Nigel John Taylor
Encyclopedia
John Taylor is an English musician who is best known as the bass guitarist and co-founder of pop rock
band Duran Duran
.
Duran Duran were one of the most popular groups in the world during the 1980s due to their revolutionary music videos that played in heavy rotation in the early days of MTV
. Taylor was one of Duran Duran's most popular members.
Taylor played with Duran Duran and its changing lineups from its founding in 1978 until 1997, when he left to pursue a solo recording and film career. He made a dozen solo releases (albums, EPs, and video projects) through his company "Trust The Process" in the next four years, had a lead role in the movie Sugar Town
, and made appearances in half a dozen other film projects. He rejoined Duran Duran for a full reunion of the original five members of the group in 2001.
Taylor also founded two supergroup
side projects: Power Station
and Neurotic Outsiders
.
, a suburb of Birmingham
, England. As a child he attended Catholic school and the Abbey High School, in Redditch
, wore glasses (due to severe myopia
, over -10 dioptre
s), enjoyed James Bond
movies and the hobby of wargaming
with hand-painted model soldiers. In his early teen years he discovered music, choosing Roxy Music
as his favourite band, and before long was collecting records and teaching himself to play piano. His first band was called Shock Treatment.
formed Duran Duran
with Stephen Duffy
while attending the School of Foundation Studies & Experimental Workshop Birmingham Polytechnic (now Birmingham City University
). Soon after Taylor underwent an "ugly duckling" transformation—ditching the glasses for contact lens
es, adopting the ruffles and sashes of the fashion that would become known as the New Romantic
style, and learning to wear eyeliner and lipstick. He stopped using the name "Nigel," and has been known throughout his professional career as John Taylor.
Taylor played guitar when Duran Duran was founded, but switched to bass guitar after discovering the funky rhythms of Chic
, and learned to enjoy playing in the rhythm section
with Duran's newly recruited drummer Roger Taylor. He has frequently cited Chic's Bernard Edwards
and The Clash
's Paul Simonon
as his strongest influences, in addition to Paul McCartney
, James Jamerson
, and Roxy Music players Graham Simpson and John Porter
. Duran Duran released its first album in 1981, and went on to worldwide success in the early 1980s.
Duran Duran's early music tended to prominently feature Taylor's melodic bass lines, following the model of funk
and disco
songs like "Good Times". Contrary to popular believe Taylor does not play bass on the Band Aid
charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas?
", the bassline on that tracks was played on an OSCar synthesiser.
As Duran Duran became famous in the early 1980s, Taylor's individual celebrity grew. His picture was a staple of teen magazines, and he won numerous popularity polls, including appearances on People Magazine
s annual list of "Sexiest People". He lived a lavish lifestyle with homes in London and Paris, and owned several cars, which he rarely had a chance to drive, including the Bond-style Aston Martin
of which he had always dreamed. He dated fashion models, such as Bond girl
Janine Andrews and "Face of the '80s" Renee Simonsen
,and was welcome at parties all over the world.
In 1985, after recording the chart-topping theme
to the Bond movie A View to a Kill
, Duran Duran split into two side projects. John Taylor and Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor
joined forces with former Chic drummer Tony Thompson
and Robert Palmer (singer) who earlier met at Duran Duran`s charity concert at Aston Villa football ground 1983 to form the band The Power Station
. With the guidance of producer Bernard Edwards, they released one album, The Power Station, which produced the hit singles "Some Like It Hot" and the T.Rex cover song "Bang A Gong (Get It On)
".
That year, Taylor also launched his first solo effort, recording the single "I Do What I Do...
" for the soundtrack to the movie 9½ Weeks
. He also wrote some instrumental music for the movie's score with collaborator Jonathan Elias
.
Although Andy Taylor and Roger Taylor left the band, the three remaining Duran Duran members reformed for the 1986 Notorious album, and continued to record and tour throughout the 1990s with new guitarist Warren Cuccurullo
. Taylor recorded a fair amount of unreleased solo material on the side, including several tracks used on the soundtrack of the Allison Anders
movie Mi Vida Loca
.
On 24 December 1991, Taylor married 19-year-old Amanda De Cadenet
, who was already pregnant with his daughter, Atlanta (born 31 March 1992). He moved from England to Los Angeles, California to help further his wife's acting career, as well as to escape constant attention from the British tabloids. Taylor's marriage declined even as Duran Duran's star rose with the success of 1993's Duran Duran
, also known as The Wedding Album. In late 1994, Taylor sought treatment for his substance abuse, and has remained sober since. He and De Cadenet officially separated in May 1995.
Duran Duran's success rapidly waned with the widely derided 1995 covers album Thank You
. Following that album's supporting tour, Duran Duran spent part of the summer of 1995 in London working on the album Medazzaland. Concurrently, Taylor devoted time to the side project Neurotic Outsiders
, recording and touring with that band from the end of 1995 through the start of 1996.
B5 Records in California with producer Hein Hoven. B5 Records originally recorded from Hoven's Lake Hollywood home but eventually built a state of the art
studio in Santa Monica
dubbed "B5 by the Sea." The label had a cutting-edge website created by Kapil Mathur which featured a virtual journey through the B5 studios, and which allowed visitors to "interact" with Taylor and Hoven using mobile avatar
s in a virtual environment.
At B5, Taylor sang and played guitar and bass on his first solo album, Feelings Are Good (And Other Lies), working with collaborator Steve Jones
of the Sex Pistols
. The home-grown album was marketed by mail order
, and capitalised on the Internet savvy of the Duran Duran fanbase by selling its CDs directly via the website. The music and vocals were generally rough and raw, much more akin to grunge
and punk music than to Duran Duran, while the lyrics reflected Taylor's chaotic personal life and his ongoing divorce from De Cadenet. He participated in writing an album for the reunited Power Station in late 1996, but his personal problems forced him to withdraw from the project, which went on to record with Bernard Edwards on bass and toured with a hired bass player. Increasing creative differences within Duran Duran, his move to LA and a desire to focus on his solo work also led Taylor to reconsider his place in that band. In January 1997 he announced at a Duran Duran fan convention that he was leaving the band.
He was soon recording more of his own material on B5 Records, releasing the EP Autodidact even as Feelings Are Good was re-released on the larger Canadian label DeRock Records. B5 then issued a tribute album
called Dream Home Heartaches... Remaking/Remodeling Roxy Music, featuring Roxy Music covers by Taylor and many other local Los Angeles artists. The label also produced the album Sub-Acid Sweet Songs for L.A. quartet Three Alarm Fire before Hein Hoven decided to leave the company. After that, the B5 Records company and the much-simplified website were renamed "Trust The Process", and focused on promoting Taylor's solo work rather than developing other acts.
During 1997 and 1998, Taylor built and toured with a band called "John Taylor Terroristen" (Gerry Laffy
on guitar, Michael Railton/Tio Banks on keyboard, Larry Aberman on drums, John Amato on sax and flute) which played numerous shows in Southern California
before touring the East and West Coasts of the United States. Terroristen released a live EP 5.30.98 and the accompanying video Better Off Alive through the Trust The Process website. After 9/11, Taylor said he would never use the band name "Terroristen" again.
