Roger Meddows-Taylor
Encyclopedia
Roger Meddows Taylor known as Roger Taylor, is a British musician
, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as the drummer, backing vocalist and occasional lead vocalist of British rock
band Queen
. As a drummer he is known for his "big" unique sound and is considered one of the most influential rock drummers of the 1970s and '80s. As a songwriter, Taylor contributed songs to the band's albums from the very beginning, composing at least one track on every album, and (in the early days) usually sang lead vocals on his own compositions. He also wrote four of the band's hits, "Radio Ga Ga
", "A Kind of Magic
", "The Invisible Man
", and "These Are the Days of Our Lives
". He plays multiple instruments, including guitar, bass and keyboards, as heard on his debut solo album in which he played all instruments and sang all vocals. He has played with such artists as Eric Clapton
, Roger Waters
, Roger Daltrey
, Robert Plant
, Phil Collins
, Genesis
, Jimmy Nail
, Elton John
, Gary Numan
, Shakin' Stevens
, Foo Fighters
, Al Stewart
, Steve Vai
, Yoshiki Hayashi, Cherie
, and Bon Jovi
. As a producer he has produced albums by Virginia Wolf
, Jimmy Nail
and Magnum
. He currently resides in Guildford
, Surrey
.
In addition to his drum work, Taylor routinely played the guitars and bass on his own songs. During the 1980s, in addition to his work with Queen, he formed a parallel band known as The Cross
, in which he was the singer and rhythm guitarist.
In 2005 he was voted by UK fans as the 8th greatest drummer in classic rock music history in a poll conducted by Planet Rock Radio.
According to The Sunday Times
Rich List
he was worth £65 million as of 2009.
, Cornwall
with mother Winifred, father Michael and younger sister Clare. When he was seven years old he and some friends formed his first band, the Bubblingover Boys, in which he played the ukulele. At the age of 15 Taylor became a member of The Reaction, a very busy semi-pro rock band formed mainly of boys from Truro School
. In 1967, he went to London to study dentistry.
By the time News of the World
came out, Taylor met his future girlfriend Dominique Beyrand. She was working for Richard Branson
at the time, who was at the helm of Queen's free concert at Hyde Park. They lived together from 1980–1987, raising their two children, Felix Luther and Rory Eleanor. They decided to get married for reasons relating to his estate, to protect his children's interest in the future. At the time, Taylor was seeing another girl, Debbie Leng (also seen in the "Breakthru
" video); he moved in with her a month after his marriage of convenience to Dominique. Before Freddie Mercury's death, Roger and Debbie had their first child, Rufus Tiger, who was born in March 1991. He ended up having two more children with Debbie: Tiger Lily (1994), and Lola Daisy May (2000). In late 2002, they decided to break up. Taylor remarried on 3 October 2010, to Sarina Potgieter, his girlfriend of six years.
and Tim Staffell
in 1968 after seeing an advert on a noticeboard at Imperial College
for a drummer. Smile
included May as lead guitarist, Staffell as lead vocalist and bassist, and later Taylor on drums. The band only lasted for two years before Staffell departed to join Humpy Bong
, leaving the band with only a catalogue of nine songs:
Smile reunited for several songs on 22 December 1992. Taylor's band The Cross
were headliners and he brought May and Staffell on to play "Earth" and "If I Were a Carpenter".
In 1969, Taylor was working with Freddie Mercury
at the Kensington Market (they were living in an apartment around the same time). Mercury, then known as Freddie Bulsara, was an avid fan of Smile. After the band split up in 1970, Bulsara convinced the remaining two members to continue, and he eventually joined the band. In 1971 they found bassist John Deacon
and brought him into the group, before going on to release their debut album
in 1973. Taylor was a prominent songwriter for the band, usually contributing one or two tracks per record. His compositions for Queen include:
Songs written by Taylor, but credited the band collectively include:
Many of these feature Taylor on vocals. His voice was very recognisable, for both its high range (he would often reach a E5 in full voice during live performances) and raspiness. His extremely high falsetto, sometimes going above a A5, was characteristic of Queen's vocal harmonies, and was often thought to be a woman's voice, or a synthesiser effect (most notably his screams on "In the Lap of the Gods", written by Mercury). His vocal range spans three-and-a-half octaves (A2-E6). Taylor's lead and partial vocal credits include:
' "I Wanna Testify". He recorded it during Queen's sessions for the News of the World
album. The A-side, although a cover, was completely different from the original. The B-side was a self-penned song "Turn On The TV".
His first solo album, Fun In Space
, was released in 1981. Taylor performed all vocals and played all instruments aside of about half of the keyboards, which were done by engineer David Richards
. With Queen still touring heavily and recording at the time of release, it was impossible for Taylor to promote the album to its fullest extent, so he appeared on some European TV shows to promote the single, "Future Management", including Top Of The Pops
. The only other single to come from the album was "My Country". The only US single released from the album was "Let's Get Crazy".
His next venture came in July 1984 when, after Mercury rejected a lot of his songs for the Queen album, The Works
, Taylor realised he had more than enough for a full album, which would become Strange Frontier
. The cover of the album is a 'pixelated' signing of his portrait photo that appeared in the liner notes of The Works. The three singles from the album were the title track, "Beautiful Dreams" (in Portugal only) and "Man On Fire", the latter becoming a live favourite for him in later years. No attempts to promote the singles were made since Queen toured to promote The Works, which made a Strange Frontier tour impossible, and Taylor did not perform on any TV shows. Strange Frontier included guest appearances by bandmates Freddie Mercury and John Deacon. Mercury sang backing vocals on "Killing Time", Deacon remixed the B-side "I Cry For You" and Rick Parfitt
co-wrote and played on "It's An Illusion". David Richards, Queen's engineer and producer at the time, also co-wrote two of the tracks. The album includes covers of Bruce Springsteen
's "Racing in the Street
" and Bob Dylan
's "Masters of War
".
After Queen finished their 1986 Magic Tour
, Taylor started a new band, The Cross
, which released three albums over their six years of existence. In 1993 the band split up, after performing one final gig at the Gosport Festival.
In 1994 Taylor worked with Yoshiki Hayashi, drummer and pianist of X Japan
and released the song "Foreign Sand" and a reworking of The Cross' "Final Destination". The album Happiness? was "Dedicated to the tasmanian tiger – thylacinus cynocephalus, but most especially... for Freddie". "Nazis 1994" from this album became Taylor's first hit single in England and was followed by two other top 40 UK hits, "Happiness" and "Foreign Sand."
In 1998 he released his fourth solo album Electric Fire
. He supported it with a small tour in the spring of 1999, on which Brian May joined him at the gig in Wolverhampton. Taylor also performed one of the first Internet-gigs – for which he got a mention in the Guinness Book of World Records.
In 2010, after nearly twelve years between solo albums, Taylor planned to release a new studio album titled The Unblinking Eye (Everything Is Broken)
. The first single, of the same name, was released on 23 November 2009 as a digital download, but due to popular demand it was released as a limited edition single. Originally leaked to the official Queen fan club's website for members only, it still managed to be on YouTube within hours of the early bird release.
influences which they dropped on their remaining two albums. The band never enjoyed much commercial success, except in Germany.
After Queen's 1986 Magic Tour, the band members went their separate ways to do various solo work. Taylor decided to form a new band with whom he could tour. He had already written and recorded the album himself before finding a band to play the songs with. He eventually placed an ad for band members in a national newspaper, hinting he was a famous rock musician. The position of keyboard player was duly offered to Spike Edney
after two successful Queen tours in which Edney had played. When the auditions were over, the line-up was completed by Peter Noone on bass, Clayton Moss on guitar and Josh Macrae
on drums. Taylor himself would take the responsibility on lead vocals and rhythm guitar.
The first album, Shove It, was released in 1988. In Europe, Heaven for Everyone
(later a Queen song) contained Freddie Mercury on lead vocals and Taylor on backing vocals. However, on the single version and American album version the roles were switched. The European CD contained an extra track (compared to cassette and LP) in The 2nd Shelf Mix, the US version having "Feel The Force" as its extra track. The band promoted hard (especially in Germany), with many TV performances of singles including an appearance at the Montreux Golden Rose festival in 1988. The tour took in dates in the UK and Germany. Three singles were released from the album: "Cowboys and Indians", "Heaven for Everyone" and "Shove It". Another single, "Manipulator," was released in 1988, but it was not included on any album. It was also the only song from the time that had joint writing credits, Taylor sharing them with Edney and Steve Strange.
