Tot Taylor is an English, Cambridge-born, London-based songwriter, composer, record producer, author and art curator. He was a songwriter, singer, performer and band member throughout the seventies, eighties and nineties^[1] as well as composer of film soundtracks and theatre scores including stage-productions for the UK's National Theatre. In 2003 he founded the Riflemaker Gallery in London with the curator Virginia Damtsa, which featured feminist, audio and performative art for galleries and museums.^[2]

His first novel, The Story of John Nightly, was published by Unbound/Penguin in 2017 and by Heyne Verlag/Random House in Germany in 2019.^[3][4]

Early musical career

A songwriter/guitarist since the age of 10 and a pianist from 13,^[5] while still at school, Taylor's first group, A Special Moment, were signed to Chris Blackwell’s Island label to record the single "Let’s Socialize",^[6] though the record was never issued.^[7] Taylor then formed the group, Advertising, (Advert-i-sing) with guitarist Simon Boswell, releasing two singles and one album, Jingles, on EMI.^[8]

As a solo artist, Taylor then signed to Blackhill Enterprises (managers of Pink Floyd, Ian Dury and The Clash), releasing three singles and an album, Playtime, in 1981 for GTO/CBS Records under the name Tot Taylor and his Orchestra.^[9] His second solo album, The Inside Story, and two singles, "The Girl with Everything" and "Poptown", were released in 1983 (this time simply under the name Tot Taylor).^[10] He then released a further three albums over three years: Box-office Poison(1986), My Blue Period(1987) and Menswear Pt1(1988),^[1] whilst also composing the song "Selling Out"^[11] for the 1986 David Bowie-starring, Julien Temple-directed film, Absolute Beginners and compiling the soundtrack for the films Dance with a Stranger and Alan Bleasdale's No Surrender.^[12]

During this period, Taylor began a career as a songwriter for other artists and founded the independent record label, The Compact Organization, which issued the debut album for the Swedish singer Virna Lindt, Shiver, (produced and co-written by Taylor and Lindt).^[13]

Teddy Johns

Under the pseudonym ‘Teddy Johns’, Taylor wrote all the original compositions on Mari Wilson's debut album, Showpeople,^[14] which was released on Taylor and Paul Kinder's Compact Organization label and achieved a top 30 UK chart position.^[15] The album produced a UK chart top ten hit in "Just What I Always Wanted", reaching no.8 in 1982, as well as two other singles, "Baby, It’s True" and "Beware Boyfriend". Taylor's songs have also been covered by Stacey Kent, Simon Warner, Melissa Manchester, Cynthia Scott, Slim Gaillard and Peter Kay (co-writes) among others.

Composing

Following his solo career, Taylor moved into theatre and film soundtrack scoring, relocating to Los Angeles, and working for the BBC as an arranger and composer. He composed six-hour's of piano score for the National Theatre's eight-hour production of the play Picasso's Women.^[2][7][16] The play was also staged in Edinburgh, toured the UK and Europe, returning to London in 2018. Other theatre scores include touring productions of Shakespeare’s The Tempest for the AJTC Theatre Company, and Charles Thomas‘s ‘Blood Royal’ at the Kings Head Theatre, Islington, London.

Taylor has composed for film, television and video games, including Muela, Sparkhouse, The Grimleys, My Wonderful Life, Shatterer/Sicilian Connection and Batman: Dark Tomorrow - the world's first ever orchestral soundtrack to a video game (with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) . His compositions, production and compilation work have featured in the Tom Hardy-starring Kray twins film Legend, the Joaquin Phoenix film, Buffalo Soldiers Julien Temple’s Absolute Beginners, Mike Newel's Dance With a Stranger with Rupert Everett & Miranda Richardson, No Surrender and Mike Leigh's Career Girls.^[17][18]

For the BBC, Taylor composed and produced the soundtrack for the series Early Travellers in North America.^[19][20] He was the music director for a series of documentary films for the BBC about how music is recorded: A Different Perspective (2001) on both Paul McCartney and Michael Stipe, directed by Kevin Macdonald. His music 'Trainer Trainers' was chosen to introduce mobile phones into the UK. He restored Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata for Prince Albert of Monaco and is an international D&AD-awarded composer (2003) for his work in film.

Instrumental work

Taylor has released two instrumental albums: Music for the Left Handed (with Mick Bass)^[21] and Waterland.^[22] He was the producer of a compilation album of modern interpretations of the music of Bach, entitled Bachology (EMI).^[23]

Art curating and riflemaker gallery

In 2003, with Virginia Damsta, he co-founded the gallery Riflemaker in Beak Street in Soho (until 2018). The gallery was so-named because it was on the premises of a former gunmaker's workshop, Soho's oldest building (1715).^[24] The gallery has exhibited the work of William S. Burroughs, Juan Fontanive, Judy Chicago, Liliane Lijn, Gavin Turk, Jaime Gili, Marta Marce, Wen Wu, Penelope Slinger, Chosil Kil and Leah Gordon.^[25] Together Taylor & Damtsa have collaborated with Tate Modern (JUDY CHICAGO), Tate St. Ives (PENNY SLINGER), MoMA New York (LILIANE LIJN), LACMA LA, The National Portrait Gallery (CHRISTOPHER BUCKLOW), The V&A, The Royal Academy, Frieze (JUDY CHICAGO) and many others including YOKO ONO in promoting the work of feminist artists and with the gallery's own groundbreaking themed exhibitions: ANALOG, RIFLEMAKER BECOMES INDICA, VOO-DOO, and four historic exhibitions with JUDY CHICAGO.

Selected discography

Author

Taylor is the author of several books and monographs on artists and the visual arts including ‘Me as Him’ about the artists Gavin Turk and Andy Warhol, Analog (trends in Sound & Picture) and Indica, the story of the famous 1960s art space. .^[26] His debut novel, the 900-page The Story of John Nightly was published by Unbound/Penguin Random House in the UK in 2017.^[4][27][28]

'The Story of John Nightly' featured in The Guardian 'Best novels of 2019' (Guardian Newspapers)

External links

• Tot Taylor - current website, record releases and songs Official website
• Riflemaker Gallery Official website
• Facebook Official website
• Tot Taylor interview Official website
• Tot Taylor interview Official website

References