Taylor also began making forays into acting. His long friendship with Allison Anders led to a starring role in her independent film, Sugar Town, in 1998. He also appeared in small roles in several other movies and TV programs over the next couple of years.
In 1999, Taylor released two albums of earlier material. The first, Résumé
, was made up of unreleased music that he and Jonathan Elias had worked on together during the 1985 sessions for the 9½ Weeks movie soundtrack. The second, Meltdown, was a collection of tracks Taylor had laid down in 1992, during the extensive delays in Duran Duran's recording of The Wedding Album. Described by Taylor as "upbeat dance electronica with a hip hop influence", some of the lyrics reveal his disaffection with the Duran Duran lifestyle; he has said he came very near to leaving the band during that time, but was held back by the sudden success of "Ordinary World
" and "Come Undone" in 1993.
Later in 1999 Taylor signed a recording contract with the Japanese record label Avex Trax
, and released an album labelled simply John Taylor on the cover, but listed in his official discography as The Japan Album. John Taylor Terroristen did more touring in Japan, Germany, and the United States. The Trust The Process website released an accompanying limited edition Japanese EP, followed by the "bootleg album" Live Cuts featuring unretouched recordings of Taylor's live performances from that year.
He continued recording for Avex in 2000, and early in 2001 released Techno For Two (featuring the international hit "6,000 Miles" co-written by Matthew Hager
), a decidedly non-techno
album filled with very personal songs. Shortly after, as talks began for a potential Duran Duran reunion, Taylor decided to create a retrospective package called Retreat Into Art demonstrating his development over the previous five years. A limited edition of 999 signed boxes contained two CDs, a poster, postcards, and more. After the signed boxes were sold out, the two-CD set was marketed on its own.
Taylor's final solo release, completed after the Duran Duran reunion was under way, was the collection MetaFour released in 2002. The album is divided into four thematic sections. The first contains instrumental music created for the 1992 film Mi Vida Loca. The second consists of previously unreleased live performances from various points in Taylor's early solo career, while the third contains a handful of acoustic performances and demos. The last section is a 17-minute question and answer session Taylor took part in at the Musicians Institute
in Hollywood in 1998.
on his upper arm.
After a highly successful tour of Japan in 2003, the reunited band was signed with Epic Records
, and released the album Astronaut in October 2004. They toured throughout the first half of 2005 before returning to the studio to work on their next new album. Guitarist Andy Taylor left the band again in October 2006, and recordings from this session (with the working title "Reportage") were set aside when the band got a chance to work with famed producer Timbaland. The resulting album, "Red Carpet Massacre", was released in November 2007. To celebrate its release the band took the unprecedented step of performing the album in its entirety for 10 special performances on Broadway in New York City, with a world tour in 2008.
In 2006 John and Nick Rhodes collaborate on the compilation album entitled "Only After Dark
".
In December 2010, the band released its 13th studio album, All You Need is Now
, on its own record label, Tapemodern. Initially, an abbreviated version was offered to iTunes
, but the physical album arrived in stores in March 2011. To date, All You Need is Now
has generated positive reviews for the band.
song "She Likes Big Words". He co-wrote and played bass on the Mindi Abair
song "It Just Happens That Way", and did backing vocals on her cover of "Save Tonight".
He played bass on "Lose Yourself With Me" by singer Jan Linton
in 2003, which also featured the guitars of one of Taylor`s teenage idols,former Be Bop Deluxe
front man, Bill Nelson
.
He remixed the song, "Like A Hard Rain" for Japanese artist Nanase
, and played on two songs for the Japanese band Slut Banks.
Taylor's side project Neurotic Outsiders
has re-convened for an occasional live show or two since a surprise four-show stint at the Viper Room
in 1999.
John Taylor made his first film appearance outside of Duran Duran as "The Hacker" (alongside then-girlfriend Virginia Hey
) in the pilot episode of Timeslip, a 1985 TV programme that was not further developed. He later made a guest appearance in the 1985 Miami Vice
episode titled "Whatever Works." In the episode, he, along with Tony Thompson, Andy Taylor
, and Michael Des Barres
played Power Station's 1985 hit "Bang a Gong (Get It On)." John was the only band member who had spoken lines, introducing character Sonny Crockett (Don Johnson) to new lead singer Michael Des Barres
.
Taylor also made cameo appearance
s in The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas
, and Politically Incorrect
with Bill Maher in 2000, and That '80s Show
in 2002. He also appeared on BBC Two
comedy panel game Never Mind the Buzzcocks
as a panelist in April 2001.
He makes a cameo appearance in the Bloodhound Gang
's music video for the song "Your Only Friends Are Make Believe", "Playing rock, paper, scissors
with himself... and losing" as described by Evil Jared Hasselhoff in the commentary for the band's DVD "One Fierce Beer Run".
On 25 June 2009, John guest-starred on 'Samantha Who' as aging rocker Tommy Wylder in the episode "The Rock Star".
In 2010 he contributed bass to the debut album by Swahili Blonde
with ex-Weave! drummer Nicole Turley on the track "Tigress Ritual".
SB1000, which he used during the height of Duran Duran's fame; he also promoted the instrument in a series of magazine advertisements. In the mid-1980s, John tried other basses such as Steinberger
and Wal
(interestingly, although the Wal is considered by many to be one of the world's finest basses, Taylor was unimpressed with his). Taylor eventually settled on Phillip Kubicki's Factor bass
with a unique drop-D latch on the head. Taylor also inherited the Music Man StingRay
belonging to his idol Bernard Edwards
.
As of 2007, Taylor still plays the Aria and the Stingray, but has also been seen playing a 1962 reissue Fender Precision Bass
, a Gibson Les Paul
bass, a Warwick Thumb 5
and a Peavey Cirrus 5 and 4 string.
Noting Taylor's loyalty to the same Peavey bass guitar onstage with Duran Duran for several years, in early 2006, Peavey Guitars
asked Taylor to create a signature 4-string bass guitar. With his design partner Patty Palazzo, and designer Ted McCann, Taylor created the limited-edition "Peavey Liberator JT-84", which featured a detachable amplifier built into a custom-built case. The amp could be expanded into an external speaker or amplifier to increase volume and flexibility. Taylor went on to design a six-string guitar, the "Peavey Liberator A435" (named after the main road
that led from his childhood home into the city of Birmingham
, England), as well. Only 100 each of the numbered-and-signed basses and guitars were made available to the public, in October 2006.
, to whom he was engaged. John married Amanda De Cadenet
in a London registry office on 24 December 1991, and they had a daughter, Atlanta Noo, on 31 March 1992. They officially separated in May 1995. John met his second wife, Gela Nash, co-founder of Juicy Couture
, in 1996, and they married in Las Vegas on 27 March 1999. Taylor and Nash-Taylor reside primarily in Los Angeles, but spend several weeks a year at South Wraxall Manor, which they purchased in 2005.
With Power Station
With Neurotic Outsiders
Solo
Compilation albums
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
band Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
.
Duran Duran were one of the most popular groups in the world during the 1980s due to their revolutionary music videos that played in heavy rotation in the early days of MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
. Taylor was one of Duran Duran's most popular members.