After finishing Queen's 1989 album The Miracle, Taylor went into the studio with the rest of The Cross for the first time to record Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know. The band composed the opening track "On Top Of The World Ma" with a riff bearing a resemblance to the Led Zeppelin
track Whole Lotta Love
. The rest of the album consisted mainly of individually written songs, except for "Power To Love" which was the result of the combined effort of Macrae, Noone and Moss. Clayton Moss sang lead vocals on his own track "Better Things", and Spike Edney played mandolin
on "Final Destination", which was written by Taylor. "Final Destination" was released as a single, as were "Liar" and "Power To Love", the latter being the last single to be released in the UK by the group. "Final Destination" came with a live rendition of Taylor's song "Man On Fire" as a B-side, and "Liar" (Noone) had a brand new track, "In Charge Of My Heart", which was also penned by Taylor. The 12" single and CD of "Liar" also included extended remixes of both "Liar" and "In Charge of My Heart". The instrumental section at the beginning of "In Charge Of My Heart" was used as the opening to concerts on the accompanying tour. "Closer To You" (Edney) had been planned to be released in America, but never was. The group having seemingly given up on the UK market, the accompanying tour only included dates in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Ibiza. Unusual for such tours, every song from the new album was played live.
gave the other members of the band a chance to take control of the upcoming album. It was in fact mostly written by Edney, who contributed three of his own tracks and contributed to four more. Once again the opening track was penned by the entire band, "Bad Attitude" was written (although not complete) by the Christmas fan club party of 1990. The album itself contained a lot of vocals not from Taylor, but mainly of Edney and Noone. Examples of this can be heard in "Put It All Down To Love" (Edney), "Life Changes" (Moss, Noone, Edney and Macrae) and "Heartland" (The B-side to Life Changes, penned by Noone). Blue Rock itself was only released in Germany (although promo copies were released in Italy and Japan), so copies are somewhat rare. "New Dark Ages" (Taylor) was released in Germany with another live version of "Man On Fire", whilst "Life Changes" was released with the B-side "Heartland". It was however immediately withdrawn due to Freddie Mercury's passing. The tour was in support of Magnum
, so the concert lengths were short (45 mins.) and very few bootlegs have survived. The tour pace was rapid, covering 20 dates in one month.
tours, while Macrae worked behind the scenes as co-producer, sound engineer and Pro Tools engineer for them. In the late 1990s, Edney formed the SAS Band ("Spike's All Stars"), a group with an ever-changing line-up of popular '80s musicians.
in 2007, Taylor opened the concert with Taylor Hawkins
of the Foo Fighters
and Chad Smith
of Red Hot Chili Peppers
.
Taylor has appeared along with May for various other events and promotions, including Queen's 2001 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (sans John Deacon, but with Jer Bulsara, Mercury's mother, present) and the "Party at the Palace", celebrating the golden jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. Taylor and May, performing as Queen, also appeared twice on the American singing contest television show American Idol
, once on 11 April 2006, during which week contestants were required to sing a Queen song, (which included "Bohemian Rhapsody
", "Fat Bottomed Girls
", "The Show Must Go On
", "Who Wants to Live Forever
", and "Innuendo
"), and the second time on the show's Season 8 finale in May 2009, performing "We Are the Champions" with finalists Adam Lambert
and Kris Allen
.
In November 2009, Taylor appeared on the popular reality TV show The X Factor
with May as Queen mentoring the contestants, then later performing Bohemian Rhapsody
. Also in that month, Taylor confirmed he is planning to tour with Taylor Hawkins, which Taylor described as a "quick tour".
From his last solo album Electric Fire
in 1998 Taylor has been performing as a solo artist, as part of ensembles, and infrequently as Queen with May.
At the end of 2004, May and Taylor announced that they would reunite and return to touring in 2005, with Paul Rodgers
(founder and former lead singer of Free
and Bad Company
). May's website also stated that Rodgers would be 'featured with' Queen as Queen + Paul Rodgers
, not replacing the late Freddie Mercury. The retired John Deacon would not be participating.
Between 2005 and 2006, Queen + Paul Rodgers embarked on a world tour, the first leg being Europe, the second Japan and the US in 2006. On 15 August 2006, May confirmed through his website and fan club that Queen + Paul Rodgers would begin producing their first studio album beginning in October, to be recorded at a "secret location". The album, titled The Cosmos Rocks
, was released in Europe on 12 September 2008 and in the US on 28 October 2008. Following the album release the band embarked on a tour through Europe and South America, opening on Kharkov's freedom square in front of 350,000 Ukrainian fans. This performance was shown in cinemas on 6 November 2008 for one airing only, and later released on DVD.
of Led Zeppelin
. Speaking of Bonham, Taylor said, "The greatest Rock`n`Roll drummer of all time was John Bonham who did things that nobody had ever even thought possible before with the drum kit. And also the greatest sound out of his drums - they sounded enormous, and just one bass drum. So fast on it that he did more with one bass drum than most people could do with three, if they could manage them. And he had technique to burn and fantastic power and tremendous feel for rock`n`roll". In a 2009 interview, Taylor also stated that Mitch Mitchell
, the drummer for the Jimi Hendrix Experience, was also a major influence of his.
DW Natural satin Maple Kit Main kit on tour
Toms - 10"x8", 12"x 10" & 14"x12"
Floor Toms - 16"x 16" & 18"x16"
Bass Drum - 26"x 18"
Snare Drum - 14"x 8" (Ludwig Classic Maple)
Roto-Toms - 12" & 14" Remo
Cymbals (all Zildjian)
Hi-Hats - 15" Avedis New Beat
Crash: 17" K Dark Crash, 19" K Dark Crash & 20" K Dark Crash
Ride: 22" Avedis Ping Ride
China: 22" Oriental China Trash
Drum Pedal – DW 9002
(On all live performances with Queen, Taylor's pedal of choice was the Ludwig Speed King)
DW Black Mirra with 24 carat gold hardware Front of stage kit
Toms - 10"x8", 12"x10" & 14"x12"
Floor Toms - 16"x16" & 18"x16"
Bass Drum - 24"x18"
Sub-Bass Drum - 24" x 8"
Snare Drum - 14"x6.5"
Roto-Toms - 12" & 14" Remo
Vic Firth Drumsticks
X5B American Classic Extreme 5B (length : 16 1/2" | Diameter : 0.595")
stamp
featuring Mercury as part of a "Great Britons" issue. This caused controversy as it was an understood rule that the only living people allowed to appear on British stamps could be members of the Royal Family.
In 2002, Taylor appeared on the "Twelve Drummers Drumming" Christmas card in the "Twelve Days of Christmas
" set sold at Woolworths to raise money for the NSPCC – alongside the "other" Roger Taylor
, the drummer for Duran Duran
.
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as the drummer, backing vocalist and occasional lead vocalist of British rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
. As a drummer he is known for his "big" unique sound and is considered one of the most influential rock drummers of the 1970s and '80s. As a songwriter, Taylor contributed songs to the band's albums from the very beginning, composing at least one track on every album, and (in the early days) usually sang lead vocals on his own compositions. He also wrote four of the band's hits, "Radio Ga Ga
Radio Ga Ga
"Radio Ga Ga" is a 1984 song performed and recorded by the British rock band Queen, written by their drummer Roger Taylor. It was released as a single with "I Go Crazy" by Brian May on the original B-side and was included on the album The Works...
", "A Kind of Magic
A Kind of Magic (song)
"A Kind of Magic" is a rock song written by Roger Taylorfor the film Highlander, for which Queen wrote the music. The song reached number three in the UK Singles Chart, top ten in a number of European countries, and number forty-two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100...
", "The Invisible Man
The Invisible Man (song)
"The Invisible Man" is a song by English rock band Queen, written by drummer Roger Taylor. The song is sung mostly by Freddie Mercury, but Taylor sings on parts of the song. Originally released on the album The Miracle, it was released as a single in 1989...
", and "These Are the Days of Our Lives
These Are the Days of Our Lives
"These Are the Days of Our Lives" is a song by English rock band Queen. It was written largely by their drummer Roger Taylor, and is the eighth track on the band's 1991 album Innuendo. It is harmonically and structurally one of the simplest songs of the band's catalogue...
". He plays multiple instruments, including guitar, bass and keyboards, as heard on his debut solo album in which he played all instruments and sang all vocals. He has played with such artists as Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
, Roger Waters
Roger Waters
George Roger Waters is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. He was a founding member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, serving as bassist and co-lead vocalist. Following the departure of bandmate Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became the band's lyricist, principal songwriter...
, Roger Daltrey
Roger Daltrey
Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE , is an English singer and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who. He has maintained a musical career as a solo artist and has also worked in the film industry, acting in a large number of films, theatre and television roles and also...
, Robert Plant
Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
, Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
, Genesis
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
, Jimmy Nail
Jimmy Nail
James Bradford "Jimmy" Nail is an English singer-songwriter, actor, musician, film producer, film score composer and television writer....
, Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, Gary Numan
Gary Numan
Gary Numan is an English singer, composer, and musician, most widely known for his chart-topping 1979 hits "Are 'Friends' Electric?" and "Cars". His signature sound consisted of heavy synthesizer hooks fed through guitar effects pedals.Numan is considered a pioneer of commercial electronic music...
