Toyah – Thunder In The Mountains

Released in September 1981, “Thunder In The Mountains” was a standalone single that captured Toyah at the height of her colourful, rebellious new wave period. Written by Toyah Willcox with keyboard player Adrian Lee and drummer Nigel Glockler, and produced by Nick Tauber, the song was recorded at London’s Marquee Studios.

The track is built around a driving rhythm, powerful keyboards and Toyah’s distinctive, urgent vocal, creating an atmosphere that feels both celebratory and confrontational. Its lyrics reflect the social unrest of Britain in 1981, using images of motorways, distant cities, explosions and gathering anger. Toyah later explained that she wanted the song to express the feeling of rebellion while also suggesting the possibility of positive change.

The circumstances surrounding its creation were remarkably hurried. Toyah recalled being given an instrumental tape by Adrian Lee while the band were touring, immediately responding to its sense of “bravado” and joy. She then had only a few hours to complete the lyrics and melody before travelling to the studio to record the song.

The accompanying promotional video, directed by Godley & Creme, further emphasised Toyah’s striking visual identity. With its mixture of futuristic imagery, dramatic performance and theatrical styling, “Thunder In The Mountains” perfectly embodied the adventurous spirit of Toyah’s early-Eighties work.

The song peaked at No. 04 in the UK singles chart on the 24th October 1981.