Taylor played with Duran Duran and its changing lineups from its founding in 1978 until 1997, when he left to pursue a solo recording and film career. He made a dozen solo releases (albums, EPs, and video projects) through his company "Trust The Process" in the next four years, had a lead role in the movie Sugar Town
Sugar Town (film)
Sugar Town is a 1999 independent film written and directed by Allison Anders and Kurt Voss, concerning a tangled web of characters coping with ambition, fame, and the aftermath of fame...
, and made appearances in half a dozen other film projects. He rejoined Duran Duran for a full reunion of the original five members of the group in 2001.
Taylor also founded two supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
side projects: Power Station
Power Station (band)
Power Station was a 1980s supergroup made up of singer Robert Palmer, former Chic drummer Tony Thompson, and Duran Duran members John Taylor and Andy Taylor . Bernard Edwards, also of Chic, was involved on the studio side as recording producer. For a short time he also functioned as Power...
and Neurotic Outsiders
Neurotic Outsiders
Neurotic Outsiders was a supergroup founded in 1995, consisting of Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols, Matt Sorum and Duff McKagan of Guns N' Roses, and John Taylor of Duran Duran. The very first line-up featured Billy Idol and Steve Stevens , but they were soon replaced by Jones and Taylor...
.
History
Taylor grew up in HollywoodHollywood, Birmingham
Hollywood is a village in the Bromsgrove district of Worcestershire, England, contiguous with and to the south of the city of Birmingham. The village lies within Hollywood and Majors Green Ward.-History:...
, a suburb of Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England. As a child he attended Catholic school and the Abbey High School, in Redditch
Redditch
Redditch is a town and local government district in north-east Worcestershire, England, approximately south of Birmingham. The district had a population of 79,216 in 2005. In the 19th century it became the international centre for the needle and fishing tackle industry...
, wore glasses (due to severe myopia
Myopia
Myopia , "shortsightedness" ) is a refractive defect of the eye in which collimated light produces image focus in front of the retina under conditions of accommodation. In simpler terms, myopia is a condition of the eye where the light that comes in does not directly focus on the retina but in...
, over -10 dioptre
Dioptre
A dioptre, or diopter, is a unit of measurement of the optical power of a lens or curved mirror, which is equal to the reciprocal of the focal length measured in metres . It is thus a unit of reciprocal length. For example, a 3-dioptre lens brings parallel rays of light to focus at metre...
s), enjoyed James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
movies and the hobby of wargaming
Wargaming
A wargame is a strategy game that deals with military operations of various types, real or fictional. Wargaming is the hobby dedicated to the play of such games, which can also be called conflict simulations, or consims for short. When used professionally to study warfare, it is generally known as...
with hand-painted model soldiers. In his early teen years he discovered music, choosing Roxy Music
Roxy Music
Roxy Music was a British art rock band formed in 1971 by Bryan Ferry, who became the group's lead vocalist and chief songwriter, and bassist Graham Simpson. The other members are Phil Manzanera , Andy Mackay and Paul Thompson . Former members include Brian Eno , and Eddie Jobson...
as his favourite band, and before long was collecting records and teaching himself to play piano. His first band was called Shock Treatment.
1978-1997: Duran Duran and Power Station
In 1978, Taylor and school friend Nick RhodesNick Rhodes
Nick Rhodes is an English musician, is best known as the keyboardist of the pop rock band Duran Duran...
formed Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
with Stephen Duffy
Stephen Duffy
Stephen Anthony James Duffy is an English singer/songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He was a founding member and vocalist/bassist of Duran Duran. He went on to record as a solo performer under several different names, and is the singer and songwriter for The Lilac Time with his older brother...
while attending the School of Foundation Studies & Experimental Workshop Birmingham Polytechnic (now Birmingham City University
Birmingham City University
Birmingham City University is a British university in the city of Birmingham, England. It is the second largest of three universities in the city, the other two being the Aston University and University of Birmingham...
). Soon after Taylor underwent an "ugly duckling" transformation—ditching the glasses for contact lens
Contact lens
A contact lens, or simply contact, is a lens placed on the eye. They are considered medical devices and can be worn to correct vision, for cosmetic or therapeutic reasons. In 2004, it was estimated that 125 million people use contact lenses worldwide, including 28 to 38 million in the United...
es, adopting the ruffles and sashes of the fashion that would become known as the New Romantic
New Romantic
New Romanticism , was a pop culture movement in the United Kingdom that began around 1979 and peaked around 1981. Developing in London nightclubs such as Billy's and The Blitz and spreading to other major cities in the UK, it was based around flamboyant, eccentric fashion and new wave music...
style, and learning to wear eyeliner and lipstick. He stopped using the name "Nigel," and has been known throughout his professional career as John Taylor.
Taylor played guitar when Duran Duran was founded, but switched to bass guitar after discovering the funky rhythms of Chic
Chic (band)
Chic was an African American disco and R&B band that was organized during 1976 by guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards. It is known best for its commercially successful disco songs, including "Dance, Dance, Dance " , "Everybody Dance" , "Le Freak" , "I Want Your Love" , "Good Times"...
, and learned to enjoy playing in the rhythm section
Rhythm section
A rhythm section is a collection of musicians who make up a section of instruments which provides the accompaniment section of the music, giving the music its rhythmic texture and pulse, also serving as a rhythmic reference for the rest of the band...
with Duran's newly recruited drummer Roger Taylor. He has frequently cited Chic's Bernard Edwards
Bernard Edwards
Bernard Edwards born in Greenville, North Carolina, was a bass player and record producer, both as a member of the Funk/Disco band Chic and on his own. He died of pneumonia while touring in Japan.-History:...
and The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
's Paul Simonon
Paul Simonon
Paul Gustave Simonon is an English musician and artist best known as the bass guitarist for punk rock band The Clash. Recent work includes his involvement in the album The Good, the Bad & the Queen with Damon Albarn, Simon Tong and Tony Allen, released in January 2007...
as his strongest influences, in addition to Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
, James Jamerson
James Jamerson
James Lee Jamerson was an American bass player. He was the uncredited bassist on most of Motown Records' hits in the 1960s and early 1970s , and he is now regarded as one of the most influential bass players in modern music history...
, and Roxy Music players Graham Simpson and John Porter
John Porter (musician)
John Porter is an English musician and record producer.-Biography:He attended St Michael's School, Allerton Grange School, King's College, and Newcastle University....
. Duran Duran released its first album in 1981, and went on to worldwide success in the early 1980s.
Duran Duran's early music tended to prominently feature Taylor's melodic bass lines, following the model of funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
and disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
songs like "Good Times". Contrary to popular believe Taylor does not play bass on the Band Aid
Band Aid (band)
Band Aid was a charity supergroup featuring British and Irish musicians and recording artists. It was founded in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia by releasing the song "Do They Know It's Christmas?" for the Christmas market that year. The single...
charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas?
Do They Know It's Christmas?
"Do They Know It's Christmas?" is a song written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in 1984 to raise money for relief of the 1984–1985 famine in Ethiopia. The original version was produced by Midge Ure and released by Band Aid on 29 November 1984....
", the bassline on that tracks was played on an OSCar synthesiser.
