toyah - it's a mystery

This cropped up on the iPod shuffling just now....Toyah's 1980 single "It's A Mystery". 

What a thoroughly enjoyable song it is. The chorus, despite being lively and pretty epic is also oddly downbeat and has a welcome melancholy edge to it. But what really struck was that fact this song would never be made today. Or at least it wouldn't sound anything like this. 

Toyah's vocals are a little ragged and clearly untrained, with lots of squeaks and pitching which is just about on the right note, but it's perfect for this song, giving it an energy and charm that is unique. And if this song was to be made today, Toyah's slight lisp would probably be erased, the rest of the vocals autotuned to hell and any interest and quirkiness would be sucked right out of it.

Also on shuffle earlier, from around the same time as "It's A Mystery", the Passions' brilliant "I'm In Love With A German Film Star". Wonderfully languid and disinterested sounding vocals in the classic New Romantic style. The Passions supported Roxy Music on some dates around 1981 - that would have been a good bill, an appropriately fashionable and classy looking band supporting Bryan and the boys. They never did anything else to rival "German Film Star" though. A quick look at Wikipedia reveals that the band pretty much broke up soon after this hit with their main songwriter leaving due to "serious political differences" - makes a change from musical differences!