Toy Dolls
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The Band
The Toy Dolls were formed in 1979 playing their first ever gig was at Millview Social Club, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, 20 October 1979. After a couple of gigs Pete Zulu left to form his own band and they brought in vocalist Hud who then left himself after just one gig leaving The Toy Dolls as a trio with guitarist Olga (ian Mckinnell) to assume vocal duties. This was just the start of the revolving door of drummers and bassists that would characterise the Toy Dolls line-up over the years.
They quickly built up a local fanbase and were initially grouped with the Oi! scene that was emerging at the time all though many would say that despite having the singalong choruses that are typical of Oi! they are better classified as pop-punk.
Another reason they are associated with Oi! is that they were championed by Garry Bushell who was very involved with Oi bands like The Angelic Upstarts (who The Toy Dolls later supported on their first national tour) and in 1980 a local businessman financed their debut single, "Tommy Kowey's Car" with "She Goes To Finos" on the B-side. The single quickly sold out it's initial 500 pressing but the band couldn't afford to press any more so it became a collecter's item.
In 1983 they released their debut album "Dig That Groove Baby" by which time with Bushell's help they were beginning to attract national press attention and in 1984 they burst into the Top 40 with their punk rendition of "Nellie The Elephant", a classic children's song, which reached Number 4 in the UK charts and stayed in the Top 40 for 12 weeks.
The Toy Dolls have continued since then with ever-changing record labels and membership establishing fan bases in Europe, America and Japan releasing many albums and singles that lead to The Toy Dolls as we know them today.
Critical Appraisal
Some say punk has to be political or angry but The Toy Dolls proved that it can just be a way to have fun with irreverent lyrics and song titles including such gems as "Yul Brynner Was A Skinhead", "My Girlfriend's Dad's A Vicar" and "James Bond Lives Down Our Street." Olga is one of the most original guitarists to emerge from punk which is even more impressive as he is entirely self-taught. The songs are usually a mixture of frenzied guitar solos, Olga's cheeky lead vocals, singalong choruses and lyrics that make you laugh time and time again. They are also usually catchy as hell.
Band members
November 1979 Olga (Guitar), Pete Zulu (Vocals), Flip (Bass), Mr. Scott (Drums)
December 1979 Hud (Vocals), Olga (Guitar), Flip (Bass), Mr. Scott (Drums)
January 1980 Olga (Vocals/Guitar), Flip (Bass), Mr. Scott (Drums)
August 1980 Olga (Vocals/Guitar), Flip (Bass), Dean James (Drums)
December 1980 Olga (Vocals/Guitar), Flip (Bass), Trevor the Frog (Drums)
January 1981 Olga (Vocals/Guitar), Flip (Bass), Teddy Toy Dolls (drums)
August 1981 Olga (Vocals/Guitar), Flip (Bass), Happy Bob (Drums)
February 1983 Olga (Vocals/Guitar), Freddie Hotrock (Bass), Nick Buck (Drums)
May 1983 Olga (Vocals/Guitar), Bonny Baz (Bass), Dirty Dicka (Drums)
September 1983 Olga (Vocals/Guitar), Bonny Baz (Bass), Dicky (Drums)
September 1984 Olga (Vocals/Guitar), Pete Zulu (Bass), Little Paul (Drums)
January 1985 Olga (Vocals/Guitar), Pete Zulu (Guitar), Ernie (Bass), Little Paul (Drums)
September 1985 Olga (Vocals/Guitar), Dean James (Bass), Teddy Toy Doll (Drums)
July 1986 Olga (Vocals/Guitar), Dean James (Bass), Canny Kev (Drums)
March 1987 Olga (Vocals/Guitar), Dean James (Bass), Marty (Drums)
October 1989 Olga (Vocals/Guitar), K'Cee (Bass), Marty (Drums)
August 1990 Olga (Vocals/Guitar), Dicky Hammond (Bass), Marty (Drums)
October 1990 Olga (Vocals/Guitar), K'Cee (Bass), Marty (Drums)
February 1997 Olga (Vocals/Guitar), Gary Fun (Bass), Marty (Drums)
February 1997 Olga (Vocals/Guitar), Gary Fun (Bass), Suba (Drums)
October 2003 Olga (Vocals/Guitar), Reb (Bass), Dave The Nut (Drums)
March 2004 Olga (Vocals/Guitar), Tom Goober(Bass), Dave the Nut (Drums)
Discography
Albums:
- March'83 - Dig that groove baby - April'85 - A far out disc - Aug'86 - Idle gossip. - Oct'87 - Bare faced cheek. - July'89 - Ten years of toys. - Sept'89 - Wakey wakey. - Oct'90 - 22 tunes live from Tokyo. - March'90 - Fat bobs feet. - Jan'93 - Absurd ditties. - Feb'95 - Orcastrated. - April'97 - One more megabyte. - Oct'99 - On stage in stuttgart. - Oct'00 - Anniversary anthems. - Nov'04 - Our Last Album.
Singles:
- July'80 - Tommy kowey's car. - Sept'81 - The Toy Dolls Ep. - March'82 - Everybody jitterbug. - June'83 - Cheerio and toodle'pip. - Sept'83 - Alfie from the bronx. - June'84 - Were mad. - Nov'84 - Nellie the elephant. - March'85 - She goes to Finos. - Sept'85 - James Bond [Lives down our street] - July'86 - Geordies gone to jail. - ??'87 - Wipe out. (Released in France.) - Nov'90 - Turtle Crazy. - Jan'95 - Lazy Sunday afternoon. - Oct'00 - Livin la vida loca.
Video/Dvd/Other:
- 1984 - Were mad. VHS - 1987 - Idle gossip. VHS - 1992 - Live in japan. VHS - 1992 - Were mad + Idle gossip. DVD - 2005 - Our Last DVD. DVD
???? - Flipside video # 3.
A COMPILATION FEATURING A VARIETY OF 80'S PUNK BANDS INCLUDING THE TOY DOLLS, AGENT ORANGE AND DARBY CRASH.
THE FEATURED TOY DOLL TRACK IS 'BARRY MANILOW' WHICH WAS ONLY EVER PLAYED LIVE AND CANNOT BE FOUND ANYWHERE ELSE OTHER THAN THIS VIDEO.
- 1993 VHS & May'01 DVD - Punk and disordelry. A COLLECTION OF TRACKS BY VARIOUS PUNK BANDS. FEATURING ALONGSIDE THE TOY DOLLS TRACK (PC STOKER TAKEN FROM THE IDLE GOSSIP VIDEO) ARE:
- THE LURKERS - I'M ON HEAT - THE BUSINESS - SUBURBAN REBELS - PETER & THE TEST TUBE BABIES - MOPED LADS G.B.H. - GENERALS
External links
- Official website (http://www.thetoydolls.com)