echo beach (gane) moonlight dancing (willcox/bogen/graham) revive the world (willcox/geballe) the view (willcox/lee) moon migration (willcox/wooley) love’s unkind (summer/moroder/bellotte) dear diary (willcox/darlow) deadly as a woman (willcox/graham) goodbye baby (willcox/graham/darlow) when a woman cries (willcox) desire (willcox/fripp)

TENTERHOOKS

Unavailable for many years since its original 1987 release, Desire has developed a reputation amongst collectors as Toyah’s “lost” album, with those coming to her music in more recent years having to turn to eBay to track it down, original CD copies changing hands for sums in excess of £50. Whilst a full-blown hard copy CD reissue waits in the wings of a parallel universe, the music at least is now obtainable in this reissue for the digital age.

To fully understand the thrust and the themes of this, Toyah’s sixth studio album, it is important to get some idea of the background and the events leading up to it. The album preceding Desire was 1985’s Minx; the first album where a band was not visible. Moreover, the album was the first time the creative joint forces of Joel Bogen and Toyah Willcox were predominantly absent since 1977. Save for one album track and a song relegated to a B-Side, Minx’s original material was written without Bogen and he did not play guitar on any of the sessions. Minx was released in 1985 on Portrait/CBS and despite the strong imagery and high profile media coverage, there was no follow up on that label. As a result, on the surface 1986 appeared to be a quieter year for Toyah.

It was a very different matter behind the scenes. Her acting career took a front seat as she appeared in the Film4 production The Disputation and two plays for BBC Radio 3, including Michael Wall’s subsequently banned and critically acclaimed Head Crash. EG, who had been managing Toyah since 1983, released a spoken word album The Lady or the Tiger on their Considered as an artistic work, it’s one with a split personality, a Editions EG label, a collaboration featuring Toyah reading the musical Janus standing at the crossroads of a career. famous short story by Frank R Stockton to the backing of ambient soundscapes from their debut signing, guitarist Robert Fripp, who A few of the tracks are reminiscent of the material on Minx and shortly afterwards became Toyah’s husband. earlier. Long term fans were surprised at the time to discover that Moonlight Dancing - which was subsequently released as the second Desire was not the full collaboration between the two of them that single - contains lyrics first heard way back in 1982 in the coda of a some might have expected – that was to come later with their re-recorded version of Dawn Chorus which was performed on BBC band Fripp Fripp, later renamed Sunday All Over The World. television programme 6.55 Special. Musically as well as lyrically Toyah and Robert had already written and recorded a couple of this track resonates with material of the later Safari catalogue. tracks together before starting work on Desire – Mothership and Freedom – but these were held back for later projects. Robert did Dear Diary on the other hand sounds more like something from still contribute to the album however, playing guitar on many of Minx; glossy Eighties bounce-pop complete with power chords. the tracks and even co-writing the title track and cornerstone of Goodbye Baby rounds off the trilogy of more nostalgic tracks, its the album, Desire. forceful rhythm mixing guitars and minor key synthesiser riffs in a manner somewhat redolent of The Changeling or Love is the Law Desire was recorded at the famous Abbey Road Studios in the eras. autumn and winter of 1986 and produced by Mike Hedges. Mike was already well known for his work with The Cure, Siouxsie and Lulled into a false sense of security by these more familiar themes, the Banshees and Marc Almond and in later years went on to most of the remainder of the album must have come as a surprise at work with, amongst others, The Beautiful South, Lush, Manic the time when a new and mature, avant garde Toyah made her first Street Preachers and U2. Haydn Bendall, who had worked on appearance on side one, stepping forth through the tightly woven Kate Bush’s Hounds of Love at Abbey Road the year before, multiple guitar patterns of Revive the World. The unfamiliarity of engineered the album that was recorded with a fairly solid line-up this new sound must have been like opening a door in a corner of a of musicians. Most notably Ronnie Wood from The Rolling Stones familiar house and discovering a whole new wing. popped in to guest on one track, Dear Diary. The driving tempo of Revive the World carries across into The View Listened to afresh after a gap of many years, Desire appears to taking the journey through more unfamiliar territory before arriving be not so much a “lost album” as a missing link, with musical and in the vast ambient echo chamber of Moon Migration. On side two lyrical echoes both backward to the past and forward to the future. another aspect of the new style is revealed as Deadly as a Woman and When a Woman Cries share a slow and sinister female melancholy before the album slides to a conclusion via its slinky title track, Desire, consolidating the disparate elements of the fresh material against the background of a casual but relentless strolling rhythm.

