Andrew Arthur Taylor (born 16 February 1961) is an English guitarist, best known as a former member of both
Duran Duran
Duran Duran () are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer and bassist Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor (bass guitarist), John Taylor. With the addition of drummer Roger ...
and
the Power Station. He has also recorded and performed as a solo artist, and served as a guitarist, songwriter and record producer for the likes of
Robert Palmer,
Rod Stewart
Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British rock and pop singer and songwriter. Born and raised in London, he is of Scottish and English ancestry. With his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the best-selling ...
,
the Almighty,
Thunder
Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. Depending upon the distance from and nature of the lightning, it can range from a long, low rumble to a sudden, loud crack. The sudden increase in temperature and hence pressure caused by the lightning pr ...
,
Love and Money,
Mark Shaw,
Then Jerico
Then Jerico are an English rock band. They scored four top 40 hits in the UK during the 1980s.
Career
The band's early line-up included singer Mark Shaw, bassist Jasper Stainthorpe, drummer Steve Wren, and guitarist Scott Taylor.
The band pla ...
,
C. C. Catch
Caroline Catherine Müller (born 31 July 1964), known professionally as C. C. Catch, is a Dutch-born German pop singer, also known for her collaboration with Dieter Bohlen (one half of Modern Talking) in the 1980s.
Early life
C. C. Catch was bo ...
,
Paul Rodgers
Paul Rodgers (born 17 December 1949) is a British singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He was the lead vocalist of numerous bands, including Free, Bad Company, The Firm, and The Law. He has also performed as a solo artist, and co ...
(with The Law),
Belinda Carlisle
Belinda Jo Carlisle ( ; born August 17, 1958) is an American singer. She gained fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, the most successful all-female rock band of all time, and went on to have a prolific career as a solo artist.
Raised in ...
,
Gun
A gun is a ranged weapon designed to use a shooting tube (gun barrel) to launch projectiles. The projectiles are typically solid, but can also be pressurized liquid (e.g. in water guns/cannons, spray guns for painting or pressure washing, pr ...
and many more.
History
Background / early musical career
Andrew Taylor was born in
Tynemouth
Tynemouth () is a coastal town in the metropolitan borough of North Tyneside, North East England. It is located on the north side of the mouth of the River Tyne, hence its name. It is 8 mi (13 km) east-northeast of Newcastle upon T ...
and raised in the town of
Cullercoats
Cullercoats is a coastal settlement in the metropolitan borough of North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, North East England. Historically in Northumberland, it has now been absorbed into the wider Tyneside conurbation, sitting between Tynemouth to the ...
,
Northumberland
Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey.
It is bordered by land on ...
in northeast England, and attended
Marden High School
Marden High School is a coeducational secondary school located in Cullercoats, Tyne and Wear, England. The Marden City Learning Centre, opened 15 July 2003, is situated on the grounds in front of the school.
In 2015 the school began buildin ...
.
He began playing guitar at the age of eleven and was soon playing with local bands, even producing one at the age of 16. He received guitar tuition from Dave Black, a member of the short-lived, post-David Bowie version of Bowie's sometime backing band
the Spiders from Mars
The Spiders from Mars were rock singer David Bowie's backing band in the early 1970s, and initially consisted of Mick Ronson on guitars, Trevor Bolder on bass guitar, and Mick Woodmansey on drums.
The group had its origins in Bowie's earlier ba ...
. He dropped out of school early to tour England and Europe with several different bands, playing working men's clubs and air force bases.
Then in April 1980, as Taylor puts it, "I made that fateful train journey down to
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
".
Duran Duran
Duran Duran began their rise to fame at a Birmingham club named the "
Rum Runner". The club was owned by their managers and mentors, brothers Paul and Michael Berrow. It was centred on the music and ostentatious fashion of the era, particularly house and disco music, which had fused with punk and electronic to create the sound and look adopted by various "
New Romantic
The New Romantic movement was an underground subculture movement that originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The movement emerged from the nightclub scene in London and Birmingham at venues such as Billy's and The Blitz. The New ...
