Andy Taylor (guitarist)
Encyclopedia
Andy Taylor is an English
guitarist
, singer, songwriter
, and record producer
, best known as a member of Duran Duran
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 Duran Duran
, Robert Palmer, Rod Stewart
, The Almighty
, Thunder
, Love and Money, Mark Shaw, Then Jerico
, C. C. Catch, Paul Rodgers
(with The Law), Belinda Carlisle
, Gun
and many more.
, Tyne and Wear
in North East England, and attended Marden High School
. He began playing guitar at the age of eleven, and was soon playing with local bands, even producing one at the age of sixteen. 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
".
" 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" mix - Edwards & Rodgers - Giorgio Moroder
… 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
Records in December 1980 only seven months after completing the 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
. Their eponymous album
, recorded mostly at the New York studio for 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
" (UK #14, US#6) and a cover of the T. Rex
song "Get It On (Bang a Gong)
" (UK #22, US#9). Palmer performed live with the band only once that year, on Saturday Night Live. The band toured, and even played Live Aid
with singer Michael Des Barres after Palmer bowed out at the last moment to go back into the studio to further his newly revitalized 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, 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 break up of DD [v1.0] 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."
, Taylor had realised both he and the band were in free fall. He and the other bandmembers rarely spoke to one another and the band were now living in three different continents. Taylor himself was now based in Los Angeles where he met with ex-Sex Pistols
guitarist Steve Jones
and they began collaborating for Taylor's forthcoming solo album.
In the meantime, he recorded the hit single "Take It Easy" (US #24), which was recorded as the theme song to the movie American Anthem
. Ex-Missing Persons members Terry Bozzio
and Patrick O'Hearn
performed drums and bass, respectively, on the song and video. Two other songs by Taylor/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 #43). This was followed by his first solo album, Thunder (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)
and drummer John Valen. Hanson, Valen & 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 and1988, Taylor co/wrote and co/produced Rod Stewart
's Platinum album "Out of Order" along with Chic
members Bernard Edwards and Tony Thompson, spawning the Billboard hits, "Lost In You," "Forever Young," and "My Heart Can't Tell Me No".
Taylor also contributed a cover of "Dead on the Money" to the Tequila Sunrise
soundtrack in 1988 (Taylor's former band Duran Duran would also allow one of their own songs, "Do You Believe In Shame?", to be included on the album). A second solo album, this one consisting of entirely cover version
s, entitled Dangerous
, 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
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 in order to write and produce tracks for a second Power Station album and the 1995 Rod Stewart
album A Spanner in the Works
.
. 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, however vowed to continue as a trio and complete the project. They subsequently finished the album with Canadian Engineer/producer Mike Fraser, with a Japanese & US tour to follow in order to promote the record.
In 2001, 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, Astronaut, featured a blend of Taylor's heavy guitar with the synth hooks of the classic Duran Duran
sound. The first single, "Sunrise", reached No.5 in the UK, and the album reached No.3 (#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, and North America. The band also performed at Live 8
.
In 2006, whilst recording a new Duran Duran album, Taylor once again parted ways with the band. The subsequent album, titled Reportage
, 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
(UK) printed a retraction on May 4, 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 himself and other bandmembers 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."
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 profit share scheme.
In June 2008, Taylor handed control of the website over to Eaglesfield. As of 2011, Taylor remains the owner of RockAffairs Ltd in the UK.
,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, 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 drug and alcohol.
