Victims of the Riddle

"Victims Of The Riddle" was a debut single from the post-punk band Toyah, fronted by Toyah Willcox. It was released on 27 July 1979.[1] The single and its B-side, "Victims of the Riddle (Vivisection)" were featured on the LP version of Sheep Farming In Barnet, which was itself an extended reissue of the band's next single. They also featured on the 2005 compilation album The Safari Singles Collection Part 1: 1979-1981.

"Victims of the Riddle"
Single by Toyah
from the album Sheep Farming In Barnet
B-side"Victims of the Riddle (Vivisection)"
Released27 July 1979
GenreNew wave
Length3:38
LabelSafari Records
Songwriter(s)Toyah Willcox, Keith Hales, Steve James, Joel Bogen, Peter Bush
Producer(s)Steve James, Keith Hales
Toyah singles chronology
"Victims of the Riddle"
(1979)		 "Sheep Farming in Barnet EP"
(1979)

History

"Victims of the Riddle" was considered by some as being a very brave single choice, especially as a debut. "'Victims Of The Riddle' was mainly my choice because I wanted to be as weird and far away from the mainstream as possible. In fact, being weird was my priority. If I was to go back in time I'd have made the first single 'Neon Womb'", Toyah remarked in 2011.[2]

There was, apparently, some friction within the band as to the authorship. In 1980, speaking to ZigZag fanzine, Toyah said:

I'm not really happy with anything we've ever done, except 'Victims Of The Riddle', which was the first tune I ever wrote, but 'cos a certain member of the band was so stinking jealous that I had written a tune on keyboards it went out as he had written it, otherwise he'd have left the band and I didn't want that 'cos I quite liked his keyboard playing.[3]

In 2011, speaking of the old songs she cherry-picked for her 30th Anniversary concert tour, Toyah commented:

…'Victims Of The Riddle', this really translates beautifully into subtle jazz, which means I can put the vocal in the rhythmic pocket and make it sound more anchored. Subject wise it's still just as off the wall and interesting.[2]

Controversy

The single courted controversy due to its intentionally disturbing front cover image — a photograph of one of the mummies of Guanajuato in Mexico (from a book by Ray Bradbury entitled The Mummies of Guanajuato), holding a note which asked "Is there a heaven? Is there a hell? Do both exist? Who can tell?". This was drawn over the original inscription, which bore the name of the actual mummy — Magdalena Aguilar, and her date of burial which was 8 September 1897. Her mummified body was exhumed on 27 December 1909.

Critical reception

In April 1979 New Musical Express wrote: "Toyah's backdrop is a quirky maze of fixing electronic and electric sounds, an intelligent sub-disco underlay. Toyah herself screeches and howls and makes the simple art of reviewing something of an endurance test. Angry and powerful, that's what it is, riotously and genuinely performed. But painful and disappointing too, after all the pre-release build up... 'Is there a heaven?/Is there a hell?/Do both exist?/Who can tell?' runs the deep intellect on the sleeve front. Theatrical froth".[4]

Track listing

7" Vinyl
  • A: Victims of the Riddle [Willcox/Hale/James/Bogen/Bush]
  • B: Victims of the Riddle (Vivisection) [Willcox/Hale/James/Bogen/Bush]

Catalogue Number: SAFE 15. Produced by Steve James/Keith Hales. Published by Sweet 'n' Sour Songs/MCPS.

Side A ran at 45RPM, while the lengthier Side B ran at 33RPM.

Personnel

References
  1. "Victims of the Riddle". www.discogs.com. Retrieved 1 January 2011.
  2. "Toyah Talks Music". FSF-A Interview. Retrieved 1 January 2011.
  3. Autumn 1980. "Toyah interview". ZigZag. Retrieved 1 January 2011.
  4. "Victims Of A Riddle". NME. Retrieved 1 January 2011.
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