WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.299 Welcome back to The Deep Dive. We are here to 00:00:02.299 --> 00:00:05.559 take a truly monumental stack of sources, distill 00:00:05.559 --> 00:00:07.860 the critical insights, and deliver you the knowledge 00:00:07.860 --> 00:00:10.939 you need fast and thoroughly. And today we're 00:00:10.939 --> 00:00:14.720 focusing on a musician whose sound really defines 00:00:14.720 --> 00:00:18.100 stadium rock. Absolutely. But his career slope 00:00:18.100 --> 00:00:20.460 is so, so much bigger than most people realize. 00:00:20.620 --> 00:00:22.699 We're talking about Roger Meadows Taylor. The 00:00:22.699 --> 00:00:25.710 legendary heartbeat of Queen. Exactly. And the 00:00:25.710 --> 00:00:27.190 immediate reaction, you know, when you hear that 00:00:27.190 --> 00:00:29.530 name is, of course. Queen drummer. Queen drummer. 00:00:29.690 --> 00:00:32.030 And that's fair. It's right. But if we stopped 00:00:32.030 --> 00:00:35.590 there, we'd be missing, I mean. Almost two -thirds 00:00:35.590 --> 00:00:37.729 of his professional story. That's our mission 00:00:37.729 --> 00:00:40.609 for this deep dive, really. To analyze Taylor 00:00:40.609 --> 00:00:43.409 not just as this incredible rhythm machine, but 00:00:43.409 --> 00:00:46.270 as a genuine polymath. A polymath. That's the 00:00:46.270 --> 00:00:48.009 perfect word for it. Yeah, because the sources 00:00:48.009 --> 00:00:50.750 we have, they lay out this stunningly comprehensive 00:00:50.750 --> 00:00:53.649 roadmap of his career. And it reveals him as 00:00:53.649 --> 00:00:57.090 a really prolific songwriter. A highly capable 00:00:57.090 --> 00:01:00.770 multi -instrumentalist. Who recorded entire albums 00:01:00.770 --> 00:01:03.590 pretty much by himself. A serious record producer. 00:01:04.079 --> 00:01:07.640 and just a cultural figure whose influence goes 00:01:07.640 --> 00:01:10.140 so far beyond the four walls of a studio. And 00:01:10.140 --> 00:01:11.579 what's great about the material we have is that 00:01:11.579 --> 00:01:13.840 it's structured almost chronologically. It gives 00:01:13.840 --> 00:01:17.439 us this full biographical sweep, you know, from 00:01:17.439 --> 00:01:21.079 his academic background, which is shockingly 00:01:21.079 --> 00:01:24.219 precise, to the musical lineage that shaped his 00:01:24.219 --> 00:01:26.739 sound. All the successful side projects. And 00:01:26.739 --> 00:01:29.920 some truly unique, almost mythological honors 00:01:29.920 --> 00:01:32.920 he's picked up along the way. We are going way 00:01:32.920 --> 00:01:35.079 beyond the rhythm section to find the writer, 00:01:35.180 --> 00:01:37.980 the producer, the entrepreneur. And the analytical 00:01:37.980 --> 00:01:39.920 mind that's underneath that. whole rock star 00:01:39.920 --> 00:01:42.719 persona yeah and we get an immediate really powerful 00:01:42.719 --> 00:01:45.359 hook to set the stage for all of this analysis 00:01:45.359 --> 00:01:48.620 we do the sources remind us that his unique drumming 00:01:48.620 --> 00:01:52.030 style was recognized very early on by his peers, 00:01:52.189 --> 00:01:54.290 by the audience. There was that Planet Rock poll, 00:01:54.390 --> 00:01:57.950 right? Listener poll. And he was voted the eighth 00:01:57.950 --> 00:02:00.290 greatest drummer in classic rock history. Eighth 00:02:00.290 --> 00:02:01.930 greatest. I mean, when you think about the names 00:02:01.930 --> 00:02:04.969 on that list. It's huge. That