(1980–2012)
'The Crying Shames’
‘That's Rock and Roll’ - (single) (played guitar)
‘Duran Duran’ - (Duran Duran - album)
‘Planet Earth’- (single)
‘Careless Memories’ - (single)
‘Girls On Film’ - (single)
‘My Own Way’ - (Duran Duran – single)
‘Rio’ - (Duran Duran - album)
‘Hungry Like The Wolf ’ – (single)
‘Save A Prayer’ – (single)
‘Rio’ – (single)
‘Is There Something I Should Know? – (Duran Duran – single)
‘Seven and the Ragged Tiger’ - (Duran Duran - album)
‘Union of the Snake’ – (single)
‘New Moon On Monday’ – ( single)
‘The Reflex’ – (single)
‘Arena’ - (Duran Duran - live album)
‘Wild Boys’– (single)
'The Power Station’ - (The Power Station - album)
‘Some Like It Hot’ – (single)
‘Get It On’ – (single)
‘Communication’ - ( single)
‘A View to a Kill’ - (Duran Duran & John Barry soundtrack album & single)
'Notorious' - (Duran Duran - album)
Notorious - (single)
Skin Trade - (single)
Meet el Presidente - (single)
‘Somewhere, Somehow, Someone’ - (Power Station soundtrack for Commando)
‘Addicted to Love’ - (Robert Palmer - single)
'American Anthem' - (Soundtrack)
‘Take it Easy’ – (Andy Taylor - single)
'Miami Vice' - (Soundtrack)
‘When The Rain Comes Down’ – (Andy Taylor - single)
'All You Need Is' - (Love & Money - producer - album)
'Cheesburger' - (single)
'Candybar Express' - (single)
‘Thunder’ - (Andy Taylor - solo album)
‘I Might Lie’ – (single)
‘Don’t Let Me Die Young’ – (single)
'Life Goes On' - (single)
"Out of Order' - (Rod Stewart - writer / producer / guitar - album)
‘Lost in You’ – (single)
‘Forever Young’– (single)
‘My Heart Can’t Tell You No’ – (single)
‘Backstreet Symphony’ - (Thunder - writer/producer - album)
‘She’s so Fine’ – (single)
‘Dirty Love’ – (single)
‘Love Walked In’ – (single)
‘Nobodies Business’ - (solo album - unreleased)
‘Dead On The Money’ - (Andy Taylor - solo single – Tequila Sunrise, movie soundtrack)
‘Soul Destruction’ - (The Almighty - producer - album)
'Free & Easy' - (single)
'Hell to Pay' - (single)
'Little Lost Sometime' - (single)
‘Almost’ - (Mark Shaw - producer - album)
'Under Your Spell' - (single)
'Love So Bright' - (single)
‘Dangerous’ - (Andy Taylor - solo album)
‘Lola’ – (single)
‘Stone Cold Sober’ – (single)
'Skin & Bones' - (producer - album)
'Funky' - (Eric & The Good Good Feeling - producer - album)
Good Good Feeling - (single)
'Funky' - (single)
'Tamara Champlin' - (producer - album)
'Gun' - (producer, mixer - tracks)
'Shame on You' - (single)
'Long Road' - (single)
'Matthew Ashman' - (producer, writer - album)
'Then Jerico' - (producer, writer - album)
'Thunder' - ‘Laughing on Judgement Day’ - (producer, writer - album)
‘Better Man’ – (single)
'Everybody Wants Her' - (single)
'Flawed to Perfection' - (single)
'The Law' with Paul Rodgers - (guitar & mix - tracks)
For a Little Ride - (single)
‘Spanner in the Works’ - (Rod Stewart - writer, guitar, producer - album)
‘You’re the Star’ – (single)
‘Delicious’ – (single)
‘Living In Fear’ - (Power Station - album)
‘She Can Rock It’ – (single)
'Notoriety' - (single)
‘The Spanish Sessions E P’ - (with Luke Morely)
Orgasmaphobia - (Then Jerico - producer, writer, guitars - album)
'Fevertree / Liam Keenan' - (producer)
‘Astronaut’ - (Duran Duran - album)
‘(Reach Up) For The Sunrise’ – (single)
‘What Happens Tomorrow’ – (single)
'Nice' - (single)
‘Reportage’ - (Duran Duran - unreleased album)
‘Blame the BBC’ - ( Hungover Stuntmen - producer, album)
'She Knows' - (single)
With Duran Duran
With Power Station
Solo
Solo Singles
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...