As Duran Duran became famous in the early 1980s, Taylor's individual celebrity grew. His picture was a staple of teen magazines, and he won numerous popularity polls, including appearances on People Magazine
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
s annual list of "Sexiest People". He lived a lavish lifestyle with homes in London and Paris, and owned several cars, which he rarely had a chance to drive, including the Bond-style Aston Martin
Aston Martin
Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire...
of which he had always dreamed. He dated fashion models, such as Bond girl
Bond girl
A Bond girl is a character or actress portraying a love interest, of James Bond in a film, novel, or video game. They occasionally have names that are double entendres or puns, such as "Pussy Galore", "Plenty O'Toole", "Xenia Onatopp", or "Holly Goodhead"...
Janine Andrews and "Face of the '80s" Renee Simonsen
Renee Simonsen
Renée Toft Simonsen is a former model from Denmark, who currently works as a writer. Simonsen was one of the most successful models in the world during the 1980s.- Biography :...
,and was welcome at parties all over the world.
In 1985, after recording the chart-topping theme
A View to a Kill (song)
"A View to a Kill" is the thirteenth single by Duran Duran, released in May 1985.It was a stand-alone single, created for the James Bond movie A View to a Kill, and it remains the only James Bond theme song to have reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100; it also made it to #2 for 3 weeks on the UK...
to the Bond movie A View to a Kill
A View to a Kill
A View to a Kill is the fourteenth spy film of the James Bond series, and the seventh and last to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Although the title is adapted from Ian Fleming's short story "From a View to a Kill", the film is the fourth Bond film after The Spy Who Loved...
, Duran Duran split into two side projects. John Taylor and Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor
Andy Taylor (guitarist)
Andy Taylor is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer, best known as a member of Duran Duran and The Power Station....
joined forces with former Chic drummer Tony Thompson
Tony Thompson
Anthony T. "Tony" Thompson was a session drummer best known as a member of Chic. He was raised in the middle-class community of Springfield Gardens, in Queens, NY.-Chic:...
and Robert Palmer (singer) who earlier met at Duran Duran`s charity concert at Aston Villa football ground 1983 to form the band The Power Station
Power Station (band)
Power Station was a 1980s supergroup made up of singer Robert Palmer, former Chic drummer Tony Thompson, and Duran Duran members John Taylor and Andy Taylor . Bernard Edwards, also of Chic, was involved on the studio side as recording producer. For a short time he also functioned as Power...
. With the guidance of producer Bernard Edwards, they released one album, The Power Station, which produced the hit singles "Some Like It Hot" and the T.Rex cover song "Bang A Gong (Get It On)
Get It On (T. Rex song)
"Get It On" was covered by the Power Station in 1985. Their version – titled "Get It On " – was released as their second single from their debut album. The track was a hit in both the UK, reaching number 22 on the UK Singles Chart, and the U.S., where the song peaked at number nine on the...
".
That year, Taylor also launched his first solo effort, recording the single "I Do What I Do...
I Do What I Do (Theme for 9½ Weeks)
I Do What I Do... was a 1986 single performed by Duran Duran bassist John Taylor, giving his first solo singing performance during a hiatus in Duran Duran's career....
" for the soundtrack to the movie 9½ Weeks
9½ Weeks
9½ Weeks is a 1986 erotic drama film directed by Adrian Lyne and starring Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger. It is based on the novel of the same name by Elizabeth McNeill....
. He also wrote some instrumental music for the movie's score with collaborator Jonathan Elias
Jonathan Elias
Jonathan Elias is a U.S. composer and record producer, known for his movie soundtracks, production for several pop and rock acts, and his award-winning advertising music including the PBS logo instrumental from October 1, 1984 to October 1, 1989....
.
Although Andy Taylor and Roger Taylor left the band, the three remaining Duran Duran members reformed for the 1986 Notorious album, and continued to record and tour throughout the 1990s with new guitarist Warren Cuccurullo
Warren Cuccurullo
Warren Bruce Cuccurullo in Brooklyn, New York is an American rock musician who worked with Frank Zappa, was a founding member of Missing Persons, and has been a long term member of Duran Duran. He also has some notoriety in the porn industry after making nude appearances in a magazine and...
. Taylor recorded a fair amount of unreleased solo material on the side, including several tracks used on the soundtrack of the Allison Anders
Allison Anders
Allison Anders is an American film and television director. Anders has directed many independent films, on which she frequently collaborates with fellow UCLA film school graduate Kurt Voss.-Biography:...
movie Mi Vida Loca
Mi Vida Loca
Mi Vida Loca is a 1993 American drama film directed and written by Allison Anders. This film includes Jason Lee's first performance as an actor in a small role alongside director Spike Jonze as a drug buyer....
.
On 24 December 1991, Taylor married 19-year-old Amanda De Cadenet
Amanda de Cadenet
-Biography:De Cadenet is the daughter of racing car driver Alain de Cadenet. She began her career as a co-presenter for The Word, a late-night Channel 4 magazine show. She also co-hosted The Big Breakfast....
, who was already pregnant with his daughter, Atlanta (born 31 March 1992). He moved from England to Los Angeles, California to help further his wife's acting career, as well as to escape constant attention from the British tabloids. Taylor's marriage declined even as Duran Duran's star rose with the success of 1993's Duran Duran
Duran Duran (1993 album)
Duran Duran is the seventh studio album and the second self-titled album by Duran Duran, released on 23 February 1993. The cover art by Nick Egan features wedding photos from the parents of the four band members.Recording of the album was completed in early 1992 with an impending release by...
, also known as The Wedding Album. In late 1994, Taylor sought treatment for his substance abuse, and has remained sober since. He and De Cadenet officially separated in May 1995.
Duran Duran's success rapidly waned with the widely derided 1995 covers album Thank You
Thank You (Duran Duran album)
Thank You is a covers album by Duran Duran released in April 1995, their follow-up to 1993's Duran Duran . It did well on the charts , but was received very negatively by critics...
. Following that album's supporting tour, Duran Duran spent part of the summer of 1995 in London working on the album Medazzaland. Concurrently, Taylor devoted time to the side project Neurotic Outsiders
Neurotic Outsiders
Neurotic Outsiders was a supergroup founded in 1995, consisting of Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols, Matt Sorum and Duff McKagan of Guns N' Roses, and John Taylor of Duran Duran. The very first line-up featured Billy Idol and Steve Stevens , but they were soon replaced by Jones and Taylor...
, recording and touring with that band from the end of 1995 through the start of 1996.
1997-2001: Solo career
In 1996, Taylor co-founded the independent record labelRecord label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
B5 Records in California with producer Hein Hoven. B5 Records originally recorded from Hoven's Lake Hollywood home but eventually built a state of the art
State of the art
The state of the art is the highest level of development, as of a device, technique, or scientific field, achieved at a particular time. It also refers to the level of development reached at any particular time as a result of the latest methodologies employed.- Origin :The earliest use of the term...
studio in Santa Monica
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
dubbed "B5 by the Sea." The label had a cutting-edge website created by Kapil Mathur which featured a virtual journey through the B5 studios, and which allowed visitors to "interact" with Taylor and Hoven using mobile avatar
Avatar (computing)
In computing, an avatar is the graphical representation of the user or the user's alter ego or character. It may take either a three-dimensional form, as in games or virtual worlds, or a two-dimensional form as an icon in Internet forums and other online communities. It can also refer to a text...
s in a virtual environment.
