BIO Veteran singer, songwriter Charlie Taylor was born in Abilene, Texas in 1943 and raised in Western Kentucky (Mayfield) and Westport, CT through out the early 50s and 60s. As a youngster Taylor absorbed the Grand Ole Opry in the late 1940s while soaking up the blues in the 1950s from Nashville, Chicago, St Louis and Memphis every evening on his short wave radio. Taylors mother was a gifted piano player and turned Charlie on to the Nat King Cole Trio, jazz and the Big Bands before he had even entered elementary school. In the late 1950s Taylor moved to Westport, CT where he met Barry Tashian (later of Bostons The Remains) and a young fellow Westport Downshifter Michael Douglas (Oscar winning Actor/ Producer). Charlie also met a young Don Law, Jr. later to become one of the most successful concert promoters in the world. Mike Borchetta ace record promoter (Capitol, Curb Records) was also a classmate of Charlies at Staples High School. Charlie joined The Westport Downshifters and immersed himself in the hot rod culture of the late 50s. Starting in 1961 Taylor spent four years in Lexington, KY at Transylvania University where he toured with Little Hilton and the Artesians playing frat parties, sock hops, local radio shows and learning from other bands such as the legendary Monarchs, The Sultans and Little Enis and the Table Toppers. After brief stints in Greenwich Village, Washington, DC, San Angelo ( where he met and was mentored by Buddy Hollys manager Hi Pockets Ducan) Dallas and Houston, TX Charlie moved to California in 1970. He married Susan Hanley on the beach in Malibu and for the next seven years honed his songwriting and musician skills by recording, writing, jamming, hanging out with and/or learning from the likes of two time Academy Award winning songwriter Al Kasha at his UCLA Songwriting Workshop, Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Spooner Oldham,(FAME Studios) Hilton Valentine (Animals) and Andy Summers (Police, Animals, Soft Machine). Other friends include Johnny Wieder (Family), Gram Parsons, Chris Ethridge(Flying Burrito Brothers) Kevin Kelley (Byrds, Rising Son) , Sneaky Pete Klienow (Flying Burrito Brothers), Chicago bluesman Luther Tucker, cajun fiddler Gib Gilbeau, John Braheny, Mandi Martin, Daniel Moore (Shambala, My Maria), and many others. In LA Taylor performed at The Troubador, The Sundance Saloon , The Palomino Club and other venues of the day. He wrote, recorded and placed songs with Warner-Tamerlane, ABC Dunhill and Snuff Garretts company. In 1976 Taylor had a country record with Hobo John released by Dave Diamond on Claridge Records in LA. Bill Coumo (Betty Davis Eyes) arranged and played on the record. About Once Upon A Time Once Upon A Time, Charlie Taylors debut release on Gullwing Records is a 13 song collection of Pop, R&B and Blues songs crafted in collaboraton with fellow songwriters and R&B ledgends Dan Penn (Im Your Puppet, Do Right Woman, Dark End of the Street), Spooner Oldham (Cry Like A Baby, Sweet Inspiration, It Tears Me Up) and Carson Whitsett (Dont Give Up On Me). Reviews of Once Upon a Time: From the opening crackle of 1950s era Flathead Ford vs. Chevy in The King of Saturday Night, to the funk laced I Got the Itch (But I Aint Got the Scratch) and on to the haunting Im Here (But Im Not All There) the listner is transported back in time. The title cut Once Upon A Time has the ear marks of a modern day standard. Please Dear, the closing rockabilly romp, featuring Scotty Moore, Barry and Daniel Tashian, Taylor and Mike Durham will leave you wanting to boost some hub caps. All in all this record sparkles sonically, made by some of Americas most consumate studio musicians and produced and engineered with all the skill and care they used to make records in the 1950s and 60s. The overall sound quality of this recording, the songwriting and production are the added value here. Recorded in Dan Penns Dandy Studio in Nashville, TN with additional recording