History John Taylor (bass guitarist)

1 history

1.1 1978–1997: duran duran , power station
1.2 1996–2001: solo music career; 2012–present: author
1.3 2001–present: duran duran reunion

history

john taylor grew in hollywood, suburb of birmingham, england. child attended our lady of wayside catholic school , abbey high school, in redditch, wore glasses (due severe myopia, on -10 dioptres), enjoyed james bond movies , hobby of wargaming hand-painted model soldiers. in teen years, discovered music, choosing roxy music favourite band, , before long collecting records , teaching himself play piano. first band called shock treatment.

1978–1997: duran duran , power station

in 1978, taylor , school friend nick rhodes formed duran duran stephen duffy while attending school of foundation studies & experimental workshop birmingham polytechnic (now birmingham city university). after taylor underwent ugly duckling transformation—ditching glasses contact lenses, adopting ruffles , sashes of fashion become known new romantic style, , learning wear eyeliner , lipstick. stopped using name nigel , , has been known throughout professional career john taylor.

taylor played guitar when duran duran founded, switched bass guitar after discovering funky rhythms of chic, , learned enjoy playing in rhythm section duran s newly recruited drummer roger taylor. has cited chic s bernard edwards , clash s paul simonon strongest influences, in addition paul mccartney, james jamerson, , roxy music players graham simpson , john porter. duran duran released first album in 1981, , went on worldwide success in 1980s.

duran duran s music tended prominently feature taylor s melodic bass lines, following model of funk , disco songs times .

as duran duran became famous in 1980s, taylor s individual celebrity grew. picture staple of teen magazines, , won numerous popularity polls, including appearances on people magazine s annual list of sexiest people . lived lavish lifestyle homes in london , paris, , owned several cars, had chance drive, including bond-style aston martin of had dreamed. dated fashion models, such james bond girl janine andrews , face of 80s renee simonsen.

contrary popular belief, taylor not play bass on 1984 band aid charity single know s christmas? , bassline on track played on oscar synthesizer.

in 1985, after recording theme song bond movie view kill, duran duran split 2 side projects. john taylor , duran duran guitarist andy taylor joined forces former chic drummer tony thompson , robert palmer, earlier met @ duran duran s charity concert @ aston villa football ground 1983, form band power station. guidance of producer bernard edwards, released 1 album, power station, produced hit singles hot , t.rex cover song bang gong (get on) .

that year, taylor launched first solo effort, recording single do... soundtrack movie 9½ weeks starring kim basinger. wrote instrumental music movie s score collaborator jonathan elias.

when andy taylor , roger taylor left band, 3 remaining members reformed duran duran 1986 notorious album, , continued record , tour throughout 1990s new guitarist warren cuccurullo. taylor recorded fair amount of unreleased solo material on side, including several tracks used on soundtrack of allison anders movie mi vida loca.

on 24 december 1991, taylor married 19-year-old amanda de cadenet, pregnant daughter atlanta (born 31 march 1992). moved england los angeles, california further wife s acting career, escape constant attention british tabloids. taylor s marriage declined duran duran s star rose success of 1993 s duran duran, known wedding album. in late 1994, taylor sought treatment substance abuse, , has remained sober since. , de cadenet separated in may 1995.

duran duran s success rapidly waned derided 1995 covers album thank you. following album s supporting tour, duran duran spent part of summer of 1995 in london working on album medazzaland. concurrently, taylor devoted time side project neurotic outsiders, recording , touring band end of 1995 through start of 1996.

1996–2001: solo music career; 2012–present: author

in 1996, taylor co-founded independent record label b5 records in california producer hein hoven. b5 records recorded hoven s lake hollywood home built state of art studio in santa monica dubbed b5 sea. label had cutting-edge website created kapil mathur featured virtual journey through b5 studios, , allowed visitors interact taylor , hoven using mobile avatars in virtual environment.