, Shakin' Stevens
Shakin' Stevens
Shakin' Stevens, also known as "Shaky" is a platinum selling Welsh rock and roll singer and songwriter who holds the distinction of being the UK's biggest-selling singles artist of the 1980s . His recording and performing career began in the late 1960s, although it was not until 1980 that he saw...
, Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
, Al Stewart
Al Stewart
Al Stewart is a Scottish singer-songwriter and folk-rock musician.Stewart came to stardom as part of the British folk revival in the 1960s and 1970s, and developed his own unique style of combining folk-rock songs with delicately woven tales of the great characters and events from history.He is...
, Steve Vai
Steve Vai
Steven Siro "Steve" Vai is a three time Grammy Award-winning American guitarist, songwriter and producer who has sold over 15 million albums. Steve Vai is widely known as a flamboyant guitar virtuoso....
, Yoshiki Hayashi, Cherie
Cherie
Cherie is a French pop and dance music singer whose 2004 hit "I'm Ready" hit #1 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.- Singles :*I'm Ready*Older Than My Years *Betcha Never-See also:...
, and Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
. As a producer he has produced albums by Virginia Wolf
Virginia Wolf
Virginia Wolf was a British rock band of the 1970s and 1980s. Their albums included Virginia Wolf and Push . The band existed from 1977 until 1988, and featured Nick Bold on lead guitar throughout. Chris Ousey was the vocalist for most of this time and Jason Bonham was the drummer on both their...
, Jimmy Nail
Jimmy Nail
James Bradford "Jimmy" Nail is an English singer-songwriter, actor, musician, film producer, film score composer and television writer....
and Magnum
Magnum (band)
Magnum are a British progressive rock band from Birmingham, England. Formed as a four piece by Tony Clarkin , Bob Catley , Kex Gorin and Bob Doyle in order to appear as the resident band at The Rum Runner night club Birmingham...
. He currently resides in Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
.
In addition to his drum work, Taylor routinely played the guitars and bass on his own songs. During the 1980s, in addition to his work with Queen, he formed a parallel band known as The Cross
The Cross
The Cross were a side project of Queen's Roger Taylor that existed from 1987 to 1993 and released three albums. Although the drummer in Queen, Taylor fronted The Cross as rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist. On its debut release, the classic rock band incorporated dance influences which they...
, in which he was the singer and rhythm guitarist.
In 2005 he was voted by UK fans as the 8th greatest drummer in classic rock music history in a poll conducted by Planet Rock Radio.
According to The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times (UK)
The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper, distributed in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International, which is in turn owned by News Corporation. Times Newspapers also owns The Times, but the two papers were founded...
Rich List
Sunday Times Rich List
The Sunday Times Rich List is a list of the 1,000 wealthiest people or families in the United Kingdom, updated annually in April and published as a magazine supplement by British national Sunday newspaper The Sunday Times since 1989...
he was worth £65 million as of 2009.
Biography
Born in East Anglia, Roger Taylor moved to TruroTruro
Truro is a city and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The city is the centre for administration, leisure and retail in Cornwall, with a population recorded in the 2001 census of 17,431. Truro urban statistical area, which includes parts of surrounding parishes, has a 2001 census...
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
with mother Winifred, father Michael and younger sister Clare. When he was seven years old he and some friends formed his first band, the Bubblingover Boys, in which he played the ukulele. At the age of 15 Taylor became a member of The Reaction, a very busy semi-pro rock band formed mainly of boys from Truro School
Truro School
Truro School is a mixed independent school located in the city of Truro, Cornwall, UK. The current Headmaster is Paul Smith. Deputy Headteachers are Nick Fisher and Anita Firth . Phil Brewer is Assistant Head and Head of Sixth Form...
. In 1967, he went to London to study dentistry.
By the time News of the World
News of the World (album)
News of the World is the sixth studio album by British rock group Queen, released in 1977. Containing hit songs "We Will Rock You", "We Are the Champions" and "Spread Your Wings", the album went 4x platinum in the US, 2x platinum in the UK, and achieved high certifications around the world as...
came out, Taylor met his future girlfriend Dominique Beyrand. She was working for Richard Branson
Richard Branson
Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson is an English business magnate, best known for his Virgin Group of more than 400 companies....
at the time, who was at the helm of Queen's free concert at Hyde Park. They lived together from 1980–1987, raising their two children, Felix Luther and Rory Eleanor. They decided to get married for reasons relating to his estate, to protect his children's interest in the future. At the time, Taylor was seeing another girl, Debbie Leng (also seen in the "Breakthru
Breakthru (song)
"Breakthru" is a song by British rock band Queen. Credited as being written by Queen, it was released in June 1989 from the album The Miracle. The single reached #7 in the UK, and peaked at number 6 in the Netherlands and Ireland, but failed to chart in the US...
" video); he moved in with her a month after his marriage of convenience to Dominique. Before Freddie Mercury's death, Roger and Debbie had their first child, Rufus Tiger, who was born in March 1991. He ended up having two more children with Debbie: Tiger Lily (1994), and Lola Daisy May (2000). In late 2002, they decided to break up. Taylor remarried on 3 October 2010, to Sarina Potgieter, his girlfriend of six years.
Smile
Taylor met Brian MayBrian May
Brian Harold May, CBE is an English musician and astrophysicist most widely known as the guitarist and a songwriter of the rock band Queen...
and Tim Staffell
Tim Staffell
Timothy "Tim" Staffell is an English rock musician and visual artist. He was a member of blues-rock outfit 1984 and later Smile, a band which included guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor. Upon Staffell's departure, Smile were joined by Freddie Mercury and John Deacon to form the band Queen...
in 1968 after seeing an advert on a noticeboard at Imperial College
Imperial College London
Imperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, specialising in science, engineering, business and medicine...
for a drummer. Smile
Smile (band)
Smile were a London-based blues rock band best known as the predecessor to renowned rock band Queen. The band was formed in 1968 by Brian May, who was to become Queen's guitarist. The group included Tim Staffell as singer and bassist, and, later, drummer Roger Taylor, who also went on to play for...
included May as lead guitarist, Staffell as lead vocalist and bassist, and later Taylor on drums. The band only lasted for two years before Staffell departed to join Humpy Bong
Humpy Bong
Humpy Bong was an early 1970s band.Singer and guitarist Jonathan Kelly was playing in a restaurant in London one night in 1969 when in walked Colin Petersen, a former child actor in Australia and drummer with the Bee Gees...
, leaving the band with only a catalogue of nine songs:
- "Earth" (Staffell)
- "Step On Me" (Staffell/May) originally from May and Staffell's band 1984.
- "Doin' Alright" (Staffell/May) (later remade for Queen's debut albumQueen (album)Queen is the eponymous debut album by British rock group Queen, released in July 1973. It was recorded at Trident Studios and De Lane Lea Music Centre, London, with production by Roy Thomas Baker , John Anthony and Queen....
) - "Blag" (Taylor)
- "Polar Bear" (May)
- "Silver Salmon" (Staffell)
- "See What A Fool I've Been" (May, based on the song "That's How I Feel" by Sonny TerrySonny TerrySaunders Terrell, better known as Sonny Terry was a blind American Piedmont blues musician. He was widely known for his energetic blues harmonica style, which frequently included vocal whoops and hollers, and imitations of trains and fox hunts.-Career:Terry was born in Greensboro, Georgia...
and Brownie McGheeBrownie McGheeWalter Brown McGhee was a Piedmont blues singer and guitarist, best known for his collaborations with the harmonica player Sonny Terry.-Life and career:...
) - "If I Were a Carpenter" (Tim HardinTim HardinJames Timothy "Tim" Hardin was an American folk musician and composer. He wrote the Top 40 hits "If I Were a Carpenter", covered by, among others, Joan Baez, Bobby Darin, Johnny Cash, Ramblin' Jack Elliot, and Robert Plant, and "Reason to Believe", covered by many, including Rod Stewart, as well...
) a coverCover versionIn popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
regularly featuring in their live set. - "April Lady" (Lucas) a song presented to the band by Mercury Records during their second studio session.
Smile reunited for several songs on 22 December 1992. Taylor's band The Cross
The Cross
The Cross were a side project of Queen's Roger Taylor that existed from 1987 to 1993 and released three albums. Although the drummer in Queen, Taylor fronted The Cross as rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist. On its debut release, the classic rock band incorporated dance influences which they...
were headliners and he brought May and Staffell on to play "Earth" and "If I Were a Carpenter".