" acts of the time. The band was heavily influenced by the 12-inch cuts of the day. Taylor says... "Anybody who is familiar with early DD (Duran Duran) will be aware of the Night Versions concept… the underlying influence of the 12-inch mix –
Edwards & Rodgers –
Giorgio Moroder
Giovanni Giorgio Moroder (, ; born 26 April 1940) is an Italian composer, songwriter, and record producer. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Disco", Moroder is credited with pioneering euro disco and electronic dance mu ...
... It was all part of the matrix – we tested our first hits on the dance floor before going anywhere near the radio – it was the way you defined your style and who you were, through the club you were associated with – where you hung-out ... I'm a rock fan, but the girls hung out at the disco – I recommend a large portion of both."
The band signed to
EMI
EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...
Records in December 1980, only seven months after completing their line-up. Their debut single "Planet Earth" was released shortly after that, with their self-titled debut album, ''Duran Duran'', released in June 1981. By 1983, the band was a global success story.
Power Station and Robert Palmer
While Duran Duran were on hiatus in 1985, Andy Taylor and bassist
John Taylor joined renowned session drummer and former Chic member Tony Thompson and Robert Palmer to form the band Power Station. Their
eponymous album, recorded mostly at the New York studio after which the band was named, reached the top 20 in the UK and the top 10 in the US, and spawned two hit singles with "
Some Like It Hot
''Some Like It Hot'' is a 1959 American crime comedy film directed, produced and co-written by Billy Wilder. It stars Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, with George Raft, Pat O'Brien, Joe E. Brown, Joan Shawlee, Grace Lee Whitney and N ...
" (UK number 14, US number 6) and a cover of the
T. Rex song "
Get It On (Bang a Gong)" (UK number 22, US number 9). Palmer performed live with the band only once that year, on ''Saturday Night Live''. The band toured, and even played
Live Aid
Live Aid was a multi-venue benefit concert held on Saturday 13 July 1985, as well as a music-based fundraising initiative. The original event was organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise further funds for relief of the 1983–1985 fami ...
with singer
Michael Des Barres
Michael Philip Des Barres (born 24 January 1948), the 26th Marquis Des Barres, is an English actor and rock singer. He appeared as Murdoc in the original ''MacGyver'', Nicholas Helman, Murdoc's mentor, on the new reboot of ''MacGyver'' (2016) ...
after Palmer bowed out at the last moment to go back into the studio to further his newly revitalised solo career. Taylor also performed with Duran Duran at the Live Aid event.
Palmer recorded the album ''Riptide'' in 1985, recruiting Thompson and Andy Taylor to play on some tracks and Power Station producer Bernard Edwards, who worked with Thompson in the group Chic, to helm the production. Robert recruited
Wally Badarou
Waliou Jacques Daniel Isheola "Wally" Badarou (born 22 March 1955) is a French musician. Born in France with ancestry from Benin, West Africa, Badarou is known for his close association with the English group Level 42, and for his prolific work ...
, another Compass Point Star, who had laid synthesizer tracks on the Power Station album, plus his long-term drummer, Dony Wynn, for this production, as well.
Taylor said: "I don't think any of us could have known at the time that this little venture would lead to the breakup of DD, but it did or at least it exposed the cracks in the pavement. I think we were all surprised at the amount of success the project achieved, particularly Robert, whose career was reignited in the USA. It was an extraordinary time, everything we were associated with just flew off the shelves. As well as being the opportunity to express a major musical statement, I guess it was also as much of a statement against the label demands."
Solo and production
After six years of being a member of Duran Duran, Taylor had realised both the band and he were in free fall. The other bandmembers and he rarely spoke to one another and the band were now living on three different continents. Taylor himself was now based in Los Angeles, where he met with ex-
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they were one of the most groundbreaking acts in the history of popular music. They were responsible for ...
guitarist
Steve Jones Steve or Steven Jones may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Steve Jones (English presenter) (born 1945), English musician, disk jockey, television presenter, and voice-over artist
*Steve Jones (musician) (born 1955), English rock and roll guita ...
and they began collaborating for Taylor's forthcoming solo album.
In the meantime, he recorded the hit single "Take It Easy" (US number24), which was recorded as the theme song to the movie ''
American Anthem
''American Anthem'' is a 1986 American sports drama film directed by Albert Magnoli and starring Mitch Gaylord and Janet Jones. The film was produced by Lorimar Motion Pictures and released in North America by Columbia Pictures.
