Roland Stephen Taylor (born December 9, 1957) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, music executive, film maker, assistant professor, and actor. A figure in what has come to be known as
Christian alternative rock, Taylor enjoyed a successful solo career during the 1980s, and also served in the short-lived group
Chagall Guevara
Chagall Guevara is an American rock band formed in 1989 by solo artist Steve Taylor, guitarists Dave Perkins and Lynn Nichols (from the 1970s Phil Keaggy band), bassist Wade Jaynes, and drummer Mike Mead.
The band was named after Communist rev ...
. In contrast to many Christian musical artists, his songs have often taken aim at other Christians with the use of satirical, sardonic lyrics. In 1997, he founded the record label
Squint Entertainment
Squint Entertainment was a record label owned by Word Entertainment, started and run by musician and songwriter Steve Taylor in 1997. Squint pushed Sixpence None the Richer to mainstream success with their single "Kiss Me". The band had been in ...
, which fueled the careers of artists such as
Sixpence None the Richer,
Chevelle, and
Burlap to Cashmere Burlap to Cashmere is a NYC band formed in the 1990s by original
Band members Steven Delopoulos, John Philippidis, Theodore Pagano, Michael Ernest, and Roby Guarnera.
Their style is often referred to as world music, ethnic folk, or multi genre. Ap ...
. Despite this success, Taylor was ousted from the label by its parent,
Word Entertainment, in 2001. He has produced and written for numerous musical acts, one of the most consistent being
Newsboys. As a film-maker, Taylor co-wrote, directed, and produced the feature films ''
Down Under the Big Top
Newsboys (sometimes stylised as newsboys) are a Christian rock band founded in 1985 in Mooloolaba, Queensland, Australia, by Peter Furler and George Perdikis. Now based in Nashville, Tennessee, the band has released 17 studio albums, 6 of which ...
'', ''
The Second Chance
''The Second Chance'' is a 2006 drama film, directed by veteran musician Steve Taylor. The film won Best Feature Film at the Christian WYSIWYG Film Festival.
The film was released in the United States on February 17, 2006 to a limited number o ...
'', and ''
Blue Like Jazz
''Blue Like Jazz'' is the second book by Donald Miller. This semi-autobiographical work, subtitled "Non-Religious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality," is a collection of essays and personal reflections chronicling the author's growing understan ...
''. After a decade and a half of hiatus, Taylor returned to performing music in 2010 as the front-man for
Steve Taylor & The Perfect Foil
Steve Taylor & The Perfect Foil is an American alternative rock supergroup (music), supergroup formed in 2010 by singer Steve Taylor with drummer Peter Furler (Newsboys, Peter Furler Band), guitarist Jimmy Abegg (Vector (band), Vector, A Ragamuff ...
, a
supergroup Supergroup or super group may refer to:
* Supergroup (music), a music group formed by artists who are already notable or respected in their fields
* Supergroup (physics), a generalization of groups, used in the study of supersymmetry
* Supergroup ...
he founded with
Peter Furler
Peter Andrew Furler (born 8 September 1966) is an Australian musician, songwriter, producer and record executive, best known as the co-founder and former lead vocalist of the Christian rock band Newsboys.
Biography
Furler was born in McLaren ...
,
Jimmy Abegg
Jimmy Abegg (born December 29, 1954), also known as Jimmy A, is an American musician who grew up in Alliance, Nebraska and is currently living in Nashville, Tennessee.
In 1985, Abegg was a founding member of the progressive rock band Vector fro ...
, and
John Mark Painter
John Mark Painter (born c. 1967) is an American multi-instrumental musician, composer and arranger. He is best known for his role, with his wife, singer Fleming McWilliams, in the rock duo, Fleming and John.
Painter grew up in Miami, and beg ...
. Along with a university residency and continued filmmaking, Taylor would resume work on unfinished
Chagall Guevara
Chagall Guevara is an American rock band formed in 1989 by solo artist Steve Taylor, guitarists Dave Perkins and Lynn Nichols (from the 1970s Phil Keaggy band), bassist Wade Jaynes, and drummer Mike Mead.
The band was named after Communist rev ...
material into the 2020s.
Biography
Early life
Taylor, the eldest of three children, was born in
Brawley, California. Taylor's father, Roland Taylor, was a
Baptist
Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...
minister
Minister may refer to:
* Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric
** Minister (Catholic Church)
* Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department)
** Minister without portfolio, a member of government w ...
. When Taylor was six years old, the family relocated to
Northglenn, Colorado
The City of Northglenn is a home rule municipality located in Adams and Weld counties, Colorado, United States. Northglenn is a part of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census the city's populati ...
