About Toy Love

The Enemy was the prototype. Then there was Toy Love. Formed late '78, first gig early '79, they played 500 plus gigs in 19 months, then they were gone. They made an indelible impression on the New Zealand music scene though, upping the theatrics and giving the punters something to dance about. High hopes of making the big time, via Australia, gave way to tougher times ... Toy Love's dissolution soon followed. Chris Knox, Toy Love's vocalist, was a key player in the foundation of iconic New Zealand record label Flying Nun, mastering some of the first recordings for the likes of The Clean. Knox has been a persistant figure in the NZ music scene and has worked alone and on various projects such as Tall Dwarfs; his latest band is Chris Knox and the Nothing, or simply The Nothing. He also runs his own label, cunningly called Major Label. The members of Toy Love hated the sound of the Toy Love LP ("all tops, no bass"). The passage of twenty five years saw the release of Cuts (Flying Nun, 2005) - two discs of reconditioned tracks drawn mostly from previously unknown master tapes along with mixes from 45 singles, the AK79 compilation (Ripper Records, 1980), and demo versions. Toy Love was: Mike Dooley - Drums and Cymbals Paul Christopher Kean - Stereo original with Di Marzio through Holden Graphic (and JBL K145) and Fender Jazz pickup through Jansen Combo. Chris Knox - A throat, a body and a mind beyond repair. Jane Walker - Hohner Clavinet, DG-EKO organ, bits of foam plastic, bits of 4x2, Holden graphic amp, speakers, phaser, electricity. Alec Bathgate - Ibanez 59'er and Rockit 130