Representative Albums: "Jet Black Leather Machine", "Vol. 1", "V.2
Biography
Vince Taylor will most likely be remembered for being the model for David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust character, his 1958 B-Side "Brand New Cadillac" (later covered famously by the Clash), and for his erratic on-stage and off-stage behavior as much as for his actual musical contributions to rock & roll, but as Bowie undoubtedly realized, if Taylor hadn't existed, he would have had to have been invented, which, in fact, he was. Born Brian Maurice Holden on July 14, 1939 in Isleworth, Middlesex, England, Taylor's family moved to New Jersey when he was seven years old. Around 1955, after Taylor's sister married future Hanna/Barbera cartoon mogel Joe Barbera, the family moved again, this time to California where Taylor ended up attending Hollywood High School. At 18 he fell in love with the high-energy music of Elvis Presley and Gene Vincent and tried his hand at singing, doing several local amateur gigs. Accompanying his brother-in-law Barbera to London on a business trip, Taylor checked out the rock & roll scene there, meeting drummer Tony Meehan and bassist Tex Makins at a coffee bar where Tommy Steele was playing. In a scene straight out of a bio pic, the three agreed to form the Playboys, and Taylor, realizing that Brian Holden wasn't the ideal stage name, plucked the name Vince from the side of a Pall Mall cigarette pack and officially became Vince Taylor, rebel rocker. That initial version of the Playboys didn't last long, though (none of Taylor's various incarnations of the band lasted very long, due in no small part to his often difficult and diffident manner, not to mention his drug use, and he was actually fired from the band on at least one occasion), but a revamped and expanded lineup recorded "I Like Love" and "Right Behind You Baby" for Parlophone Records in 1958, following that single with another, "Pledgin' My Love" b/w "Brand New Cadillac," later that same year. Neither single performed as expected, and Parlophone let the band go. Taylor and the Playboys moved to Palette Records and released "I'll Be Your Hero" b/w "Jet Black Machine" for the new label in 1960. Following a pair of striking performances in Paris, with Taylor dressed in his now-trademark black leather stage gear, Eddie Barclay of Barclay Records signed Taylor to a six-year recording deal. Taylor became a major player on the French rock & roll scene, looking the part of a rebel rocker maybe even more than he performed at it. This version of Taylor and the Playboys recorded five EPs and an LP for the Barclay label and topped bills as they toured the country. The off-stage chemistry in the band was nearly always askew, though, and by 1963 Taylor was essentially performing with whatever pickup band was at hand, always calling them the Playboys. A new single, "Memphis Tennessee" b/w "A Shot of Rhythm and Blues," appeared from the Barclay imprint early in 1964. Then things started to tumble into chaos as Taylor, his mind all but blown by acid, speed, and alcohol, became increasingly erratic both on-stage and off, even at one point declaring he was the biblical prophet Matthew -- all in front of a large audience at an important gig in London. It was to be the closest to the sun Taylor would ever get as a rock & roll star (although by proxy, as the model for Bowie's Ziggy Stardust, he enjoyed a sort of revival a decade or so later), and he became yet another erratic casualty of the 1960s drug scene, occasionally rising out of his confusion to give a good performance, but more often he was bafflingly incoherent and erratic on-stage. Taylor next, maybe not surprisingly, joined a religious movement, which hardly helped his rock & roll credentials. Still, he was much revered in Europe, and Eddie Barclay allowed Taylor to record intermittedly for his label and a few scatter-shot tours and shows were mounted in the '70s and '80s, but Taylor's career, at least as an effective cultural and creative force, never really survived the '60s. He spent his last years in Switzerland working as an airplane mechanic (he had gotten his pilot's license way back in high school in California) and he reportedly said that they were the happiest years of his life. He died on August 28, 1991. ~ Steve Leggett, All Music Guide
Vince Taylor (14 July 1939 — 28 August 1991[1]) was a Britishrock and rollsinger. 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.
Taylor, born Brian Maurice Holden, spent his early life in Isleworth, Middlesex. When he was seven years old, 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.[1] As a teenager, Taylor took flying lessons and obtained a pilot's license.[1]
Music career
At age 18, impressed by the music of Gene Vincent 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.[1]
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" b/w "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" b/w "Jet Black Machine", which was released on 19 August 1960.[1]
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.[3]
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.[3] As a result of his performance at those two shows, Eddie Barclay signed him to a six-year record deal on the Barclaylabel.[1]
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;[1] 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.[5]
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 Dragons' (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" b/w "A Shot of Rhythm and Blues" was released on the Barclay label.[1] 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),[6] 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.
Drug problems
Then things started to tumble into chaos as Taylor, his mind badly affected by a combination of drugs and alcohol, became increasingly erratic both on-stage and off. At one point Taylor declared he was the biblical prophet Matthew in front of a large audience at an important concert in London.[1]
Decline
The band disbanded and Taylor joined a religious movement.[1] Danks left to play guitar with Three Dog Night, 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. Clark 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.[1]
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, such as The Clash on their 1979 album, London Calling.[1] According to David Bowie, Taylor was the main inspiration for Bowie's character Ziggy Stardust.[7]
During his last years, Taylor lived in Switzerland and worked as an airplane mechanic. He said it was the happiest time of his life.[1]
Taylor died in August 1991, from cancer, at the age of 52. He was buried in Lausanne, Switzerland.[8]
Legacy
In his 1999 song "Goin' Down Geneva", Irish singer Van Morrison 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". The band Golden Earring referred to Taylor in their 1976 live performances, and their recording, Live, with the song "Just Like Vince Taylor".
Taylor had a son, Ty Holden, who was in the indie band, Crown of Thorns, managed by Miles Copeland. Ty Holden is now a DJ on the London undergrounddance scene.
The Playboys
After several changes, the final line-up of The Playboys became:
Bobbie Clarke (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.