, a suburb of
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
. He graduated from
Northglenn High School
Northglenn High School is a public institution located in Northglenn, Colorado, United States.
History
Northglenn High School opened in 1965 as the first high school in the Adams 12 Five Star Schools.
From 1965-2011 Northglenn High School was the ...
in 1976. While there, he attempted to learn the bass guitar, piano and trombone.
Upon graduation from high school, Taylor enrolled at
Biola University
Biola University () is a private, nondenominational, evangelical Christian university in La Mirada, California. It was founded in 1908 as the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. It has over 150 programs of study in nine schools offering bachelor's, ...
in California. During his first year, he was first of the 100 chosen, from 20,000 applicants, to spend the summer at
John Davidson's summer camp. At the camp, Taylor spent time learning from singers like
Tony Orlando,
Florence Henderson, and John Davidson.
Taylor returned home and enrolled at the
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder, CU, or Colorado) is a public research university in Boulder, Colorado. Founded in 1876, five months before Colorado became a state, it is the flagship university of the University of Colorado sys ...
, to study "serious music". He graduated there in 1980, but described his
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
degree in music and theater as being worth "slightly more than the cash value of a
Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut is an American multinational restaurant chain and international franchise founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas by Dan and Frank Carney. They serve their signature pan pizza and other dishes including pasta, breadsticks and dessert at d ...
coupon."
1980s
In 1980, Taylor wrote and directed a pop musical comedy titled ''Nothing to Lose'' based on the
parable of the Prodigal Son
The Parable of the Prodigal Son (also known as the parable of the Two Brothers, Lost Son, Loving Father, or of the Forgiving Father) is one of the parables of Jesus Christ in the Bible, appearing in Luke 15:11–32. Jesus shares the parable with ...
from the
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
. It had a short run at a community theater in Denver. He also wrote and starred in a short film, ''Joe's Distributing'', a parody of
avant-garde
The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...
films.
Taylor wrote articles during this time that were published in ''
The Wittenburg Door
''The Wittenburg Door'', sometimes known as simply ''The Door'', was a Christian satire and humor magazine, previously published bimonthly by the non-profit Trinity Foundation based in Dallas, Texas. The magazine started publication in 1971 a ...
'' and ''
CCM Magazine
''CCM Magazine'' is a twice-monthly online magazine focusing on contemporary Christian music, published by Salem Publishing, a division of Salem Communications.
History
''CCM'' was first published in July 1978, as a printed magazine. It has bee ...
'' (for which he won an award from the
Evangelical Press Association).
After recording a demo of original songs, Taylor began to write for the musical group the
Continental Singers. The Continental Singers' founder,
Cam Floria invited Taylor to join the group as assistant director on a tour to France, Italy, and Poland sponsored by
Solidarity
''Solidarity'' is an awareness of shared interests, objectives, standards, and sympathies creating a psychological sense of unity of groups or classes. It is based on class collaboration.''Merriam Webster'', http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictio ...
.
When he returned to the United States, he was asked to perform at the Christian Artists' 1982 Music Seminar in Denver.
Billy Ray Hearn
Billy Ray Hearn (April 26, 1929April 15, 2015) was the founder and chairman of the Capitol Christian Music Group (formerly EMI Christian Music Group) the world's largest Christian music label.McNeil, W. K. Encyclopedia of American gospel music.' ...
, president of
Sparrow Records, was backstage and immediately signed Taylor to a
recording contract
A recording contract (commonly called a record contract or record deal) is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist (or group), where the artist makes a record (or series of records) for the label to sell and promote. Artists ...
.
He recorded his debut solo project ''
I Want to Be a Clone'' in 1982 and released it in January 1983. He quickly gained a reputation for writing songs that satirized beliefs and practices with which he disagreed.
In 1983, Taylor recorded his first full-length album. Released in 1984, ''
Meltdown
Meltdown may refer to:
Science and technology
* Nuclear meltdown, a severe nuclear reactor accident
* Meltdown (security vulnerability), affecting computer processors
* Mutational meltdown, in population genetics
Arts and entertainment Music
* Me ...
