Vince Taylor
Encyclopedia
Vince Taylor was a British
rock and roll
singer. As the frontman for The Playboys, Taylor was successful primarily in France
and the Continent
during the late 1950s and early 1960s, afterwards falling into obscurity amidst personal problems and drug abuse.
, Middlesex
. When he was seven, the Holdens emigrated to America and settled in New Jersey
where his father took work in a coal mine. Around 1955, his sister, Sheila, married Joe Barbera
, of Hanna-Barbera
. As a result of the marriage, the family moved to California
where Taylor attended Hollywood High School
. As a teenager
, Taylor took flying lessons and obtained a pilot's license
.
and Elvis Presley
, Taylor began to sing, mostly at amateur gigs.
Barbera, his brother-in-law, became his manager. When Barbera went to London on business he asked Taylor to join him. In London, Taylor went to a coffee bar on Old Compton Street in Soho, The 2i's Coffee Bar where Tommy Steele
was playing. There he met drummer Tony Meehan
(later of The Shadows
) and bass player Tex Makins (born Anthony Paul Makins, 3 July 1940, Wembley, Middlesex). They formed a band called the Playboys. Whilst looking at a packet of Pall Mall
cigarettes he noticed the phrase, 'In hoc signo vinces
', thus giving rise to his new stage name of Vince Taylor.
His first singles
for Parlophone
, "I Like Love" and "Right Behind You Baby", were released in 1958, followed several months later by "Pledgin' My Love" backed with "Brand New Cadillac
", (the latter track featuring guitarist Joe Moretti, who later featured on "Shakin' All Over
" with Johnny Kidd & The Pirates). Parlophone was not satisfied with the immediate results and severed the recording contract
. Taylor moved to Palette Records and recorded "I'll Be Your Hero", backed with "Jet Black Machine", which was released on 19 August 1960.
On 23 April 1960 ABC-TV
screened the first edition of their new weekly rock and roll TV show
, Wham! The first show featured Taylor with Dickie Pride
, Billy Fury
, Joe Brown
, Jess Conrad
, Little Tony
, and Johnny Kidd & The Pirates.
However, his unpredictable personality, although dynamic on stage, caused several arguments within the band, and the Playboys fired Taylor and changed their name to 'The Bobbie Clarke
Noise'. The 'Noise' was contracted to play at the Olympia
in Paris in July 1961. The top of the bill was Wee Willie Harris
.
Despite his sacking Taylor remained friendly with the band and he asked if he could come to Paris too. Here he dressed up for the sound check in his trade mark black leather stage gear, and added a chain around his neck with a Joan of Arc
medallion, which he had bought on arrival at Calais
. One version of the story says he gave such an extraordinary performance at the sound check, that the organizers decided to put Taylor at the top of the bill for both shows. As a result of his performance at those two shows, Eddie Barclay
signed him to a six-year record deal on the Barclay
label
.
During 1961 and 1962, Taylor toured Europe with Clarke's band, once again called Vince Taylor and his Playboys. Between gigs they recorded several EPs
and an album of 20 songs at Barclay Studios in Paris. These songs included the covers
:
By the end of 1962, Vince Taylor and the Playboys were the top of the bill at the Olympia in Paris. Sylvie Vartan
was the opening act.
Despite of an on-stage rapport with the Playboys, the off-stage relationship faltered. As a result, the band once more broke up. Taylor played several engagements backed by the English band 'The Echoes
' (who also backed Gene Vincent whenever he played the UK), but he still presented the band as The Playboys.
In February 1964, a new single "Memphis Tennessee
", backed with "A Shot of Rhythm and Blues
", was released on the Barclay label. The record sleeve showed a mysterious new Playboys, who were secretly Joey Greco and Claude Djaoui on guitars, Ralph Di Pietro on bass, and Bobbie Clarke on drums. All were under an exclusive contract for the Johnny Hallyday
orchestra.
