Victims of the Riddle
Encyclopedia
"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 (Vivisection)" were eventually featured on the LP version of Sheep Farming In Barnet
, which was itself an extended reissue of the band's next single. They also featured on the 2005 compilation album The Safari Singles Collection Part 1: 1979-1981.
There was, apparently, some friction within the band as to the authorship. In 1980, speaking to ZigZag fanzine, Toyah said:
In 2011, speaking of the old songs she cherry-picked for her 30th Anniversary concert tour, Toyah commented:
in Mexico (from a book by Ray Bradbury
entitled The Mummies of Guanajuato
), holding a note which asked "Is there a heaven? Is there a hell? Do both exist? Who can tell?". This was drawn over the original inscription, which bore the name of the actual mummy — Magdalena Aguilar, and her date of burial which was the 8th of September, 1897. Her mummified body was exhumed on the 27 December 1909.
Catalogue Number: SAFE 15. Produced by Steve James/Keith Hales. Published by Sweet 'n' Sour Songs/MCPS.
Side A ran at 45RPM, while the lengthier Side B ran at 33RPM.
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...
, and was released on July 27, 1979. The single, and its B-side, "Victims of the Riddle (Vivisection)" were eventually featured on the LP version of Sheep Farming In Barnet
Sheep Farming In Barnet
Sheep Farming in Barnet is the debut album by Toyah, fronted by Toyah Willcox, released in 1979 by Safari Records. The album was originally released as a 6-track extended EP, dubbed an 'Alternate Play' record by Safari, and was later expanded into full-album status...
, which was itself an extended reissue of the band's next single. They also featured on the 2005 compilation album The Safari Singles Collection Part 1: 1979-1981.
History
"Victims of the Riddle" was considered by some as being a very brave single choice, especially as a debut. "'Victims Of The Riddle' was mainly my choice because I wanted to be as weird and far away from the mainstream as possible. In fact, being weird was my priority. If I was to go back in time I'd have made the first single 'Neon Womb'", Toyah remarked in 2011.There was, apparently, some friction within the band as to the authorship. In 1980, speaking to ZigZag fanzine, Toyah said:
In 2011, speaking of the old songs she cherry-picked for her 30th Anniversary concert tour, Toyah commented:
Controversy
The single courted controversy due to its intentionally disturbing front cover image — a photograph of one of the mummies of GuanajuatoMummies of Guanajuato
The Mummies of Guanajuato are a number of naturally mummified bodies interred during a cholera outbreak around Guanajuato, Mexico in 1833. These mummies were discovered in a cemetery located in Guanajuato, which has made the city one of the biggest tourist attractions in Mexico...
in Mexico (from a book by Ray Bradbury
Ray Bradbury
Ray Douglas Bradbury is an American fantasy, horror, science fiction, and mystery writer. Best known for his dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 and for the science fiction stories gathered together as The Martian Chronicles and The Illustrated Man , Bradbury is one of the most celebrated among 20th...
entitled The Mummies of Guanajuato
The Mummies of Guanajuato
The Mummies of Guanajuato is a book which reprints Ray Bradbury's novelette, "The Next in Line", illustrated with photographs, by Archie Lieberman, of the actual mummies discovered in Guanajuato which inspired the story. The story originally appeared in Bradbury's first book, Dark Carnival, in 1947....
), holding a note which asked "Is there a heaven? Is there a hell? Do both exist? Who can tell?". This was drawn over the original inscription, which bore the name of the actual mummy — Magdalena Aguilar, and her date of burial which was the 8th of September, 1897. Her mummified body was exhumed on the 27 December 1909.
Critical reception
In April 1979 New Musical Express wrote: "Toyah's backdrop is a quirky maze of fixing electronic and electric sounds, an intelligent sub-disco underlay. Toyah herself screeches and howls and makes the simple art of reviewing something of an endurance test. Angry and powerful, that's what it is, riotously and genuinely performed. But painful and disappointing too, after all the pre-release build up... Is there a heaven?/Is there a hell?/Do both exist?/Who can tell?" runs the deep intellect on the sleeve front. Theatrical froth".7" Vinyl
- A: Victims of the Riddle [Willcox/Hale/James/Bogen/Bush]
- B: Victims of the Riddle (Vivisection) [Willcox/Hale/James/Bogen/Bush]
Catalogue Number: SAFE 15. Produced by Steve James/Keith Hales. Published by Sweet 'n' Sour Songs/MCPS.
Side A ran at 45RPM, while the lengthier Side B ran at 33RPM.
Personnel
- Toyah WillcoxToyah WillcoxToyah 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 BogenJoel BogenJoel 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