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| − | {{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
| + | Roland Stephen Taylor (born December 9, 1957) is an American Christian singer, songwriter, record producer and film director born in Brawley, California, and reared in Denver, Colorado. |
| − | | Name = Steve Taylor
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| − | | Img = SteveTaylor3.jpg
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| − | | Img_capt = Director Steve Taylor
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| − | | Img_size = <!-- Only for images narrower than 220 pixels -->
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| − | | Background = solo_singer
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| − | | Birth_name = Roland Stephen Taylor
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| − | | Alias =
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| − | | Born = [[December 9]], [[1957]]<br />[[Brawley, California|Brawley]], [[California]]
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| − | | Genre =
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| − | | Occupation = [[singer]], [[songwriter]], [[record producer]], [[film director]]
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| − | | Years_active = 1982 – present
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| − | | Label =
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| − | | Associated_acts = [[Chagall Guevara]]
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| − | | URL =
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| − | | Current_members =
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| − | }}
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| − | :''For other people with a similar name, see [[Steven Taylor]].''
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| − | '''Roland Stephen Taylor''' (born [[December 9]], [[1957]]) is an American [[singer]], [[songwriter]], [[record producer]] and [[film director]] born in [[Brawley, California|Brawley]], [[California]], and reared in [[Denver, Colorado|Denver]], [[Colorado]].
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| − | == Biography ==
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| − | Taylor's life took an unusual turn in [[1979]] when he was first of the 100 chosen, from 20,000 applicants, to spend the summer at [[John Davidson (entertainer)|John Davidson]]'s summer camp. At the camp, Taylor spent time learning from singers like [[Tony Orlando]], [[Florence Henderson]], and [[John Davidson (entertainer)|John Davidson]]. Also that year, Taylor heard one of his biggest influences, [[The Clash]]'s ''[[London Calling]]''. "It saved my life, musically," said Taylor.
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| − | Taylor recorded a demo of original songs that took the [[Contemporary Christian music]] world by surprise. Taylor first began to write for the musical group [[The Continentals]], then recorded his debut solo project ''[[I Want To Be A Clone]]'' in [[1982]] and released it in January, [[1983]].
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| − | Taylor quickly gained a reputation as a "controversial" artist, using his lyrical ability to sharply criticize other Christian beliefs and practices that he believed were incompatible with Biblical Christianity. However, his lyrics would also prove to be quite humorous as well.
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| − | In [[1984]], Taylor recorded his first full length album, ''[[Meltdown (Steve Taylor album)|Meltdown]]'' with some of the demo material that was not included on ''Clone'' plus some new material. His video single of the title track, "Meltdown (at [[Madame Tussaud's]])" was widely played on [[MTV]], which was unusual for a [[Christian music|Christian]] artist at the time. The video featured an appearance by actress [[Lisa Whelchel]], from [[NBC]]'s ''[[The Facts of Life (TV series)|The Facts of Life]]'' television series. The album also included the sharp, anti-racist anthem, "We Don't Need No Colour Code", directed in part at [[South Carolina]]'s [[Bob Jones University]] and its anti-interracial dating policy (Bob Jones University abandoned this rule in [[2000]].). "Guilty By Association", one of the recycled demo songs, includes a jab, with an impression in the [[middle eight]], at [[televangelist]] [[Jimmy Swaggart]]: "'It's of a worldly design / God's music should be divine! / Try buying records like mine! / Avoid temptation!' Guilty by association.". Swaggart struck back later by devoting part of a chapter of ''Religious Rock 'N' Roll, a Wolf in Sheep's Clothing'' (ISBN 0-935113-05-3) to Taylor, whom he saw as playing evil rock music.
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| − | Taylor followed that release with ''[[On The Fritz]]'', produced by [[Foreigner (band)|Foreigner]]'s [[Ian McDonald (musician)|Ian McDonald]]. ''Fritz'', keeping with Taylor tradition, took aim once again at Religious leaders. This time, his targets included [[Bill Gothard]] ("I Manipulate"), greedy TV evangelists (again) ("You Don't Owe Me Nothing"), politicians using religion or avoiding questions of morality in order to get votes ("It's A Personal Thing"), and public schools teaching "values clarification" to children, asking them to determine who should be thrown overboard in an overcrowded lifeboat ("Lifeboat").
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| − | [[Image:IPredict1990.jpg|thumb|200px|left|The Controversial '''''I Predict 1990''''']]
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| − | In [[1987]], Taylor once again lived up to his controversial reputation with a song called "I Blew Up The Clinic Real Good". The song criticizes anyone who claims to be a [[pro-life]] activist who would blow up abortion clinics or kill doctors. Like much of his music, it was meant as a [[satire]]. Unfortunately, the point of the song was lost on many and resulted in Taylor's album, ''[[I Predict 1990]]'', being pulled from the shelves at some [[Contemporary Christian Music|Christian]] record stores. Taylor himself would occasionally call those stores to explain the song to them. With ''1990'', Taylor's targets included mainstream Universities ("Since I Gave Up Hope I Feel A Lot Better", featuring fiddle work from [[Papa John Creech]] of [[Jefferson Airplane]] and [[Hot Tuna]]). The video for "Since I Gave Up Hope..." was filmed on the campus of [[Biola University]], a Christian university in Southern California. Other standout tracks included "[[Jim Morrison]]'s Grave", which once again brought Taylor some [[MTV]] exposure, and the [[Flannery O'Connor]] inspired "Harder to Believe Than Not To". Some stores also pulled the album as they thought the cover looked like a [[Tarot]] Card.