'' included some of the demo material that was not on ''Clone'' along with some new material. His video single of the title track, "Meltdown (at
Madame Tussauds
Madame Tussauds (, ) is a wax museum founded in 1835 by French wax sculptor Marie Tussaud in London, spawning similar museums in major cities around the world. While it used to be spelled as "Madame Tussaud's"; the apostrophe is no longer us ...
)" was played on
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
, which was unusual for a
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
artist at the time. The video featured an appearance by actress
Lisa Whelchel. The album also included "We Don't Need No Colour Code", which was critical of
Bob Jones University and its anti-
interracial dating policy, a policy that was not abandoned by the university until 2000.
Another track on ''Meltdown'', "Guilty By Association", one of the original demo songs, includes a jab with an impression in the
middle eight
The 32-bar form, also known as the AABA song form, American popular song form and the ballad form, is a song structure commonly found in Tin Pan Alley songs and other American popular music, especially in the first half of the 20th century.
A ...
at
televangelist
Televangelism (wikt:tele-, tele- "distance" and "evangelism," meaning "Christian ministry, ministry," sometimes called teleministry) is the use of media, specifically radio and television, to communicate Christianity. Televangelists are minister ...
Jimmy Swaggart
Jimmy Lee Swaggart (; born March 15, 1935) is an American Pentecostalism, Pentecostal televangelism, televangelist, southern gospel, gospel music recording artist, pianist, and Christian author.
His television ministry, which began in 1971, an ...
. The song "On the Fritz", the title track from Taylor's next studio album, was also targeted at Swaggart. Swaggart later struck back by devoting part of a chapter of ''Religious Rock 'N' Roll, a Wolf in Sheep's Clothing'' () to Taylor, whom he saw as playing evil rock music.
During a performance at 1984's
Cornerstone Festival, Taylor fractured his ankle while jumping off the stage. He finished the summer's tour in an electric wheelchair.
In 1985, Taylor received his first
Grammy
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
nomination in the "Best Male Gospel Performance" category, while also being nominated for
Dove Award
A Dove Award is an accolade by the Gospel Music Association (GMA) of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the Christian music industry. The awards are presented annually. Formerly held in Nashville, Tennessee, the Dove Awards ...
s as "Gospel Artist of the Year" and for ''Meltdown'' as the "Best Contemporary Album of the Year". Taylor and "Some Band" performed at the Dove Awards ceremonies in
Nashville
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...
in April of that year, where they were introduced by
Pat Boone
Patrick Charles Eugene Boone (born June 1, 1934) is an American singer and actor. He was a successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. He sold more than 45 million records, had 38 Top 40 hits, and appeared in mo ...
.
Taylor followed that release with ''
On the Fritz
''On the Fritz'' is the title of the third release and second full-length album by Christian rock singer-songwriter Steve Taylor. It was released in 1985 on Sparrow Records. Produced by musician Ian McDonald (who co-founded the bands King Cri ...
'', produced by
Foreigner's
Ian McDonald. ''Fritz'' was Taylor's first album to use all studio musicians instead of his usual backing group. Some of the musicians who played on this album were George Small,
Tony DaVilio
Tony may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
* Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer
* Motu Tony (born 1981), New Zealand international rugby lea ...
,
Hugh McCracken,
Carmine Rojas,
Larry Fast and
Allen Childs. ''Fritz'', keeping with Taylor tradition, took aim once again at religious leaders, such as
Bill Gothard
William W. Gothard Jr. (born November 2, 1934) is an American Christian minister, speaker, and writer, and the founder of the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP), an ultra-conservative Christian organization.
His conservative teachings ...
("I Manipulate"), greedy
TV evangelists (again) ("You Don't Owe Me Nothing"), politicians using religion or avoiding questions of morality in order to get votes ("It's a Personal Thing"), and public schools teaching "
values clarification" to children, asking them to determine who should be thrown overboard in an overcrowded lifeboat ("Lifeboat").
Taylor also recorded a duet with
Sheila Walsh, "Not Gonna Fall Away", a tune written and recorded in 1981 by David Edwards. This was released as a
12" single
The twelve-inch single (often written as 12-inch or 12″) is a type of vinyl ( polyvinyl chloride or PVC) gramophone record that has wider groove spacing and shorter playing time with a 'single' or a few related sound tracks on each surfac ...
titled "Transatlantic Remixes". Taylor and Walsh embarked on the Transatlantic Tour which included dates in the United Kingdom and the United States.
