| Andy Taylor | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Andrew Arthur Taylor |
| Born | 16 February 1961 Cullercoats, Tyne and Wear, England |
| Genres | New Wave, Rock |
| Occupations | Musician, Songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Labels | EMI Records MCA Records A&M Records Sony Music |
| Associated acts | Duran Duran, Power Station, Robert Palmer, Rod Stewart, The Almighty, Thunder, Mark Shaw, Love and Money, Paul Rodgers, C. C. Catch |
Andy Taylor (born Andrew Arthur Taylor 16 February 1961, Cullercoats, Tyne and Wear, England) is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer, best known as a member of Duran Duran and The Power Station.
He has also recorded and performed as a solo artist, and served as a guitarist, songwriter and record producer for the likes of Duran Duran, Robert Palmer, Rod Stewart, The Almighty, Thunder, Love and Money, Mark Shaw, Then Jerico, C. C. Catch, Paul Rodgers (with The Law), Belinda Carlisle, Gun and many more.
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Taylor was born and raised in Cullercoats, Tyne and Wear in North East England, and attended Marden High School. He began playing guitar at the age of eleven, and was soon playing with local bands, even producing one at the age of sixteen. He dropped out of school early to tour England and Europe with several different bands, playing working men's clubs and air force bases. Then in April 1980, as Taylor puts it, "I made that fateful train journey down to Birmingham".
Duran Duran began their rise to fame at a Birmingham club named the "Rummrunner". The club was owned by their managers and mentors, brothers Paul & Michael Berrow. It was centred on the music and ostentatious fashion of the era, particularly dance & disco music, which had fused with punk and electronic to create the sound and look adopted by various "New Romantic" acts of the time. The band was heavily influenced by the 12 inch cuts of the day. Taylor says... "Anybody who is familiar with early DD (Duran Duran) will be aware of the Night Versions concept… the underlying influence of the 12" mix - Edwards & Rodgers - Giorgio Moroder … It was all part of the matrix - we tested our first hits on the dance-floor before going anywhere near the radio - it was the way you defined your style and who you were, through the club you were associated with - where you hung-out … I'm a rock fan, but the girls hung-out at the disco - I recommend a large portion of both."
The band signed to EMI Records in December 1980 only seven months after completing the line-up. Their debut single "Planet Earth" was released shortly after that, with their self-titled debut album, Duran Duran, released in June 1981. By 1983, the band was a global success story.
While Duran Duran were on hiatus in 1985, Andy Taylor and bassist John Taylor joined renowned session drummer and former Chic member Tony Thompson and Robert Palmer to form the band Power Station. Their eponymous album, recorded mostly at the New York studio for which the band was named, reached the Top 20 in the UK and the Top 10 in the US, and spawned two hit singles with "Some Like It Hot" (UK #14, US#6) and a cover of the T. Rex song "Get It On (Bang a Gong)" (UK #22, US#9). Palmer performed live with the band only once that year, on Saturday Night Live. The band toured, and even played Live Aid with singer Michael Des Barres after Palmer bowed out at the last moment to go back into the studio to further his newly revitalized solo career. Taylor also performed with Duran Duran at the Live Aid event.
Palmer recorded the album Riptide in 1985, recruiting Thompson and Andy Taylor to play on some tracks and Power Station producer Bernard Edwards, who worked with Thompson in the group Chic, to helm the production. Robert recruited Wally Badarou, another Compass Point Star who had laid synthesizer tracks on the Power Station album, plus his long-term drummer, Dony Wynn, for this production as well.
Taylor said... "I don't think any of us could have known at the time that this little venture would lead to the break up of DD [v1.0] But it did or at least it exposed the cracks in the pavement. I think we were all surprised at the amount of success the project achieved, particularly Robert, whose career was reignited in the USA. It was an extraordinary time, everything we were associated with just flew off the shelves. As well as being the opportunity to express a major musical statement, I guess it was also as much of a statement against the label demands."
After six years of being a member of Duran Duran, Taylor had realised both he and the band were in free fall. He and the other bandmembers rarely spoke to one another and the band were now living in three different continents. Taylor himself was now based in Los Angeles where he met with ex-Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones and they began collaborating for Taylor's forthcoming solo album.
