Echo Beach#Toyah version

Echo Beach in the song is not a real place. It's a metaphor for a pleasant location that someone thinks of when they have an unsatisfactory job.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=yC-ayDlLcFNNQvVA&t=82&v=hmaHJUzv1Xk&feature=youtu.be |title=Martha & The Muffins Interview on Countdown 1980 |date=2015-02-22 |last=ClassicVideos80s |access-date=2024-12-21 |via=YouTube}} There is now an Echo Beach in Toronto, but it was named after the song. The song was created while Gane was working checking wallpaper for printing faults. He found the work rather dull and his mind drifted to times he would like to live over again. One such time was an evening spent at Sunnyside Beach on the shoreline of Lake Ontario in Toronto in summer. The B-side, 'Teddy The Dink', is featured on the band's second album Trance and Dance.

File:Sunnyside Beach, Etobicoke, Toronto, Canada.jpg

The map shown on the cover of the Canadian and US version of the single is of the eastern part of Toronto, including the Beaches neighbourhood, the Leslie Street Spit, and a portion of the Toronto Islands. The UK version of the single shows the north-western end of the Fleet Lagoon and the bar of Chesil Beach, the location of Abbotsbury Swannery in Dorset. It has been modified to show Chesil Beach being named as Echo Beach.

In 2003, Q magazine listed "Echo Beach" among the 1001 best songs ever.{{cite journal |title=1001 Best Songs Ever |journal=Q |editor=Trynka, Paul |year=2003 |issue=Special edition |url=http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/q1001_songs.htm |at=Top 10 80s Pop |archive-date=June 28, 2011 |access-date=September 15, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628075503/http://rocklistmusic.co.uk/q1001_songs.htm |url-status=usurped }}

In 2005, it was named the 35th greatest Canadian song of all time on the CBC Radio One series 50 Tracks.{{cn|date=September 2023}}

In 2010, the band released a 30th anniversary version of "Echo Beach". A commentator described the new version as "definitely a different song compared to the previous version; it's slower and the famous guitar riff that introduces the song is acoustic. [The original] was also good to be danced to, whereas the new one is darker and languid."{{cite magazine|title=Martha and the Muffins – Echo Beach|url=http://www.aaamusic.co.uk/2010/08/20/martha-and-the-muffins-echo-beach/|date=August 20, 2010|author=Roberta Capuano|magazine=AAA Music}} Mark Gane explained, "We wanted to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the song, by not trying to replicate the version that we originally recorded, but as musicians who've experienced three decades of living. We'd like to refer to the new recording of 'Echo Beach' as our 'grown-up' version."

In 1996, the song was featured on Oh, What a Feeling, a 4-CD collection of Canadian music.

In June 2011, concert promoter Live Nation opened a 4,000-person outdoor concert facility in Toronto and named it after the song.{{cite journal |url=http://www.torontolife.com/daily/hype/curtain-call/2011/04/26/live-nation-to-open-echo-beach-a-new-4000-person-venue-in-toronto/ |title=Live Nation to open Echo Beach, a new 4,000-person venue in Toronto |first=Mishki |last=Vaccaro |date=April 26, 2011 |journal=Toronto Life |issn=0049-4194 |oclc=2545264 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110704113136/http://www.torontolife.com/daily/hype/curtain-call/2011/04/26/live-nation-to-open-echo-beach-a-new-4000-person-venue-in-toronto/ |archive-date=July 4, 2011 |url-status=live }}{{cite web|url=http://www.echobeach.ca |title=TD Echo Beach Upcoming Shows in W. Toronto, Ontario — Live Nation |website=Echobeach.ca |access-date=October 16, 2016}}

• 7-inch single

:A. "Echo Beach" – 3:38

:B. "Teddy the Dink" – 3:32

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{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|type=single|artist=Martha and the Muffins|title=Echo Beach|award=Gold|relyear=1980|certyear=1980|access-date=August 28, 2020}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Martha & The Muffins|title=Echo Beach|award=Silver|relyear=2004|certyear=2020|id=16657-5361-1|access-date=August 28, 2020}}

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{{Infobox song

| name = Echo Beach

| cover = Toyah-echo_beach_7"_cover.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Toyah

| album = Desire

| B-side = Plenty

| released = April 6, 1987{{cite magazine |last=Smith |first=Robin |date=April 4, 1987 |title=News Digest |magazine=Record Mirror |page=20 |issn=0144-5804}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| length = 3:20

| label = E.G.

| writer = Mark Gane

| producer = Mike Hedges

| prev_title = World in Action

| prev_year = 1985

| next_title = Moonlight Dancing

| next_year = 1987

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|WICNfdn8I0Q|"Echo Beach"}}}}

}}

British singer Toyah covered "Echo Beach" on her 1987 album Desire. The song was released as the lead single from the album and reached number 54 in the UK Singles Chart.{{cite book| first= David| last= Roberts| year= 2006| title= British Hit Singles & Albums| edition= 19th| publisher= Guinness World Records Limited| location= London| isbn= 1-904994-10-5| page= 563}} It is Toyah's last charting single in the UK to date.

• 7-inch single

:A. "Echo Beach" – 3:20

:B. "Plenty" – 3:40

• 12-inch single

:A. "Echo Beach" (Surf mix) – 5:36

:B1. "Echo Beach" (7-inch mix) – 3:20

:B2. "Plenty" – 3:40

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.marthaandthemuffins.com/ The official Martha and the Muffins website]
• [https://toyahwillcox.com/ The official Toyah website]

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{{Toyah Willcox}}

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Category:1980 songs

Category:1980 singles

Category:1987 singles

Category:Martha and the Muffins songs

Category:Toyah Willcox songs

Category:Gabriella Cilmi songs

Category:Song recordings produced by Mike Howlett

Category:Juno Award for Single of the Year singles

Category:Songs about beaches

Category:Music videos shot in Toronto