Taylor and Walsh also participated in the recording of "Do Something Now" in 1985, a collaborative effort, similar to "
We Are the World", to raise money for
Compassion International
Compassion International is an American child sponsorship and Christian humanitarian aid organization headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, that aims to positively influence the long-term development of children globally who live in pover ...
's famine relief programs in Africa. Other artists participating included
Amy Grant,
Larry Norman
Larry David Norman (April 8, 1947 – February 24, 2008) was an American musician, singer, songwriter, record label owner, and record producer. He is considered to be one of the pioneers of Christian rock music and released more than 100 album ...
,
Russ Taff
Russell Taff (born November 11, 1953) is an American gospel singer and songwriter who grew up in Farmersville, California. He has sung a variety of musical styles throughout his career including: pop rock, traditional Southern gospel, contempora ...
,
Randy Stonehill
Randall Evan Stonehill (born March 12, 1952) is an American singer and songwriter from Stockton, California, best known as one of the pioneers of contemporary Christian music. His music is primarily folk rock in the style of James Taylor, but ...
,
Mylon LeFevre
Mylon R. LeFevre (born October 6, 1944) is an American Christian rock singer best known for his work with his band Mylon and Broken Heart. He is a member of the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. He travels around the United States, ministering, teachi ...
,
Steve Camp,
Evie Evie may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Evie (given name)
* Evie (singer), American contemporary Christian music singer Evelyn Tornquist (born 1957)
* Evie (wrestler), ring name of New Zealand female professional wrestler Cheree Crowl ...
,
Phil Keaggy
Philip Tyler Keaggy (born March 23, 1951) is an American acoustic and electric guitarist and vocalist who has released more than 55 albums and contributed to many more recordings in both the contemporary Christian music and mainstream markets. H ...
,
2nd Chapter of Acts
The 2nd Chapter of Acts was a Jesus music and early contemporary Christian music group composed of sisters Annie Herring and Nelly Greisen and brother Matthew Ward. They began performing in 1972 and enjoyed their period of greatest success du ...
,
Sandi Patty,
Bill Gaither and
Rick Cua
Rick Cua (born December 3, 1948) is an American Christian rock singer, songwriter, bassist, author and ordained minister. He is a former member of the Southern rock band, Outlaws, whom he joined in 1980, but left in 1983 to pursue a full-time ca ...
.
In between performing, recording and touring, Taylor met and married Debbie Butler of
Irvine Irvine may refer to:
Places On Earth Antarctica
*Irvine Glacier
*Mount Irvine (Antarctica)
Australia
*Irvine Island
*Mount Irvine, New South Wales
Canada
*Irvine, Alberta
* Irvine Inlet, Nunavut
United Kingdom
*Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotla ...
, California. They were married by Taylor's father at a private ceremony in
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
. Mrs. Taylor designed the album cover for a compilation on Sparrow, ''The Best We Could Find (Plus 3 That Never Escaped)'' and Myrrh's ''I Predict 1990'', as well as some of Taylor's more colorful stage costumes.
In 1987, Taylor once again lived up to his controversial reputation with a song called "I Blew Up the Clinic Real Good". The song criticizes anyone who claims to be a
anti-abortion
Anti-abortion movements, also self-styled as pro-life or abolitionist movements, are involved in the abortion debate advocating against the practice of abortion and its legality. Many anti-abortion movements began as countermovements in respons ...
activist who would blow up abortion clinics or kill doctors. The point of the song was lost on many and resulted in Taylor's album, ''
I Predict 1990
''I Predict 1990'' is the title of the fourth release and third full-length album by singer-songwriter Steve Taylor. Lyrically, the album explores actions that exploit others to various ends from multiple perspectives. ''CCM'' magazine found that ...
'', being pulled from the shelves at some Christian record stores. Taylor himself would occasionally call those stores to explain the song to them.
[''Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music''; Powell; p931; Hendrickson Publishers; paperback edition (August 2002)] With ''1990'', Taylor's targets included mainstream universities ("Since I Gave Up Hope I Feel a Lot Better", featuring fiddle work from
Papa John Creach of
Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, that became one of the pioneering bands of psychedelic rock. Formed in 1965, the group defined the San Francisco Sound and was the first from the Bay Area to ac ...
and
Hot Tuna
Hot Tuna is an American blues rock band formed in 1969 by former Jefferson Airplane members Jorma Kaukonen (guitarist/vocals) and Jack Casady (bassist). Although it has always been a fluid aggregation, with musicians coming and going over the ...
