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Matti View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Toyah ; Jane Siberry
    Posted: August 22 2005 at 07:24

Does anybody here remember ...Toyah? The personal singer of the early 80's? I bought The Changeling  -album (used, 2 e) and almost thought she had some sort of 'progness' in her music, in the same way as Jane Siberry in the 80's (though Toyah didn't have as progressive compositions as Siberry). BTW, was Toyah Wilcox Robert Fripp's wife or something??

I already know some PA members dig Jane Siberry (one of my pop favourites, beats even Kate Bush). So, how well-known - or more likely: unknown - is she among prog fans?

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 22 2005 at 07:47
Originally posted by Matti Matti wrote:

BTW, was Toyah Wilcox Robert Fripp's wife or something


Still is, as far as I know; I believe she is a born again Christian, which led to her being interviewed on one of the Sunday night "God-Slot" TV shows a few years back.

There was a superb sequence during the interview when she was asked how long she had been married & she turns & asks "how long is it, Robert?"... camera pans round to Robert Fripp wearing a pinny and rubber gloves doing the washing up.... "ooh, quite a few years now, dear".

Very 'Terry & June', very surreal

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 22 2005 at 13:36
I remember Toyah - "it's a mythtery".
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 22 2005 at 14:27
In Canada, Jane Siberry is well-known to all music lovers. She bugs the
hell out of me, as I find her excruciatingly pretentious. She's written a few
great songs, though, "Calling All Angels" being one off the top of my
head. She had a lot of international hype in the early 90s, so I'm sure she
rings a bell with a lot of people.

I would guess that Toyah, who has recorded sporadically, is less well-
known internationally, except in the UK, where she's done all that TV
stuff. I'm not that familiar with her. I didn't like that album that she and
Fripp did with a band, whatever that was called.

I'll take Joni Mitchell over either of 'em.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 22 2005 at 15:44
Toyah made some interesting songs with definite progressive overtones,
although almost all her albums contain a high degree of filler. Her first,
"Sheep Farming In Barnet" (1980), has two very interesting tracks - "Neon
Womb", which fuses jazz and heavy rock, and "Danced", which crosses
space rock and glam(!).

Interestingly, versions of both of these songs were performed in the TV
series "Shoestring" - and these versions are very much proggier than the
studio takes. In fact, they're downright excellent, and it's a great shame
that they've never been released on disc.

Her second album, "The Blue Meaning" (1980) opens with a fantastic
eight-minute space rock piece called "Ieya", but much of the rest isn't so
interesting.

Prog fans may like her albums "Prostitute" (1988), which reminds me
slightly of GONG's Gilli Smyth, and "Ophelia's Shadow" (1991), cut with
various Robert Fripp cohorts.

Jane Siberry's most interesting albums are probably "The Speckless Sky"
(1985) and "The Walking" (1987), both of which contain strong
progressive elements.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 23 2005 at 03:50
Originally posted by Matti Matti wrote:

Does anybody here remember ...Toyah? The personal singer of the early 80's? I bought The Changeling  -album (used, 2 e) and almost thought she had some sort of 'progness' in her music, in the same way as Jane Siberry in the 80's (though Toyah didn't have as progressive compositions as Siberry). BTW, was Toyah Wilcox Robert Fripp's wife or something??

They are two of my favourite artists.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 23 2005 at 03:57

I didn't know Toyah made that many albums! And seems to be even proggier than I thought.

Whether this discussion continues or not, I recommend to all Siberry's amazing album The Walking.  Pop couldn't get much more complex, intelligent, deep, sensitive, story-like,....    I just   that album. But also good are relaxed Bound by the Beauty (89), very emotional When I was a Boy (93) and jazzier Maria (96). I confess her latest doings I haven't been see(k)ing that much. She's done some folk stuff and some sound collache or something, etc. Perhaps a bit too many-sided artist in the end!

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 23 2005 at 03:58

Originally posted by Heptade Heptade wrote:

I didn't like that album that she and
Fripp did with a band, whatever that was called.

The band was called  Sunday All Over The World (also featuring KC bassist Trey Gunn) they recorded one album in 1991 Kneeling at the Shrine. Personally, I like it very much. Toyah also appeared on Trey Gunn's album "The Third Star" (1996).

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 23 2005 at 04:17
Originally posted by Matti Matti wrote:

I didn't know Toyah made that many albums! And seems to be even proggier than I thought.

Toyah was a very pleasant surprise when I first listened to most of her albums back in 1988. Indeed there are plenty of prog elements in her (and their, since TOYAH was the name of the band initially) music. 

Especially, Sheep Farming In Barnet (1979) and The Blue Meaning (1980) - both albums re-released as a 2CD in 2002 - and Desire (1987) - with title track co-written with husband Robert Fripp - and Ophelia's Shadow (1991) are highly recommended. Actually, most of Toyah's albums are worth checking out. Only two albums should be avoided: Minx (1985) and Dreamchild (1994) - re-released as Phoenix in 1997 - these are not bad but they are not very representative.

Originally posted by Matti Matti wrote:

Whether this discussion continues or not, I recommend to all Siberry's amazing album The Walking.  Pop couldn't get much more complex, intelligent, deep, sensitive, story-like,....    I just   that album. But also good are relaxed Bound by the Beauty (89), very emotional When I was a Boy (93) and jazzier Maria (96). I confess her latest doings I haven't been see(k)ing that much. She's done some folk stuff and some sound collache or something, etc. Perhaps a bit too many-sided artist in the end!

 I definitely agree with you Matti. Those albums are highly recommended!

 



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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 25 2005 at 11:16

Recently in the press talking about her face lift.......

 

She and hubbie RF appeared on a live Stranglers album, recorded ~1981

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