In the meantime, he recorded the hit single "Take It Easy" (US #24), which was recorded as the theme song to the movie American Anthem. Ex-Missing Persons members Terry Bozzio and Patrick O'Hearn performed drums and bass, respectively, on the song and video. Two other songs by Taylor/Jones also appeared on the album: "Wings of Love" and the instrumental "Angel Eyes". Taylor also contributed to the Miami Vice II soundtrack with the song "When The Rain Comes Down" (US #43). This was followed by his first solo album, Thunder (1987). O'Hearn again played bass for him on the album and during the following tour. Also on the Thunder world tour were guitarist Paul Hanson (guitarist) and drummer John Valen. Hanson, Valen & O'Hearn also appeared with Taylor in the music video for the second single from the Thunder album, "Don't Let Me Die Young". Despite moderate success in the US, Taylor's solo material failed to catch on in his native UK.
Throughout 1987 and1988, Taylor co/wrote and co/produced Rod Stewart's Platinum album "Out of Order" along with Chic members Bernard Edwards and Tony Thompson, spawning the Billboard hits, "Lost In You," "Forever Young," and "My Heart Can't Tell Me No".
Taylor also contributed a cover of "Dead on the Money" to the Tequila Sunrise soundtrack in 1988 (Taylor's former band Duran Duran would also allow one of their own songs, "Do You Believe In Shame?", to be included on the album). A second solo album, this one consisting of entirely cover versions, entitled Dangerous, was released in 1990.
Taylor then moved on to producing full time, working with several successful UK bands throughout the 1990s. He produced the debut album Back Street Symphony by London rockers Thunder and their follow up Laughing on Judgement Day. This was followed by The Almighty album Soul Destruction, and then Mark Shaw's album Almost. Taylor based himself in his now refurbished Trident Studios in London with then manager and partner Rob Hallett, until 1994 when he returned to Los Angeles in order to write and produce tracks for a second Power Station album and the 1995 Rod Stewart album A Spanner in the Works.
Taylor participated in the 1994 reunion of Power Station. They recorded a second album "Living in Fear" for EMI; this time without John Taylor, who had just left Duran Duran himself and gone into rehab. During the course of this album, Bernard Edwards died in his hotel room after a Chic gig in Tokyo. The band were shellshocked at his sudden death, however vowed to continue as a trio and complete the project. They subsequently finished the album with Canadian Engineer/producer Mike Fraser, with a Japanese & US tour to follow in order to promote the record.
In 2001, Taylor reunited with the other original members of Duran Duran to record their first new music together since 1985. The band secured a new recording contract with Sony Records. Their ensuing album, Astronaut, featured a blend of Taylor's heavy guitar with the synth hooks of the classic Duran Duran sound. The first single, "Sunrise", reached No.5 in the UK, and the album reached No.3 (#17 in the US).
Months prior to the album's release, the band played their largest ever UK tour in the spring of 2004, which was followed by a world tour in 2005, including Asia, Europe, and North America. The band also performed at Live 8.
In 2006, whilst recording a new Duran Duran album, Taylor once again parted ways with the band. The subsequent album, titled Reportage, was scrapped by the band after his departure. More recently, Taylor strongly hinted in his blogs that Duran Duran's management company were partly responsible for his departure. This was confirmed when The Sunday Times (UK) printed a retraction on May 4, 2008 . [1]
A short controversy followed as Taylor wrote in his 2008 autobiography that there was no "blunt message" and that in addition to the problems of writing and recording Reportage, old conflicts between himself and other bandmembers had resurfaced. The other band members have maintained their version, in which Andy Taylor's chronic unexplainable absences are pointed out. The band issued a statement in the wake of his departure, stating they "will be continuing as Duran Duran without Andy, as we have reached a point in our relationship with him where there is an unworkable gulf between us and we can no longer effectively function together."
Andy's father had passed away, in which Andy fell into depression and need time to recover. Which then Andy received a message that he was was no longer needed in Duran Duran, all this is explained in his autobiography.
In November 2007 Taylor co-founded RockAffairs.com alongside Sarah Eaglesfield, the former Flightside vocalist and webmistress at duranduran.com. RockAffairs was developed to allow unsigned artists to sell MP3s and merchandise, promote their band and keep 100% of the profit. It also pioneered a maverick Profit Share Scheme where 100% of income from listener signups was distributed amongst bands who sign up for the profit share scheme.
In June 2008, Taylor handed control of the website over to Eaglesfield. As of 2011, Taylor remains the owner of RockAffairs Ltd in the UK.[2]
In 2008, Andy Taylor published an autobiography,Wild Boy: My Life in Duran Duran, in which he tells his life's story from youth in an extended family to his life with wife Tracey. The book aims to give a backstage look on Duran Duran's rise, a survey of the band's career album by album as well as of Taylor's solo works and collaborations. It also deals with the iconic status of Duran Duran in the time of early MTV and the band's issues with drug and alcohol.