). Other tracks included "Jim Morrison's Grave", which once again brought Taylor some
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
exposure, and the
Flannery O'Connor inspired "Harder to Believe Than Not To". Some stores also pulled the album as they thought the cover looked like a
tarot
The tarot (, first known as '' trionfi'' and later as ''tarocchi'' or ''tarocks'') is a pack of playing cards, used from at least the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe to play card games such as Tarocchini. From their Italian roots, ...
card.
Taylor's tour for ''I Predict'' was his most ambitious to date, bringing him to Australia, Canada, England, Finland, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland, Sweden and the Philippines.
1990s
Taylor then took a break from music, until 1990 when he returned as the lead singer of
Chagall Guevara
Chagall Guevara is an American rock band formed in 1989 by solo artist Steve Taylor, guitarists Dave Perkins and Lynn Nichols (from the 1970s Phil Keaggy band), bassist Wade Jaynes, and drummer Mike Mead.
The band was named after Communist rev ...
. Their first recording was "Tale o' the Twister", which appeared on the soundtrack to the 1990 film ''
Pump Up the Volume''. The band released an album, the self-titled ''
Chagall Guevara
Chagall Guevara is an American rock band formed in 1989 by solo artist Steve Taylor, guitarists Dave Perkins and Lynn Nichols (from the 1970s Phil Keaggy band), bassist Wade Jaynes, and drummer Mike Mead.
The band was named after Communist rev ...
'', in 1991 on
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc., which later became part of Universal Music Group.
Pre-history
MCA Inc., a powerful talent agency and a television production company, entered the recorded music business in 1962 wit ...
. A follow-up album was begun, but not finished until 2022 as part of a Kickstarter campaign. The band was released from its contract, following slow sales for their debut and broke up.
Taylor returned with another solo album, ''
Squint
Squinting is the action of looking at something with partially closed eyes.
Squinting is most often practiced by people who suffer from refractive errors of the eye who either do not have or are not using their glasses. Squinting helps momentari ...
'', and a live CD, ''
Liver
The liver is a major Organ (anatomy), organ only found in vertebrates which performs many essential biological functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the Protein biosynthesis, synthesis of proteins and biochemicals necessary for ...
'', in the mid-1990s. ''Squint'' included the track "Smug", which mocks
Rush Limbaugh and
Barbra Streisand
Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers List ...
as iconic masters of smugness. The album also included the song "Cash Cow", which takes a jab at yet another
televangelist
Televangelism (wikt:tele-, tele- "distance" and "evangelism," meaning "Christian ministry, ministry," sometimes called teleministry) is the use of media, specifically radio and television, to communicate Christianity. Televangelists are minister ...
,
Robert Tilton, as well as "Bannerman" which is a tribute to American Football fans that hold up "
John 3:16" banners behind the goalposts.
A
tribute
A tribute (; from Latin ''tributum'', "contribution") is wealth, often in kind, that a party gives to another as a sign of submission, allegiance or respect. Various ancient states exacted tribute from the rulers of land which the state conqu ...
to Taylor entitled ''
I Predict a Clone: A Steve Taylor Tribute'' was released in 1994 that featured performances by
Sixpence None the Richer,
Fleming and John
Fleming and John is a musical husband and wife team, Fleming McWilliams and John Mark Painter, currently living in Nashville, Tennessee, United States.
The couple met while attending Belmont University in Nashville, and immediately began collabo ...
,
Starflyer 59,
Circle of Dust, and others.
In the years following those releases, Taylor focused his efforts on running
Squint Entertainment
Squint Entertainment was a record label owned by Word Entertainment, started and run by musician and songwriter Steve Taylor in 1997. Squint pushed Sixpence None the Richer to mainstream success with their single "Kiss Me". The band had been in ...
and producing projects for other artists, including Sixpence None the Richer's self-titled 1997 release that featured the hit singles "
Kiss Me" and a cover of
The La's "There She Goes". He would be most noted for his work with
Newsboys, co-producing five of the band's albums while making contributions to the band's songwriting. During this time, Taylor also directed and produced the Newsboys' 1996 movie ''
Down Under the Big Top
Newsboys (sometimes stylised as newsboys) are a Christian rock band founded in 1985 in Mooloolaba, Queensland, Australia, by Peter Furler and George Perdikis. Now based in Nashville, Tennessee, the band has released 17 studio albums, 6 of which ...
'' in which the band stars.
Taylor began working as a full-time film maker, directing
music videos for
Fleming and John
Fleming and John is a musical husband and wife team, Fleming McWilliams and John Mark Painter, currently living in Nashville, Tennessee, United States.