Queen
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...
at the Kensington Market (they were living in an apartment around the same time). Mercury, then known as Freddie Bulsara, was an avid fan of Smile. After the band split up in 1970, Bulsara convinced the remaining two members to continue, and he eventually joined the band. In 1971 they found bassist John Deacon
John Deacon
John Richard Deacon is a retired English multi-instrumentalist and song writer, best known as the bassist for the rock band Queen. Of the four members of the band, he was the last to join and also the youngest, being only 19 years old when he was recruited by the other members of the band...
and brought him into the group, before going on to release their debut album
Queen (album)
Queen is the eponymous debut album by British rock group Queen, released in July 1973. It was recorded at Trident Studios and De Lane Lea Music Centre, London, with production by Roy Thomas Baker , John Anthony and Queen....
in 1973. Taylor was a prominent songwriter for the band, usually contributing one or two tracks per record. His compositions for Queen include:
- "Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll" (QueenQueen (album)Queen is the eponymous debut album by British rock group Queen, released in July 1973. It was recorded at Trident Studios and De Lane Lea Music Centre, London, with production by Roy Thomas Baker , John Anthony and Queen....
) - "The Loser in the End" (Queen IIQueen IIQueen II is the second album by British rock group Queen, released in March 1974. It was recorded at Trident Studios, London in August 1973 with co-producers Roy Thomas Baker and Robin Cable, and engineered by Mike Stone....
) - "Tenement Funster" (Sheer Heart AttackSheer Heart AttackSheer Heart Attack is the third album by the British rock group Queen, released in November 1974. It was produced by Queen and Roy Thomas Baker and distributed by EMI in the United Kingdom, and Elektra in the United States....
) - "Stone Cold Crazy" (Co-written with Deacon, May and Mercury) (Sheer Heart Attack)
- "I'm in Love with My Car" (A Night at the OperaA Night at the Opera (Queen album)A Night at the Opera is the fourth studio album by the British rock group Queen, released in November 1975. Co-produced by Roy Thomas Baker and Queen, A Night at the Opera was, at the time of its release, the most expensive album ever recorded...
) - "Drowse" (A Day at the RacesA Day at the Races (album)A Day at the Races is the fifth album by British rock group Queen, released in December 1976. A Day at the Races was the band's first completely self-produced album, and the first not to feature producer Roy Thomas Baker. Recorded at Sarm East, The Manor and Wessex Studios in England, A Day at the...
) - "Sheer Heart Attack" (News of the WorldNews of the World (album)News of the World is the sixth studio album by British rock group Queen, released in 1977. Containing hit songs "We Will Rock You", "We Are the Champions" and "Spread Your Wings", the album went 4x platinum in the US, 2x platinum in the UK, and achieved high certifications around the world as...
) - "Fight From the Inside" (News of the World)
- "Fun It" (Jazz)
- "More of That Jazz" (Jazz)
- "A Human Body" (non-album B-side of "Play the Game") (Single)
- "Rock It (Prime Jive)" (The GameThe Game (Queen album)The Game is the eighth studio album by British rock band Queen released on 30 June 1980. It was the only Queen album to reach #1 in the US and became Queen's best selling studio album in the US with four million copies sold to date, tying News of the Worlds US sales tally. The album received very...
) - "Coming Soon" (The Game)
- "In the Space Capsule (The Love Theme)" (Flash GordonFlash Gordon (album)-Personnel:* John Deacon: bass guitar, rhythm guitar, synthesizer* Brian May: lead guitar, backing vocals, synthesizer, piano on "Flash's Theme" and "The Hero," co-lead vocals on "Flash's Theme," guitar orchestration on "The Wedding March"...
) - "In the Death Cell (Love Theme Reprise)" (Flash Gordon)
- "Escape From the Swamp" (Flash Gordon)
- "Marriage of Dale and Ming (And Flash Approaching)" (Co-written with May) (Flash Gordon)
- "Action This Day" (Hot SpaceHot SpaceHot Space is the tenth studio album by British rock band Queen, released in May 1982. Marking a notable shift in direction from their earlier work, Queen employed many elements of disco, pop music, R&B and dance music on Hot Space, being partially influenced by the success of their 1980 hit...
) - "Calling All Girls" (Hot Space)
- "Radio Ga GaRadio Ga Ga"Radio Ga Ga" is a 1984 song performed and recorded by the British rock band Queen, written by their drummer Roger Taylor. It was released as a single with "I Go Crazy" by Brian May on the original B-side and was included on the album The Works...
" (The WorksThe Works (Queen album)-Radio Ga Ga:"Radio Ga Ga" was composed on keyboards, after Roger Taylor heard his son Felix saying "radio ca ca". He wrote it in Los Angeles and locked himself in the studio with a Roland Jupiter 8 and a drum machine. Afterwards John Deacon came up with a suitable bass line. Mercury reconstructed...
) - "Machines (or Back to Humans)" (Co-written with May) (The Works)
- "Thank God It's Christmas" (Co-written with Brian MayBrian MayBrian Harold May, CBE is an English musician and astrophysicist most widely known as the guitarist and a songwriter of the rock band Queen...
) (Single) - "A Kind of MagicA Kind of Magic (song)"A Kind of Magic" is a rock song written by Roger Taylorfor the film Highlander, for which Queen wrote the music. The song reached number three in the UK Singles Chart, top ten in a number of European countries, and number forty-two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100...
" (A Kind of MagicA Kind of MagicA Kind of Magic is a 1986 album by British rock band Queen. It was the band's twelfth studio album and their first to be recorded digitally, and is based on the soundtrack to the film Highlander, the first in a series directed by Russell Mulcahy....
) - "Don't Lose Your Head" (A Kind of Magic)
- "Heaven for EveryoneHeaven for Everyone"Heaven for Everyone" is a song written by Roger Taylor. It appeared originally in his band's album Shove It, with Freddie Mercury as a guest vocalist, and it's the album's fourth track. It was reworked with Queen's music and appeared in the 1995 album Made in Heaven, where it was the seventh...
(Made in HeavenMade in HeavenMade in Heaven is the fifteenth studio album by British rock group Queen and the final one to feature lead singer Freddie Mercury and bassist John Deacon, released on 6 November 1995...
)
Songs written by Taylor, but credited the band collectively include:
- "The Invisible ManThe Invisible Man (song)"The Invisible Man" is a song by English rock band Queen, written by drummer Roger Taylor. The song is sung mostly by Freddie Mercury, but Taylor sings on parts of the song. Originally released on the album The Miracle, it was released as a single in 1989...
" (The Miracle) - "BreakthruBreakthru (song)"Breakthru" is a song by British rock band Queen. Credited as being written by Queen, it was released in June 1989 from the album The Miracle. The single reached #7 in the UK, and peaked at number 6 in the Netherlands and Ireland, but failed to chart in the US...
" (intro written by Mercury) (The Miracle) - "InnuendoInnuendo (song)"Innuendo" is a 1991 song by the English rock band Queen. It is the opening track on the album of the same name, and was released as the first single from the album. At six and a half minutes, it is one of Queen's longest songs, and their longest ever released as a single, exceeding "Bohemian...
" (lyrics written by Taylor) (InnuendoInnuendo (album)Innuendo is the fourteenth studio album by British rock band Queen. Released in February 1991, it was the final studio album to be released in Freddie Mercury's lifetime and is the last to be composed entirely of new material...
) - "Ride the Wild Wind" (Innuendo)
- "These Are the Days of Our LivesThese Are the Days of Our Lives"These Are the Days of Our Lives" is a song by English rock band Queen. It was written largely by their drummer Roger Taylor, and is the eighth track on the band's 1991 album Innuendo. It is harmonically and structurally one of the simplest songs of the band's catalogue...
" (Innuendo)
Many of these feature Taylor on vocals. His voice was very recognisable, for both its high range (he would often reach a E5 in full voice during live performances) and raspiness. His extremely high falsetto, sometimes going above a A5, was characteristic of Queen's vocal harmonies, and was often thought to be a woman's voice, or a synthesiser effect (most notably his screams on "In the Lap of the Gods", written by Mercury). His vocal range spans three-and-a-half octaves (A2-E6). Taylor's lead and partial vocal credits include:
- "Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll" – QueenQueen (album)Queen is the eponymous debut album by British rock group Queen, released in July 1973. It was recorded at Trident Studios and De Lane Lea Music Centre, London, with production by Roy Thomas Baker , John Anthony and Queen....
(1973) - "Keep Yourself AliveKeep Yourself Alive"Keep Yourself Alive" is a song by English rock group Queen. Written by guitarist Brian May, it is the opening track on the band's debut album Queen . It was released as Queen's first single along with "Son and Daughter" as the B-side...
" – Queen (Vocal bridge sung with May, rest sung by Mercury) - "Father to Son" - Queen IIQueen IIQueen II is the second album by British rock group Queen, released in March 1974. It was recorded at Trident Studios, London in August 1973 with co-producers Roy Thomas Baker and Robin Cable, and engineered by Mike Stone....
(1974) (This contains his highest range ever recorded, from G4 to A5). - "The Loser in the End" – Queen II
- "March of the Black Queen" – Queen II (Lead vocals on one line: "My life is in your hands/I'll foe and I'll fie", rest sung by Mercury)
- "Tenement Funster" – Sheer Heart AttackSheer Heart AttackSheer Heart Attack is the third album by the British rock group Queen, released in November 1974. It was produced by Queen and Roy Thomas Baker and distributed by EMI in the United Kingdom, and Elektra in the United States....
