Chip Taylor
Chip Taylor | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | James Wesley Voight |
Born | Yonkers, New York, U.S. | March 21, 1940
Genres | |
Occupation(s) | Songwriter, singer |
Years active | 1960s–present |
Labels |
Chip Taylor (born James Wesley Voight; March 21, 1940) is an American songwriter and singer noted for writing "Angel of the Morning" and "Wild Thing".[1]
Early life
Taylor was born on March 21, 1940, in Yonkers, New York. He is the brother of actor Jon Voight and geologist Barry Voight and the uncle of actress Angelina Jolie and actor James Haven.[2] Taylor and his brothers attended Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, New York.[3] In 1961, Taylor attended the University of Hartford in Hartford, Connecticut, for one year.[citation needed]
After an unsuccessful attempt to become a professional golfer like his father, Elmer Voight, Taylor entered the music business.[4]
Career
As songwriter
Taylor wrote many pop and rock songs, both alone and with other songwriters, including Al Gorgoni (with whom he also performed, as the duo Just Us),[2] Billy Vera, Ted Daryll, and Jerry Ragovoy,[citation needed] first freelancing and then as an employee of a New York City music publisher.[2]
Taylor's first big hit was "
Other notable pop and country songs written by Taylor include "He Sits at Your Table" (
Shaggy used "Angel of the Morning" as the basis for his hit "Angel" in 2001.[5]
In 2009,
His own recordings
Taylor's first releases were on the King label and their subsidiary DeLuxe. In 1958, he and the Town Three released two 45s on DeLuxe, numbers 6176 "Midnight Blues" and 6180 "I Want a Lover". In 1959, he recorded for King as Wes Voight on 5211 "I'm Movin' In", and his final recording as Wes Voight on King 5231 "I'm Ready to Go Steady" and "The Wind and the Cold Black Night". The two King 45s were released in both mono and stereo, making them some of the first stereo singles available. Taylor has released recordings on Warner Bros., Columbia, and Capitol. His first chart single was his recording (as Chip Taylor) of "Here I Am" in 1962 on Warner Bros. Records.[6] He also had a top 40 hit in Australia in 1963 with "Sandy Sandy" with the Town and Country Brothers, a later iteration of Wes Voight and the Town Three, with Ted Daryll (who wrote the song) and Greg Richards, writers of "She Cried" by Jay and the Americans.[7][8]
Performing and recording in the 1990s and the 21st century
Taylor restarted his performing and recording career in 1993.
At the 2001
During the 21st century through 2020, Taylor has continued to perform with his band The New Ukrainians (John Platania on electric guitar, Björn Petterson on bass, and a revolving cast of other musicians). Each concert almost always includes both "Wild Thing" and "Angel in the Morning".[10][11][12]
Taylor's album Yonkers, NY was a 2011 nominee for a
Train Wreck Records
In 2007, Taylor launched his own independent label, Train Wreck Records.[14]
Personal life
By Taylor's own accounts, from 1980 through 1995 he was very successful at, but unhappily addicted to, gambling professionally on
As of 2019, Taylor continues to live in New York City. He has been married to Joan Carole Frey since 1964, and they have children and grandchildren. (Joan and Chip were temporarily divorced for several years, starting in the 1990s.)[18][19]
Discography
Albums
Year | Album | US Country | Label |
---|---|---|---|
1971 | Gotta Get Back to Cisco [as Gorgoni, Martin & Taylor] | — | Buddah |
1972 | Gorgoni, Martin & Taylor [as Gorgoni, Martin & Taylor] | — | Buddah |
1972 | Gasoline | — | Buddah |
1973 | Chip Taylor's Last Chance | — | Warner Bros. |
1974 | Some of Us | — | |
1975 | This Side of the Big River | 36 | |
1976 | Somebody Shoot Out the Jukebox [with Ghost Train] | — | CBS |
1979 | Saint Sebastian | — | Capitol |
1996 | Hit Man | — | Gadfly |
1997 | Living Room Tapes | — | Gadfly |
1999 | Seven Days in May... A Love Story | — | |
2000 | London Sessions Bootleg | — | |
2001 | Black & Blue America | — | |
2002 | Let's Leave This Town | — | Lone Star |
2003 | The Trouble with Humans | — | Lone Star |
2005 | Red Dog Tracks | — | Back Porch Records |
2006 | Unglorious Hallelujah | — | Back Porch Records |
2007 | Live from the Ruhr Triennale | — | MRI |