high placement, 00:02:05.069 --> 00:02:08.509 it just immediately justifies the need to analyze 00:02:08.509 --> 00:02:12.569 his technique and really ask what exactly made 00:02:12.569 --> 00:02:15.289 his playing stand out amongst names like Pert, 00:02:15.389 --> 00:02:18.460 Bonham, and Moon. We need to figure out the formula 00:02:18.460 --> 00:02:21.139 for that iconic sound. Exactly. Let's unpack 00:02:21.139 --> 00:02:22.939 this formula. And we really have to start at 00:02:22.939 --> 00:02:25.500 the very beginning because his early life and 00:02:25.500 --> 00:02:28.930 education, they present details that are. almost 00:02:28.930 --> 00:02:32.110 hilariously out of sync with his eventual destiny 00:02:32.110 --> 00:02:35.849 as a well as a rock god it's true it all starts 00:02:35.849 --> 00:02:38.189 in kingsland norfolk he was born on the 26th 00:02:38.189 --> 00:02:41.530 of july 1949 and right away there's this beautiful 00:02:41.530 --> 00:02:44.050 piece of trivia the sources provide oh this is 00:02:44.050 --> 00:02:46.509 a great little detail his birth coincided with 00:02:46.509 --> 00:02:49.229 the opening of a brand new maternity ward and 00:02:49.229 --> 00:02:51.229 princess elizabeth the future queen elizabeth 00:02:51.229 --> 00:02:54.509 ii was there to open it no way yes and she was 00:02:54.509 --> 00:02:56.370 introduced to the new mothers including taylor's 00:02:56.370 --> 00:02:59.229 mother winifred That is such a surreal, almost 00:02:59.229 --> 00:03:02.389 mythological detail. A direct physical link to 00:03:02.389 --> 00:03:04.189 royalty right there in the cradle. It's hard 00:03:04.189 --> 00:03:06.090 not to read some foreshadowing into that moment, 00:03:06.169 --> 00:03:08.629 isn't it? Especially considering the band name 00:03:08.629 --> 00:03:10.729 he would eventually choose. It's just perfect. 00:03:11.069 --> 00:03:14.069 It really is. So the family later moved to Truro 00:03:14.069 --> 00:03:17.310 in Cornwall. And this is where the musical journey 00:03:17.310 --> 00:03:21.229 truly begins. But maybe not where you might expect. 00:03:21.469 --> 00:03:24.270 Right. Not with a drum kit. Not at all. At age 00:03:24.270 --> 00:03:26.590 seven, his first band was called the Bubbling 00:03:26.590 --> 00:03:29.069 Over Boys. The Bubbling Over Boys. Fantastic. 00:03:29.789 --> 00:03:31.990 And he was playing the ukulele. Ukulele. See, 00:03:32.090 --> 00:03:34.909 that tells us his fundamental desire was just 00:03:34.909 --> 00:03:37.069 performance. It was about being in the music, 00:03:37.069 --> 00:03:40.669 not specifically percussion. Precisely. That 00:03:40.669 --> 00:03:43.150 need for expression meant he was constantly trying 00:03:43.150 --> 00:03:45.669 out different roles. By the time he's 15, he's 00:03:45.669 --> 00:03:47.789 already semi -professional. He joins a band called 00:03:47.789 --> 00:03:50.500 Johnny Quayle and the Reactions. Yep. And he 00:03:50.500 --> 00:03:53.259 originally learned guitar, but the shift to drums 00:03:53.259 --> 00:03:56.740 was just, it was crucial. The sources say he 00:03:56.740 --> 00:03:59.659 realized he had a more natural aptitude for percussion. 00:03:59.960 --> 00:04:01.780 So that's what moved him to the instrument that 00:04:01.780 --> 00:04:04.379 would eventually define his legacy. But the sources 00:04:04.379 --> 00:04:06.560 are really clear that he wasn't content just 00:04:06.560 --> 00:04:10.069 to, you know. hit things loudly. He was meticulous. 