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, singer, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, best known as a member of 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...
and The Power Station
Power Station (band)
Power Station was a 1980s supergroup made up of singer Robert Palmer, former Chic drummer Tony Thompson, and Duran Duran members John Taylor and Andy Taylor . Bernard Edwards, also of Chic, was involved on the studio side as recording producer. For a short time he also functioned as Power...
.
He has also recorded and performed as a solo artist, and served as a guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
for the likes of 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...
, Robert Palmer, Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
, The Almighty
The Almighty (band)
The Almighty are a hard rock/heavy metal band, from Glasgow in Scotland who formed in 1988. They have released seven studio albums, two anthologies and one live album.-1988-1993:...
, Thunder
Thunder
Thunder is the sound made by lightning. Depending on the nature of the lightning and distance of the listener, thunder can range from a sharp, loud crack to a long, low rumble . The sudden increase in pressure and temperature from lightning produces rapid expansion of the air surrounding and within...
, Love and Money, Mark Shaw, Then Jerico
Then Jerico
Then Jerico are a British rock band who became popular in the late 1980s.-Career:Mark Shaw formed the band at the age of 21, recruiting bassist Jasper Stainthorpe and drummer Steve Wren and poaching guitarist Scott Taylor from Belouis Some....
, C. C. Catch, 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...
(with The Law), Belinda Carlisle
Belinda Carlisle
Belinda Jo Carlisle is an American singer who gained worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, one of the most successful all-female bands and the first such group whose members wrote their own songs and played their own instruments...
, Gun
Gun (band)
Gun are a rock band from Glasgow, Scotland, best known for their cover of Cameo's "Word Up!".-Early career:Originally called Blind Allez then for a short time, 'Phobia', GUN were formed in 1987 by Giuliano Gizzi and Cami Morlotti , with Mark Rankin , Alan Thornton and David Aitken...
and many more.
Background / Early Musical Career
Taylor was born and raised in CullercoatsCullercoats
Cullercoats is an urban area of north east England, with a population 9,407 in 2004. It has now been absorbed into the North Tyneside conurbation, sitting between Tynemouth and Whitley Bay. There is a semi-circular sandy beach with cliffs and caves, and the village is a popular destination for...
, Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear is a metropolitan county in north east England around the mouths of the Rivers Tyne and Wear. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972...
in North East England, and attended Marden High School
Marden High School
Marden High School is a high school in Cullercoats, Tyne and Wear. It has been a Designated Media Arts College since 2003 and the Marden City Learning Centre has been situated on the grounds in front of the school since it was opened on 15 July 2003....
. He began playing guitar at the age of eleven, and was soon playing with local bands, even producing one at the age of sixteen. 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
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
".
Duran Duran
Duran Duran began their rise to fame at a Birmingham club named the "Rummrunner". The club was owned by their managers and mentors, brothers Paul & Michael Berrow. It was centred on the music and ostentatious fashion of the era, particularly dance & disco music, which had fused with punk and electronic to create the sound and look adopted by various "New RomanticNew Romantic
New Romanticism , was a pop culture movement in the United Kingdom that began around 1979 and peaked around 1981. Developing in London nightclubs such as Billy's and The Blitz and spreading to other major cities in the UK, it was based around flamboyant, eccentric fashion and new wave music...
" 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" mix - Edwards & Rodgers - Giorgio Moroder
Giorgio Moroder
Hansjörg "Giorgio" Moroder is an Italian record producer, songwriter and performer based in Los Angeles. When in Munich in the 1970s, he started his own record label called Oasis Records, which several years later became a subdivision of Casablanca Records...
