Editing John Taylor (bass guitarist) (section)

===1978–1997: Duran Duran and the Power Station===

In 1978, Taylor and school friend [[Nick Rhodes]] formed [[Duran Duran]] with [[Stephen Duffy]] while attending the School of Foundation Studies & Experimental Workshop at Birmingham Polytechnic (now [[Birmingham City University]]). Soon after, Taylor underwent an "[[ugly duckling]]" transformation—ditching the glasses for [[contact lens]]es, adopting the ruffles and sashes of the fashion that would become known as the [[New Romantic]] style, and learning to wear eyeliner and lipstick. He stopped using the name "Nigel", and has been known throughout his professional career as John Taylor.

Taylor played guitar when Duran Duran was founded, but switched to bass guitar after discovering the funky rhythms of [[Chic (band)|Chic]], and learned to enjoy playing in the [[rhythm section]] with Duran's newly recruited drummer [[Roger Taylor (Duran Duran drummer)|Roger Taylor]]. He has frequently cited [[Chic (band)|Chic]]'s [[Bernard Edwards]] and [[the Clash]]'s [[Paul Simonon]] as his strongest influences, in addition to [[Paul McCartney]], [[James Jamerson]], and Roxy Music players [[Graham Simpson (musician)|Graham Simpson]] and [[John Porter (musician, born 1947)|John Porter]]. Duran Duran released their first album in 1981, and went on to worldwide success in the early 1980s.

In 1985, after recording the [[A View to a Kill (song)|theme song]] to the Bond movie ''[[A View to a Kill]]'', Duran Duran split into two side projects. John Taylor and guitarist [[Andy Taylor (guitarist)|Andy Taylor]] joined forces with former Chic drummer [[Tony Thompson (drummer)|Tony Thompson]] and [[Robert Palmer]], who earlier met at [[Duran Duran's charity concert at Villa Park 1983]], to form the band [[The Power Station (band)|the Power Station]]. With the guidance of producer Bernard Edwards, they released one album, ''The Power Station'', which produced the hit singles "[[Some Like It Hot (song)|Some Like It Hot]]" and the [[T. Rex (band)|T. Rex]] cover song "[[Get It On (T. Rex song)|Bang a Gong (Get It On)]]".
That year, Taylor also launched his first solo effort, recording the single "[[I Do What I Do (Theme for 9½ Weeks)|I Do What I Do...]]" for the soundtrack to the movie ''[[9½ Weeks]]'' starring [[Kim Basinger]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/9-1-2-weeks-mw0000191234|title=Original Soundtrack 9 1/2 Weeks|publisher=allmusic.com|access-date=30 July 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=9 1/2 WEEKS|url=https://moviepie.com/9-1-2-weeks/|access-date=7 December 2021|website=Moviepie.com|date=23 September 2012 }}</ref> He also wrote some instrumental music for the movie's score with collaborator [[Jonathan Elias]].

When Andy and Roger Taylor left the band, the three remaining members reformed Duran Duran for the 1986 ''[[Notorious (Duran Duran album)|Notorious]]'' album, and continued to record and tour throughout the 1990s with new guitarist [[Warren Cuccurullo]].

On 24 December 1991, Taylor married [[Amanda de Cadenet]], who was already pregnant with his daughter Atlanta (born 31 March 1992). He moved from England to Los Angeles to help further his wife's acting career, as well as to escape constant attention from the British tabloids. Taylor's marriage declined even as Duran Duran's star rose with the success of 1993's ''[[Duran Duran (1993 album)|Duran Duran]]'', also known as ''The Wedding Album''. He and de Cadenet separated in May 1995.

Duran Duran's success rapidly waned with the widely derided 1995 covers album ''[[Thank You (Duran Duran album)|Thank You]]''. Following that album's supporting tour, Duran Duran spent part of the summer of 1995 in London working on the album ''[[Medazzaland]]''. Concurrently, Taylor devoted time to the side project [[Neurotic Outsiders]], recording and touring with that band from the end of 1995 through the start of 1996.