Andy Taylor - Discography...
(1980–2012)
'The Crying Shames’
‘That's Rock and Roll’ - (single) (played guitar)
‘Duran Duran’ - (Duran Duran - album)
‘Planet Earth’- (single) ‘Careless Memories’ - (single) ‘Girls On Film’ - (single)
‘My Own Way’ - (Duran Duran – single)
‘Rio’ - (Duran Duran - album)
‘Hungry Like The Wolf ’ – (single) ‘Save A Prayer’ – (single) ‘Rio’ – (single)
‘Is There Something I Should Know? – (Duran Duran – single)
‘Seven and the Ragged Tiger’ - (Duran Duran - album)
‘Union of the Snake’ – (single) ‘New Moon On Monday’ – ( single) ‘The Reflex’ – (single)
‘Arena’ - (Duran Duran - live album)
‘Wild Boys’– (single)
'The Power Station’ - (The Power Station - album)
‘Some Like It Hot’ – (single) ‘Get It On’ – (single) ‘Communication’ - ( single)
‘A View to a Kill’ - (Duran Duran & John Barry soundtrack album & single)
'Notorious' - (Duran Duran - album)
Notorious - (single) Skin Trade - (single) Meet el Presidente - (single)
‘Somewhere, Somehow, Someone’ - (Power Station soundtrack for Commando)
‘Addicted to Love’ - (Robert Palmer - single)
'American Anthem' - (Soundtrack)
‘Take it Easy’ – (Andy Taylor - single)
'Miami Vice' - (Soundtrack)
‘When The Rain Comes Down’ – (Andy Taylor - single)
'All You Need Is' - (Love & Money - producer - album)
'Cheesburger' - (single) 'Candybar Express' - (single)
‘Thunder’ - (Andy Taylor - solo album)
‘I Might Lie’ – (single) ‘Don’t Let Me Die Young’ – (single) 'Life Goes On' - (single)
"Out of Order' - (Rod Stewart - writer / producer / guitar - album)
‘Lost in You’ – (single) ‘Forever Young’– (single) ‘My Heart Can’t Tell You No’ – (single)
‘Backstreet Symphony’ - (Thunder - writer/producer - album)
‘She’s so Fine’ – (single) ‘Dirty Love’ – (single) ‘Love Walked In’ – (single)
‘Nobodies Business’ - (solo album - unreleased)
‘Dead On The Money’ - (Andy Taylor - solo single – Tequila Sunrise, movie soundtrack)
‘Soul Destruction’ - (The Almighty - producer - album)
'Free & Easy' - (single) 'Hell to Pay' - (single) 'Little Lost Sometime' - (single)
‘Almost’ - (Mark Shaw - producer - album)
'Under Your Spell' - (single) 'Love So Bright' - (single)
‘Dangerous’ - (Andy Taylor - solo album)
‘Lola’ – (single) ‘Stone Cold Sober’ – (single)
'Skin & Bones' - (producer - album)
'Funky' - (Eric & The Good Good Feeling - producer - album)
Good Good Feeling - (single) 'Funky' - (single)
'Tamara Champlin' - (producer - album)
'Gun' - (producer, mixer - tracks)
'Shame on You' - (single) 'Long Road' - (single)
'Matthew Ashman' - (producer, writer - album)
'Then Jerico' - (producer, writer - album)
'Thunder' - ‘Laughing on Judgement Day’ - (producer, writer - album)
‘Better Man’ – (single) 'Everybody Wants Her' - (single) 'Flawed to Perfection' - (single)
'The Law' with Paul Rodgers - (guitar & mix - tracks)
For a Little Ride - (single)
‘Spanner in the Works’ - (Rod Stewart - writer, guitar, producer - album)
‘You’re the Star’ – (single) ‘Delicious’ – (single)
‘Living In Fear’ - (Power Station - album)
‘She Can Rock It’ – (single) 'Notoriety' - (single)
‘The Spanish Sessions E P’ - (with Luke Morely)
Orgasmaphobia - (Then Jerico - producer, writer, guitars - album)
'Fevertree / Liam Keenan' - (producer)
‘Astronaut’ - (Duran Duran - album)
‘(Reach Up) For The Sunrise’ – (single) ‘What Happens Tomorrow’ – (single) 'Nice' - (single)
‘Reportage’ - (Duran Duran - unreleased album)
‘Blame the BBC’ - ( Hungover Stuntmen - producer, album)
'She Knows' - (single)
With Duran Duran
With Power Station
Solo
Solo Singles
Andy Taylor Wild Boy - My Life In Duran Duran (Published on September, 9 2008)
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