Whilst it was still recognisably Toyah, this style opened up her oeuvre to different directions and set out a manifesto for the next stage in her musical career. The music was experimental, inventive and strange, the lyrics uncompromising stories told in a unique voice with a feminist point of view. This was music to be listened to, not played in the background.

The collaborations with Tony Geballe were originally written when both he and Toyah attended Robert Fripp’s renowned ‘Guitar Craft’ workshops in America and in addition to the B-sides from this era, Plenty, Sun Up and Re-entry into Dance, all reflected the new style, clearly part of the album’s future-looking face.

Unfortunately there was a third face, a rogue personality, lurking in the cracks of the album as evidenced by the opening tracks from each side of the album Echo Beach (released as a single) and Love’s Unkind.

Not chosen by Toyah, these were forced upon her by the record company who only agreed to pay for the rest of the album if she agreed to add these to the track list, allegedly to give the album what they considered a more “rounded” feel. EG also financed a very glossy and self-consciously sophisticated video for Echo Beach which subsequently ended up being the last chart single Toyah had in the UK. Given its unsettled background and how busy Toyah’s acting career Toyah was unhappy about these additions (whilst Echo Beach was in 1987 (amongst other things she appeared on stage in two has now entered her live set, she still considers Love’s Unkind the West End hits, Cabaret and Three Men on a Horse) it is unsurprising nadir of her studio recordings) and about the way she was being that like its predecessor, Desire had no live tour associated with it. treated in general - once she had put down the vocal the project Although the aforementioned Echo Beach is performed frequently was effectively taken out of her hands. by Toyah nowadays, it was years before some of the songs were performed live. Revive The World’s intense guitar picking style would Back when Minx had been released some of the old school fans later be revisited in live form during concerts with the German- had voiced the opinion that the more commercial sound and the British-Australian King Crimson-inspired band Kiss of Reality inclusion of cover versions meant that Toyah’s creative output was whom Toyah would tour and record one album with in 1993. The beginning to suffer from major label meddling. Whilst this wasn’t title track would also be afforded an even rockier interpretation on in fact the case, it is ironic that the production of its follow up was a UK tour of rock clubs in 1993. The remainder have never been so blighted - especially given the fact that some of the audience performed to this day. had been expecting something “a hundred per cent heavier than Minx” (part of a message Toyah recorded for fans in autumn Despite its troubled history, in the final analysis Desire is a solid 1986). album with some very good songs on it and a fascinating study of just how much genuine talent can achieve even in the face of adversity. The label’s interference didn’t stop at an inappropriate choice As the birthplace of the next phase in Toyah’s music career it is of cover versions. To Toyah’s increasing frustration it became intriguing to listen to the nascent leitmotifs of what would become apparent that members of the record company team weren’t her stock in trade over the next few years. seeing her as an individual but more as a resource. A lot of this very probably came about as a result of an old fashioned chauvinistic attitude towards women; shockingly they would quite openly discuss her career with her husband rather than with her. CHRIS LIMB