2008 | New Songs of Freedom | — | Megaforce |
2008 | Songs from a Dutch Tour | — | Train Wreck |
2009 | Yonkers NY | — | Train Wreck |
2012 | Fuck All the Perfect People | — | Train Wreck |
2013 | Block Out the Sirens of This Lonely World | — | Train Wreck |
2014 | The Little Prayers Trilogy | — | Train Wreck |
2016 | Little Brothers | — | Train Wreck |
2017 | Rock and Roll Joe | — | Train Wreck |
2018 | Fix Your Words | — | Train Wreck |
2018 | Time Waits for No Little Girls Uncovered | — | Train Wreck |
2019 | Whiskey Salesman | — | Train Wreck |
2020 | In Sympathy of a Heartbreak | — | Train Wreck |
2023 | The Cradle of All Living Things | — | Train Wreck |
Compilations
Year | Album | Label |
---|---|---|
2008 | Angels & Gamblers: Best of 1971–1979 | Raven Records |
2010 | James Wesley Days Best of 99–10 | Rootsy / Train Wreck |
Singles
Year | Single | Chart positions | Album | |
---|---|---|---|---|
U.S. Country | CAN Country | |||
1958 | "Midnight Blues/Another Guy's Line" | DeLuxe 6176 | ||
1958 | "I Want a Lover/Little Joan" | DeLuxe 6180 | ||
1959 | "I'm Movin' In/Everything's the Same" | King 5211 | ||
1959 | "I'm Ready to Go Steady/The Wind and the Cold Black Night" | King 5231 | ||
1962 | "Here I Am/I Love You but I Know" | |||
1967 | "You Should Be from Monterey/I'll Never Be Alone" | Rainy Day 45-8002 | ||
1973 | "101 in Cashbox" | Chip Taylor's Last Chance | ||
1975 | "Me As I Am" | 80 | — | Some of Us |
"Early Sunday Morning" | 28 | 41 | ||
"Big River" | 61 | — | This Side of the Big River | |
1976 | "Circle of Tears" | 92 | — | |
1977 | "Hello Atlanta" (with Ghost Train) | 93 | — | Somebody Shoot Out the Jukebox |
Music videos
Year | Video |
---|---|
2008 | "New Song Of Freedom" |
2009 | "Charcoal Sky" |
2011 | "Fuck All The Perfect People" |
2014 | "Little Prayers" |
"Queen of the World" | |
2015 | "Refugee Children" |
2016 | "Who's Gonna Build That Wall" |
2017 | "Whisper Amen" |
"Senorita Falling Down" |
References
- ^ "Jon Voight and his brother, composer Chip Taylor; Pamela Fiori; George W. and Laura Bush; Liz Carpenter". Dallas Morning News. March 24, 2010. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
- ^ a b c Druker, Norman; Patrick, Mick (2007). "Spectropop presents Chip Taylor". Spectropop. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Chip Taylor: Live last night – Post Rock". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 29, 2021. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
- ^ Udovitch, Mim (February 15, 2001). "Q&A: Shaggy". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 29, 2019.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 15, 2013. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Nuttall, Lyn (July 17, 2009). "The Blog: Only in Oz (14) The Town & Country Brothers – Sandy, Sandy". PopArchives. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
- ^ Daryll, Ted (2009). "Letter to Lyn Nuttall" (PDF). PopArchives. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
- ^ "Chip Taylor On Mountain Stage". Npr.org. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
- ^ Taylor, Chip. "Tour Dates". Retrieved February 6, 2021.
- ^ Taylor, Chip. "Chip Taylor's Road Journal". Retrieved February 6, 2021.
- ^ "Chip Taylor – Dad & The Monkey". Train Wreck Records. October 2020. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
- ^ "Black Keys package takes Grammy over Chip Taylor". Countrystandardtime.com. October 23, 2007. Retrieved November 7, 2011.
- ^ "Train Wreck Records Press Release". Markpuccimedia.com.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Speaking Freely: Chip Taylor". First Amendment Center. 2000. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
- ^ "Chip Taylor On Sunday Morning Show". CBS News Sunday Morning. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
- ^ Taylor, Chip. "Church of the Train Wreck Introduction" (PDF). Retrieved February 6, 2021.
- ^ Marsh, Steven P. (January 29, 2019). "'Wild Thing' returns: Yonkers-born Chip Taylor will perform an intimate show in Garrison". The Journal News. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
- ^ Sharp, Ken (May 13, 2019). "Chip Taylor, 'Whiskey Salesman' and All-Time Great Songwriter With a Litany of Classic Hits (Q and A)". Rock Cellar Magazine. Retrieved February 6, 2021.