Brian "Dolphin" Taylor (born 10 November 1958) is a British former drummer.
Tom Robinson Band
Taylor's first band was Dragon's Playground, which earlier had had
Annie Lennox
Ann Lennox (born 25 December 1954) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving moderate success in the late 1970s as part of the New wave music, new wave band the Tourists, she and fellow musician D ...
as a vocalist. In 1976 Dragon's Playground appeared on ATV's ''
New Faces
''New Faces'' is a British television talent show that aired in the 1970s and 1980s. It has been hosted by Leslie Crowther, Derek Hobson and Marti Caine. It was produced for the ITV network by ATV, and later by Central.
Original series: 197 ...
''.
His career with the
Tom Robinson Band
Tom Robinson Band (TRB) are a British rock band, established in 1976 by singer, songwriter and bassist Tom Robinson. The band's debut single "2-4-6-8 Motorway" was a top five hit on the UK Singles Chart in 1977, and their third single, "Up A ...
started when Taylor gave a friend a lift to an audition as bass guitarist for the Tom Robinson Band in 1976. As the band had no drummer at that point, Taylor (who was already a drummer) filled in. By the end of the evening, the band was still looking for a bass guitarist, but had found their drummer. He stayed for two years, eventually resigning in 1978.
Stiff Little Fingers
In 1982 he joined
Stiff Little Fingers
Stiff Little Fingers are a punk rock band from Belfast, Northern Ireland. They formed in 1977 at the height of the Troubles, which informed much of their songwriting. They started out as a schoolboy band called Highway Star (named after the De ...
, playing on the ''£1.10 or less'' EP, and the ''
Now Then...'' (1982) album, before the band split in 1983.
Spear of Destiny
In 1983 after the demise of SLF, Taylor become the occasional session drummer for producer
Nick Tauber
Nick Tauber is a British record producer best known for his work with Thin Lizzy, Toyah and Marillion in the 1970s and 1980s.
Nick Tauber continues to manage, produce, and consult with acts/artists/and producers. In the late 1990s, Tauber was in ...
. Towards the end of 1983 through his work with Nick Tauber, he was introduced to and joined
Spear of Destiny
A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastene ...
as their full-time drummer.
Dolphin became a part of The Engine Room, the
Spear of Destiny
A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastene ...
rhythm section, along with bass player
Stan Stammers. He left
Spear of Destiny
A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastene ...
in 1986 after they were dropped by their record label CBS, and after the band went through a line-up change.
Marius Müller-Westernhagen
Taylor also was working with a German artist for quite some time in the late 70's and early 80's, singer-songwriter Marius Müller-Westernhagen, appearing on the latter's 1983 album 'Geiler Is' Schon', as an example.
Stiff Little Fingers
In 1987 Taylor was asked to join the reformed SLF, with whom he stayed until 1996, playing on 1991's ''
Flags and Emblems'' and 1994's ''
Get a Life''.
Post-SLF
In 1997 he and one time SLF manager
Russell Emanuel
Russell Emanuel is a British entrepreneur, musician, and producer. He is the co-founder, president, and CEO of Extreme Music, which creates and licenses music for use in television, film, advertising, and online media, and the president and CEO of ...
set up
Extreme Music
Extreme Music is a production music arm of Sony Music Publishing. The company creates and licenses music for use in television, film, advertising, and online media. Their library includes music from artists and composers such as Quincy Jones, ...
, a company that composes and sells
production music
Production music (also known as stock music or library music) is recorded music that can be licensed to customers for use in film, television, radio and other media. Often, the music is produced and owned by production music libraries.
Background ...
.
See also
*
:Songs written by Dolphin Taylor
References
External links
Extreme MusicStiff Little FingersThe Engine Room- Spear of Destiny's Rhythm Section
{{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Dolphin
1958 births
Living people
English rock drummers
Stiff Little Fingers members
Spear of Destiny (band) members
Tom Robinson Band members