… 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
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
Records in December 1980 only seven months after completing the 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
Power Station & 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 StationPower Station (band)
Power Station was a 1980s supergroup made up of singer Robert Palmer, former Chic drummer Tony Thompson, and Duran Duran members John Taylor and Andy Taylor . Bernard Edwards, also of Chic, was involved on the studio side as recording producer. For a short time he also functioned as Power...
. Their eponymous album
The Power Station (album)
The Power Station is the debut album by The Power Station. It was released in 1985 on EMI. The album peaked at no. 6 on U.S. Billboard 200 and no. 12 on the UK Albums Chart. All three singles released from the album were Top 40 hits in the United States...
, recorded mostly at the New York studio for 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 (song)
"Some Like It Hot" is a song recorded by Power Station. It was the first single released from the group's 1985 eponymous debut album. Released by Parlophone Records in 1985, the song features heavy drum beats from Tony Thompson and vocals from Robert Palmer. It was the band's biggest hit, peaking...
" (UK #14, US#6) and a cover of the T. Rex
T. Rex (band)
T. Rex were a British rock band, formed in 1967 by singer/songwriter and guitarist Marc Bolan. The band formed as Tyrannosaurus Rex, releasing four folk albums under the name...
song "Get It On (Bang a Gong)
Get It On (T. Rex song)
"Get It On" was covered by the Power Station in 1985. Their version – titled "Get It On " – was released as their second single from their debut album. The track was a hit in both the UK, reaching number 22 on the UK Singles Chart, and the U.S., where the song peaked at number nine on the...
" (UK #22, US#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
Live Aid was a dual-venue concert that was held on 13 July 1985. The event was organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for relief of the ongoing Ethiopian famine. Billed as the "global jukebox", the event was held simultaneously in Wembley Stadium in London, England, United Kingdom ...
with singer Michael Des Barres after Palmer bowed out at the last moment to go back into the studio to further his newly revitalized 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, 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 break up of DD [v1.0] 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 & Production
After six years of being a member of Duran DuranDuran 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...
, Taylor had realised both he and the band were in free fall. He and the other bandmembers rarely spoke to one another and the band were now living in three different continents. Taylor himself was now based in Los Angeles where he met with ex-Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
guitarist Steve Jones
Steve Jones (musician)
Stephen Philip "Steve" Jones is an English rock guitarist, singer and actor, best known as guitarist and founding member of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols.-Childhood:...
and they began collaborating for Taylor's forthcoming solo album.
In the meantime, he recorded the hit single "Take It Easy" (US #24), which was recorded as the theme song to the movie American Anthem
American Anthem
American Anthem is a 1986 American film produced by Lorimar Motion Pictures and released in North America by Columbia Pictures. It was directed by Albert Magnoli, and starred Mitch Gaylord and Janet Jones. The subject of the film was a football player turned gymnast that was seeking to join the...
. Ex-Missing Persons members Terry Bozzio
Terry Bozzio
Terry John Bozzio is an American drummer best known for his work with Missing Persons and Frank Zappa.-Biography:Terry Bozzio was born December 27, 1950 in San Francisco, California. He started at age 6 playing makeshift drum sets. At the age of 13 he saw The Beatles premier performance on The Ed...
and Patrick O'Hearn
Patrick O'Hearn
Patrick O'Hearn is an American multi-instrumentalist musician, composer and recording artist. While his musical repertoire spans a diverse range of music, he is an acclaimed New Age artist in his solo career...
performed drums and bass, respectively, on the song and video. Two other songs by Taylor/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 #43). This was followed by his first solo album, Thunder (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 (guitarist)
Paul Hanson is an American guitarist Paul 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 series of books, CDs and videos.-1980s:Paul moved to Los Angeles in 1980 and...
and drummer John Valen. Hanson, Valen & 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 and1988, Taylor co/wrote and co/produced Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
's Platinum album "Out of Order" along with Chic
Chic (band)
Chic was an African American disco and R&B band that was organized during 1976 by guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards. It is known best for its commercially successful disco songs, including "Dance, Dance, Dance " , "Everybody Dance" , "Le Freak" , "I Want Your Love" , "Good Times"...
members Bernard Edwards and Tony Thompson, spawning the Billboard hits, "Lost In You," "Forever Young," and "My Heart Can't Tell Me No".