The couple met while attending Belmont University in Nashville, and immediately began collabo ...
,
Rich Mullins
Richard Wayne Mullins (October 21, 1955 – September 19, 1997) was an American contemporary Christian music singer and songwriter best known for his worship songs " Awesome God" and "Sometimes by Step". Some of his albums were listed by ''CC ...
, Sixpence None the Richer, Newsboys,
Guardian
Guardian usually refers to:
* Legal guardian, a person with the authority and duty to care for the interests of another
* ''The Guardian'', a British daily newspaper
(The) Guardian(s) may also refer to:
Places
* Guardian, West Virginia, Unite ...
,
Twila Paris,
Dakoda Motor Co.,
Out of the Grey
Out of the Grey is a husband-and-wife Contemporary Christian music project consisting of Scott and Christine Denté. Christine provides lead vocals, while Scott plays guitars and sings background, along with the occasional lead vocals. They have r ...
, and two video albums for himself.
2000s
While still running Squint, Taylor had begun a film project called ''St. Gimp'', co-written with Ben Pearson and
Willie Williams. That film was abandoned in 2001 when Squint Entertainment lost its financial backing and Taylor was forced out of the company. Taylor co-wrote and directed the feature film ''
The Second Chance
''The Second Chance'' is a 2006 drama film, directed by veteran musician Steve Taylor. The film won Best Feature Film at the Christian WYSIWYG Film Festival.
The film was released in the United States on February 17, 2006 to a limited number o ...
'' starring
Michael W. Smith, released February 17, 2006. He also appeared in the documentary film ''Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?'' (released on DVD in 2006), in interview segments and performing part of "We Don't Need No Colour Code". New music was scarce, but Taylor did contribute one song, "Shortstop", to Squint's 2000 compilation ''
Roaring Lambs
''Roaring Lambs'' (released in 2000) is a collaborative album based on the book, ''Roaring Lambs: A Gentle Plan to Radically Change Your World'', by Bob Briner. Conceived and directed Dave Palmer, and produced by Steve Taylor, the recording inclu ...
''. He also recorded "Yo Ho Hero", a collaborative track for the 2008
VeggieTales movie ''
The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything
''The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie'' is a 2008 American computer-animated family adventure comedy film directed by Mike Nawrocki, written by Phil Vischer, produced by Big Idea and distributed by Universal Pictures. It is t ...
''.
2010s
In 2010, Taylor began working on a
film adaptation
A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dial ...
of Donald Miller's book, ''
Blue Like Jazz
''Blue Like Jazz'' is the second book by Donald Miller. This semi-autobiographical work, subtitled "Non-Religious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality," is a collection of essays and personal reflections chronicling the author's growing understan ...
''. Kickstarter donations helped finish the project, and the film was released theatrically on April 13, 2012, and on DVD/Blu-ray on August 7, 2012.
June 2011 saw the release of "Closer" (featuring Steve Taylor and Some Other Band), a collaboration with
Peter Furler
Peter Andrew Furler (born 8 September 1966) is an Australian musician, songwriter, producer and record executive, best known as the co-founder and former lead vocalist of the Christian rock band Newsboys.
Biography
Furler was born in McLaren ...
on his first solo album, ''
On Fire''. The group consisted of Taylor on vocals,
Jimmy Abegg
Jimmy Abegg (born December 29, 1954), also known as Jimmy A, is an American musician who grew up in Alliance, Nebraska and is currently living in Nashville, Tennessee.
In 1985, Abegg was a founding member of the progressive rock band Vector fro ...
on guitar,
John Mark Painter
John Mark Painter (born c. 1967) is an American multi-instrumental musician, composer and arranger. He is best known for his role, with his wife, singer Fleming McWilliams, in the rock duo, Fleming and John.
Painter grew up in Miami, and beg ...
on bass, and Furler on drums. According to Furler, an entire album was recorded from these sessions, the material consisting of Taylor/Furler songs unused by the Newsboys. One track from the group, "A Life Preserved", was released August 7, 2012 on the ''Blue Like Jazz'' Motion Picture Soundtrack album and credited to Steve Taylor & The Perfect Foil. An "official remix" of "A Life Preserved" also surfaced at pastemagazine.com, and Taylor returned to the stage for Creation 2013 festival. A 2013 Kickstarter drive funded the band in studio and on the road.