(1974) - "In the Lap of the GodsSheer Heart AttackSheer Heart Attack is the third album by the British rock group Queen, released in November 1974. It was produced by Queen and Roy Thomas Baker and distributed by EMI in the United Kingdom, and Elektra in the United States....
" - Sheer Heart Attack - (Falsetto screams) - "I'm In Love With My Car" – A Night At The OperaA Night at the Opera (Queen album)A Night at the Opera is the fourth studio album by the British rock group Queen, released in November 1975. Co-produced by Roy Thomas Baker and Queen, A Night at the Opera was, at the time of its release, the most expensive album ever recorded...
(1975) - "Bohemian RhapsodyBohemian Rhapsody"Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was written by Freddie Mercury for the band's 1975 album A Night at the Opera...
" - A Night at the Opera (High-falsetto vocals, such as the scream-part "for me...", that blasts the song off to the heavier section) - "Drowse" - A Day at the RacesA Day at the Races (album)A Day at the Races is the fifth album by British rock group Queen, released in December 1976. A Day at the Races was the band's first completely self-produced album, and the first not to feature producer Roy Thomas Baker. Recorded at Sarm East, The Manor and Wessex Studios in England, A Day at the...
(1976) - "Sheer Heart Attack" – News of the WorldNews of the World (album)News of the World is the sixth studio album by British rock group Queen, released in 1977. Containing hit songs "We Will Rock You", "We Are the Champions" and "Spread Your Wings", the album went 4x platinum in the US, 2x platinum in the UK, and achieved high certifications around the world as...
(1977) (Lead vocals on chorus and second verse) - "Fight from the Inside" – News of the World
- "Fun It" – Jazz (1978) (lead vocals shared with Mercury)
- "More of That Jazz" – Jazz
- "Rock It (Prime Jive)" – The GameThe Game (Queen album)The Game is the eighth studio album by British rock band Queen released on 30 June 1980. It was the only Queen album to reach #1 in the US and became Queen's best selling studio album in the US with four million copies sold to date, tying News of the Worlds US sales tally. The album received very...
(1980) (Lead vocals, except for the intro, sung by Mercury) - "Coming Soon" – The Game (Lead chorus vocals)
- "A Human Body" - B-side of "Play the Game" (1980)
- "Action This Day" – Hot SpaceHot SpaceHot Space is the tenth studio album by British rock band Queen, released in May 1982. Marking a notable shift in direction from their earlier work, Queen employed many elements of disco, pop music, R&B and dance music on Hot Space, being partially influenced by the success of their 1980 hit...
(1982) (Octave-lead vocals on verses, normal on chorus) - "Don't Lose Your Head" – A Kind of MagicA Kind of MagicA Kind of Magic is a 1986 album by British rock band Queen. It was the band's twelfth studio album and their first to be recorded digitally, and is based on the soundtrack to the film Highlander, the first in a series directed by Russell Mulcahy....
(1986) (Lead chorus vocals) - "The Invisible Man" – The Miracle (1989) (Lead chorus vocals)
- "Hijack My Heart" – The Miracle (B-side to "The Invisible Man")
- "Ride the Wild Wind" - InnuendoInnuendo (album)Innuendo is the fourteenth studio album by British rock band Queen. Released in February 1991, it was the final studio album to be released in Freddie Mercury's lifetime and is the last to be composed entirely of new material...
(1991) (Additional vocals) - Let Me LiveLet Me Live"Let Me Live" is a song by Queen, from the album Made in Heaven. Freddie Mercury, Roger Taylor and Brian May share lead vocals, with Mercury singing the first verse, Taylor singing the second and May singing the last...
– Made In HeavenMade in HeavenMade in Heaven is the fifteenth studio album by British rock group Queen and the final one to feature lead singer Freddie Mercury and bassist John Deacon, released on 6 November 1995...
(1995) (Lead vocals on second verse and bridge) - No-One But You (Only the Good Die Young)No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young)"No-One But You " is a song recorded by the remaining three members of the British rock band Queen following the death of singer Freddie Mercury. Guitarist Brian May – the writer of the song – and drummer Roger Taylor share lead vocals...
(1997) (Lead vocals on second verse and outro)
Solo career
Taylor has had a productive solo career, releasing four albums. His first single was his 1977 cover of The ParliamentsThe Parliaments
The Parliaments were a doo-wop quintet from Plainfield, New Jersey, formed in the back room of a barbershop in the late 1950s and named after the cigarette brand. After some early personnel changes their lineup solidified with George Clinton, Ray Davis, Fuzzy Haskins, Calvin Simon, and Grady Thomas...
' "I Wanna Testify". He recorded it during Queen's sessions for the News of the World
News of the World (album)
News of the World is the sixth studio album by British rock group Queen, released in 1977. Containing hit songs "We Will Rock You", "We Are the Champions" and "Spread Your Wings", the album went 4x platinum in the US, 2x platinum in the UK, and achieved high certifications around the world as...
album. The A-side, although a cover, was completely different from the original. The B-side was a self-penned song "Turn On The TV".
His first solo album, Fun In Space
Fun in Space
Fun in Space is the debut album by English musician Roger Taylor. Released in May 1981 in the UK and US, the album was recorded in between legs of Queen's tours for The Game and Flash Gordon albums. Taylor wrote, produced, sang and performed all of the songs himself. While the album did fairly in...
, was released in 1981. Taylor performed all vocals and played all instruments aside of about half of the keyboards, which were done by engineer David Richards
David Richards (record producer)
David Richards is an English-born Swiss-based record producer, engineer and musician. In the Mountain Studios in Montreux, owned by the rock band Queen, and in Attalens he engineered and co-produced many albums by Queen, David Bowie and other artists. Richards also played keyboards on some records...
. With Queen still touring heavily and recording at the time of release, it was impossible for Taylor to promote the album to its fullest extent, so he appeared on some European TV shows to promote the single, "Future Management", including Top Of The Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
. The only other single to come from the album was "My Country". The only US single released from the album was "Let's Get Crazy".
His next venture came in July 1984 when, after Mercury rejected a lot of his songs for the Queen album, The Works
The Works (Queen album)
-Radio Ga Ga:"Radio Ga Ga" was composed on keyboards, after Roger Taylor heard his son Felix saying "radio ca ca". He wrote it in Los Angeles and locked himself in the studio with a Roland Jupiter 8 and a drum machine. Afterwards John Deacon came up with a suitable bass line. Mercury reconstructed...
, Taylor realised he had more than enough for a full album, which would become Strange Frontier
Strange Frontier
Strange Frontier is the second album by English musician Roger Taylor. This album includes two covers as well as a heavier sound than the previous album...
. The cover of the album is a 'pixelated' signing of his portrait photo that appeared in the liner notes of The Works. The three singles from the album were the title track, "Beautiful Dreams" (in Portugal only) and "Man On Fire", the latter becoming a live favourite for him in later years. No attempts to promote the singles were made since Queen toured to promote The Works, which made a Strange Frontier tour impossible, and Taylor did not perform on any TV shows. Strange Frontier included guest appearances by bandmates Freddie Mercury and John Deacon. Mercury sang backing vocals on "Killing Time", Deacon remixed the B-side "I Cry For You" and Rick Parfitt
Rick Parfitt
Richard John Parfitt, OBE is best known for being a singer and the rhythm guitarist in the English rock band Status Quo.-Career:...
co-wrote and played on "It's An Illusion". David Richards, Queen's engineer and producer at the time, also co-wrote two of the tracks. The album includes covers of Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
's "Racing in the Street
Racing in the Street
"Racing in the Street" is a song by Bruce Springsteen from his 1978 album Darkness on the Edge of Town. In the original vinyl format, it was the last song of side one of the album...
" and Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
's "Masters of War
Masters of War
"Masters of War" is a song by Bob Dylan, written over the winter of 1962-63 and released on the album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan in the spring of 1963. The song's melody was adapted from the traditional "Nottamun Town"...
".
After Queen finished their 1986 Magic Tour
A Kind of Magic
A Kind of Magic is a 1986 album by British rock band Queen. It was the band's twelfth studio album and their first to be recorded digitally, and is based on the soundtrack to the film Highlander, the first in a series directed by Russell Mulcahy....
, Taylor started a new band, The Cross
The Cross
The Cross were a side project of Queen's Roger Taylor that existed from 1987 to 1993 and released three albums. Although the drummer in Queen, Taylor fronted The Cross as rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist. On its debut release, the classic rock band incorporated dance influences which they...
, which released three albums over their six years of existence. In 1993 the band split up, after performing one final gig at the Gosport Festival.
