Take the Leap!
Studio album by
Toyah
ReleasedOctober 1993
Recorded1993
Genre
Length59:30 (original release)
1:20:29 (2006 re-release)
LabelPony Canyon
ProducerToyah Willcox
Toyah chronology
Ophelia's Shadow
(1991)		 Take the Leap!
(1993)		 Dreamchild
(1994)
2006 edition cover

Take the Leap! is a studio album by the British singer Toyah Willcox, first released as Leap! in 1993 by Pony Canyon. It consists of new tracks as well as re-recordings of older songs from Toyah the band's repertoire.

Background

The album was recorded in 1993 in a deserted farmhouse in the outskirts of Salisbury, in collaboration with the British band Friday Forever whom Toyah had met earlier that year.[1] It showed a change in style from Toyah's previous recordings, and has a much more "raw" feel than the polished albums which preceded it. Many of the six new compositions had been written and demoed much earlier, including "Invisible Love" in 1989 with Simon Darlow. A glutch of demos recorded with Phil Nicholas in 1992 were also re-worked from their ambient style into album tracks with a rockier feel, namely "God Ceases to Dream" and "Now I'm Running". Another demo from these sessions, "Tears for Elie" was included as a bonus track on the 2006 reissue CD, along with "Requite Me", a stray 1992 demo produced by Willcox and Darlow.[2]

"God Ceases to Dream" was written and recorded as an ambient electronic demo. It contains lyrics and melodies Willcox had originally written and performed with collaborative band side-projects, as the songs "Born Again" with Sunday All Over the World, and "Broken Special (The Island)" with Kiss of Reality. The latter was recorded and appeared on the Kiss of Reality's sophomore studio album, whilst "Born Again" was never recorded in studio. The chanting at the beginning of this album's version of "Ieya" are lyrics (which crib the Lord's Prayer) which also appeared on the Kiss of Reality album opening track "Harlequin (Holy Day)".[2]

"Lust for Love" had previously been written and performed live as a Strange Girls song, and later recorded as a demo by Cris Bonacci and Willcox. The version found on this album is subtly altered.[2]

"It's a Mystery" was due to appear on the album in a version recorded with Phil Nicholas and Friday Forever which was an African dance, tribal metal rock version. Complications at the time of original release meant this could not occur and a straightforward rock version was featured instead. The 2006 reissue of Take the Leap! includes this previously unreleased version.[2] Tracks from 7 to 14 are completely re-recorded versions of songs taken mostly from Toyah's first three studio albums.

Release and promotion

The album was originally released in Japan as Leap! only on cassette, and was sold at concerts during Toyah's 1993 tour, while a CD version called Take the Leap! was released the following year. Toyah went on to tour the album extensively throughout 1994.[3] In 2006, the album was finally released by Edsel Records in the UK with bonus tracks,[4] and consequently original copies of the album have become much sought after.[2]

The album's first ever digital release came in December 2014 when it was made available to download at iTunes and Amazon and to stream via Spotify.[5] To mark the album's twentieth anniversary, and first ever digital release, two EPs of Take the Leap!-era material, entitled Winter in Wonderland and Has God Ceased to Dream You, were released in December 2013 and December 2014, respectively. In addition, a free digital EP of bonus material, also pertaining to the Take the Leap! album period, entitled Whisper the Elixir, was issued by Willcox's official website shortly after the release of Has God Ceased to Dream You. Its tracks were "It's a Mystery" (Whispered Elixir Mix), "It's a Mystery" (Distant Sirens Mix), "It's a Mystery" (Acoustic Poolside) and "Waiting" (Alternate Mix).[6]

In early 2020, the album was included in the Toyah Solo box set and reissued on double transparent vinyl.[7] The LP edition omits bonus tracks from the 2006 CD re-release, and instead adds a selection of re-recordings from Looking Back.

Track listing

Personnel

Friday Forever
  • Jolyon Dixon – rhythm and lead guitars, acoustic guitars
  • Paul Luther – rhythm and lead guitars
  • John Wakefield – bass
  • Stuart Ross – additional drums
Production
  • Toyah Willcox – producer
  • Paul Nicholson, Chris Binns, Dave Kingsley – engineers, soundscapes
  • Mark Evans – mixing at Big Ocean Studios, Weybridge, Surrey
  • Paul Muggleton, Mike Paxman – mixing assistants
  • Robert Fripp – sound advice

Charts

Chart (2020) Peak
position
UK Independent Albums[8] 46
UK Vinyl Albums[9] 37

References

  1. ↑ "DISCOGRAPHY >> ALBUMS". toyahwillcox.com. Archived from the original on 9 December 2013. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Astley, Craig. "Toyah Discography: Take the Leap!". Toyah Willcox Official Website. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  3. ↑ "1990s GIG LIST". Toyah Willcox Official Website. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  4. ↑ "Toyah - Take the Leap!". AllMusic. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  5. ↑ David Flemming (13 December 2014). "Take The Leap!: Available Digitally". toyah.net. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  6. ↑ David Flemming (17 December 2014). "Whisper The Elixir: New (Free) Toyah EP". toyah.net. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  7. ↑ "Take The Leap! (Clear Vinyl)". Demon Music Group. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  8. ↑ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50: 20 March 2020 - 26 March 2020". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  9. ↑ "Official Vinyl Albums Chart Top 40: 20 March 2020 - 26 March 2020". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
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