Sheep Farming in Barnet is the debut album by 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 :...

, fronted by 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...

, released in 1979 by Safari Records

Safari Records

Safari Records was an UK independent record label based in London and operating between 1977 and 1985. Safari Records was formed early in 1977 by Tony Edwards , Andreas Budde and John Craig who previously ran Purple and Oyster Records...

. The album was originally released as a 6-track extended EP, dubbed an 'Alternate Play' record

Sheep Farming In Barnet EP

Sheep Farming in Barnet was the second single by Toyah, fronted by Toyah Willcox, released in 1979 by Safari Records. Originally released as a 6-track extended EP, dubbed an 'Alternate Play' record by Safari, the single was later expanded into full-album status, including the previous single,...

 (AP) by Safari, and was later expanded into full-album status. The album was later reissued on CD, cassette and white vinyl by Great Expectations in 1990 (As PIPCD 014), and again on CD by Safari themselves in 2002, this time digitally remastered and coupled with the band's second album, The Blue Meaning

The Blue Meaning

The Blue Meaning is the second album by Toyah, released in 1980 by Safari Records. Although not the first full-length release, this is often considered to be the band's first "proper" album....

.

The album was produced by Steve James and future band member Keith Hale, and was released as an AP on 3 August 1979, with the album version following in February 1980. The album was originally compiled by the band's German record label, EMI Electrola

Electrola

Electrola was a record label founded in Berlin in 1925 by the Gramophone Company. In March 1931 Electrola, along with its parent label and Carl Lindström Company parent Columbia Graphophone Company, merged to form the Electric & Musical Industries Ltd. . The German EMI unit was first called...

, but importation of the disc was so widespread, Safari decided to cash in and follow suit. The tracks added included several songs which did not make the original tracklisting and the debut single "Victims of the Riddle" (originally released in July 1979), plus its b-side "Victims of the Riddle (Vivisection)".

The album's title refers to sheep being seen in a field in Finchley just off Regent's Park Road. According to John Craig of Safari, the cover featured Toyah at the RAF Fylingdales

RAF Fylingdales

RAF Fylingdales is a Royal Air Force station on Snod Hill in the North York Moors, England. Its motto is "Vigilamus" . It is a radar base and part of the United States-controlled Ballistic Missile Early Warning System...

 radar station near Whitby

Whitby

Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a combined maritime, mineral and tourist heritage, and is home to the ruins of Whitby Abbey where Caedmon, the...

 in Yorkshire

Yorkshire

Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...

, "a shoot achieved with considerable difficulty as, quite predictably, guards chased Toyah and the crew from the high security site".

Several tracks from the album became firm live favourites, and featured on two later live albums. Toyah Willcox still performs the tracks "Danced" and "Neon Womb" in her live sets.

Original EP

1. "Neon Womb" (Willcox, Bogen, Bush) - 4:24
2. "Indecision" (Willcox, Bogen, Bush, Henry) - 2:44
3. "Waiting" (Willcox, Bray) - 3:17
4. "Our Movie" (Willcox, Bogen, Bush) - 3:04
5. "Danced" (Willcox, Bogen, Bush) - 4:42 *
6. "Last Goodbye" (Willcox, Bogen, Bush) - 3:00

• The EP version of this track has an edited intro; this edited version does not appear on any other release.

LP Version

1. "Neon Womb" (Willcox, Bogen, Bush) - 4:24
2. "Indecision" (Willcox, Bogen, Bush, Henry) - 2:44
3. "Waiting" (Willcox, Bray) - 3:17
4. "Computer" (Willcox, Bogen, Bush) - 3:06
5. "Victims of the Riddle
   Victims of the Riddle
   "Victims of the Riddle" was the debut single from the post-punk band Toyah, fronted by Toyah Willcox, and was released on July 27, 1979. The single, and its B-side, "Victims of the Riddle " were eventually featured on the LP version of Sheep Farming In Barnet, which was itself an extended reissue...
   
   " (Willcox, Hales, James, Bogen, Bush) - 3:38
6. "Elusive Stranger" (Willcox, Bogen, Bush) - 4:55
7. "Our Movie" (Willcox, Bogen, Bush) - 3:04
8. "Danced" (Willcox, Bogen, Bush) - 5:13
9. "Last Goodbye" (Willcox, Bogen, Bush) - 3:00
10. "Victims of the Riddle (Vivisection)" (Willcox, Hales, James, Bogen, Bush) - 3:52
11. "Race Through Space" (Willcox, Bogen, Bush) - 3:17

2002 reissue bonus tracks

12. "Bird in Flight" (Willcox, Bogen, Bush, Francis, Bray) - 3:56


13. "Tribal Look" (Willcox, Bogen, Bush, Francis, Bray) - 3:25

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
• Mark Henry - bass
• Steve Bray - drums
• Peter Bush - keyboards
• Keith Hale - keyboards on "Victims Of The Riddle" and "Victims Of The Riddle (Vivisection)"