Taylor also contributed a cover of "Dead on the Money" to the Tequila Sunrise
Tequila Sunrise (film)
Tequila Sunrise is an American crime thriller film written and directed by Robert Towne, and starring Mel Gibson, Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell, with support from Raúl Juliá, J. T...
soundtrack in 1988 (Taylor's former band Duran Duran would also allow one of their own songs, "Do You Believe In Shame?", to be included on the album). A second solo album, this one consisting of entirely cover version
Cover version
In 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...
s, entitled Dangerous
Dangerous (Andy Taylor album)
Dangerous is a 1990 covers album by the British guitarist Andy Taylor, who is most famous for his work in the band Duran Duran. It was a follow-up to his earlier solo album Thunder....
, 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 (band)
Thunder were an English hard rock band, who originally formed in 1989 when the band Terraplane broke up, leaving lead singer Danny Bowes and guitarist/main songwriter Luke Morley to form a new group, namely Thunder...
and their follow up Laughing on Judgement Day. This was followed by The Almighty
The Almighty (band)
The Almighty are a hard rock/heavy metal band, from Glasgow in Scotland who formed in 1988. They have released seven studio albums, two anthologies and one live album.-1988-1993:...
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 in order to write and produce tracks for a second Power Station album and the 1995 Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
album A Spanner in the Works
A Spanner in the Works
A Spanner in the Works is a studio album released by Rod Stewart on May 26, 1995 . It is Rod’s seventeenth studio album and ended a four-year gap since his last studio album. At the time this was the longest span between studio albums that Rod had experienced. The album was released on Warner...
.
Reunions
Taylor participated in the 1994 reunion of Power Station. They recorded a second album "Living in Fear" for EMI; this time without John Taylor, who had just left Duran Duran himself and gone into rehabDrug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation is a term for the processes of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and so-called street drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines...
. During the course of this album, Bernard Edwards died in his hotel room after a Chic
Chic (band)
Chic was an African American disco and R&B band that was organized during 1976 by guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards. It is known best for its commercially successful disco songs, including "Dance, Dance, Dance " , "Everybody Dance" , "Le Freak" , "I Want Your Love" , "Good Times"...
gig in Tokyo. The band were shellshocked at his sudden death, however vowed to continue as a trio and complete the project. They subsequently finished the album with Canadian Engineer/producer Mike Fraser, with a Japanese & US tour to follow in order to promote the record.
In 2001, Taylor reunited with the other original members of 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...
to record their first new music together since 1985. The band secured a new recording contract with Sony Records. Their ensuing album, Astronaut, featured a blend of Taylor's heavy guitar with the synth hooks of the classic 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...
sound. The first single, "Sunrise", reached No.5 in the UK, and the album reached No.3 (#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, and North America. The band also performed at Live 8
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 2005; they also coincided with the 20th anniversary of Live Aid...
.
In 2006, whilst recording a new Duran Duran album, Taylor once again parted ways with the band. The subsequent album, titled Reportage
Reportage (album)
Reportage is the provisional title of an album that the British band Duran Duran wrote and recorded as successor to their 2004 album Astronaut.Not to be confused with the Duran Duran Bootleg CD "Reportage Mountebank"....
, was scrapped by the band after his departure. More recently, Taylor strongly hinted in his blogs that 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...
's management company were partly responsible for his departure. This was confirmed when The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
(UK) printed a retraction on May 4, 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
Reportage (album)
Reportage is the provisional title of an album that the British band Duran Duran wrote and recorded as successor to their 2004 album Astronaut.Not to be confused with the Duran Duran Bootleg CD "Reportage Mountebank"....
, old conflicts between himself and other bandmembers 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."