Hallyday was drafted into the French Army, and Clarke again joined Taylor and they started up 'The Bobbie Clarke Noise' along with Ralph Danks (guitar), Alain Bugby of The Strangers (bass), Johnny Taylor, ex lead singer for the Strangers (rhythm guitar), and "Stash" Prince Stanislas Kosslowski de Rola (percussion). Managed by Jean Claude Camus, the band toured discreetly provincally to gain some experience. Their high point was reached one day in 1964 when Taylor and the Bobbie Clarke Noise played as the opening act for The Rolling Stones
on their first concert at the Olympia in Paris.
, and alcohol, became increasingly erratic both on-stage and off. At one point Taylor declared he was the biblical apostle Matthew
in front of a large audience at an important concert
in London.
, and later Tom Jones
, Elvis Presley
and Bob Dylan
. Stash, a close friend of The Rolling Stones, would later produce The Dirty Strangers album featuring Keith Richards
and Ronnie Wood. Clarke went on to replace drummer Don Conka for several studio sessions with the original line up of the band Love
. He also played with Vince Flaherty and his band The Invincebles, Frank Zappa
, Jimi Hendrix
, and the first incarnation of Deep Purple
before forming a group, Bodast
, with Steve Howe
and Dave Curtis. In 1968, Bodast recorded an album for MGM Records
, opened for The Who
, and were the backing band for Chuck Berry
at the Royal Albert Hall
in London.
Meanwhile, Clarke was involved in a comeback for his friend Taylor, a one month tour across France, billed as 'Vince Taylor and Bobbie Clarke backed by Les Rockers'. More often than not, he was bafflingly incoherent and erratic on-stage. Eddie Barclay gave a new chance to Taylor who recorded again and performed intermittently throughout the 1970s and 1980s, until his death.
During his career, Taylor wrote and recorded many songs, among them his hit in Europe, "Brand New Cadillac
" which has been covered by many other artists including The Clash
on their 1979 album, London Calling
. During his last years, Taylor lived in Switzerland
and worked as an airplane mechanic. He said it was the happiest time of his life.
Taylor died in August 1991, from cancer
, at the age of 52. He was buried in Lausanne
, Switzerland.
, Taylor was the main inspiration for Bowie's character Ziggy Stardust.
The band Golden Earring
referred to Taylor in their 1976 live performances, and their recording, Live
, with the song "Just Like Vince Taylor".
Northern Irish
singer Van Morrison
in his 1999 song "Goin' Down Geneva
", mentioned Taylor, singing: "Vince Taylor used to live here/No one's even heard of him/Just who he was/Just where he fits in".
Taylor had a son, Ty Holden who stated on BBC Radio 4, that Vince Taylor was an absent father. Ty was in the indie band, Crown of Thorns, managed by Miles Copeland. Ty Holden is now a DJ
on the London underground
dance
scene.
On 18 August 2010 BBC Radio 4 broadcast the documentary Ziggy Stardust Came from Isleworth which, in the words of the producer, is a programme that "uncovers the truth about a singer whose wild lifestyle ultimately destroyed him, but in so doing he gave rise to a myth that transcended glam-rock and science fiction".
Adam Ant
has recorded a track "Vince Taylor" (co-written with Boz Boorer
) for his upcoming album Adam Ant Is the Blueblack Hussar in Marrying the Gunner's Daughter
. The song is partly a tribute to Taylor and partly concerning a gold-plated chain given by Taylor to a paramour "French" Valerie which she later passed on to Ant. (Ant has further claimed to have later used the chain as a weapon, wrapped around his fist, in a confrontation with Sid Vicious
.) The song has been setlisted on Ant's November/December 2011 UK Tour with the debut performance being in Frome on 10 November. Ant has also used Taylor's "Rock 'N Roll Station" as his entry music on all his 2011 tours.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
singer. As the frontman for The Playboys, Taylor was successful primarily in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and the Continent
Continental Europe
Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands....
during the late 1950s and early 1960s, afterwards falling into obscurity amidst personal problems and drug abuse.