At B5, Taylor sang and played guitar and bass on his first solo album, Feelings Are Good (And Other Lies), working with collaborator Steve Jones
Steve Jones (musician)
Stephen Philip "Steve" Jones is an English rock guitarist, singer and actor, best known as guitarist and founding member of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols.-Childhood:...
of the Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
. The home-grown album was marketed by mail order
Mail order
Mail order is a term which describes the buying of goods or services by mail delivery. The buyer places an order for the desired products with the merchant through some remote method such as through a telephone call or web site. Then, the products are delivered to the customer...
, and capitalised on the Internet savvy of the Duran Duran fanbase by selling its CDs directly via the website. The music and vocals were generally rough and raw, much more akin to grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
and punk music than to Duran Duran, while the lyrics reflected Taylor's chaotic personal life and his ongoing divorce from De Cadenet. He participated in writing an album for the reunited Power Station in late 1996, but his personal problems forced him to withdraw from the project, which went on to record with Bernard Edwards on bass and toured with a hired bass player. Increasing creative differences within Duran Duran, his move to LA and a desire to focus on his solo work also led Taylor to reconsider his place in that band. In January 1997 he announced at a Duran Duran fan convention that he was leaving the band.
He was soon recording more of his own material on B5 Records, releasing the EP Autodidact even as Feelings Are Good was re-released on the larger Canadian label DeRock Records. B5 then issued a tribute album
Tribute album
A tribute album is a recorded collection of cover versions of songs or instrumental compositions. Its concept may be either various artists making a tribute to a single artist, a single artist making a tribute to various artists, or a single artist making a tribute to another single artist.There...
called Dream Home Heartaches... Remaking/Remodeling Roxy Music, featuring Roxy Music covers by Taylor and many other local Los Angeles artists. The label also produced the album Sub-Acid Sweet Songs for L.A. quartet Three Alarm Fire before Hein Hoven decided to leave the company. After that, the B5 Records company and the much-simplified website were renamed "Trust The Process", and focused on promoting Taylor's solo work rather than developing other acts.
During 1997 and 1998, Taylor built and toured with a band called "John Taylor Terroristen" (Gerry Laffy
Gerry Laffy
Gerry Laffy is a singer and guitarist who has played in the bands Girl, London Cowboys, Sheer Greed, John Taylor, and Ultravox among others. Girl are still cited as an influence by many major artists twenty years later, even though they disbanded after only three years, allegedly due to their...
on guitar, Michael Railton/Tio Banks on keyboard, Larry Aberman on drums, John Amato on sax and flute) which played numerous shows in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
before touring the East and West Coasts of the United States. Terroristen released a live EP 5.30.98 and the accompanying video Better Off Alive through the Trust The Process website. After 9/11, Taylor said he would never use the band name "Terroristen" again.
Taylor also began making forays into acting. His long friendship with Allison Anders led to a starring role in her independent film, Sugar Town, in 1998. He also appeared in small roles in several other movies and TV programs over the next couple of years.
In 1999, Taylor released two albums of earlier material. The first, Résumé
Resume (album)
:Résumé is a collection of experimental tracks by John Taylor of Duran Duran and Jonathan Elias. The tracks were recorded in 1985 and 1986, and collected and released through John Taylor's website, TrustTheProcess.com as a CD-R in 1999.-Track listing:# "Dance For Freedom" – 5:21# "New Work #1" –...
, was made up of unreleased music that he and Jonathan Elias had worked on together during the 1985 sessions for the 9½ Weeks movie soundtrack. The second, Meltdown, was a collection of tracks Taylor had laid down in 1992, during the extensive delays in Duran Duran's recording of The Wedding Album. Described by Taylor as "upbeat dance electronica with a hip hop influence", some of the lyrics reveal his disaffection with the Duran Duran lifestyle; he has said he came very near to leaving the band during that time, but was held back by the sudden success of "Ordinary World
Ordinary World
"Ordinary World" is the first single from Duran Duran's self-titled 1993 album, better known as The Wedding Album. The song peaked at No. 3 in the American charts and No. 6 in the British charts...
" and "Come Undone" in 1993.
Later in 1999 Taylor signed a recording contract with the Japanese record label Avex Trax
Avex Trax
, listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange as 7860 and abbreviated as AGHD, is the holding company for a group of entertainment-related subsidiaries based in Japan...
, and released an album labelled simply John Taylor on the cover, but listed in his official discography as The Japan Album. John Taylor Terroristen did more touring in Japan, Germany, and the United States. The Trust The Process website released an accompanying limited edition Japanese EP, followed by the "bootleg album" Live Cuts featuring unretouched recordings of Taylor's live performances from that year.
He continued recording for Avex in 2000, and early in 2001 released Techno For Two (featuring the international hit "6,000 Miles" co-written by Matthew Hager
Matthew Hager
Matthew Hager is a multi platinum American record producer, musician and songwriterOriginally from Houston, Texas Hager now lives in Los Angeles. Before moving to Los Angeles, Hager studied at the prestigious Berklee College Of Music...
), a decidedly non-techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
album filled with very personal songs. Shortly after, as talks began for a potential Duran Duran reunion, Taylor decided to create a retrospective package called Retreat Into Art demonstrating his development over the previous five years. A limited edition of 999 signed boxes contained two CDs, a poster, postcards, and more. After the signed boxes were sold out, the two-CD set was marketed on its own.
Taylor's final solo release, completed after the Duran Duran reunion was under way, was the collection MetaFour released in 2002. The album is divided into four thematic sections. The first contains instrumental music created for the 1992 film Mi Vida Loca. The second consists of previously unreleased live performances from various points in Taylor's early solo career, while the third contains a handful of acoustic performances and demos. The last section is a 17-minute question and answer session Taylor took part in at the Musicians Institute
Musicians Institute
Musicians Institute is a privately owned for-profit music vocational school located in Hollywood, California. Although not a regionally accredited school, the school offers a variety of unaccredited Bachelor Degree, Associate Degree and Certificate programs in fields including contemporary music...
in Hollywood in 1998.
2001-present: Duran Duran reunited
In 2000, Taylor was approached at his home in Los Angeles by singer Simon Le Bon about a possible reunion with the original Duran Duran lineup, and he was enthusiastic about the idea as long as the other two Taylors (Roger and Andy, who had left the band in 1986) were willing to rejoin as well. An agreement was soon reached, and Taylor demonstrated his renewed commitment to the band by inking an enormous linked-D's tattooTattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
on his upper arm.
After a highly successful tour of Japan in 2003, the reunited band was signed with Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
, and released the album Astronaut in October 2004. They toured throughout the first half of 2005 before returning to the studio to work on their next new album. Guitarist Andy Taylor left the band again in October 2006, and recordings from this session (with the working title "Reportage") were set aside when the band got a chance to work with famed producer Timbaland. The resulting album, "Red Carpet Massacre", was released in November 2007. To celebrate its release the band took the unprecedented step of performing the album in its entirety for 10 special performances on Broadway in New York City, with a world tour in 2008.
