Andy Taylor
Encyclopedia : A : AN : AND : Andy Taylor
- For the fictional sheriff, see The Andy Griffith Show.
- For the British music entrepreneur and co-manager of Iron Maiden, see Andy Taylor (music entrepreneur).
Taylor joined Duran Duran in 1980 (easily the most experienced musician in the band), and enjoyed their crazy rise to fame over the next five years. He married Tracey Wilson, one of the band's hairstylists, in 1982. They have four children. He grew dissatisfied with the band's keyboard-heavy synth pop, however, and longed to stretch out his rock muscles.
He invested in real estate, and owned a wine bar in Whitley Bay named "Rio" after one of Duran Duran's biggest hit singles.
During a hiatus in Duran's schedule, he joined forces with bassist John Taylor, Chic drummer Tony Thompson, and singer Robert Palmer to create the band The Power Station, which had three hit singles and played the Live Aid concert in 1985. The band, which was led by Taylor, was a break from the New Romantic Duran Duran material as they pursued a hard-rock music style.
Taylor would later rejoin Power Station bandmates Palmer and Thompson for Palmer's first solo album outside the band. The resulting album, Riptide proved to be a massive success for Palmer.
After The Power Station, Taylor allowed Duran Duran to believe he would be returning to record a new album, even as he was signing contracts for a solo career in Los Angeles. Eventually Duran sued to force him in to the studio to complete the album Notorious, but he ended up playing on only a few tracks before departing the band completely. He later countersued to claim some of the royalties from that album.
In 1986, Arcadia - Simon Le Bon and Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran - released the final single from So Red The Rose, "The Flame", released in July. The video featured a cameo by John Taylor coming out of a closet with a contract to sign. Fans have debated whether this was a thinly veiled dig at the situation with Andy at the time.
In the meantime, Andy hooked up with ex-Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones and recorded the hit single "Take It Easy", which was used as the theme song to the movie American Anthem. This was followed by his first solo album, Thunder (1987).
Taylor would also contribute an original song titled Dead on the Money to the Tequila Sunrise soundtrack in 1988. Ironically, 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. It marked Taylor's last appearance on the same record with his former band until the reunion in 2001.
A second solo album of cover versions, entitled Dangerous, was released in 1990.
Taylor played as a back-up musician for several other stars, including Belinda Carlisle (on her single "Mad About You") and Robert Palmer. He also wrote and produced for Rod Stewart and Thunder. He then moved on to producing full time, working with several moderately successful bands throughout the 1990s.
Andy participated in the 1997 reunion of The Power Station, and in 2001 reunited with the other original members of Duran Duran to record their first new music together since 1985. The album Astronaut features a good blend of Taylor's heavy guitar with the synth hooks of the classic Duran Duran sound.
See also
- List of bands/musicians from North East England
External links
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