RockAffairs
In November 2007 Taylor co-founded RockAffairs.com alongside Sarah Eaglesfield, the former FlightsideFlightside
-Formation & Signing:Flightside were a UK-based lo-fi post-grunge band formed in Uxbridge, England in 1992. The line up consisted of Sarah Eaglesfield , Paul Cormack and ex-Velveto drummer Mark Parton...
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 profit share scheme.
In June 2008, Taylor handed control of the website over to Eaglesfield. As of 2011, Taylor remains the owner of RockAffairs Ltd in the UK.
Autobiography
In 2008, Andy Taylor published an autobiographyAutobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
,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, 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 drug and alcohol.
Discography
Andy Taylor - Discography...(1980–2012)
'The Crying Shames’
‘That's Rock and Roll’ - (single) (played guitar)
‘Duran Duran’ - (Duran Duran - album)
‘Planet Earth’- (single)
‘Careless Memories’ - (single)
‘Girls On Film’ - (single)
‘My Own Way’ - (Duran Duran – single)
‘Rio’ - (Duran Duran - album)
‘Hungry Like The Wolf ’ – (single)
‘Save A Prayer’ – (single)
‘Rio’ – (single)
‘Is There Something I Should Know? – (Duran Duran – single)
‘Seven and the Ragged Tiger’ - (Duran Duran - album)
‘Union of the Snake’ – (single)
‘New Moon On Monday’ – ( single)
‘The Reflex’ – (single)
‘Arena’ - (Duran Duran - live album)
‘Wild Boys’– (single)
'The Power Station’ - (The Power Station - album)
‘Some Like It Hot’ – (single)
‘Get It On’ – (single)
‘Communication’ - ( single)
‘A View to a Kill’ - (Duran Duran & John Barry soundtrack album & single)
'Notorious' - (Duran Duran - album)
Notorious - (single)
Skin Trade - (single)
Meet el Presidente - (single)
‘Somewhere, Somehow, Someone’ - (Power Station soundtrack for Commando)
‘Addicted to Love’ - (Robert Palmer - single)
'American Anthem' - (Soundtrack)
‘Take it Easy’ – (Andy Taylor - single)
'Miami Vice' - (Soundtrack)
‘When The Rain Comes Down’ – (Andy Taylor - single)
'All You Need Is' - (Love & Money - producer - album)
'Cheesburger' - (single)
'Candybar Express' - (single)
‘Thunder’ - (Andy Taylor - solo album)
‘I Might Lie’ – (single)
‘Don’t Let Me Die Young’ – (single)
'Life Goes On' - (single)
"Out of Order' - (Rod Stewart - writer / producer / guitar - album)
‘Lost in You’ – (single)
‘Forever Young’– (single)
‘My Heart Can’t Tell You No’ – (single)
‘Backstreet Symphony’ - (Thunder - writer/producer - album)
‘She’s so Fine’ – (single)
‘Dirty Love’ – (single)
‘Love Walked In’ – (single)
‘Nobodies Business’ - (solo album - unreleased)
‘Dead On The Money’ - (Andy Taylor - solo single – Tequila Sunrise, movie soundtrack)
‘Soul Destruction’ - (The Almighty - producer - album)
'Free & Easy' - (single)
'Hell to Pay' - (single)
'Little Lost Sometime' - (single)
‘Almost’ - (Mark Shaw - producer - album)
'Under Your Spell' - (single)
'Love So Bright' - (single)
‘Dangerous’ - (Andy Taylor - solo album)
‘Lola’ – (single)
‘Stone Cold Sober’ – (single)
'Skin & Bones' - (producer - album)
'Funky' - (Eric & The Good Good Feeling - producer - album)
Good Good Feeling - (single)
'Funky' - (single)
'Tamara Champlin' - (producer - album)
'Gun' - (producer, mixer - tracks)
'Shame on You' - (single)
'Long Road' - (single)
'Matthew Ashman' - (producer, writer - album)
'Then Jerico' - (producer, writer - album)
'Thunder' - ‘Laughing on Judgement Day’ - (producer, writer - album)
‘Better Man’ – (single)