In 2006 John and Nick Rhodes collaborate on the compilation album entitled "Only After Dark
Only After Dark (album)
"Only After Dark" is a compilation CD album that was compiled by Nick Rhodes and John Taylor from Duran Duran, and recreates a night at Birmingham's Rum Runner nightclub, during the post punk days of the late 70s/early 80s when a new sound of glam/punk/electronica started to crystallize...
".
In December 2010, the band released its 13th studio album, All You Need is Now
All You Need Is Now
All You Need Is Now is the thirteenth studio album by the British pop/rock band Duran Duran. Produced by Grammy Award-winner Mark Ronson, a truncated version of the album was released as a download on 21 December 2010. It is the band's first album not released by a major record label; it appeared...
, on its own record label, Tapemodern. Initially, an abbreviated version was offered to iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
, but the physical album arrived in stores in March 2011. To date, All You Need is Now
All You Need Is Now
All You Need Is Now is the thirteenth studio album by the British pop/rock band Duran Duran. Produced by Grammy Award-winner Mark Ronson, a truncated version of the album was released as a download on 21 December 2010. It is the band's first album not released by a major record label; it appeared...
has generated positive reviews for the band.
Guest appearances
Over the years, Taylor has worked on projects with several other performers. He has performed with James Angell, and played bass on the DeadsyDeadsy
Deadsy is an American synth rock band from California. The band is known for its visual iconography and signature characteristics assigned to each band member. Each musician is identified by a specific color, stage name, and graphic tied into the band's theatrical nature. The band has released...
song "She Likes Big Words". He co-wrote and played bass on the Mindi Abair
Mindi Abair
Mindi Abair is an American smooth jazz saxophonist with a strong Top-40 pop music background. Mindi has toured and/or recorded with the Backstreet Boys, Duran Duran, Mandy Moore, Josh Groban, Adam Sandler, Keb' Mo', Lalah Hathaway, Lee Ritenour, Teena Marie, John Tesh, Bobby Lyle, Jonathan Butler,...
song "It Just Happens That Way", and did backing vocals on her cover of "Save Tonight".
He played bass on "Lose Yourself With Me" by singer Jan Linton
Jan Linton
Jan Linton is a singer, musician and producer from Warrington, England, who helped internationalize the music scene in Tokyo, Japan.-Biography:...
in 2003, which also featured the guitars of one of Taylor`s teenage idols,former Be Bop Deluxe
Be Bop Deluxe
Be-Bop Deluxe were an English progressive rock band who achieved critical acclaim and moderate commercial success during the mid to late 1970s.- History :...
front man, Bill Nelson
Bill Nelson (musician)
Bill Nelson is an English guitarist, songwriter, producer, painter and experimental musician...
.
He remixed the song, "Like A Hard Rain" for Japanese artist Nanase
Nanase
is a feminine Japanese given name which is also used as a surname.-Possible writings:Nanase can be written using different kanji characters and can mean:as a given name*七瀬, "seven, rapids"*菜々瀬*奈々瀬*那々瀬as a surname*七瀬...
, and played on two songs for the Japanese band Slut Banks.
Taylor's side project Neurotic Outsiders
Neurotic Outsiders
Neurotic Outsiders was a supergroup founded in 1995, consisting of Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols, Matt Sorum and Duff McKagan of Guns N' Roses, and John Taylor of Duran Duran. The very first line-up featured Billy Idol and Steve Stevens , but they were soon replaced by Jones and Taylor...
has re-convened for an occasional live show or two since a surprise four-show stint at the Viper Room
Viper Room
The Viper Room is a nightclub located on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California. It was opened in 1993 and was partly owned by actor Johnny Depp until 2004. The club became known for being a hangout of Hollywood elite, and was the site where actor River Phoenix died of a drug overdose on...
in 1999.
John Taylor made his first film appearance outside of Duran Duran as "The Hacker" (alongside then-girlfriend Virginia Hey
Virginia Hey
Virginia Hey is an Australian actress, known for her role as Pa'u Zotoh Zhaan on the science fiction TV series Farscape....
) in the pilot episode of Timeslip, a 1985 TV programme that was not further developed. He later made a guest appearance in the 1985 Miami Vice
Miami Vice
Miami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989...
episode titled "Whatever Works." In the episode, he, along with Tony Thompson, Andy Taylor
Andy Taylor (guitarist)
Andy Taylor is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer, best known as a member of Duran Duran and The Power Station....
, and Michael Des Barres
Michael Des Barres
Lord Michael Philip Des Barres is a British actor and rock singer. He is known for playing the recurring role of Murdoc on the television show MacGyver and for replacing the late Robert Palmer in the band Power Station, fronting the band at the 1985 Live Aid concert...
played Power Station's 1985 hit "Bang a Gong (Get It On)." John was the only band member who had spoken lines, introducing character Sonny Crockett (Don Johnson) to new lead singer Michael Des Barres
Michael Des Barres
Lord Michael Philip Des Barres is a British actor and rock singer. He is known for playing the recurring role of Murdoc on the television show MacGyver and for replacing the late Robert Palmer in the band Power Station, fronting the band at the 1985 Live Aid concert...
.
Taylor also made cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
s in The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas
The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas
The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas is a 2000 comedy film and prequel to 1994's The Flintstones based on the hit cartoon series of the same name, produced by Amblin Entertainment and Hanna-Barbera and distributed by Universal Studios...
, and Politically Incorrect
Politically Incorrect
Politically Incorrect is a late-night, half-hour political talk show hosted by Bill Maher that ran from 1993 to 2002. It premiered on Comedy Central from 1993 to 1997, and later on ABC in 1997, which cancelled it in 2002....
with Bill Maher in 2000, and That '80s Show
That '80s Show
That '80s Show is an American sitcom that aired in half-hour long episodes from January through May 2002. Despite having a similar name, show structure, and many of the same writers and production staff, it is not considered a direct spin-off of the more successful That '70s Show, since the...
in 2002. He also appeared on BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
comedy panel game Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks is a comedy panel game television show with a pop music theme, currently without a permanent presenter. It stars Phill Jupitus and Noel Fielding as team captains. The show is produced by Talkback Thames for the BBC, and is usually aired on BBC Two...
as a panelist in April 2001.
He makes a cameo appearance in the Bloodhound Gang
Bloodhound Gang
Bloodhound Gang is a Collegeville, Pennsylvania-based American comedy band, although it began as a rap group and gradually changed its genre throughout the years...
's music video for the song "Your Only Friends Are Make Believe", "Playing rock, paper, scissors
Rock, Paper, Scissors
Rock-paper-scissors is a hand game played by two people. The game is also known as roshambo, or another ordering of the three items ....
with himself... and losing" as described by Evil Jared Hasselhoff in the commentary for the band's DVD "One Fierce Beer Run".
On 25 June 2009, John guest-starred on 'Samantha Who' as aging rocker Tommy Wylder in the episode "The Rock Star".
In 2010 he contributed bass to the debut album by Swahili Blonde
Swahili Blonde
Swahili Blonde is an experimental musical project formed in Los Angeles, California in 2009. Founded by former 'WEAVE!' drummer and vocalist Nicole Turley, violinist and bassist Laena Myers-Ionita, Duran Duran bassist John Taylor and multi-instrumentalists Stella Mozgawa and Michael Quinn...
with ex-Weave! drummer Nicole Turley on the track "Tigress Ritual".
