Toyah: It's a Mystery

Track of the Week - 29 November 2020

It's been a quiet week so I'm left with writing about a television programme. Was a good one though.

A BBC Four Storyville documentary introduced me to the story of DB Cooper. A hijacker who held up a 727 in 1971 and parachuted out with the $200,000 ransom and was never seen again.

The programme featured people who knew four of the possible suspects and told their stories. Fascinating stuff. I won't spoil it for you.

As well as this mystery I was listening to the Steve Lamacq show on BBC 6 Music where his 'National Anthem' feature was about the anniversary of Agatha Christie's play The Mousetrap beginning its run in London. Plenty of people suggested this track as the choice of the day (although it wasn't chosen).

And then on Friday during my delayed dart practice I turned on Lamacq and he was playing this track. What a mystery! Or coincidence. Or case of frequency illusion.

Anyway all that has led me to choosing Toyah's It's a Mystery as this week's track. It was the lead track on the Four from Toyah EP and took the band to number four in 1981. I didn't realise it was a cover version until reading it just now.

It's not my favourite Toyah track, that would be a toss-up between Ieya and Danced. You listen to this, I'm off to enjoy those again.