at Visual Rhythm Studio in LA this project is a sonic sparkler. Producers Penn and Geoff Gillette cut this record the old fashioned way, on 2 tape at 15 ips using a blend of new and old tube and digital technology, including great old condenser and ribbon mics and some original Motown (yes Motown) tube equipment. The musicians Taylor and Penn assembled read like a whos who - Mike Leech on bass (Memphis American Studios) , Ian Wallace (King Crimson) on drums, Barry Tashian (The Remains)and Scotty Moore (Sun Records and Elvis) on guitars, also on guitars Mike Durham (original Dave Mathews Band) and Rick Vito (Fleetwood Mac), Spooner Oldham (Dylan, Neil Young) and Carson Whitsett (BB King, ZZ Hill) on piano and B-3 with Dan Penn and James Griffin (Bread) joining Taylor on background vocals. With cameos by Daniel Tashian, Ross Sermons. Handling production, engineering, mixing and mastering duties is Geoff Gillette (Sergio Mendes, The Yellowjackets, Flora Purim) and Yutaka at Visual Rhythm Studio in LA. About For All I Am Charlies second release In 2007 Taylor, Penn and Geoff Gillette recorded 13 songs for For All I Am, Taylors second record released on Gullwing Records. Musicians included Jim Brock on drums and percussion, Mike Durham on Guitars, Memphis Boys Mike Leech on Bass and Bobby Emmons on organ and piano. About When We Were Young Charlies third release Returning to Dan Penns studio in Nashville once again in July of 2013 Taylor, Penn and Gillette recorded When We Were Young. A total of 15 songs were recorded in 4 days, using 16 track API 1200 tape machine and 2 tape through the MCI 600 recording console. Two more recordings were made in LA at Entourage Studios to round out the 17 song project. Other information about Charlies recording / songwriting career In 1996 Taylor and Penns Id Rather Beg was recorded by ex- Spyders and New Orleans R&B legend Chuck Carbo on The Barbers Blues CD(Rounder #2140) and also on wound up on the blues compilation CD Silky Soul (EasyDisc 7008). In 2003 new country artist Tim Murphy released The Cure on his Like A Train CD (Labeless - 0100). Charlie has appeared as a guest vocalist on CDs released by folk artists Jerry Merritt ( wrote Ritchie Havens - Follow) Sutherland Records -104 and Justin Devereauxs Whiskey Eyes on Sutherland Records -103 both released in 2002. George Ducas released Later Than You Think, co written with Charlie on his hit album Twang Thang in 2008. Other credits: A partial list of artists that Charlie has been associated with professionally in his role as a development officer and telethon / special events producer include: Bill Cosby, Frankie Avalon, Gladys Knight, Minnie Pearl, Chet Atkins, Jerry Reed, Tom Landry,Vince Gill, Amy Grant, James Brown, Barbara Mandrell, Brenda Lee, Brooks and Dunn, Rick Nelson, Kansas, The Atlanta Rhythm Section, Elvis/Sun Records founder Sam Phillips, football legend Jim Brown, Hollywood Golden Era actors Cornell Wilde, Jean Tierney and Lloyd Bridges, TV star Marion Ross (Happy Days), James Patterson, Taylor has made his home in Nashville for the past three decades and is busy collaborating with many different writers including Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham, George Ducas, Jeff Silbar, Andreas Werner and Barry and Holly Tashian. Taylor has written several songs at Almo-Irving (Universal) Music with the late great Grammy Nominated Kent Robbins (Stand By My Woman Man, Love Is Alive, Write This Down). Charlie has performed in Nashville at The Bluebird, Douglas Corner and in Muscle Shoals at songwriters shows and other venues. For more information Taylors website is : charlietaylormusic.net He is an ASCAP affiliated writer and publisher. For CDs or for more information our Mailing address is : Gullwing Records 138 Carriage Drive Nashville, TN 37221-1810 [email protected] charlietaylormusic.net web site
Posted on: Sat, 10 Jan 2015 15:32:55 +0000
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