Early life
Born Brian Maurice Holden, Taylor spent his early life in IsleworthIsleworth
Isleworth is a small town of Saxon origin sited within the London Borough of Hounslow in west London, England. It lies immediately east of the town of Hounslow and west of the River Thames and its tributary the River Crane. Isleworth's original area of settlement, alongside the Thames, is known as...
, Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
. When he was seven, the Holdens emigrated to America and settled in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
where his father took work in a coal mine. Around 1955, his sister, Sheila, married Joe Barbera
Joseph Barbera
Joseph Roland Barbera was an influential American animator, director, producer, storyboard artist, and cartoon artist, whose film and television cartoon characters entertained millions of fans worldwide for much of the twentieth century....
, of Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
. As a result of the marriage, the family moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
where Taylor attended Hollywood High School
Hollywood High School
Hollywood High School is a Los Angeles Unified School District high school located at the intersection of North Highland Avenue and West Sunset Boulevard in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California.-History:...
. As a teenager
Adolescence
Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development generally occurring between puberty and legal adulthood , but largely characterized as beginning and ending with the teenage stage...
, Taylor took flying lessons and obtained a pilot's license
Pilot licensing and certification
Pilot licensing or certification refers to permits to fly aircraft that are issued by the National Aviation Authority in each country, establishing that the holder has met a specific set of knowledge and experience requirements. This includes taking a flying test. The certified pilot can then...
.
Music career
At age 18, impressed by the music of Gene VincentGene Vincent
Vincent Eugene Craddock , known as Gene Vincent, was an American musician who pioneered the styles of rock and roll and rockabilly. His 1956 top ten hit with his Blue Caps, "Be-Bop-A-Lula", is considered a significant early example of rockabilly...
and Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, Taylor began to sing, mostly at amateur gigs.
Barbera, his brother-in-law, became his manager. When Barbera went to London on business he asked Taylor to join him. In London, Taylor went to a coffee bar on Old Compton Street in Soho, The 2i's Coffee Bar where Tommy Steele
Tommy Steele
Tommy Steele OBE , is an English entertainer. Steele is widely regarded as Britain's first teen idol and rock and roll star.-Singer:...
was playing. There he met drummer Tony Meehan
Tony Meehan
Daniel Joseph Anthony "Tony" Meehan was a founder member of the British group The Shadows with Jet Harris, Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch...
(later of The Shadows
The Shadows
The Shadows are a British pop group with a total of 69 UK hit-charted singles: 35 as 'The Shadows' and 34 as 'Cliff Richard and the Shadows', from the 1950s to the 2000s. Cliff Richard in casual conversation with the British rock press frequently refers to the Shadows by their nickname: 'The Shads'...
) and bass player Tex Makins (born Anthony Paul Makins, 3 July 1940, Wembley, Middlesex). They formed a band called the Playboys. Whilst looking at a packet of Pall Mall
Pall Mall (cigarette)
Pall Mall cigarettes are a brand of cigarettes produced by R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and internationally by British American Tobacco at multiple sites.- History :...
cigarettes he noticed the phrase, 'In hoc signo vinces
In hoc signo vinces
In hoc signo vinces is a Latin rendering of the Greek phrase "" en touto nika, and means "in this sign you will conquer"....
', thus giving rise to his new stage name of Vince Taylor.
His first singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
for Parlophone
Parlophone
Parlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which...
, "I Like Love" and "Right Behind You Baby", were released in 1958, followed several months later by "Pledgin' My Love" backed with "Brand New Cadillac
Brand New Cadillac
"Brand New Cadillac" is a 1959 12-bar blues song by Vince Taylor, and was originally released as a B-side. Featured musicians on the released recording were: Joe Moretti , Lou Brian , Brian Locking and Brian Bennett ....
", (the latter track featuring guitarist Joe Moretti, who later featured on "Shakin' All Over
Shakin' All Over
"Shakin' All Over" is a rock and roll song originally performed by Johnny Kidd and the Pirates. It was written by frontman Johnny Kidd and reached #1 in the United Kingdom in August 1960...
" with Johnny Kidd & The Pirates). Parlophone was not satisfied with the immediate results and severed the recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
. Taylor moved to Palette Records and recorded "I'll Be Your Hero", backed with "Jet Black Machine", which was released on 19 August 1960.
