Solo & Production
After six years of being a member of Duran Duran, 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 No. 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 No. 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 and 1988, Taylor co-wrote and co-produced Rod Stewart's Platinum album Out of Order along with Chic members Bernard Edwards and Tony Thompson (the latter of whom had also performed with him in Power Station), 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 versions, 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.
Read more about this topic: Andy Taylor (guitarist)
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