Plot
Football ...
''. Ex-
Missing Persons
A missing person is a person who has disappeared and whose status as alive or dead cannot be confirmed as their location and condition are unknown.
A person may go missing through a voluntary disappearance, or else due to an accident, crime, de ...
members
Terry Bozzio
Terry John Bozzio (born December 27, 1950) is an American drummer best known for his work with Missing Persons and Frank Zappa. He has been featured on nine solo or collaborative albums, 26 albums with Zappa and seven albums with Missing Person ...
and
Patrick O'Hearn
Patrick John O'Hearn (born September 6, 1954) is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, and recording artist.
Known primarily as a bass guitarist and keyboardist, O'Hearn came to prominence with Frank Zappa and co-founded the early 1980s ...
performed drums and bass, respectively, on the song and video. Two other songs by Taylor and Jones also appeared on the album: "Wings of Love" and the instrumental "Angel Eyes". Taylor also contributed to the ''Miami Vice II'' soundtrack with the song "When the Rain Comes Down" (US number 43), as well as making an appearance on said show with Power Station in 1985, season two, episode three titled "Whatever Works". This was followed by his first solo album, ''
Thunder
Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. Depending upon the distance from and nature of the lightning, it can range from a long, low rumble to a sudden, loud crack. The sudden increase in temperature and hence pressure caused by the lightning pr ...
'' (1987). O'Hearn again played bass for him on the album and during the following tour. Also on the ''Thunder'' world tour were guitarist
Paul Hanson (guitarist)
Paul Hanson (born January 17, 1957) is an American guitarist. He started playing guitar at the age of 8. He formed bands in his hometown of Seattle, Washington, most notably Krakatoa, Silverload and Max. He is best known for his instructional serie ...
and drummer John Valen. Hanson, Valen and O'Hearn also appeared with Taylor in the music video for the second single from the ''Thunder'' album, "Don't Let Me Die Young". Despite moderate success in the US, Taylor's solo material failed to catch on in his native UK.
Throughout 1987 and 1988, Taylor co-wrote and co-produced
Rod Stewart
Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British rock and pop singer and songwriter. Born and raised in London, he is of Scottish and English ancestry. With his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the best-selling ...
's multi-platinum album ''
Out of Order'' along with
Chic
Chic (; ), meaning "stylish" or "smart", is an element of fashion. It was originally a French word. Pronounced Chick.
Etymology
''Chic'' is a French word, established in English since at least the 1870s. Early references in English dictiona ...
members Bernard Edwards and Tony Thompson (the latter of whom had also performed with him in Power Station), spawning the ''Billboard'' hits, "
Lost in You", "Forever Young" and "My Heart Can't Tell You No".
Taylor also contributed a cover of "Dead on the Money" to the ''
Tequila Sunrise'' soundtrack in 1988 (Taylor's former band Duran Duran also allowed one of their own songs, "
Do You Believe in Shame?
"Do You Believe In Shame?" is a song by British band Duran Duran released on 10 April 1989 as the final single from their 1988 album '' Big Thing''.
Background
The song was dedicated to three of the band's dead friends: record producer Alex Sad ...
", to be included on the album). A second solo album, consisting of entirely
cover version
In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
s, entitled ''
Dangerous
Dangerous may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Dangerous'' (1935 film), an American film starring Bette Davis
* '' Dangerous: The Short Films'', a 1993 collection of music videos by Michael Jackson
* ''Dangerous'' (2021 film), a Canadian-Ameri ...
'', was released in 1990.
Taylor then moved on to producing full time, working with several successful UK bands throughout the 1990s. He produced the debut album ''Back Street Symphony'' by London rockers
Thunder
Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. Depending upon the distance from and nature of the lightning, it can range from a long, low rumble to a sudden, loud crack. The sudden increase in temperature and hence pressure caused by the lightning pr ...
and their follow up ''Laughing on Judgement Day''. This was followed by
the Almighty album ''Soul Destruction'', and then
Mark Shaw's album ''Almost''. Taylor based himself in his now refurbished Trident Studios in London with then manager and partner
Rob Hallett, until 1994, when he returned to Los Angeles to write and produce tracks for a second Power Station album and the 1995 Rod Stewart album ''
A Spanner in the Works
'' A Spanner in the Works '' is the seventeenth studio album released by Rod Stewart on 29 May 1995. It ended a four-year gap since his previous studio album. At that time, it was Stewart's longest break between albums. It was released on Warne ...