On 23 April 1960 ABC-TV
Associated British Corporation
Associated British Corporation was one of a number of commercial television companies established in the United Kingdom during the 1950s by cinema chain companies in an attempt to safeguard their business by becoming involved with television which was taking away their cinema audiences.In this...
screened the first edition of their new weekly rock and roll TV show
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
, Wham! The first show featured Taylor with Dickie Pride
Dickie Pride
Dickie Pride was a British rock and roll singer. He was one of Larry Parnes' stable of pop music stars, who did not enjoy as successful a career as most of his contemporaries.-Life and career:...
, Billy Fury
Billy Fury
Billy Fury, born Ronald William Wycherley , was an internationally successful English singer from the late-1950s to the mid-1960s, and remained an active songwriter until the 1980s. Rheumatic fever, which he first contracted as a child, damaged his heart and ultimately contributed to his death...
, Joe Brown
Joe Brown (singer)
Joe Brown, MBE is an English entertainer.He has worked as a rock and roll singer and guitarist for more than five decades. He was a stage and television performer in the late 1950s and a UK recording star in the early 1960s...
, Jess Conrad
Jess Conrad
Jess Conrad OBE is an actor and singer from England.-Career:Having started his career as a repertory actor and film extra, Jess Conrad was cast in a television play "Bye, Bye Barney" as a pop singer...
, Little Tony
Little Tony (singer)
Little Tony is an Italian-born Sammarinese pop singer and actor. He achieved success in Britain in the late 1950s and early 1960s, as the lead singer of Little Tony & His Brothers, before returning to Italy where he continued a successful career as a singer and film actor.-Life and career:He was...
, and Johnny Kidd & The Pirates.
However, his unpredictable personality, although dynamic on stage, caused several arguments within the band, and the Playboys fired Taylor and changed their name to 'The Bobbie Clarke
Bobbie Clarke
Bobbie Clarke is an English rock drummer. He has cut hundreds of records and played in numerous bands with many international rock legends...
Noise'. The 'Noise' was contracted to play at the Olympia
Paris Olympia
The Olympia is a music hall in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. Located at No. 28, Boulevard des Capucines, its closest métro/RER stations are Madeleine, Opéra, Havre – Caumartin and Auber....
in Paris in July 1961. The top of the bill was Wee Willie Harris
Wee Willie Harris
Wee Willie Harris is a British rock and roll singer. He is best known for his energetic stage shows and TV performances since the 1950s, when he was known as "Britain's wild man of rock 'n' roll".-Life and career:Working a job as a pudding mixer at Peek Freans' London bakery, Harris turned...
.
Despite his sacking Taylor remained friendly with the band and he asked if he could come to Paris too. Here he dressed up for the sound check in his trade mark black leather stage gear, and added a chain around his neck with a Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc
Saint Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" , is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed divine guidance, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the...
medallion, which he had bought on arrival at Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
. One version of the story says he gave such an extraordinary performance at the sound check, that the organizers decided to put Taylor at the top of the bill for both shows. As a result of his performance at those two shows, Eddie Barclay
Eddie Barclay
Eddie Barclay was a French music producer whose singers included Jacques Brel and Charles Aznavour. He founded Barclay Records.-Life:...
signed him to a six-year record deal on the Barclay
Barclay Records
Barclay Records is a French record label founded in the mid-1950s by Eddie Barclay under the alias, Edouard Ruault. Eddie Barclay also founded the Riviera label in the early-1950s....
label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
.
During 1961 and 1962, Taylor toured Europe with Clarke's band, once again called Vince Taylor and his Playboys. Between gigs they recorded several EPs
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
and an album of 20 songs at Barclay Studios in Paris. These songs included the covers
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...
:
- "Sweet Little SixteenSweet Little Sixteen"Sweet Little Sixteen" is a rock and roll song written and originally performed by Chuck Berry, who released it as a single in January 1958. It reached number two on the American charts, Berry's highest position ever on the charts, with the exception of the suggestive number one hit "My...
