Dreamchild (album)

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Dreamchild
Studio album by Toyah
Released 1994
Recorded 1994
Genre Progressive rock, dance
Label Cryptic Records
Producer Paul Mex
Toyah chronology
Take The Leap!
(1993)
Dreamchild
(1994)
Looking Back
(1995)

Dreamchild was the sixth solo album released by Toyah Willcox since leaving Toyah, and was released in 1994 via Cryptic Records in Germany. It is the album with the least amount of input from Toyah herself, as almost every track was composed by Mike Bennett, with Toyah contributing lyrics to only one track. The dance nature of the album also contrasts with the rest of her catalogue, making it Toyah appear more of a guest vocalist than the leading artist on her own album.

Contents

[edit] Track listing

  1. Now And Then 4.43
  2. Let Me Go 4.59
  3. World Of Tension 4.25
  4. Out Of The Blue 5.53
  5. Unkind 4.51
  6. Dreamchild 6.25
  7. Lost And Found 4.47
  8. Over You 5.21
  9. I Don't Know [Bennett/Willcox/Mex/Tayce] 5.19
  10. Disappear [Bennett/Moran/Tayce] 2.45
  11. Tone Poem [Bennett/Moran] 7.13
  12. Now And Then (X-Ert Re-Mix) 8.02

All tracks written by Mike Bennett unless otherwise noted.

[edit] Personnel

  • Toyah Willcox - lead vocals
  • Paul Moran - keyboards, brass, programming and arrangements
  • Mike Bennett - guitar, loops and additional vocals
  • Tayce - additional vocals and samples
  • Jay Stapley - guitars on 'Unkind' and 'Disappear'
  • Paul Mex - keyboards and programming on 'Over You' and 'I Don't Know'
  • Bob Skeat - bass
  • Martin Keating - additional programming
  • Angus Wallace - additional programming
  • Warren Bassett - additional programming

[edit] Production

  • Producer: Mike Bennett, Paul Moran and Tayce for Hyper V - 'Over You' & 'I Don't Know', produced by Paul Mex

Special thanks to Utah Saints, The Prodigy and David Platz

[edit] Phoenix [1997 reissue]

Phoenix
Phoenix cover
Studio album by Toyah
Released 1997
Recorded 1994
Genre Progressive rock, dance
Label Receiver Records
Producer Paul Mex
Toyah chronology
The Acoustic Album
(1995)
Phoenix
(1997)
Velvet Lined Shell
(2003)

In 1997, the album was reissued by Receiver Records as Phoenix, featuring an additional track of the same name from the same sessions, and radically different artwork. However, it was missing the complete lyrics included in the original issue.

The sleeve notes in this reissue included the following explanation behind the origins of the album...

"Toyah's highly distinctive delivery gives the 'Phoenix' album the feel of a metaphysical journey which at times goes into a hauntingly infectious trance. This is particularly effective on the tracks "Let Me Go" and "I Don't Know", where Toyah's understated vocals evoke moody and surreal imagery. The album was predominantly written by acclaimed producer Mike Bennett whose credits for labels such as BMG, Trojan, Radikal and Creation Records include The Fall, BMX Bandits, Bob Marley, Sweet, Tayce, Kim Fowley, King Tubby and Lee 'Scratch' Perry. On the tracks "Now And Then", "Disappear" and "Unkind" Toyah sounds extremely mischievous against an aggressive backdrop of Hardbeat loops giving an effective contrast to the Latin flavour of "World Of Tension" or the tranquil moods of ambient tracks such as "Lost And Found", "Over You" and the brilliant "Phoenix". This album is a musical excursion for Toyah who has always resisted the lure of the corporate machin in favour of taking risks and crossing musical boundaries."

[edit] Track listing

  1. Now And Then 4.43
  2. Let Me Go 4.59
  3. World Of Tension 4.25
  4. Out Of The Blue 5.53
  5. Unkind 4.51
  6. Dreamchild 6.25
  7. Lost And Found 4.47
  8. Over You 5.21
  9. I Don't Know [Bennett/Willcox/Mex/Tayce] 5.19
  10. Disappear [Bennett/Moran/Tayce] 2.45
  11. Phoenix [Bennett/Tayce/Skeat] 8.26
  12. Tone Poem [Bennett/Moran] 7.13
  13. Now And Then (Extended X-Rated Mix) 8.01

All tracks written by Mike Bennett unless otherwise noted.

[edit] Personnel

  • Toyah Willcox - lead vocals
  • Paul Moran - keyboards, brass, programming and arrangements
  • Mike Bennett - guitar, loops and additional vocals
  • Tayce - additional vocals and samples
  • Jay Stapley - guitars on 'Unkind' and 'Disappear'
  • Paul Mex - keyboards and programming on 'Over You' and 'I Don't Know'
  • Bob Skeat - bass
  • Martin Keating - additional programming
  • Angus Wallace - additional programming
  • Warren Bassett - additional programming

[edit] Production

  • Producer: Mike Bennett, Paul Moran and Tayce for Hyper V - 'Over You' & 'I Don't Know', produced by Paul Mex

Special thanks to D.Teaze, Utah Saints, Belly, The Prodigy, David Platz, Gary Morrison, Ken Lower, Goldie, Ace Johnson, Dub Exposure, Vibe Posse, Loop Guru, Sweet, Jeff Blount, Neil Morris, Black Grape, Ministry Of Sound, Mean Fiddler Organisation and Frank Lea.