In 1994 Taylor worked with Yoshiki Hayashi, drummer and pianist of X Japan
X Japan
is a Japanese heavy metal band founded in 1982 by Yoshiki and Toshi. Originally named X , the group achieved their breakthrough success in 1989 with the release of their second album Blue Blood...
and released the song "Foreign Sand" and a reworking of The Cross' "Final Destination". The album Happiness? was "Dedicated to the tasmanian tiger – thylacinus cynocephalus, but most especially... for Freddie". "Nazis 1994" from this album became Taylor's first hit single in England and was followed by two other top 40 UK hits, "Happiness" and "Foreign Sand."
In 1998 he released his fourth solo album Electric Fire
Electric Fire
Electric Fire is the fourth solo album by Roger Taylor, from the band Queen. It features a cover of John Lennon's song "Working Class Hero".-Track listing:All tracks by Roger Taylor, except were noted.#"Pressure On" – 4:56...
. He supported it with a small tour in the spring of 1999, on which Brian May joined him at the gig in Wolverhampton. Taylor also performed one of the first Internet-gigs – for which he got a mention in the Guinness Book of World Records.
In 2010, after nearly twelve years between solo albums, Taylor planned to release a new studio album titled The Unblinking Eye (Everything Is Broken)
The Unblinking Eye (Everything Is Broken)
The Unblinking Eye is the upcoming fifth studio album by singer-songwriter Roger Taylor, best known as the drummer in English rock band Queen, due to be released in 2011. It was recorded in late 2008 and throughout 2009, after the conclusion of Queen + Paul Rodgers' Rock the Cosmos Tour, and was...
. The first single, of the same name, was released on 23 November 2009 as a digital download, but due to popular demand it was released as a limited edition single. Originally leaked to the official Queen fan club's website for members only, it still managed to be on YouTube within hours of the early bird release.
The Cross
The Cross were a side project of Taylor's that existed from 1987 to 1993 and released three albums. While still the drummer for Queen, Taylor fronted The Cross as rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist. On its debut release, The Cross incorporated danceDance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
influences which they dropped on their remaining two albums. The band never enjoyed much commercial success, except in Germany.
First album: Shove It
Spike Edney
Philip 'Spike' Edney is a British musician who, since early 1970s, has performed with a number of bands, most notably, Queen, where his participation, starting in 1984, has been so extensive that some writers have described him as the "fifth member of Queen". In the earlier phase of his career,...
after two successful Queen tours in which Edney had played. When the auditions were over, the line-up was completed by Peter Noone on bass, Clayton Moss on guitar and Josh Macrae
Josh Macrae
For the folk singer, see Josh MacRaeJoshua J. Macrae was the drummer of Roger Taylor's band The Cross. He also co-produced some of Taylor's solo albums, played drums at Roger Taylor's solo concerts and worked with Queen on several occasions in the studio from 1992.-Selected discography:* The Cross:...
on drums. Taylor himself would take the responsibility on lead vocals and rhythm guitar.
The first album, Shove It, was released in 1988. In Europe, Heaven for Everyone
Heaven for Everyone
"Heaven for Everyone" is a song written by Roger Taylor. It appeared originally in his band's album Shove It, with Freddie Mercury as a guest vocalist, and it's the album's fourth track. It was reworked with Queen's music and appeared in the 1995 album Made in Heaven, where it was the seventh...
(later a Queen song) contained Freddie Mercury on lead vocals and Taylor on backing vocals. However, on the single version and American album version the roles were switched. The European CD contained an extra track (compared to cassette and LP) in The 2nd Shelf Mix, the US version having "Feel The Force" as its extra track. The band promoted hard (especially in Germany), with many TV performances of singles including an appearance at the Montreux Golden Rose festival in 1988. The tour took in dates in the UK and Germany. Three singles were released from the album: "Cowboys and Indians", "Heaven for Everyone" and "Shove It". Another single, "Manipulator," was released in 1988, but it was not included on any album. It was also the only song from the time that had joint writing credits, Taylor sharing them with Edney and Steve Strange.
Second album: Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
track Whole Lotta Love
Whole Lotta Love
"Whole Lotta Love" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin. It is featured as the opening track on the band's second album, Led Zeppelin II, and was released in the United States and Japan as a single. The US release became their first hit single, it was certified Gold on 13 April 1970, when it...
. The rest of the album consisted mainly of individually written songs, except for "Power To Love" which was the result of the combined effort of Macrae, Noone and Moss. Clayton Moss sang lead vocals on his own track "Better Things", and Spike Edney played mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
on "Final Destination", which was written by Taylor. "Final Destination" was released as a single, as were "Liar" and "Power To Love", the latter being the last single to be released in the UK by the group. "Final Destination" came with a live rendition of Taylor's song "Man On Fire" as a B-side, and "Liar" (Noone) had a brand new track, "In Charge Of My Heart", which was also penned by Taylor. The 12" single and CD of "Liar" also included extended remixes of both "Liar" and "In Charge of My Heart". The instrumental section at the beginning of "In Charge Of My Heart" was used as the opening to concerts on the accompanying tour. "Closer To You" (Edney) had been planned to be released in America, but never was. The group having seemingly given up on the UK market, the accompanying tour only included dates in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Ibiza. Unusual for such tours, every song from the new album was played live.
Third album: Blue Rock
Made at a time when Taylor's efforts were concentrated on Queen and Mercury himself, Blue RockBlue Rock (album)
Blue Rock is the third and last album released by The Cross. Like Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know, Blue Rock is a straight rock album which is currently out of print and has become a hard-to-find item...
gave the other members of the band a chance to take control of the upcoming album. It was in fact mostly written by Edney, who contributed three of his own tracks and contributed to four more. Once again the opening track was penned by the entire band, "Bad Attitude" was written (although not complete) by the Christmas fan club party of 1990. The album itself contained a lot of vocals not from Taylor, but mainly of Edney and Noone. Examples of this can be heard in "Put It All Down To Love" (Edney), "Life Changes" (Moss, Noone, Edney and Macrae) and "Heartland" (The B-side to Life Changes, penned by Noone). Blue Rock itself was only released in Germany (although promo copies were released in Italy and Japan), so copies are somewhat rare. "New Dark Ages" (Taylor) was released in Germany with another live version of "Man On Fire", whilst "Life Changes" was released with the B-side "Heartland". It was however immediately withdrawn due to Freddie Mercury's passing. The tour was in support of Magnum
Magnum (band)
Magnum are a British progressive rock band from Birmingham, England. Formed as a four piece by Tony Clarkin , Bob Catley , Kex Gorin and Bob Doyle in order to appear as the resident band at The Rum Runner night club Birmingham...
, so the concert lengths were short (45 mins.) and very few bootlegs have survived. The tour pace was rapid, covering 20 dates in one month.
Breakup
The band broke up in 1993 after performing a final show. Taylor continued working with Queen and produced solo albums. Drummer Macrae accompanied Taylor on his solo tours and also played percussion at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert. Both Taylor and keyboardist Edney participated in the Queen + Paul RodgersQueen + Paul Rodgers
Queen + Paul Rodgers was a supergroup collaboration between Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen and Paul Rodgers...
tours, while Macrae worked behind the scenes as co-producer, sound engineer and Pro Tools engineer for them. In the late 1990s, Edney formed the SAS Band ("Spike's All Stars"), a group with an ever-changing line-up of popular '80s musicians.
2000s
At Live EarthLive Earth
-Background:Founded by Emmy-winning producer Kevin Wall, in partnership with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Live Earth was built upon the belief that entertainment has the power to transcend social and cultural barriers to move the world community to action...
in 2007, Taylor opened the concert with Taylor Hawkins
Taylor Hawkins
Oliver Taylor Hawkins is an American musician, best known as the drummer of the rock band Foo Fighters....
of the Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
and Chad Smith
Chad Smith
Chad Smith is an American musician, best known as the longtime and current drummer of Red Hot Chili Peppers. Smith is also the drummer of the hard rock supergroup Chickenfoot which includes Sammy Hagar, Joe Satriani, and Michael Anthony, former Deep Purple vocalist Glenn Hughes' backing band and...
of Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
.
Taylor has appeared along with May for various other events and promotions, including Queen's 2001 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (sans John Deacon, but with Jer Bulsara, Mercury's mother, present) and the "Party at the Palace", celebrating the golden jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. Taylor and May, performing as Queen, also appeared twice on the American singing contest television show American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, once on 11 April 2006, during which week contestants were required to sing a Queen song, (which included "Bohemian Rhapsody
Bohemian Rhapsody
"Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was written by Freddie Mercury for the band's 1975 album A Night at the Opera...
", "Fat Bottomed Girls
Fat Bottomed Girls
"Fat Bottomed Girls" is a song by the English rock band Queen. Written by guitarist Brian May, the track featured on their 1978 album Jazz, and also appears on the band's compilation album, Greatest Hits...
", "The Show Must Go On
The Show Must Go On (Queen song)
"The Show Must Go On" is a song by English rock band Queen, featured as the twelfth and final track on their 1991 album Innuendo. It is credited to Queen, but written primarily by Brian May. The song chronicles the effort of Freddie Mercury continuing to perform despite approaching the end of his...
