John Taylor - Duran Duran

Bassmingo · #1 01-17-2009, 04:58 PM

yes yes i know, but i'm a child of the 80's, with older sisters so i grew up with this. i'm only familiar with the hits, but man john taylor could groove.

found this on youtube. i think its taken from the classic albums rio dvd which i didnt know existed till now.

speaking as someone who doesnt listen to this style of playing nor is influenced much by it (even though i love it) where is JT getting his style from? 70's cats i presume?

Rob Martinez · #2 01-17-2009, 05:18 PM

John Taylor ROCKS! Like Tom Petersson of Cheap Trick, great player, great image, great tone.

Two of my fave bassists after McCartney, Entwistle, and John Paul Jones!

ihateusernames · #3 01-17-2009, 05:23 PM

his work is having more and more of an influence on me lately. most of the summer i listened to the duran duran decade (greatest hits) nearly everyday and just now started playing the music.

john has incredible skill - his basslines are simple for the most part, yet very difficult.

Largedon · #4 01-17-2009, 05:54 PM

John Taylor is a very good player. Not a lot of pop guys were slapping or playing like him when they came out. He definately drove that band. I've played in an 80s cover band for about 10 years and I've always liked playing their tunes because of his bass parts. Rio might be my fav.

maxschrek · #5 01-17-2009, 08:37 PM

I know that Duran Duran were influenced as a band by the likes of 70's art rock artists such as Roxy Music and Japan. So I'm assuming that John Taylor was most likely influenced by John Gustafson (Roxy) and Mick Karn (Japan), however, his "funk" inclinations probably stemmed from Louis Johnson and Larry Graham, as I know he was influenced as a bassist by American funk bands. Good bass player for sure, definately a good component in DD.

T

Edited to add: As far as slap bass in early 80's pop goes the two really incredible players IMHO are Mark King (Level 42) and Nick Beggs (Kajagoogoo, ABC, Steve Howe and John Paul Jones).

Sahm · #6 01-17-2009, 08:41 PM

He was featured in the Unsung Heroes column in Bass Player about 15 years ago. He'll forever be one of those hidden bass treasures that folks listen to and think, "man that guy can groove!"

+1 on Rio as my fav song of theirs to cover.

jarrod cunningham · #7 01-17-2009, 08:42 PM

ive played rio and hungry like the wolf for years now ... it was a long time ago cool to do .... then went for a while that it wasnt .... so we quit playing them ... then at a auburn university party some miller light girls asked for duran duran ... i was like "*** ???" so heck yeah we busted both of them out .... i love the rio bass line .... that and alanis "jagged little pill" are two of my favs to play ... although we do not have a chick singer ...

Thunderitter · #8 01-17-2009, 10:47 PM

I'll play Rio to the cows come home. Problem is nobody else, in any band I've been in, wants to play it!

One of the best gigs I've been to was Duran Duran circa 1988, out of the stadiums and into small halls - they rocked!

NickInMesa · #9 01-18-2009, 12:18 PM

I always thought Duran Duran was a chick band part of that mediocre New Wave era which gave us a lot of crap, but the more I listen to them lately, the more I realize the Taylors (not related, as everyone knows) were a really good trio of musicians.

His bass lines were pretty darn smart and efficient.

Baryonyx · #10 01-18-2009, 12:26 PM

For a pop player he wasn't bad. I never considered him an "elite 80's pop player" alongside say, Mark King, but John wasn't too bad. I liked it when he was using a Kubicki!

Of course, a lot of his flashier moments may actually be done by Bernard Edwards, who "ghosted" a lot of parts on the Powerstation stuff.

lunker · #11 01-18-2009, 12:33 PM

I'm not a big Duran Duran fan, but the bass on Rio has always made me smile.

Bassmingo · #12 01-18-2009, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baryonyx

For a pop player he wasn't bad. I never considered him an "elite 80's pop player" alongside say, Mark King, but John wasn't too bad. I liked it when he was using a Kubicki!

Of course, a lot of his flashier moments may actually be done by Bernard Edwards, who "ghosted" a lot of parts on the Powerstation stuff.

would bernardhave been an influence on john too?

Allmanfan456 · #13 01-30-2009, 04:11 PM

I definatly respect John Taylor. I was skimming through my Bass Players a couple days ago and I came across an article on him. I read it and I was interested in him so I looked up some Duran Duran. The basslines are cool but I can't get into them. Hes definatly talented.

Mike Shevlin · #14 01-30-2009, 04:20 PM

At NAMM this month, the Aria SB1000RI bass that John played in the 80's was getting a lot of attention. We were playing 'Girls On Film' on it @ the Aria booth. They may be coming out with a 5 string version next year.

mpm32 · #15 01-30-2009, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Of course, a lot of his flashier moments may actually be done by Bernard Edwards, who "ghosted" a lot of parts on the Powerstation stuff.

I heard a story where they were in the studio and watching the studio bassist that was doing the actual tracks and John was crying that he couldn't get the parts.

Now this may just be a story but makes sense given the quote above.

He did eventually learn to play the parts.

scottice · #16 01-30-2009, 05:04 PM

Love his playing... the band... and the music. Good stuff!

tito0515 · #17 01-31-2009, 11:00 PM

The man carries Bernard Edwards bass! He is underrated. I purely listen to duran duran for his bass!

Rob Martinez · #18 02-02-2009, 06:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mpm32

I heard a story where they were in the studio and watching the studio bassist that was doing the actual tracks and John was crying that he couldn't get the parts.

Now this may just be a story but makes sense given the quote above.

He did eventually learn to play the parts.

I've seen Druan Duran three times in concert. John Taylor had no problem laying down the bass.

That sounds like a fabricated story.

Now I would believe that about Motley Crue's bassplayer!

sarcastro83 · #19 02-02-2009, 09:27 AM

Was listening to "Planet Earth" in my car on the way to work this morning... dude could hold it down... Silly haircut and New Romantic schtick aside... I'll admit it.

jgroh · #20 02-02-2009, 09:39 AM

He was the reason I took up bass! I was in my early teens and MTV was THE thing, and they were all over it. I loved the bass in their tunes. I lost interest mostly after Rio (and a little of Seven and the Ragged Tiger) but he was my first bass influence. I still bust out that pop/pull thing he does all the time! lol