A February 2014 Kickstarter update revealed previously completed studio work to be an album by tour co-headliner Peter Furler Band (released March 2014), with the four members of the Perfect Foil as producers. Soon after, Steve Taylor & The Perfect Foil announced via Kickstarter that their own new album ''
Goliath
Goliath ( ) ''Goləyāṯ''; ar, جُليات ''Ǧulyāt'' (Christian term) or (Quranic term). is a character in the Book of Samuel, described as a Philistine giant
In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: ''gigas'', cognate giga-) a ...
'' was completed August 23, 2014. This marked Taylor's first studio album in twenty years.
"Only a Ride", the debut single from the album, was released via streaming and mp3 download on September 16, 2014, only to Kickstarter campaign supporters. The music video for "Only a Ride" featured scenes from the film trailer for ''
Stunt Rock
''Stunt Rock'' is a 1978 Australian mockumentary musical action film directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith and starring Grant Page.
Plot
Australian stuntman Grant Page accepts a job on an American television series and travels to Los Angeles, where h ...
'', a 1980 film by director
Brian Trenchard-Smith. Music videos for "Standing in Line" and the title track to ''Goliath'' followed. The album, distributed independently, through Taylor's own Splint Entertainment, was released on November 18, 2014. Plans for extensive touring were announced.
In June 2015, Taylor and the Perfect Foil entered
Electrical Audio
Electrical Audio is a recording studio, recording facility founded in Chicago, Illinois by musician and recording engineer Steve Albini in 1997. Hundreds of independent music projects have been recorded there. Unlike most producers, Albini refuses ...
in Chicago with Daniel Smith of
Danielson and engineer
Steve Albini. In December 2015, Taylor announced (via Kickstarter) that the resulting EP, ''Wow to the Deadness'', was released in January 2016, under the name Steve Taylor & The Danielson Foil.
Along with new music making, Taylor also had the honor of becoming filmmaker-in-residence at
Lipscomb University
Lipscomb University is a private university in Nashville, Tennessee. It is affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The campus is located in the Green Hills neighborhood of Nashville, between Belmont Boulevard to the west and Granny White Pike on ...
's cinematic arts program. His roles would include assistant professor of film & creative media and director of the School of Theatre and Cinematic Arts. He would also begin development on another feature film, a political comedy: ''The Independent''.
2020s
On August 1, 2020, a live crowdfunding campaign was launched for the release of ''The Last Amen'', the long-delayed Chagall Guevara live album. It was to be accompanied by a collection, ''Halcyon Days'', to include rare and unreleased CG material as well as new recordings with Taylor's former band. The latter nine-track release was made available to Kickstarter backers in mid-May 2022, and was released to the public in June of that year. The band played one show together on July 2, 2022 to celebrate the release of the new album.
Discography
Studio albums
* ''
Meltdown
Meltdown may refer to:
Science and technology
* Nuclear meltdown, a severe nuclear reactor accident
* Meltdown (security vulnerability), affecting computer processors
* Mutational meltdown, in population genetics
Arts and entertainment Music
* Me ...
'', 1984 album (Sparrow)
* ''
On the Fritz
''On the Fritz'' is the title of the third release and second full-length album by Christian rock singer-songwriter Steve Taylor. It was released in 1985 on Sparrow Records. Produced by musician Ian McDonald (who co-founded the bands King Cri ...
'', 1985 album (Sparrow)
* ''
I Predict 1990
''I Predict 1990'' is the title of the fourth release and third full-length album by singer-songwriter Steve Taylor. Lyrically, the album explores actions that exploit others to various ends from multiple perspectives. ''CCM'' magazine found that ...
'', 1987 album (
Myrrh
Myrrh (; from Semitic, but see '' § Etymology'') is a gum-resin extracted from a number of small, thorny tree species of the genus ''Commiphora''. Myrrh resin has been used throughout history as a perfume, incense and medicine. Myrrh mi ...
)
* ''
Squint
Squinting is the action of looking at something with partially closed eyes.
Squinting is most often practiced by people who suffer from refractive errors of the eye who either do not have or are not using their glasses. Squinting helps momentari ...
'', 1993 album (
Warner Alliance)
* ''
Goliath
Goliath ( ) ''Goləyāṯ''; ar, جُليات ''Ǧulyāt'' (Christian term) or (Quranic term). is a character in the Book of Samuel, described as a Philistine giant
In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: ''gigas'', cognate giga-) a ...