00:04:10.189 --> 00:04:12.469 He taught himself the complex art of drum tuning. 00:04:12.590 --> 00:04:15.830 And he was chasing a very specific sound. A very 00:04:15.830 --> 00:04:18.470 specific sound. He wanted the great drum sounds 00:04:18.470 --> 00:04:20.930 from the early Who records. He was particularly 00:04:20.930 --> 00:04:23.949 inspired by Keith Moon. That pursuit of a specific 00:04:23.949 --> 00:04:26.889 sound quality, of really engineering the noise. 00:04:27.639 --> 00:04:30.139 That's the first major hint of that analytical 00:04:30.139 --> 00:04:32.319 mind we need to keep talking about. Absolutely. 00:04:32.399 --> 00:04:35.079 A self -taught drummer who is focused on the 00:04:35.079 --> 00:04:37.439 acoustics of his instrument is already thinking 00:04:37.439 --> 00:04:40.199 like a producer, not just a performer. He wasn't 00:04:40.199 --> 00:04:42.139 just copying a rhythm. He was chasing a tone. 00:04:42.379 --> 00:04:45.279 Exactly. And that analytical approach leads us 00:04:45.279 --> 00:04:47.819 to the biggest, most unexpected detour in his 00:04:47.819 --> 00:04:50.240 biography. The years he spent in higher education 00:04:50.240 --> 00:04:53.800 before Queen hit it big. In 1967, he moves to 00:04:53.800 --> 00:04:56.379 London to study dentistry at the London Hospital 00:04:56.379 --> 00:04:59.720 Medical College. Dentistry? I mean, talk about 00:04:59.720 --> 00:05:02.379 a high -stakes precision profession. It really 00:05:02.379 --> 00:05:04.939 is. Yeah. That requires an almost surgical level 00:05:04.939 --> 00:05:07.959 of focus, a methodical approach to the tiniest 00:05:07.959 --> 00:05:10.079 details. But wait, going from dentistry to rock 00:05:10.079 --> 00:05:11.959 star is a big enough jump on its own, but he 00:05:11.959 --> 00:05:13.860 actually grew bored with it. He did. He switched 00:05:13.860 --> 00:05:15.939 gears entirely, abandoned that surgical path. 00:05:16.379 --> 00:05:19.680 And ultimately earned a Bachelor of Science degree, 00:05:19.939 --> 00:05:24.319 a B .S .C. in biology from East London Polytechnic. 00:05:24.339 --> 00:05:26.759 That is an enormous pivot. So what's the connection 00:05:26.759 --> 00:05:28.959 there? Did he find the precision of dentistry 00:05:28.959 --> 00:05:31.399 too constraining or did the systematic side of 00:05:31.399 --> 00:05:34.660 biology appeal more to his, you know, his burgeoning 00:05:34.660 --> 00:05:37.199 musical engineering skills? Well, the sources 00:05:37.199 --> 00:05:39.819 don't give us a direct quote saying, I use my 00:05:39.819 --> 00:05:43.050 biology notes to mix my snare drum. But the link 00:05:43.050 --> 00:05:45.629 for you, the listener, it's structural. It's 00:05:45.629 --> 00:05:47.589 not about the specific subject. Okay, so how 00:05:47.589 --> 00:05:50.490 does that work? He got a degree in a field biology 00:05:50.490 --> 00:05:53.670 that requires meticulous observation, rigorous 00:05:53.670 --> 00:05:56.870 systematic experimentation, and analytical interpretation 00:05:56.870 --> 00:05:59.329 of data. So this wasn't just a casual college 00:05:59.329 --> 00:06:01.930 stint. It gave him a framework for problem solving. 00:06:02.110 --> 00:06:04.029 A really rigorous one. Yeah. And if we apply 00:06:04.029 --> 00:06:05.930 that to music, you can see how that background 00:06:05.930 --> 00:06:08.589 manifests. It translates into a disciplined approach 00:06:08.589 --> 00:06:11.009 to sound engineering and composition. Right. 