Anthem was Toyah

Toyah (band)

Toyah is the name of the band fronted by Toyah Willcox between 1977 and 1983. The only other consistent band member throughout this period was Joel Bogen, Willcox's principal co-writer and guitarist.-Background :...

's most successful album to date, propelling them into both the UK Album Charts as well as the singles charts with releases of "It's a Mystery" and "I Want To Be Free

I Want To Be Free

"I Want to Be Free" is the seventh UK single by the band Toyah, fronted by Toyah Willcox, and was released on 7 May 1981.Backed by an appearance on Top of the Pops, and bolstered by the performance of the previous single, "I Want to Be Free" entered the UK Top Ten with a peak at #8, and helped push...

". The album reached number #2 in the UK albums chart as well as charting in several countries including Norway, where it charted at number #20.

Original vinyl issues of the album came complete with a colour insert featuring photographs of the band wrapped in bandages, with various exposed body parts sprayed gold, and Egyptian themed drawings across the lyrics pages. A picture disc variation, featuring the albums front and back artwork and no sleeve, was also issued at the time.

Original LP

Side One

1. "I Want to Be Free
   I Want To Be Free
   "I Want to Be Free" is the seventh UK single by the band Toyah, fronted by Toyah Willcox, and was released on 7 May 1981.Backed by an appearance on Top of the Pops, and bolstered by the performance of the previous single, "I Want to Be Free" entered the UK Top Ten with a peak at #8, and helped push...
   
   " (Willcox/Bogen)
2. "Obsolete" (Willcox/Bogen/Glockler)
3. "Pop Star" (Willcox/Lee/Glockler)
4. "Elocution Lesson" (Willcox/Bogen)
5. "Jungles of Jupiter" (Willcox/Bogen/Spalding)
6. "I Am" (Willcox/Bogen)

Side Two

1. "It's a Mystery" (Keith Hale)
2. "Masai Boy" (Willcox/Lee/Willcox)
3. "Marionette" (Willcox/Bogen)
4. "Demolition Men" (Willcox/Lee)
5. "We Are" (Willcox/Bogen)

Original CD bonus tracks

12. "Revelations" (Bogen/Willcox)


13. "War Boys" (Willcox)


14. "Angels & Demons" (Willcox/Hale)


15. "Thunder In The Mountains" (Willcox/Lee/Glockler)

1999 CD bonus tracks

12. "Walkie Talkie" (Willcox/Bogen)


13. "Alien" (Willcox/Bogen/Glockler)


14. "Revelations" (Willcox/Bogen)


15. "For You" (Willcox/Bogen)


16. "War Boys" (Willcox)


17. "Angels & Demons" (Willcox/Hale)


18. "I Want To Be Free" (video) (Willcox/Bogen)

Toyah's comments on songs

• Pop Star. "Of all the songs, 'Blue Meanings' and 'Pop Star' are the most exciting to sing because they are both stunning and haven't aged, so when I sing them today I experience them today. I really enjoy them and they make my hair stand on end. 'Pop Star' is hard to sing because I need complete silence to perform it and that isn't going to happen, but practice on stage will help my confidence with the timing... It is thrilling that a 30 year old song can hold me spellbound and I can be very proud of it." (2011)
• It's A Mystery. "'It's A Mystery' was never a favourite of mine but it has given me 30 years in the business, on many levels, as a singer, actress and writer. If I'd just stuck with the indie sound I'd probably never have surfaced above cult popularity. Street cred always sounds nice but in practice it doesn't open the doors my name opens today, and has done for the past 30 years." (2011)

Personnel

• Toyah Willcox
  Toyah Willcox
  Toyah Ann Willcox is an English actress and singer. In a career spanning more than thirty years Toyah has had 13 top 40 singles, released 22 studio albums, written two books, appeared in over forty stage plays and ten feature films, as well as voicing and presenting numerous television shows...
  
   - vocals
• Joel Bogen
  Joel Bogen
  Joel Bogen is an English rock and punk guitarist. He worked with Toyah Willcox from the late 1970s to 1983 as the guitar player in her eponymous band and was the co-writer on nearly all of the material they recorded. Bogen also produced Heaven, the 1997 debut album of neo soul artist Jai, for M&G...
  
   - guitar
• Nigel Glockler
  Nigel Glockler
  Nigel Glockler is an English drummer for the NWOBHM band, Saxon.His first professional musical experience was the UK band Krakatoa, followed by session work. He joined Toyah Willcox's band in late 1980...
  
   - drums
• Phil Spalding
  Phil Spalding
  Philip Spalding also known as Phil Spalding, is an English bass player. He is best known as a session musician and player of Fender Precision Bass guitars...
  
   - bass
• Adrian Lee
  Adrian Lee
  Adrian Lee is an English musician, known especially for his brass instrumentation work with several well-known acts of the 1980s.-Career:...
  
  - keyboards