep Farming in Barnet (1979)
- The Blue Meaning (1980)
- Anthem (1981)
- The Changeling (1982)
- Love Is the Law (1983)