", "Who Wants to Live Forever
Who Wants to Live Forever
"Who Wants to Live Forever" is a song by the English rock band Queen. The song is the sixth track on the album A Kind of Magic, released in June 1986, and was written by guitarist Brian May for the soundtrack to the film Highlander, directed by Russell Mulcahy...
", and "Innuendo
Innuendo (song)
"Innuendo" is a 1991 song by the English rock band Queen. It is the opening track on the album of the same name, and was released as the first single from the album. At six and a half minutes, it is one of Queen's longest songs, and their longest ever released as a single, exceeding "Bohemian...
"), and the second time on the show's Season 8 finale in May 2009, performing "We Are the Champions" with finalists Adam Lambert
Adam Lambert
Adam Mitchel Lambert is an American singer, songwriter, and actor from San Diego, California. In May 2009, he finished as the runner-up on the eighth season of American Idol...
and Kris Allen
Kris Allen
Kristopher Neil "Kris" Allen is an American musician and singer-songwriter from Conway, Arkansas, and the winner of the eighth season of American Idol...
.
In November 2009, Taylor appeared on the popular reality TV show The X Factor
The X Factor (TV series)
The X Factor is a television talent show franchise originating in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for Pop Idol. It is a singing competition, now held in various countries, which pits contestants against each other. These contestants are aspiring pop singers drawn from...
with May as Queen mentoring the contestants, then later performing Bohemian Rhapsody
Bohemian Rhapsody
"Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was written by Freddie Mercury for the band's 1975 album A Night at the Opera...
. Also in that month, Taylor confirmed he is planning to tour with Taylor Hawkins, which Taylor described as a "quick tour".
Queen + Paul Rodgers
Electric Fire
Electric Fire is the fourth solo album by Roger Taylor, from the band Queen. It features a cover of John Lennon's song "Working Class Hero".-Track listing:All tracks by Roger Taylor, except were noted.#"Pressure On" – 4:56...
in 1998 Taylor has been performing as a solo artist, as part of ensembles, and infrequently as Queen with May.
At the end of 2004, May and Taylor announced that they would reunite and return to touring in 2005, with Paul Rodgers
Paul Rodgers
Paul Bernard Rodgers is an English rock singer-songwriter, best known for his success in the 1970s as a member of Free and Bad Company. After stints in two less successful bands in the 1980s and early 1990s, The Firm and The Law, he became a solo artist. He has recently toured and recorded with...
(founder and former lead singer of Free
Free (band)
Free were an English rock band, formed in London in 1968, best known for their 1970 signature song "All Right Now". They disbanded in 1973 and lead singer Paul Rodgers went on to become a frontman of the band Bad Company along with Simon Kirke on drums; lead guitarist Paul Kossoff died from a...
and Bad Company
Bad Company
Bad Company were an English rock supergroup founded in 1973, consisting of two former Free band members — singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke — as well as Mott the Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs and King Crimson bassist Boz Burrell. Peter Grant, who, in years prior, was a key component of...
). May's website also stated that Rodgers would be 'featured with' Queen as Queen + Paul Rodgers
Queen + Paul Rodgers
Queen + Paul Rodgers was a supergroup collaboration between Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen and Paul Rodgers...
, not replacing the late Freddie Mercury. The retired John Deacon would not be participating.
Between 2005 and 2006, Queen + Paul Rodgers embarked on a world tour, the first leg being Europe, the second Japan and the US in 2006. On 15 August 2006, May confirmed through his website and fan club that Queen + Paul Rodgers would begin producing their first studio album beginning in October, to be recorded at a "secret location". The album, titled The Cosmos Rocks
The Cosmos Rocks
The Cosmos Rocks is the debut studio album by Queen + Paul Rodgers released on 15 September 2008 in Europe and 28 October 2008 in North America. It contains 14 new tracks written by Brian May, Paul Rodgers and Roger Taylor...
, was released in Europe on 12 September 2008 and in the US on 28 October 2008. Following the album release the band embarked on a tour through Europe and South America, opening on Kharkov's freedom square in front of 350,000 Ukrainian fans. This performance was shown in cinemas on 6 November 2008 for one airing only, and later released on DVD.
Discography
Albums
- Fun in SpaceFun in SpaceFun in Space is the debut album by English musician Roger Taylor. Released in May 1981 in the UK and US, the album was recorded in between legs of Queen's tours for The Game and Flash Gordon albums. Taylor wrote, produced, sang and performed all of the songs himself. While the album did fairly in...
(1981) - Strange FrontierStrange FrontierStrange Frontier is the second album by English musician Roger Taylor. This album includes two covers as well as a heavier sound than the previous album...
(1984) - Happiness?Happiness?Happiness? is the third album by the English musician Roger Taylor. It was his first album since Queen's 1991 album Innuendo, and his first solo album since 1984's Strange Frontier-Track listing:...
(1994) - Electric FireElectric FireElectric Fire is the fourth solo album by Roger Taylor, from the band Queen. It features a cover of John Lennon's song "Working Class Hero".-Track listing:All tracks by Roger Taylor, except were noted.#"Pressure On" – 4:56...
(1998)
Influences
Taylor has stated that his main influence as a rock drummer is the late John BonhamJohn Bonham
John Henry Bonham was an English musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer of Led Zeppelin. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast right foot, distinctive sound, and "feel" for the groove...
of Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
. Speaking of Bonham, Taylor said, "The greatest Rock`n`Roll drummer of all time was John Bonham who did things that nobody had ever even thought possible before with the drum kit. And also the greatest sound out of his drums - they sounded enormous, and just one bass drum. So fast on it that he did more with one bass drum than most people could do with three, if they could manage them. And he had technique to burn and fantastic power and tremendous feel for rock`n`roll". In a 2009 interview, Taylor also stated that Mitch Mitchell
Mitch Mitchell
John Ronald "Mitch" Mitchell was an English drummer, best known for his work in The Jimi Hendrix Experience.-Early life and the Jimi Hendrix Experience:...
, the drummer for the Jimi Hendrix Experience, was also a major influence of his.
Happiness? Tour
| Date | City | Country | Venue | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | |||||
| 28 July 1994 | Gosport Gosport Gosport is a town, district and borough situated on the south coast of England, within the county of Hampshire. It has approximately 80,000 permanent residents with a further 5,000-10,000 during the summer months... |
England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
Gosport Festival | ||
| 15 September 1994 | London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
Shepherds Bush Empire Shepherds Bush Empire The O2 Shepherds Bush Empire is a music venue in Shepherd's Bush, London, England, run by the Academy Music Group. It was built in 1903, as a music hall, and in 1953 became the BBC Television Theatre... |
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| Asia | |||||
| 26 September 1994 | Tokyo Tokyo , ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family... |
Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
Sun Plaza Hall | ||
| 28 September 1994 | Kawasaki Kawasaki, Kanagawa is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, between Tokyo and Yokohama. It is the 9th most populated city in Japan and one of the main cities forming the Greater Tokyo Area and Keihin Industrial Area.... |
Club Citta | |||
| 30 September 1994 | Nagoya | Club Quatro | |||
| Europe | |||||
| 14 October 1994 | Cologne Cologne Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the... |
Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
Altes Presswerk | ||
| 24 October 1994 | Milan Milan Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,... |
Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
City Square | ||
| 19 November 1994 | London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
Shepherds Bush Empire Shepherds Bush Empire The O2 Shepherds Bush Empire is a music venue in Shepherd's Bush, London, England, run by the Academy Music Group. It was built in 1903, as a music hall, and in 1953 became the BBC Television Theatre... |
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| 20 November 1994 | Cambridge Cambridge The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the... |
The Junction | |||
| 22 November 1994 | Nottingham Nottingham Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group... |
Rock City Rock City (club) Rock City is a club in the city of Nottingham, England that focuses on live music.-Overview:Rock City, based in Nottingham City Centre, has a capacity of 2451, and is known for its intimate atmosphere. It has been described by NME as "sweaty, but truly indie". Rock City is divided into two rooms:... |
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| 23 November 1994 | Newcastle Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne... |
Riverside | |||
| 24 November 1994 | Leeds Leeds Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial... |
Leeds Irish Centre | |||
| 26 November 1994 | Liverpool Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880... |
Royal Court Theatre | |||
| 27 November 1994 | Sheffield Sheffield Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely... |
The Leadmill | |||
| 29 November 1994 | Glasgow Glasgow Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands... |
Scotland Scotland Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the... |
The Garage | ||
| 30 November 1994 | Bristol Bristol Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007... |
England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
Bierkeller | ||
| 1 December 1994 | Milan Milan Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,... |
Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
Mediolanum Forum | ||
| 2 December 1994 | Truro Truro Truro is a city and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The city is the centre for administration, leisure and retail in Cornwall, with a population recorded in the 2001 census of 17,431. Truro urban statistical area, which includes parts of surrounding parishes, has a 2001 census... |