Basses
The bass guitar most commonly associated with John Taylor is the Japanese Aria Pro IIAria (guitar company)
Aria is a Japanese manufacturer of acoustic and electric guitars and basses.- History :Aria was formed in Japan in 1953 by Shiro Arai as Arai and Company. They began retailing acoustic guitars in 1960, although the company didn't actually start manufacturing their own until 1964. Aria arranged for...
SB1000, which he used during the height of Duran Duran's fame; he also promoted the instrument in a series of magazine advertisements. In the mid-1980s, John tried other basses such as Steinberger
Steinberger
Steinberger refers to a series of distinctive electric guitars and bass guitars, designed and originally manufactured by Ned Steinberger. The word Steinberger can be used to refer to either the instruments themselves or the company that produced them...
and Wal
Wal (bass)
Wal is a brand of electric bass manufactured by Electric Wood Ltd. in High Wycombe, England. It was started in 1974 by electronics expert Ian Waller and luthier Pete Stevens...
(interestingly, although the Wal is considered by many to be one of the world's finest basses, Taylor was unimpressed with his). Taylor eventually settled on Phillip Kubicki's Factor bass
Philip Kubicki Factor Bass
Philip Kubicki Factor Bass is a brand of electric bass guitar created by Philip Kubicki. These basses have a unique tuning module located in the body of the guitar rather than the headstock, as seen on most bass guitars.-Models:...
with a unique drop-D latch on the head. Taylor also inherited the Music Man StingRay
Music Man StingRay
Music Man StingRay is an electric bass guitar by Music Man, introduced in 1976.- History :In 1971, Fender employees Forrest White and Tom Walker, unhappy with the way CBS was managing the company, left their positions with Fender to start their own venture. First known as Tri-Sonic and then later...
belonging to his idol Bernard Edwards
Bernard Edwards
Bernard Edwards born in Greenville, North Carolina, was a bass player and record producer, both as a member of the Funk/Disco band Chic and on his own. He died of pneumonia while touring in Japan.-History:...
.
As of 2007, Taylor still plays the Aria and the Stingray, but has also been seen playing a 1962 reissue Fender Precision Bass
Fender Precision Bass
The Fender Precision Bass is an electric bass.Designed by Leo Fender as a prototype in 1950 and brought to market in 1951, the Precision was the first electric bass to earn widespread attention and use. A revolutionary instrument for the time, the Precision Bass has made an immeasurable impact on...
, a Gibson Les Paul
Gibson Les Paul
The Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson...
bass, a Warwick Thumb 5
Warwick (bass guitar)
-Overview:Warwick basses were originally a premium brand offering a small range of models built from high quality and exotic tonewoods with 'Neck-through' design...
and a Peavey Cirrus 5 and 4 string.
Noting Taylor's loyalty to the same Peavey bass guitar onstage with Duran Duran for several years, in early 2006, Peavey Guitars
Peavey Guitars
Peavey Guitars are electric, acoustic, and electric bass guitars branded by Peavey Electronics, a recognized pioneer in musical instrument manufacturing.-Guitars:*Axcelerator Series**Axcelerator...
asked Taylor to create a signature 4-string bass guitar. With his design partner Patty Palazzo, and designer Ted McCann, Taylor created the limited-edition "Peavey Liberator JT-84", which featured a detachable amplifier built into a custom-built case. The amp could be expanded into an external speaker or amplifier to increase volume and flexibility. Taylor went on to design a six-string guitar, the "Peavey Liberator A435" (named after the main road
A435 road
The A435 is a main road in England running between Birmingham and Cirencester .-Birmingham to Alcester:...
that led from his childhood home into the city of Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England), as well. Only 100 each of the numbered-and-signed basses and guitars were made available to the public, in October 2006.
Personal life
From 1985-1989, John dated Danish model Renée Toft SimonsenRenee Simonsen
Renée Toft Simonsen is a former model from Denmark, who currently works as a writer. Simonsen was one of the most successful models in the world during the 1980s.- Biography :...
, to whom he was engaged. John married Amanda De Cadenet
Amanda de Cadenet
-Biography:De Cadenet is the daughter of racing car driver Alain de Cadenet. She began her career as a co-presenter for The Word, a late-night Channel 4 magazine show. She also co-hosted The Big Breakfast....
in a London registry office on 24 December 1991, and they had a daughter, Atlanta Noo, on 31 March 1992. They officially separated in May 1995. John met his second wife, Gela Nash, co-founder of Juicy Couture
Juicy Couture
Juicy Couture is a contemporary line of both casual and dressy apparel based in Arleta, Los Angeles, California founded by Pamela Skaist-Levy and Gela Nash-Taylor in 1996...
, in 1996, and they married in Las Vegas on 27 March 1999. Taylor and Nash-Taylor reside primarily in Los Angeles, but spend several weeks a year at South Wraxall Manor, which they purchased in 2005.
Discography
With Duran Duran- Duran Duran (1981)
- RioRio (album)Rio is the second studio album by the British rock band Duran Duran, originally released worldwide on 10 May 1982. It reached #2 in the UK and #1 in Australia....
(1982) - Seven and the Ragged TigerSeven and the Ragged TigerSeven and the Ragged Tiger is the third studio album by English pop rock band Duran Duran, released globally in November 1983. It would prove to be the last studio album for the band's original lineup until 2004's Astronaut....
(1983) - Arena (Live) (1984)
- "A View to a KillA View to a Kill (song)"A View to a Kill" is the thirteenth single by Duran Duran, released in May 1985.It was a stand-alone single, created for the James Bond movie A View to a Kill, and it remains the only James Bond theme song to have reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100; it also made it to #2 for 3 weeks on the UK...
" (Single) (1985) - Notorious (1986)
- Big ThingBig ThingBig Thing is the fifth album by Duran Duran, released worldwide in 1988. It reached #15 in the UK and #24 in the US.A CD reissue was released in 1994. The album is was reissued as a three disc boxset on .- Background :...
(1988) - Decade: Greatest HitsDecade: Greatest HitsDecade – Greatest Hits is a greatest hits album by Duran Duran, released on November 15, 1989 .The remix single "Burning the Ground" was released to radio to promote this album; it was created by producer John Jones mixing snippets of the band's biggest hits from the previous decade into a new...
(Compilation) (1989) - LibertyLiberty (album)Liberty is the sixth studio album by Duran Duran, released on . It entered the top 10 in the UK albums chart, and garnered a #6 hit for the single "Serious" in Japan.-Recording:...
(1990) - The Wedding AlbumDuran Duran (1993 album)Duran Duran is the seventh studio album and the second self-titled album by Duran Duran, released on 23 February 1993. The cover art by Nick Egan features wedding photos from the parents of the four band members.Recording of the album was completed in early 1992 with an impending release by...
(1993) - Thank YouThank You (Duran Duran album)Thank You is a covers album by Duran Duran released in April 1995, their follow-up to 1993's Duran Duran . It did well on the charts , but was received very negatively by critics...