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| − | Taylor then took a break from music, until [[1990]] when he returned as the lead singer of [[Chagall Guevara]]. The first recording by Chagall Guevara was "Tale o'the Twister," which appeared on the soundtrack to the 1990 film ''[[Pump Up the Volume (film)|Pump Up the Volume]]''. The band released their only album, the self titled ''[[Chagall Guevara (album)|Chagall Guevara]]'', in [[1991]] on [[MCA records]] that year. A follow up album was begun, but due to label restructuring the band was released from its contract.
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| − | Taylor returned with another solo album, ''[[Squint (album)|Squint]]'', and a live CD, ''Liver'', in the mid [[1990]]'s. ''Squint'' included the track "Smug", which takes aim equally at both sides of the political spectrum, [[Rush Limbaugh]] and [[Barbra Streisand]], both of which are praised as the masters of smugness. The album also included the song "Cash Cow", which criticizes our money desiring society while giving an additional jab at one more [[televangelist]] ("The golden Cash Cow had a body like the great cows of ancient [[Egypt]]/And a face like the face of [[Robert Tilton]]... without the horns").
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| − | A [[tribute album|tribute]] to Taylor entitled ''[[I Predict A Clone]]'' was released in [[1994]], which features performances by [[Sixpence None the Richer]], [[Fleming and John]], [[Starflyer 59]] and others.
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| − | In the years following those releases, Taylor focused his efforts on running a [[record label]], [[Squint Entertainment]], and producing projects for other artists, including [[Sixpence None the Richer]]'s self titled [[1997]] release that featured the hit singles "Kiss Me" and a cover of [[The La's]] "There She Goes". He would be most noted for his work with [[Newsboys]]. Squint Entertainment lost its financial backing in [[2001]] and Taylor was forced out of the company.
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| − | Taylor is currently working full time as a film maker and has directed [[music videos]] for [[Fleming and John]], [[Rich Mullins]], [[Sixpence None the Richer]], [[Newsboys]], [[Guardian (band)|Guardian]], and two video albums for himself. While still running Squint, Taylor had begun work on a major film project called ''St. Gimp'', co-written with [[Ben Pearson]] and [[Willie Williams (lighting designer)]]. That film was abandoned with the company. He co-wrote and directed the feature film ''[[The Second Chance]]'' starring [[Michael W. Smith]], released [[February 17]], [[2006]]. He also directed the relatively little known Newsboys movie "Down Under The Big Top" in which the band stars.
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| − | Taylor appears in the documentary film ''Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?'' (released on DVD in 2006), in interview segments and performing part of "We Don't Need No Colour Code".
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| − | == Discography ==
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| − | * ''[[I Want To Be a Clone]]'', 1982 debut EP
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| − | * ''[[Meltdown (Steve Taylor album)|Meltdown]]'', 1983 album
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| − | * ''[[On the Fritz]]'', 1985 album
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| − | * ''[[I Predict 1990]]'', 1987 album
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| − | * ''[[Squint (album)|Squint]]'', 1993 album
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| − | ===With Chagall Guevara===
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| − | * ''[[Chagall Guevara (album)|Chagall Guevara]]'', [[Chagall Guevara]], 1991 album
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| − | ===Live Albums===
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| − | * ''Limelight'', 1986 live album
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| − | * ''[[Liver (album)|Liver]]'', 1995 live album
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| − | ===Compilations===
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| − | * ''The Best We Could Find (+3 That Never Escaped)'', 1988 album
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| − | * ''Now The Truth Can Be Told'', 1994 two-disc box set
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| − | * ''Roaring Lambs'' Various Artists, 2000 compilation (one track by Taylor)
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| − | ===Video Collections===
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| − | * ''Limelight'', 1986 live video
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| − | * ''Videoworks'', 1985 video collection
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| − | * ''I Predict 1990: The Video Album'', 1987 video collection
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| − | * ''Squint: Movies From the Soundtrack'', 1993 video collection
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| − | * ''Now The Truth Can Be Told'', 1994 video collection
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| − | ==Filmography==
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| − | {{DirectingFilmography}}
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| − | {{Filmography-movie |
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| − | Title = [[The Second Chance]] |
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| − | Year = 2006
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| − | }}
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| − | {{Filmography-end}}
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| | == External links == | | == External links == |
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| | *[http://www.gweep.ca/~edmonds/music/SteveTaylor/mailing-list.html The steve-taylor Mailing List] | | *[http://www.gweep.ca/~edmonds/music/SteveTaylor/mailing-list.html The steve-taylor Mailing List] |
| | *[http://www.dosswerks.com/andrew/steve_taylor/ Andrew's Steve Taylor Resource] | | *[http://www.dosswerks.com/andrew/steve_taylor/ Andrew's Steve Taylor Resource] |
| − | *[http://listen.to/stevetaylor/ Tale o' the Web Page]
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| | *[http://www.stevetaylor.tk/ The Steve Taylor Resource] | | *[http://www.stevetaylor.tk/ The Steve Taylor Resource] |
| | *[http://www.thesecondchancemovie.com/ Official Website for ''The Second Chance''] | | *[http://www.thesecondchancemovie.com/ Official Website for ''The Second Chance''] |
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| − | [[Category:Living people|Taylor, Steve]] | + | {{returnto}} [[Christian music]] |
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| | [[Category:1957 births|Taylor, Steve]] | | [[Category:1957 births|Taylor, Steve]] |
| | [[Category:Christian musicians|Taylor, Steve]] | | [[Category:Christian musicians|Taylor, Steve]] |
| − | [[Category:People from Nashville|Taylor, Steve]]
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| − | [[Category:American songwriters|Taylor, Steve]]
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