" - "C'mon EverybodyC'mon Everybody"C'mon Everybody" is a 1958 song by Eddie Cochran and Jerry Capehart, originally released as a B-side. In 1959 it peaked in the UK at No. 6 in the singles chart, and, thirty years later, in 1988, the track was re-issued there and became a No. 14 hit. In the United States the song got to No. 35 on...
" - "Twenty Flight RockTwenty Flight Rock"Twenty Flight Rock" is a song originally performed by Eddie Cochran in the 1956 film comedy The Girl Can't Help It, and released as a single in 1957. Cochran's biographer notes Cochran was granted a co-writer credit, but no royalties, a standard ego-salving arrangement between publishers and...
" - "Love MeLove Me (Leiber/Stoller song)"Love Me" is a sentimental song composed by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and popularized by Elvis Presley in 1956. Conceived as a parody of a country western music, it was initially interpreted by R&B duo Willy and Ruth in 1954 , then by Georgia Gibbs the same year...
" - "Long Tall SallyLong Tall Sally"Long Tall Sally" is a rock and roll 12-bar blues song written by Robert "Bumps" Blackwell, Enotris Johnson and Richard Penniman , recorded by Little Richard and released March 1956 on the Specialty Records label....
" - "So Glad You’re Mine"
- "Baby Let’s Play House"
- "Lovin Up A Storm"
By the end of 1962, Vince Taylor and the Playboys were the top of the bill at the Olympia in Paris. Sylvie Vartan
Sylvie Vartan
Sylvie Vartan is a French singer. She was one of the first rock girls in France. Vartan was the most productive and active of the yé-yé style artists, considered as the toughest-sounding of those. Her performance often featured elaborate show-dance choreography. She made many appearances on French...
was the opening act.
Despite of an on-stage rapport with the Playboys, the off-stage relationship faltered. As a result, the band once more broke up. Taylor played several engagements backed by the English band 'The Echoes
The Echoes
The Echoes were formed in London England in early 1960 by singer Chris Wayne for the Conway Twitty, Johnny Preston and Freddy Cannon tour of Great Britain. The Echoes were originally made up from “The Spacemen skiffle group” which were Joe Browns skiffle group. Joe was a regular on Boy Meets Girls...
' (who also backed Gene Vincent whenever he played the UK), but he still presented the band as The Playboys.
In February 1964, a new single "Memphis Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee (song)
"Memphis, Tennessee" is a song by rock & roll singer-songwriter Chuck Berry. It is sometimes shortened to "Memphis". In the UK, the song charted at #6 in 1963, at the same time Decca Records issued a cover version in the UK by Dave Berry and the Cruisers, who came from Sheffield, Yorkshire...
", backed with "A Shot of Rhythm and Blues
A Shot of Rhythm and Blues
"A Shot of Rhythm and Blues" is a song written by Terry Thompson and first recorded by US soul singer Arthur Alexander. It was originally released in the USA in 1961, and in the United Kingdom the following year, as the b-side of You Better Move On....
", was released on the Barclay label. The record sleeve showed a mysterious new Playboys, who were secretly Joey Greco and Claude Djaoui on guitars, Ralph Di Pietro on bass, and Bobbie Clarke on drums. All were under an exclusive contract for the Johnny Hallyday
Johnny Hallyday
Johnny Hallyday is a French singer and actor. An icon in the French-speaking world since the beginning of his career, he was considered by some to have been the French Elvis Presley. He was married for 15 years to one of the most popular French female singers: Sylvie Vartan...
orchestra.
Hallyday was drafted into the French Army, and Clarke again joined Taylor and they started up 'The Bobbie Clarke Noise' along with Ralph Danks (guitar), Alain Bugby of The Strangers (bass), Johnny Taylor, ex lead singer for the Strangers (rhythm guitar), and "Stash" Prince Stanislas Kosslowski de Rola (percussion). Managed by Jean Claude Camus, the band toured discreetly provincally to gain some experience. Their high point was reached one day in 1964 when Taylor and the Bobbie Clarke Noise played as the opening act for The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
on their first concert at the Olympia in Paris.