England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
City Hall | ||
| 3 December 1994 | Manchester Manchester Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater... |
Manchester University | |||
| 4 December 1994 | Wolverhampton Wolverhampton Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region... |
Civic Hall Wolverhampton Civic Hall Wolverhampton Civic Hall is a music venue in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England. It has been one of the most important live music venues in the county for several decades. It is part of a complex also including Wulfrun Hall and the newer Little Civic... |
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| 8 December 1994 Two Shows |
Paris Paris Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region... |
France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
Europe 1 Studios | ||
| 16 January 1995 | Monfalcone Monfalcone Monfalcone is a town and comune of the province of Gorizia , located on the coast of the Gulf of Trieste. Monfalcone means "Mount of Falcon" in Italian.... |
Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
Hippodrome | ||
| 17 January 1995 | Schio Schio Schio is a town and comune in the province of Vicenza situated North of Vicenza and East of the Lake of Garda. It is surrounded by the Little Dolomites and Mount Pasubio.-History:... |
Palazetto | |||
| 18 January 1995 | Genova Génova Génova may refer to:* Spanish spelling of the city of Genoa, Italy* Génova, Quindío, a municipality in the department of Quindío, Colombia* Génova, Quetzaltenango, a municipality in the department of Quetzaltenango, Guatemala... |
Teatro Verdi | |||
| 20 January 1995 | Casea Casea Casea is an extinct genus of pelycosaur synapsid which was about long, slightly smaller than the otherwise very similar Caseoides. Casea was one of the first terrestrial herbivores, sharing its world with animals such as Dimetrodon and Eryops.-Description:Casea had a heavy, rotund, body and a... |
Vidia | |||
| 21 January 1995 | Firenze Firenze Firenze is the Italian name for the city of Florence.Firenze may also refer to:* Andrea da Firenze, an Italian composer* Lorenzo da Firenze, an Italian composer and music teacher of the trecento... |
Teatro Tenda | |||
| 22 January 1995 | Rome Rome Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half... |
Palladium | |||
| 24 January 1995 | Valletta Valletta Valletta is the capital of Malta, colloquially known as Il-Belt in Maltese. It is located in the central-eastern portion of the island of Malta, and the historical city has a population of 6,098. The name "Valletta" is traditionally reserved for the historic walled citadel that serves as Malta's... |
Malta Malta Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in... |
Teatro Nazionale La Valetta | ||
| 25 January 1995 | Palermo Palermo Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old... |
Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
Teatro Metropolitan | ||
| 26 January 1995 | Catania Catania Catania is an Italian city on the east coast of Sicily facing the Ionian Sea, between Messina and Syracuse. It is the capital of the homonymous province, and with 298,957 inhabitants it is the second-largest city in Sicily and the tenth in Italy.Catania is known to have a seismic history and... |
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| 29 January 1995 | Napoli | Havana Club | |||
Electric Fire Tour
| Date | City | Country | Venue | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | |||||
| 24 September 1998 | Surrey Surrey Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of... |
England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
Cosford Mill | ||
| 14 October 1998 | London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
Shepherds Bush Empire Shepherds Bush Empire The O2 Shepherds Bush Empire is a music venue in Shepherd's Bush, London, England, run by the Academy Music Group. It was built in 1903, as a music hall, and in 1953 became the BBC Television Theatre... |
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| 15 March 1999 | Glouster | Guildhall | |||
| 16 March 1999 | Cardiff Cardiff Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for... |
Wales Wales Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²... |
Coal Exchange | ||
| 18 March 1999 | Truro Truro Truro is a city and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The city is the centre for administration, leisure and retail in Cornwall, with a population recorded in the 2001 census of 17,431. Truro urban statistical area, which includes parts of surrounding parishes, has a 2001 census... |
England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
Hall For Cornwall Hall for Cornwall The Hall for Cornwall is a major venue in Truro, Cornwall having one large main auditorium which places host to West End musicals, opera, ballet, musical acts and other entertainers... |
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| 19 March 1999 | Stoke-on-Trent Stoke-on-Trent Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area... |
The Stage | |||
| 20 March 1999 | Manchester Manchester Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater... |
Manchester University | |||
| 21 March 1999 | Sheffield Sheffield Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely... |
The Leadmill | |||
| 23 March 1999 | Glasgow Glasgow Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands... |
Scotland Scotland Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the... |
The Garage | ||
| 23 March 1999 | Edinburgh Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area... |
The Liquid Rooms | |||
| 25 March 1999 | Newcastle Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne... |
England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
Newcastle University | ||
| 27 March 1999 | Liverpool Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880... |
Liverpool L2 | |||
| 28 March 1999 | Cambridge Cambridge The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the... |
The Junction | |||
| 29 March 1999 | Norwich Norwich Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom... |
The Waterfront The Waterfront, Norwich The Waterfront is a live music venue/nightclub in Norwich, Norfolk. It is in King Street, on the bank of the River Wensum, opposite Norwich Riverside. It has been managed by the Union of UEA Students since 1993. It is not however a student club, and entrance is open to the public. The building... |
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| 30 March 1999 | Wolverhampton Wolverhampton Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region... |
Civic Hall Wolverhampton Civic Hall Wolverhampton Civic Hall is a music venue in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England. It has been one of the most important live music venues in the county for several decades. It is part of a complex also including Wulfrun Hall and the newer Little Civic... |
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| 31 March 1999 | Nottingham Nottingham Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group... |
Rock City Rock City (club) Rock City is a club in the city of Nottingham, England that focuses on live music.-Overview:Rock City, based in Nottingham City Centre, has a capacity of 2451, and is known for its intimate atmosphere. It has been described by NME as "sweaty, but truly indie". Rock City is divided into two rooms:... |
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| 2 April 1999 | Portsmouth Portsmouth Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island... |
Pyramid Centre Portsmouth Pyramids Centre The Portsmouth Pyramids Centre is an indoor leisure complex in Southsea, near Portsmouth, Hampshire, England.It has a swimming pool/water park, a live arena, and function rooms... |
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| 3 April 1999 | London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
Astoria London Astoria The London Astoria was a music venue, located at 157 Charing Cross Road, in London, England. It had been leased and run by Festival Republic since 2000. It was closed on 15 January 2009 and has since been demolished... |
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Drum kit
Until 2008, Taylor exclusively used Ludwig or Sleishman drums kits, or a combination of the two in the 2005 Return of the Champions Tour. In the recent Queen + Paul Rodgers 2008 The Cosmos Rocks tour he opted for a DW kit.DW Natural satin Maple Kit Main kit on tour
Toms - 10"x8", 12"x 10" & 14"x12"
Floor Toms - 16"x 16" & 18"x16"
Bass Drum - 26"x 18"
Snare Drum - 14"x 8" (Ludwig Classic Maple)
Roto-Toms - 12" & 14" Remo
Cymbals (all Zildjian)
Hi-Hats - 15" Avedis New Beat
Crash: 17" K Dark Crash, 19" K Dark Crash & 20" K Dark Crash
Ride: 22" Avedis Ping Ride
China: 22" Oriental China Trash
Drum Pedal – DW 9002
(On all live performances with Queen, Taylor's pedal of choice was the Ludwig Speed King)
DW Black Mirra with 24 carat gold hardware Front of stage kit
Toms - 10"x8", 12"x10" & 14"x12"
Floor Toms - 16"x16" & 18"x16"
Bass Drum - 24"x18"
Sub-Bass Drum - 24" x 8"
Snare Drum - 14"x6.5"
Roto-Toms - 12" & 14" Remo
Vic Firth Drumsticks
X5B American Classic Extreme 5B (length : 16 1/2" | Diameter : 0.595")
Stamps
In 1999 Taylor appeared in the background of a Royal MailRoyal Mail
Royal Mail is the government-owned postal service in the United Kingdom. Royal Mail Holdings plc owns Royal Mail Group Limited, which in turn operates the brands Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide...
stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
featuring Mercury as part of a "Great Britons" issue. This caused controversy as it was an understood rule that the only living people allowed to appear on British stamps could be members of the Royal Family.
In 2002, Taylor appeared on the "Twelve Drummers Drumming" Christmas card in the "Twelve Days of Christmas
Twelve Days of Christmas
The Twelve Days of Christmas are the festive days beginning Christmas Day . This period is also known as Christmastide and Twelvetide. The Twelfth Night of Christmas is always on the evening of 5 January, but the Twelfth Day can either precede or follow the Twelfth Night according to which...
" set sold at Woolworths to raise money for the NSPCC – alongside the "other" Roger Taylor
Roger Andrew Taylor
Roger Andrew Taylor is an English double grammy award winning musician who is best known as the drummer of British rock band Duran Duran from their inception until 1985, and again from 2001 onwards, the band selling in excess of 80 million records worldwide in the process.-Early life:Taylor began...
, the drummer for 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...
.
External links
- Roger-Taylor.Net – UNofficial website
- Rogersmeadows.com – A Introspective Analysis of Roger Taylor and his Music
- Queen in Cornwall - includes an extensive description of Roger Taylor's early career