Toyah’s ultimate reaction to the blatant misogyny she encountered whilst recording Desire was a creative one as her follow up album, the experimental, uncompromising and quite brilliant album Prostitute, would demonstrate in 1988. moonlight dancing revive the world rest assured stand tall trouble in the engine room those among us will never let her go take the blows take a look at the tree never fall through the window she’s silently turning tomorrow will bring new goals space ship home waiting in timeless space take the bitter with the sweet when it moves, it moves me too space ship home I know you too well maintenance is over-worked life’s incomplete when I breath I feel its leaves the view till you’ve been ground into the street leaving me to tingle in the cold sun in your house is a room I avoid winners must be fit air conditioning tampered with full of junk and broken toys in my house ideas grow and levitate we’re moonlight dancing in the dawn of a starless night in your house is a voice I obey all alone in our rooms I re-charge with light and we brave the storm revive the world and I can touch the sky we’re all special can you hear me? I can feel freedom I love her so and I will never let her go I can taste purity lost souls astronauts report I cast off chains to put them on again feeling hurt in the dawn of a starless night not understanding our crimes I re-charge with light and in your house time expands troubled minds revive the world and touches on experience searching so hard for long in my house there is a roof I reach forgotten goals I will always be there in support of earth through deceptive means those among us to see the view life’s incomplete will we stop this crying, till you’ve been ground into the street pushing, shoving, dying, pull together and I can touch the sky winners must be fit when you move, you move me too and I can feel freedom we’re all somebody’s hero to serve a purpose I cast off chains to put them on again moon migration the man becomes a child she doesn’t care less glass flutes the distrusted a saint who said boys don’t cry crystal notes the bedroom ceiling it’s easy if you really try cupped in a glass dream a vast cathedral roof tenterhooks so gentle so sharp ready to break palatial truths of intricate details those tenterhooks take you across land scars all fear fades gently apart fall china tears diamond shines our lives as night arrives with impending doom kissed and clean she leaves you sleepless from an earth star dear diary in a litter-ridden room dear diary you want to take her under your wing how I needed a friend she’s always late she wants someone to make one who doesn’t pretend she overslept her into something I needed to be believed in brings the bitchy words how I needed healing with her cigarettes deadly as a woman now that I’m learning left her little mind behind deadly as a woman can be it’s just we two the last film set purgatory in motion Monroe-esque sweet tastes of death clear thoughts fall like a bored starlet drip from my dress tears from my fingers who says boys don’t cry we dance in porcelain arms she’s always poor I’m a liar like a potion but she’s being kept I’m trouble soft devotion she’s always bored if something’s going on love paints the face sincere she’s always tireless there I will be ticking like a time bomb wind chimes chant while you’re playing with words sentinel of your dreams decipher the breeze she’s playing with the jet set burning intensely giving language to whispering leaves how about you? I cradle you in fire I’m as deadly as a woman can be my hands are tied and her tears fall like money behind the laughing mask from your hands your trust in me makes me feel cruel empty words in my empty head just another woman crash lands to see you so reassured who ever said love is dead? in a man’s world I’m keeping every rule when a woman cries I’m a liar you’ll never get to me again no-one sees a person I promote pain you’ll never get to me they just criticise if something’s going on goodbye baby when a woman cries there I will be goodbye baby and amen no-one feels her pain ticking like a time bomb only contempt for pride sentinel of your dreams pretty boy wheels of industry turning and her tears fall I hold you up I’ll mock you with a kiss a cactus kiss like rain on dark streets when you can no longer stand I’m waiting in the wings unheard but loud enough I’m as deadly as a woman can be with the perfect crime to break her peace when a woman cries deadly as a woman can be pretty baby no motivation like jealousy I’m gonna hit back and her tears fall politics of truth and lies goodbye like rain on dark streets all in one unheard but loud enough when a woman cries to break the peace goodbye baby when a woman cries goes to ashes pretty baby no-one sees her tears when a woman cries I lie burning they just hear lies pretty baby when a woman cries never do that again she’s always on the make running barefoot on broken glass what will she take this time? desire let me run riot of colour over you let me dive in and be rescued desire

I’m the setting sun over you let my body cast clouds to cool you feel the heat just the view of you takes me to sea quenches my thirst for you are my dreams desire you’re driving me senseless then come to my rescue render me helpless I surrender to you desire sweetness carries razors and hot tears fall at the thought of the end of us all

Produced by Mike Hedges Engineered by Haydyn Bendall Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London Songs published by BMG Music Ltd

P 1987 Toyah Willcox C 2015 Vertical Species

All rights reserved The copyright in these sound recordings is owned by Toyah Willcox

Original sleeve: Bill Smith Studio Sleeve photography: Carrie Branovan Archive, editorial & release coordination: Craig Astley Digital artwork: Alan Sawyers & Nic Sawyers

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