Drug problems
Taylor, his mind badly affected by a combination of drugs, especially LSDLSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide, abbreviated LSD or LSD-25, also known as lysergide and colloquially as acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family, well known for its psychological effects which can include altered thinking processes, closed and open eye visuals, synaesthesia, an...
, and alcohol, became increasingly erratic both on-stage and off. At one point Taylor declared he was the biblical apostle Matthew
Matthew the Evangelist
Matthew the Evangelist was, according to the Bible, one of the twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the four Evangelists.-Identity:...
in front of a large audience at an important concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
in London.
Decline
The band disbanded and Taylor joined a religious movement. Danks left to play guitar with Three Dog NightThree Dog Night
Three Dog Night is an American rock band best known for their music from 1968 to 1975. During that time the band charted 21 Billboard top 40 hits in America, three of which reached Number One...
, and later Tom Jones
Tom Jones (singer)
Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
, Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
and Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
. Stash, a close friend of The Rolling Stones, would later produce The Dirty Strangers album featuring Keith Richards
Keith Richards
Keith Richards is an English musician, songwriter, and founding member of the Rolling Stones. Rolling Stone magazine said Richards had created "rock's greatest single body of riffs", and placed him as the "10th greatest guitarist of all time." Fourteen songs written by Richards and songwriting...
and Ronnie Wood. Clarke went on to replace drummer Don Conka for several studio sessions with the original line up of the band Love
Love (band)
Love was an American rock group of the late 1960s and early 1970s. They were led by singer/songwriter Arthur Lee and lead guitarist Johnny Echols...
. He also played with Vince Flaherty and his band The Invincebles, Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
, Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
, and the first incarnation of Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
before forming a group, Bodast
Bodast
Bodast were a late 1960s rock group from London. Its most famous member was Steve Howe, later to join Yes.The group recorded an album in 1968. Their label Tetragrammaton Records had success in the United States with Deep Purple, but went out of business just before scheduling a release date for...
, with Steve Howe
Steve Howe (guitarist)
Stephen James "Steve" Howe is an English guitarist, known for his work with the progressive rock group Yes...
and Dave Curtis. In 1968, Bodast recorded an album for MGM Records
MGM Records
MGM Records was a record label started by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946, for the purpose of releasing soundtrack albums of their musical films. Later it became a pop label, lasting into the 1970s...
, opened for The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
, and were the backing band for Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
in London.
Meanwhile, Clarke was involved in a comeback for his friend Taylor, a one month tour across France, billed as 'Vince Taylor and Bobbie Clarke backed by Les Rockers'. More often than not, he was bafflingly incoherent and erratic on-stage. Eddie Barclay gave a new chance to Taylor who recorded again and performed intermittently throughout the 1970s and 1980s, until his death.
During his career, Taylor wrote and recorded many songs, among them his hit in Europe, "Brand New Cadillac
Brand New Cadillac
"Brand New Cadillac" is a 1959 12-bar blues song by Vince Taylor, and was originally released as a B-side. Featured musicians on the released recording were: Joe Moretti , Lou Brian , Brian Locking and Brian Bennett ....
" which has been covered by many other artists including The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
on their 1979 album, London Calling
London Calling
London Calling is the third studio album by the English punk rock band The Clash. It was released in the United Kingdom on 14 December 1979 through CBS Records, and in the United States in January 1980 through Epic Records...
. During his last years, Taylor lived in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and worked as an airplane mechanic. He said it was the happiest time of his life.
Taylor died in August 1991, from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, at the age of 52. He was buried in Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
, Switzerland.
Legacy
According to David BowieDavid Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, Taylor was the main inspiration for Bowie's character Ziggy Stardust.
