AS one half of pop duo Dollar, Thereza Bazar was a semi-permanent fixture on Top of the Pops for a spell in the late 70s and early 80s.

Her image was to be found on the cover of pop, fashion and teen magazines as she and partner David van Day released a string of hits including Mirror Mirror and Give Me Back My Heart.

As the relationship between the two became increasingly strained Dollar split in 1983. Thereza recorded a solo album but due to record company mix-up it failed to live up to the hype. There would be unsuccessful attempts at reunion tours - ironically Dollar’s biggest chart success came in 1987 with a cover of Erasure’s Oh L’amour - but Thereza effectively walked away from the spotlight and moved to Australia.

Now she is back and preparing to bring the songs which helped define an era back to the stage. Thereza Bazar’s Dollar head to Burnley Mechanics next week as part of her first UK tour in more than two decades.

“The show will be a celebration,” said Thereza. “It’s a celebration for everyone in that room whatever their age because age is irrelevant.

“When you hear a song it transports you to the time you first heard it; you remember what you were doing, where you were going, where your life was at - it triggers a memory. Music is much more powerful than just being a record.”

At their peak of popularity music critics were quick to dismiss the hits.

“We were always described as fluffy or cheesy,” said Thereza. “Everyone wrote them off as disposable pop ditties but they weren’t and they aren’t.

“Just ask the musicians in my band now who have been learning them. They thought they would be easy to learn and discover there is a lot going on. I think they really have stood the test of time.”

Thereza was one of the 80s Golden Girls and she admits that it was a special time.

“I don’t know what it is about the 80s but I feel so blessed to have been part of that. There was a lot of hard work and a good spoonful of luck but it is a golden era for music.”

A golden era it might have been but Thereza left it all behind to live in Australia.

“There were a whole lot of things going on,” she said. “There was the reformation of Dollar with David van Day in 1986 after my solo album was such a massive disappointment.

“There was huge hype around that album and an expectation placed on me. But there was a huge record company mess up and the result was basically it flopped. That shook me and thinking I’d be better of with the devil you know I phoned David and we got back together as Dollar but I wasn’t happy. I knew I was compromising my musical abilities,.

“It all got too much for me and I ran for the hills - well Australia.

“I also needed to repair myself. I wanted the wounds to heal. and listening to everything was just too hurtful. I was too upset; it was much too raw. It’s taken me years to go back and listen to those songs again.”

The catalyst for Thereza effectively falling back in love with her music came during Covid.

“Strange to think that Covid could have a silver lining,” she said. “But I was approached by someone who said they wanted to help write a book about me. At first I thought ‘who would ever want to read that’? But it got me thinking and I started listening to the back catalogue and reading about all the nonsense things we did and all the PR stunts we got involved in.

“I thought ‘this would be quite an entertaining book if it wasn’t about me’.”

The autobiography attracted the interest of major publishers who said that Thereza needed to increase her social media profile.

“I’d not really done anything like that,” she said. “I had someone who would put a few things up but I decided 'right, I’m going to get involved and give them what they want'. So I’ve been writing and posting - you can tell it’s me because of all the spelling mistakes.”

Now a tour with a full band is raising her profile even further - and delighting the fans.

“I’ve spent my life jumping around to backing tracks on TV and personal appearances so I knew I had to tour with a band,” she said.

Thereza will joined by Stephen Fox as they bring the hits and lesser known songs to life.

“There will be some surprises,” said Thereza, “and a lot of the songs will have an edgier sound.”

Talking about the tour you can sense the excitement in her voice.

“I must be mad but I feel the same motivation and focus as had in my 20s and I’m 68. But I also want to show people that you shouldn’t be limited in what you do by a number.”

Thereza is also highlighting the work of the Different Stokes charity supporting people affected by stroke working age or younger.

“We never got the chance to give something back in the 80s as we were rushing everywhere,” she said. “But also on a personal note my partner was diagnosed with a generative neurological disease over seven years ago and faces challenges 24/7.”

Thereza Bazar's Dollar, Burnley Mechanics, Wednesday, October 4. Details from www.burnleymechanics,ticketsolve.com