He rejoined Duran Duran in 2001, as all five of the Rio-era members reunited to record new material and perform as a quintet again. 'Lost This Feeling' and 'Shine' were released on Taylor's own label, Rt Music. Taylor also produced electro house tracks with Freebass member Jake Roberts under the name Funk Face. The record reached the top ten of the Music Week UK Dance Chart. He briefly formed the electro/dance band Freebass, which produced a single, ' Love Is Like Oxygen', (a cover of a song by Sweet) on underground dance label Cleveland City Records. In 1997, Taylor regained his appetite for the music industry. In 1994, while visiting a friend in Paris, he temporarily joined Duran Duran to play drums on three tracks for the covers album Thank You (although only two ended up on the album), later appearing in the video for ' Perfect Day' and on the band's Top of the Pops performance of the song. Initially his hiatus was expected to be for a year, but in 1986 the remaining members of the band issued a statement saying that he was leaving Duran Duran.ġ9–present: Second tenure in Duran Duran The Sun newspaper tracked him down and devoted a whole page to his departure, dubbing him 'the hermit of pop'. He then purchased a remote farm estate in the hills of Gloucestershire to live a quiet life away from the music world. Taylor also contributed percussion to the other Duran Duran splinter group Power Station's song ' Some Like It Hot' from their self-titled album.

The album featured Sting, David Gilmour, Herbie Hancock and Grace Jones. Prior to leaving the band, he worked with Duran Duran bandmates Simon Le Bon and Nick Rhodes on the album So Red The Rose for their side project Arcadia in 1985. Taylor and the band had each picked up two Grammy awards during this period. His final performance with the original line-up of Duran Duran was in July 1985 at the Live Aid benefit concert in Philadelphia, which reached a global audience of 2 billion people. However, the intense schedule of recording and touring, coupled with the pressures of fame, left Taylor unhappy with being in the band. 1 hit and the only Bond theme to date to reach No. In 1985, the band recorded the theme to the James Bond film A View to a Kill, which became their second US No.

He played drums on the band's first three studio albums ( Duran Duran, Rio, and Seven and the Ragged Tiger) and the live album Arena. The video for the debut single Planet Earth opens with a shot of a reclining, bare-chested Taylor looking slowly up to the sky. Taylor became an international star with the other members of Duran Duran as they rose to fame in the early 1980s. He became known as 'the quiet one' and has said that he has always preferred to speak through his drums. After Scent Organs split in 1979, he joined Duran Duran. After being inspired by the punk bands playing at Barbarellas club in Birmingham, he formed the new wave/punk outfit Scent Organs, who became regional finalists in the Melody Maker young band of the year in 1978, and was briefly a member of post-punk band Cult Figures.

Taylor has cited drummers Paul Thompson of Roxy Music, Charlie Watts of The Rolling Stones and Tony Thompson of Chic as his key musical influences growing up.īefore joining Duran Duran, Taylor performed with several school (Park Hall School in Castle Bromwich, Warwickshire) and local club bands. He would eventually 'play' at Villa Park but as Duran Duran's drummer for their 1983 charity concert there. His first ambition was to be a goalkeeper for English football club Aston Villa, and as a child he was taken to every home match by his father. He began drumming at around the age of 12, teaching himself by playing along with his favourite records. Roger Andrew Taylor was born into a modest family and was brought up in the Shard End area of Birmingham until the age of 11, and then a small suburban house in Castle Bromwich (15 Hawthorne Road).

1.3 19–present: Second tenure in Duran Duran.

Duran duran discography