The band Golden Earring
Golden Earring
Golden Earring are a Dutch rock band, founded in 1961 in The Hague as the Golden Earrings . They had international chart success with the songs "Radar Love" in 1973, "Twilight Zone" in 1982, and "When the Lady Smiles" in 1984. In their home country, they had over 40 hits and made over 30 gold and...
referred to Taylor in their 1976 live performances, and their recording, Live
Live (Golden Earring album)
Live is an album by Dutch hard rock band Golden Earring, released in 1977 .-Track listing:all songs written by Barry Hay and George Kooymans, except where noted#"Candy's Going Bad" – 5:06...
, with the song "Just Like Vince Taylor".
Northern Irish
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
singer Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
in his 1999 song "Goin' Down Geneva
Goin' Down Geneva
"Goin' Down Geneva" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and is the opening track on his 1999 album, Back on Top.-Recording and composition:The song was recorded in 1998 at the Wool Hall Studios, Beckington....
", mentioned Taylor, singing: "Vince Taylor used to live here/No one's even heard of him/Just who he was/Just where he fits in".
Taylor had a son, Ty Holden who stated on BBC Radio 4, that Vince Taylor was an absent father. Ty was in the indie band, Crown of Thorns, managed by Miles Copeland. Ty Holden is now a DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
on the London underground
Underground music
Underground music comprises a range of different musical genres that operate outside of mainstream culture. Such music can typically share common values, such as the valuing of sincerity and intimacy; an emphasis on freedom of creative expression; an appreciation of artistic creativity...
dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
scene.
On 18 August 2010 BBC Radio 4 broadcast the documentary Ziggy Stardust Came from Isleworth which, in the words of the producer, is a programme that "uncovers the truth about a singer whose wild lifestyle ultimately destroyed him, but in so doing he gave rise to a myth that transcended glam-rock and science fiction".
Adam Ant
Adam Ant
Adam Ant is an English musician who gained popularity as the lead singer of New Wave/post-punk group Adam and the Ants and later as a solo artist, scoring ten UK top ten hits between 1980 and 1983, including three No.1s...
has recorded a track "Vince Taylor" (co-written with Boz Boorer
Boz Boorer
Boz Boorer is a British guitarist and producer most known for his work founding the new wave rockabilly group, The Polecats, and later for his work as a co-writer, guitarist and musical director with Morrissey.-The Polecats:The band "Cult Heroes" was formed in 1977 by Tim Worman , Boz...
) for his upcoming album Adam Ant Is the Blueblack Hussar in Marrying the Gunner's Daughter
Adam Ant Is the Blueblack Hussar in Marrying the Gunner's Daughter
Adam Ant Is The Blueblack Hussar in Marrying The Gunner's Daughter is the upcoming sixth solo studio album by Adam Ant. The album is due to be released in 2012 by Ant's own record label Blueblack Hussar Records, as confirmed by Ant's official website and numerous interviews. The album's title was...
. The song is partly a tribute to Taylor and partly concerning a gold-plated chain given by Taylor to a paramour "French" Valerie which she later passed on to Ant. (Ant has further claimed to have later used the chain as a weapon, wrapped around his fist, in a confrontation with Sid Vicious
Sid Vicious
Sid Vicious was an English musician best known as the bassist of the influential punk rock group Sex Pistols...
.) The song has been setlisted on Ant's November/December 2011 UK Tour with the debut performance being in Frome on 10 November. Ant has also used Taylor's "Rock 'N Roll Station" as his entry music on all his 2011 tours.
The Playboys
After several changes, the final line-up of The Playboys became:- Bobbie ClarkeBobbie ClarkeBobbie Clarke is an English rock drummer. He has cut hundreds of records and played in numerous bands with many international rock legends...
(drums) (born Robert William Woodman, 13 June 1941, Coventry, Warwickshire), - Johnny Vance (bass) (born David John Cobb, 1940, Portsmouth, Hampshire),
- Alain Le Claire (piano) (born Alan Cocks, 26 August 1938, Dulwich, London) and
- Tony Harvey (guitar) (born Anthony Harvey, 1940, died 23 March 1993), who alternated with Bob Steel.
External links
- Vince Taylor, the Black Leather Rebel - Detailed biography Mr "Brand New Cadillac" Detailed information available in French and English
- Vince Taylor - Discography