at b5, taylor sang , played guitar , bass on first solo album, feelings (and other lies), working collaborator steve jones of sex pistols. home-grown album marketed mail order, , sold cds directly via website. music , vocals rough , raw, more akin grunge , punk music duran duran, while lyrics reflected taylor s chaotic personal life , ongoing divorce de cadenet. participated in writing album reunited power station in late 1996, personal problems forced him withdraw project, went on record bernard edwards on bass , toured hired bass player. increasing creative differences within duran duran, move los angeles , desire focus on solo work led taylor reconsider place in band. in january 1997 announced @ duran duran fan convention leaving band.

he recording more of own material on b5 records, releasing ep autodidact feelings re-released on larger canadian label derock records. b5 issued tribute album called dream home heartaches... remaking/remodeling roxy music, featuring roxy music covers taylor , many other local los angeles artists. label produced album sub-acid sweet songs l.a. quartet 3 alarm fire before hein hoven decided leave company. after that, b5 records company , much-simplified website renamed trust process , , focused on promoting taylor s solo work rather developing other acts.

during 1997 , 1998, taylor built , toured band called john taylor terroristen (gerry laffy on guitar, michael railton/tio banks on keyboard, larry aberman on drums, john amato on sax , flute) played numerous shows in southern california before touring east , west coasts of united states. terroristen released live ep 5.30.98 , accompanying video better off alive through trust process website. after 9/11, taylor said never use band name terroristen again.

taylor began making forays acting. long friendship allison anders led starring role in independent film, sugar town, in 1998. appeared in small roles in several other movies , tv programmes on next couple of years.

in 1999, taylor released 2 albums of earlier material. first, résumé, made of unreleased music , jonathan elias had worked on during 1985 sessions 9½ weeks movie soundtrack. second, meltdown, collection of tracks taylor had laid down in 1992, during extensive delays in duran duran s recording of wedding album. described taylor upbeat dance electronica hip hop influence , of lyrics reveal disaffection duran duran lifestyle; has said came near leaving band during time, held sudden success of ordinary world , come undone in 1993.

later in 1999 taylor signed recording contract japanese record label avex trax, , released album labelled john taylor on cover, listed in official discography japan album. john taylor terroristen did more touring in japan, germany, , united states. trust process website released accompanying limited edition japanese ep, followed bootleg album live cuts featuring unretouched recordings of taylor s live performances year.

he continued recording avex in 2000, , in 2001 released techno 2 (featuring international hit 6,000 miles co-written matthew hager), decidedly non-techno album filled personal songs. shortly after, talks began potential duran duran reunion, taylor decided create retrospective package called retreat art demonstrating development on previous 5 years. limited edition of 999 signed boxes contained 2 cds, poster, postcards, , more. after signed boxes sold out, two-cd set marketed on own.

taylor s final solo release, completed after duran duran reunion under way, collection metafour released in 2002. album divided 4 thematic sections. first contains instrumental music created 1992 film mi vida loca. second consists of unreleased live performances various points in taylor s solo career, while third contains handful of acoustic performances , demos. last section 17-minute question , answer session taylor took part in @ musicians institute in hollywood in 1998.

in october 2012, taylor released autobiography called in pleasure groove: love, death , duran duran. in 2013, writers in treatment organisation awarded taylor experience, strength , hope award work.

2001–present: duran duran reunion

in 2000, taylor approached @ home in los angeles singer simon le bon possible reunion original duran duran lineup, , enthusiastic idea long other 2 taylors (roger , andy, had left band in 1986) willing rejoin well. agreement reached, , taylor demonstrated renewed commitment band getting enormous linked-d s tattoo on upper side of right arm.

after highly successful tour of japan in 2003, reunited band signed epic records, , released album astronaut in october 2004. toured throughout first half of 2005 before returning studio work on next new album. guitarist andy taylor left band again in october 2006, , recordings session (with working title reportage ) set aside when band got chance work famed producer timbaland. resulting album, red carpet massacre , released in november 2007. celebrate release band took unprecedented step of performing album in entirety 10 special performances on broadway in new york city, world tour in 2008.

in 2006, taylor , nick rhodes collaborated on compilation album entitled after dark .

in december 2010, band released 13th studio album, need now, on own record label, tapemodern. initially, abbreviated version offered itunes, physical album arrived in shops in march 2011.

in february 2013, won musicradar s greatest bassist poll.