Mick Taylor ex Rolling Stones biography

Mick Taylor's Biography

Mick Taylor (Michael Kevin Taylor) born January 17th, 1949 at Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire.

'64 -'65
Young Mick Taylor is playing with "The Juniors" and "The Gods".

'66
Played one night with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers replacing Eric Clapton who missed the gig !,and impressed both the audience and John (who will remember that night later when time comes to replace his lead gutarist).

'67 -'69
Mick joined John Mayall's Bluesbreakers after Peter Green left.
He recorded five LPs with the Bluesbreakers.
His growing fame as a blues guitarist led him to do some session with bluesmen Champion Jack Dupree and
Sunnyland Slim.

'69 -'74
When Brian Jones had to leave the Rolling Stones in June '69, Mick Jagger called John Mayall to ask him if he could recommend him a young guitarist as a successor.John who had just disbanded the Bluesbreakers told him to contact Mick Taylor, who joined the Rolling Stones on June 10th. Mick Taylor recorded five studio LPs and one live LP with the Rolling Stones.
While member of the Rolling Stones Mick did some sessions with John Mayall, Nicky Hopkins a.o. (see complete discography). He even contributed to the two Ronnie Wood's solo LPs !, and Ronnie took over Mick when he left at the end of year '74.

'75
After leaving the Rolling Stones Mick Taylor joined Jack Bruce and keyboardist Carla Bley. The band lasted only for a few months, they toured Europe. A live LP was planned but never came out, the only heritage being a live CD from the "Old Grey Wistle Test" BBC program which was only issued in 1998 !

'76 -'78
Mick did some sessions with Pierre Moerlen's Gong, E.Sirkel, and Eliott Murphy. Mick also recorded the soundtrack of the film "The Man Who Fell To Earth" and contributed to a still unissued album by John Phillips (featuring K. Richards and M. Jagger !!).

'79
The long awaited solo album simply called "Mick Taylor" was issued including "Leather Jacket" a number he recorded in the past with the Rolling Stones.The LP wasn't very succesfull maybe cause of a too long delay since he has left the Stones ?.

'81
Just to notice Mick Taylor's appearance with the Rolling Stones on December 14th. at Kansas City !!
Mick also did a short tour with the Alvin Lee Band (No official release from both events !)

'82
Mick joined again John Mayall who reunited the Bluesbreakers (With Colin Alen and John Mc Vie) for a long US and European Tour (A reunion CD and a video from that period exist)

'83 -'84
Mick still toured with John Mayall in '83, but the greatest event was the contribution on Bob Dylan's "Infidels" album with Mark Knopfler. The following year Mick was invited to tour with Bob Dylan in a band which also featured Ian Mc Lagan on Keyboards, a live album from that tour exist

'86 -'89
Mick moved to the States and toured in small venues; members of his band and his repertoire changed very often. In december '86 he was joined on stage at Lone Star Cafe NY by Keith Richards for two numbers including "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" which became a classic in Mick's repertoire !

'90
This year saw the second official release by Mick Taylor, the "Stranger In This Town" LP recorded live in 1989 with all the classic numbers from his stage performances (I Wonder Why, Laundromat Blues, You gotta Move...).
Early that year he also toured with Carla Olson a rock-blues singer who didn't use Mick's name to capitalize on it, but she pushed Mick to perform some of his best recorded work (listen to the "Sway" version on the live CD issued in autumn 90 : "Live At The Roxy").

'91 -'93
Mick moved to L.A., he recorded some tracks with Gerry Groom a dobro blues guitarist ("Once In A Blue Moon" issued in '93 after Gerry's death), and with John Mayall again ("Wake Up Call" in 1992).
Carla Olson invited him to play his magic notes on her two CDs :"Within An Ace" and "Reap The Whirlwind".

'94 -'95
Mick often toured in Europe, though the only heritage was a live CD :"Coasting Home" with four tracks recorded live at "14 Below", Santa Monica, Ca. in February '95.
Mick recorded late '95 with german band "Black Cat Bone" and an album was issued (in '97) which contains a ten-minute long version of "Blind Willie Mc Tell" (sung by Mick) the Bob Dylan's number from the "Infidels" era that became a classic in Mick's repertoire on stage.
Mick Taylor had a Live TV Show broadcasted from Geneva in April '95 (A beginning of recognition ?)

'96 -'97
Mick was joined on his European tour by Snowy White (Snowy had sometimes played with Mick in '92 or '94)
In 1997 with a new band (Max Middleton (keyb), Robert Ahwai (gtr), Jeff Allen (dr), Michael Bailey (bass)) Mick Taylor returned to studio for a new album to come (working title "A Secret Affair")

'98 -'99
Mick toured heavily in Europe in '98 to support his new CD called "A Stones' Throw" and in the States in spring and summer '99.
"A Stones' Throw" which contains new classics for Mick as "Twisted Sister" and "A Secret Affair" features also some of his classic stage numbers such as "Blues In The Morning" or "Blind Willie Mc Tell". In Japan a special version of his CD was released including the track "Separately" written by Mick Taylor and Keith Richards (Music from early seventies with new lyrics by Mick).

2000 - 2001
Mick toured in the USA, Germany, Holland, Sweden with a few dates in Italy and England. Many changes occured in his band. Some of his best recorded work during theese years was on the Carla Olson CD "Ring Of Truth".

2002
Mick toured Europe with Todd Sharpville. He did some studio sessions (produced by Carla Olson) with Barry Goldberg. His work for the John Lee Hooker tribute album recorded previous year was issued on the CD "From Clarkesdale To Heaven"

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