(1995) - MedazzalandMedazzalandMedazzaland is the ninth album by British pop rock group Duran Duran. It was released by Capitol Records on in the U.S., where it reached #58 on the Billboard album chart. It was never officially released in Europe....
(4 tracks) (1997) - GreatestGreatest (Duran Duran album)In November 2003, the videotape compilation was released in DVD format, titled Duran Duran: Greatest — The DVD, with hidden extra materials, including alternative versions of some of the videos and interviews of the band, however, this version is much criticised for its extensive use of easter egg...
(Compilation) (1998) - Astronaut (2004)
- Red Carpet MassacreRed Carpet MassacreRed Carpet Massacre is the 12th studio album by English pop rock band Duran Duran. It was released on 19 November 2007 in Europe, and on the 13th in the United States....
(2007) - All You Need Is NowAll You Need Is NowAll You Need Is Now is the thirteenth studio album by the British pop/rock band Duran Duran. Produced by Grammy Award-winner Mark Ronson, a truncated version of the album was released as a download on 21 December 2010. It is the band's first album not released by a major record label; it appeared...
(2010)
With Power Station
- The Power StationThe Power Station (album)The Power Station is the debut album by The Power Station. It was released in 1985 on EMI. The album peaked at no. 6 on U.S. Billboard 200 and no. 12 on the UK Albums Chart. All three singles released from the album were Top 40 hits in the United States...
(1985) - Living In FearLiving in FearLiving in Fear is the second album from the supergroup The Power Station, released in 1996. The band had the same lineup as for their previous album in 1985. However, John Taylor was going through a divorce at the time, as well as entering drug rehab, and pulled out before the album was recorded....
(1996) (9 tracks as co-writer)
With Neurotic Outsiders
- Neurotic Outsiders (1996)
Solo
- I Do What I Do... (Theme for 9½ Weeks)I Do What I Do (Theme for 9½ Weeks)I Do What I Do... was a 1986 single performed by Duran Duran bassist John Taylor, giving his first solo singing performance during a hiatus in Duran Duran's career....
(Single) (1986) - Feelings Are Good and Other LiesFeelings Are Good and Other LiesFeelings Are Good And Other Lies is the first solo album released by John Taylor of Duran Duran. It was released in 1997 on the DeMuzik label,and re-released in 2001 on the Revolver label with a new cover....
(1997) - AutodidactAutodidact (album)Autodidact is a rock EP released by John Taylor in 1997.-Track listing:# "Anon " – 5:25# "Silent Skin" – 3:47# "Ode To Richard Prince" – 0:44# "The Anti-Wife" – 3:18# "Lonely Child" – 4:46...
(EP) (1997) - :RésuméResume (album):Résumé is a collection of experimental tracks by John Taylor of Duran Duran and Jonathan Elias. The tracks were recorded in 1985 and 1986, and collected and released through John Taylor's website, TrustTheProcess.com as a CD-R in 1999.-Track listing:# "Dance For Freedom" – 5:21# "New Work #1" –...
(With Jonathan Elias) (1999) - MeltdownMeltdown (John Taylor album)Meltdown is a rock album released by John Taylor in 1999.-Track listing:# "21st Century Teenager" - 5:25# "Dis-Order" - 3:53# "We've No Time " - 3:48# "Soul Fire" - 4:00# "Meltdown" - 3:44# "Mister J" - "4:02...
(1999) - The Japan AlbumThe Japan AlbumThe Japan Album is a rock album released by John Taylor in 1999.-Track listing:# "The Panhandler" – 4:07# "Air Miles" - 6:01# "Coventry Carole" - 0:31# "Hollow Victory" - 3:43# "To Do You " - 3:29# "Good Reason To **** Me" - 8:22...
(1999) - The Japan EPThe Japan EPThe Japan EP is a four track EP released in Japan only by John Taylor in 2000. "Silent Skin" was previously available on The Japan Album and the Autodidact EP. "Mister J" was released on the subsequent album "Techno For Two"...
(EP) (2000) - Live CutsLive CutsLive Cuts is a live album released by John Taylor in 2000.-Track listing:# "S.A.P. Chillout" – 6:51# "Bang A Gong " - 6:00# "Fan Club Of One" - 5:29# "My Own Way" - 5:35# "Down With U" - 5:30# "Rage Indecent" - 4:28...
(Live) (2000) - Terroristen: Live At The RoxyTerroristen: Live At The RoxyTerroristen: Live At The Roxy is a live album released by John Taylor in 2001. It was recorded on May 30th, 1998 at The Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles, California.-Track listing:# – 0:42# – 0:53# "Rio" – 4:39...
(Live) (2001) - Techno For TwoTechno For TwoTechno For Two is a rock album released by John Taylor in 2001.-Track listing:# "Love Is Bondage" – 3:26# "6000 Miles" - 4:32# "Tight" - 4:24# "The Other Side Of The Sun" - 4:06# "Immortal" - 3:47# "Gabe" - 5:16# "Mister J" - 3:21...
(2001) - Retreat Into ArtRetreat Into ArtRetreat Into Art is a rock album released by John Taylor in 2001.-Track listing:# Retreat Into Art# Feelings Are Good# Don't Talk Much# Winner And Losers [Demo]# Air Miles [Original]# Lucy Lucy# To Do You/You I Belong To [Demo]# Johnny Full Of Fear...
(2001) - MetaFourMetaFourMetaFour is a rock album released by John Taylor in 2002.-Track listing:# "Mi Vida Loca"# "Mi Vida Loca" # "Mi Vida Loca" # "Mi Vida Loca" # "Mi Vida Loca" # "Mi Vida Loca" # "Mi Vida Loca"...
(2002)
Compilation albums
- Only After DarkOnly After Dark (album)"Only After Dark" is a compilation CD album that was compiled by Nick Rhodes and John Taylor from Duran Duran, and recreates a night at Birmingham's Rum Runner nightclub, during the post punk days of the late 70s/early 80s when a new sound of glam/punk/electronica started to crystallize...
(With Nick Rhodes) (2006)
Film credits
- 1999 - Sugar TownSugar Town (film)Sugar Town is a 1999 independent film written and directed by Allison Anders and Kurt Voss, concerning a tangled web of characters coping with ambition, fame, and the aftermath of fame...
: Clive - 2000 - Four Dogs Playing Poker: Dick
- 2000 - The Flintstones in Viva Rock VegasThe Flintstones in Viva Rock VegasThe Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas is a 2000 comedy film and prequel to 1994's The Flintstones based on the hit cartoon series of the same name, produced by Amblin Entertainment and Hanna-Barbera and distributed by Universal Studios...
: Keith Richrock - 2000 - A Diva's Christmas Carol: Ghost of Christmas Present (VH1)
- 2001 - Strange Frequency: Jimmy Blitz (VH1)
- 2001 - Vegas, City of DreamsVegas, City of DreamsVegas, City of Dreams is a drama film released in 2001. The film stars Joe Don Baker, Daniel Benzali, Carlos Bernard, and Erika Eleniak.-Film synopsis:...
: Byron Lord
External links
- Interview with John Taylor, iProng Radio, 2006-10-11
- duranplanet.com Unofficial Italian Duran Duran site (Italian and English)