''.
Reunions
Taylor participated in the 1994 reunion of Power Station. They recorded a second album ''Living in Fear'' for EMI. During the course of this album, Bernard Edwards died in his hotel room after a Chic gig in Tokyo. The band were shellshocked at his sudden death, but vowed to continue as a trio and complete the project. They subsequently finished the album with Canadian engineer/producer Mike Fraser, with a Japanese and US tours to follow to promote the record.
In 2000, Taylor reunited with the other original members of Duran Duran to record their first new music together since 1985. The band secured a new recording contract with Sony Records. Their ensuing album, 2004 ''
Astronaut
An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...
'', featured a blend of Taylor's heavy guitar with the synth hooks of the classic Duran Duran sound. The first single, "
(Reach Up for The) Sunrise", reached number five in the UK, and the album reached number three (number 17 in the US).
Months prior to the album's release, the band played their largest-ever UK tour in the spring of 2004, which was followed by a world tour in 2005, including Asia, Europe, South America and North America. The band also performed at
Live 8
Live 8 was a string of benefit concerts that took place on 2 July 2005, in the G8 states and in South Africa. They were timed to precede the G8 conference and summit held at the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, Scotland, from 6–8 July 200 ...
.
In 2006, whilst recording a new Duran Duran album, Taylor once again parted ways with the band. The subsequent album, titled ''
Reportage
Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree. The word, a noun, applies to the occupation (profes ...
'', was scrapped by the band after his departure. More recently, Taylor strongly hinted in his blogs that Duran Duran's management company were partly responsible for his departure. This was confirmed when ''
The Sunday Times
''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...
'' (UK) printed a retraction on 4 May 2008.
A short controversy followed as Taylor wrote in his 2008 autobiography that there was no "blunt message" and that in addition to the problems of writing and recording ''Reportage'', old conflicts between other bandmembers and himself had resurfaced. The other band members have maintained their version, in which Andy Taylor's chronic unexplainable absences are pointed out. The band issued a statement in the wake of his departure, stating they "will be continuing as Duran Duran without Andy, as we have reached a point in our relationship with him where there is an unworkable gulf between us and we can no longer effectively function together".
In 2019, Andy ended his 10-year hiatus from music and started to tour again, releasing a new single.
After touring with British rock band Reef in 2020, Taylor went on to produce their new album ''Shoot Me Your Ace'', due to be released in April 2022.
RockAffairs
In November 2007, Taylor co-founded RockAffairs.com alongside Sarah Eaglesfield, the former Flightside vocalist and webmistress at duranduran.com. RockAffairs was developed to allow unsigned artists to sell MP3s and merchandise, promote their band, and keep 100% of the profit. It also pioneered a maverick profit share scheme where 100% of income from listener signups was distributed amongst bands who sign up for the scheme.
In June 2008, Taylor handed control of the website over to Eaglesfield. As of 2017, Taylor remains the owner of RockAffairs Ltd in the UK. Rockaffairs has announced it will be returning for one week of special 10th-anniversary broadcasts during summer 2018.
Autobiography
In 2008, Taylor published an autobiography, ''Wild Boy: My Life in Duran Duran'', in which he tells his life's story from youth in an extended family to his life with wife Tracey. The book aims to give a backstage look on Duran Duran's rise and a survey of the band's career album by album, as well as of Taylor's solo works and collaborations. It also deals with the iconic status of Duran Duran in the time of early MTV and the band's issues with drugs and alcohol.
Personal life
In 2022, Taylor stated that he has been married to his wife Tracey for 40 years. They have four children.
The couple currently reside in
Ibiza
Ibiza (natively and officially in ca, Eivissa, ) is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea off the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. It is from the city of Valencia. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, in Spain. Its l ...
, Spain.