'Everybody Wants Her' - (single)
'Flawed to Perfection' - (single)
'The Law' with Paul Rodgers - (guitar & mix - tracks)
For a Little Ride - (single)
‘Spanner in the Works’ - (Rod Stewart - writer, guitar, producer - album)
‘You’re the Star’ – (single)
‘Delicious’ – (single)
‘Living In Fear’ - (Power Station - album)
‘She Can Rock It’ – (single)
'Notoriety' - (single)
‘The Spanish Sessions E P’ - (with Luke Morely)
Orgasmaphobia - (Then Jerico - producer, writer, guitars - album)
'Fevertree / Liam Keenan' - (producer)
‘Astronaut’ - (Duran Duran - album)
‘(Reach Up) For The Sunrise’ – (single)
‘What Happens Tomorrow’ – (single)
'Nice' - (single)
‘Reportage’ - (Duran Duran - unreleased album)
‘Blame the BBC’ - ( Hungover Stuntmen - producer, album)
'She Knows' - (single)
With Duran Duran
- Duran Duran (1981)
- RioRio (album)Rio is the second studio album by the British rock band Duran Duran, originally released worldwide on 10 May 1982. It reached #2 in the UK and #1 in Australia....
(1982) - Seven and the Ragged TigerSeven and the Ragged TigerSeven and the Ragged Tiger is the third studio album by English pop rock band Duran Duran, released globally in November 1983. It would prove to be the last studio album for the band's original lineup until 2004's Astronaut....
(1983) - Arena (live) (1984)
- Astronaut (2004)
- ReportageReportage (album)Reportage is the provisional title of an album that the British band Duran Duran wrote and recorded as successor to their 2004 album Astronaut.Not to be confused with the Duran Duran Bootleg CD "Reportage Mountebank"....
(2006) (Unreleased Album)
With Power Station
- The Power StationThe Power Station (album)The Power Station is the debut album by The Power Station. It was released in 1985 on EMI. The album peaked at no. 6 on U.S. Billboard 200 and no. 12 on the UK Albums Chart. All three singles released from the album were Top 40 hits in the United States...
(1985) - Living in FearLiving in FearLiving in Fear is the second album from the supergroup The Power Station, released in 1996. The band had the same lineup as for their previous album in 1985. However, John Taylor was going through a divorce at the time, as well as entering drug rehab, and pulled out before the album was recorded....
(1997)
Solo
- Thunder (1987)
- DangerousDangerous (Andy Taylor album)Dangerous is a 1990 covers album by the British guitarist Andy Taylor, who is most famous for his work in the band Duran Duran. It was a follow-up to his earlier solo album Thunder....
(1990) - The Spanish Sessions EPThe Spanish Sessions EPThe Spanish Sessions is a 4-track EP independently released in 1999 by Andy Taylor and Luke Morley. The release came on the heels of a small UK tour in late 1999 billed as 'An Evening With Luke Morley and Andy Taylor'. The EP was the first release of new material from Andy Taylor since 1990's...
(1999) - with Luke MorleyLuke MorleyLuke Morley is the lead guitarist and co-songwriter for the rock band The Union. From 1989 to 2009 he was the guitarist, chief songwriter and producer for the hard rock band Thunder... - Motherlode (2012)
Solo Singles
- "Take It Easy"
- "When The Rain Comes Down"
- "I Might Lie"
- "Don't Let Me Die Young"
- "Life Goes On" (Promo)
- "Dead On The Money" (available on the "Tequila Sunrise" soundtrack album ©1988)
- "Lola" b/w non-album track "Be Good To Yourself"
- "Stone Cold Sober" b/w non-album tracks "Suffragette City" and "Winner With You"