''
(with The Perfect Foil), 2014 album (Splint)
EPs
* ''
I Want to Be a Clone'', 1983 debut EP (
Sparrow
Sparrow may refer to:
Birds
* Old World sparrows, family Passeridae
* New World sparrows, family Passerellidae
* two species in the Passerine family Estrildidae:
** Java sparrow
** Timor sparrow
* Hedge sparrow, also known as the dunnock or hedg ...
)
* ''
Wow to the Deadness
''Wow to the Deadness'' is an EP by Steve Taylor & The Danielson Foil, a temporary collaboration between the supergroup Steve Taylor & The Perfect Foil and Daniel Smith of Danielson. Recorded in 2015 at Electrical Audio in Chicago, Illinois, and p ...
'', 2016 EP
(with The Danielson Foil) (Splint Entertainment/
Sounds Familyre
In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid.
In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the ...
)
Live albums
* ''Limelight'', 1986 live album (Sparrow)
* ''
Liver
The liver is a major Organ (anatomy), organ only found in vertebrates which performs many essential biological functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the Protein biosynthesis, synthesis of proteins and biochemicals necessary for ...
'', 1995 live album (Warner Alliance)
* ''Wow to the Liveness'', 2016 live album
(with The Danielson Foil) (Splint Entertainment/
Sounds Familyre
In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid.
In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the ...
)
* ''The Last Amen'', 2021 live album
(with Chagall Guevara
Chagall Guevara is an American rock band formed in 1989 by solo artist Steve Taylor, guitarists Dave Perkins and Lynn Nichols (from the 1970s Phil Keaggy band), bassist Wade Jaynes, and drummer Mike Mead.
The band was named after Communist rev ...
)
Compilations
* ''The Best We Could Find (+3 That Never Escaped)'', 1988 album (Sparrow)
* ''Christmas'', 1988 album (one track by Taylor)
* ''Now The Truth Can Be Told'', 1994 two-disc box set (WAL)
* ''
Roaring Lambs
''Roaring Lambs'' (released in 2000) is a collaborative album based on the book, ''Roaring Lambs: A Gentle Plan to Radically Change Your World'', by Bob Briner. Conceived and directed Dave Palmer, and produced by Steve Taylor, the recording inclu ...
'' Various Artists, 2000 compilation (one track by Taylor)
* ''
The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie'' Soundtrack, 2007 (one track by Taylor)
* ''
Blue Like Jazz Motion Picture Soundtrack'', 2012 (one track by Taylor; an alternate arrangement of this track can also be found on the ''Goliath'' album.)
With Chagall Guevara
* ''
Chagall Guevara
Chagall Guevara is an American rock band formed in 1989 by solo artist Steve Taylor, guitarists Dave Perkins and Lynn Nichols (from the 1970s Phil Keaggy band), bassist Wade Jaynes, and drummer Mike Mead.
The band was named after Communist rev ...
'', 1991 album (
MCA)
* ''
Pump Up the Volume'' soundtrack, 1990, includes one song by Chagall Guevara, "Tale O' the Twister".
* "Treasure of the Broken Land" (single), 1992, included on the 1994 album ''
Strong Hand of Love: A Tribute to Mark Heard'' and its 1996 re-release with more material ''
Orphans of God''.
* ''Halcyon Days'', 2022 studio collection
Promotional singles
Music videos
Video collections
* ''Videoworks'', 1985 video collection (Sparrow)
* ''Limelight'', 1986 live video (Sparrow)
* ''I Predict 1990: The Video Album'', 1987 video collection (Myrrh)
* ''Squint: Movies From the Soundtrack'', 1993 video collection (Warner Alliance)
* ''Now The Truth Can Be Told'', 1994 video collection (WAL)
Filmography
References
External links
Steve Taylor- Official page for Taylor's music and film projects.
Sock Heaven- The longest-running Steve Taylor and Chagall Guevara fan site and archive.
*
QRSTUV - The Quantitative Roland Stephen Taylor Ubiquitous Volume(Archived)
Steve Taylor's Digital Clone - interactive documentary about Steve"N The Queue" radio interview with Steve regarding "Blue Like Jazz", "Saint Gimp" and his upcoming solo album
{{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Steve
Living people
1957 births
American performers of Christian music
Songwriters from California
People from the Denver metropolitan area
People from Nashville, Tennessee
Songwriters from Tennessee
Steve Taylor & The Perfect Foil members
Chagall Guevara members
Myrrh Records artists