When Duran Duran were inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...
in 2022, Taylor was unable to attend the ceremony. During the event, Simon Le Bon read part of a letter that Taylor had written revealing he had been diagnosed with stage 4
metastatic prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is cancer of the prostate. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancerous tumor worldwide and is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related mortality among men. The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system that sur ...
four years prior, and a recent setback kept him from attending.
The letter was posted to the band's website later, in which Taylor said his condition is incurable, but not immediately life threatening.
Discography
Studio albums
Unreleased albums
* ''Nobody's Business'' (1989)
Extended plays
* ''
The Spanish Sessions'' (1999, with
Luke Morley
Luke Morley (born 19 June 1960 in Camberwell, London, England) is the guitarist, chief songwriter and producer for the hard rock band Thunder from 1989 to present (with a break from 1999–2002, and 2009–2011). Previous to that he wa ...
)
with Duran Duran
* ''
Duran Duran
Duran Duran () are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer and bassist Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor (bass guitarist), John Taylor. With the addition of drummer Roger ...
'' (1981)
* ''
Rio
Rio or Río is the Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Maltese word for "river". When spoken on its own, the word often means Rio de Janeiro, a major city in Brazil.
Rio or Río may also refer to:
Geography Brazil
* Rio de Janeiro
* Rio do Sul, a ...
'' (1982)
* ''
Seven and the Ragged Tiger
''Seven and the Ragged Tiger'' is the third studio album by English new wave band Duran Duran, released on 21 November 1983 through EMI and Capitol Records. It was co-produced by Alex Sadkin, Ian Little and the band. Following their decis ...
'' (1983)
* ''
Arena
An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...
'' (1984)
* ''
Notorious'' (1986)
* ''
Astronaut
An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...
'' (2004)
* ''
Reportage
Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree. The word, a noun, applies to the occupation (profes ...
'' (unreleased)
with Power Station
* ''
The Power Station'' (1985)
* ''
Living in Fear
''Living in Fear'' is the second and final studio album from the supergroup The Power Station, released in 1996.
Background
In the pre-recording stage of the album, the band had the same lineup as for their previous album in 1985 (Robert Palm ...
'' (1996)
with Rod Stewart
* ''
Out of Order'' (1988)
* ''
A Spanner in the Works
'' A Spanner in the Works '' is the seventeenth studio album released by Rod Stewart on 29 May 1995. It ended a four-year gap since his previous studio album. At that time, it was Stewart's longest break between albums. It was released on Warne ...
'' (1995)
Singles
Guest appearances
* Lead guitar on "
Addicted to Love" (from the Robert Palmer album, ''
Riptide
A rip tide, or riptide, is a strong offshore current that is caused by the tide pulling water through an inlet along a barrier beach, at a lagoon or inland marina where tide water flows steadily out to sea during ebb tide. It is a strong tidal fl ...
'') (1985)
* Lead guitar on "
Mad About You
''Mad About You'' is an American television sitcom starring Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt as a married couple in New York City. It initially aired on NBC from September 23, 1992, to May 24, 1999, winning numerous awards including four Golden Glob ...
" (from the Belinda Carlisle album, ''
Belinda
Belinda is a feminine given name of unknown origin, apparently coined from Italian ''bella'', meaning "beautiful". Alternatively it may be derived from the Old High German name ''Betlinde'', which possibly meant "bright serpent" or "bright linde ...
'') (1986)
Soundtrack appearances
* "Take It Easy", "Wings of Love", "Angel Eyes" (from
''American Anthem'') (1986)
* "When the Rain Comes Down" (from
''Miami Vice'') (1986)
* "Dead on the Money" (from
''Tequila Sunrise'') (1988)
Bibliography
*
See also
*
Bands and musicians from Yorkshire and North East England
The following is a list of bands and musicians from the North East and Yorkshire of England, by town or city. Those to have a number one single are shown in bold.
Bands and musicians
Barnsley
* Danse Society
* Exit Calm
*Party Day
* Hands Of ...
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
*
*
Andy Taylor interview on Stuck in the '80s podcast
{{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Andy
1961 births
Living people
English rock guitarists
English male singer-songwriters
English new wave musicians
British synth-pop new wave musicians
English record producers
Duran Duran members
The Power Station (band) members
Ivor Novello Award winners
English male guitarists
People from Tynemouth
People from Cullercoats
Musicians from Tyne and Wear