00:06:11.069 --> 00:06:13.430 I mean, Queen's music specifically is layered. 00:06:13.529 --> 00:06:16.670 It's complex. It's technically challenging. His 00:06:16.670 --> 00:06:18.910 science background gave him the methodological 00:06:18.910 --> 00:06:21.750 discipline to break down these complex musical 00:06:21.750 --> 00:06:25.709 ideas into manageable, precise components. Like 00:06:25.709 --> 00:06:28.470 constructing a rhythm track. Exactly. Understanding 00:06:28.470 --> 00:06:30.970 how frequencies interact, how to mic a drum kit 00:06:30.970 --> 00:06:33.629 for the maximum effect, how to achieve that huge 00:06:33.629 --> 00:06:36.569 Bonham -esque sound, that's all engineering. 00:06:36.870 --> 00:06:38.490 He wasn't just hitting things. He was applying 00:06:38.490 --> 00:06:41.170 methodical observation and systematic construction 00:06:41.170 --> 00:06:43.430 to rhythm. Just as he would have done designing 00:06:43.430 --> 00:06:46.509 an experiment in a lab. The precision required 00:06:46.509 --> 00:06:49.810 to tune drums like Keith Moon's, or later, to 00:06:49.810 --> 00:06:52.209 produce albums for other bands, that isn't accidental. 00:06:52.680 --> 00:06:54.680 It's an application of his analytical nature, 00:06:54.860 --> 00:06:57.160 honed by years of studying science. It makes 00:06:57.160 --> 00:06:59.259 perfect sense. He didn't just stumble into being 00:06:59.259 --> 00:07:01.319 a great producer. He was naturally wired for 00:07:01.319 --> 00:07:03.639 it. And his education just reinforced all of 00:07:03.639 --> 00:07:05.959 that. OK, so let's move that analytical mind 00:07:05.959 --> 00:07:08.660 from the lab bench to the early formation of 00:07:08.660 --> 00:07:10.879 Queen. Right. So the immediate precursor to Queen 00:07:10.879 --> 00:07:14.560 was the band Smile, formed around 1968. And the 00:07:14.560 --> 00:07:16.959 way he met Brian May and Tim Staffel is such 00:07:16.959 --> 00:07:20.290 a classic story. It really is. A friend saw an 00:07:20.290 --> 00:07:22.750 advert for a drummer on a notice board at Imperial 00:07:22.750 --> 00:07:25.850 College. Simple as that. And Smile was the core 00:07:25.850 --> 00:07:29.490 setup. May on lead guitar, Staffel on vocals 00:07:29.490 --> 00:07:32.050 and bass, and Taylor providing that rhythmic 00:07:32.050 --> 00:07:34.470 foundation. The group lasted about two years 00:07:34.470 --> 00:07:37.970 and managed to produce nine songs. And that relationship, 00:07:38.149 --> 00:07:40.910 that starting point, clearly meant a lot to Taylor. 00:07:41.089 --> 00:07:43.329 Oh, absolutely. The sources point out that deep 00:07:43.329 --> 00:07:47.560 loyalty came through years later. In 1992, Taylor, 00:07:47.720 --> 00:07:49.899 who was fronting his own side band, The Cross. 00:07:50.339 --> 00:07:53.000 He brings May and Staffel back on stage to play 00:07:53.000 --> 00:07:55.620 two of those old smile songs, Earth and If I 00:07:55.620 --> 00:07:58.079 Were a Carpenter. That's not just nostalgia. 00:07:58.100 --> 00:08:00.459 That's him honoring the entire foundation of 00:08:00.459 --> 00:08:02.639 his professional life. It speaks volumes about 00:08:02.639 --> 00:08:04.860 his character, his respect for where he came 00:08:04.860 --> 00:08:08.399 from. It does. But before Queen formally coalesced, 00:08:08.420 --> 00:08:10.500 we run into one of rock history's greatest what 00:08:10.500 --> 00:08:12.879 -if moments. This is a complete butterfly effect 00:08:12.879 --> 00:08:15.480 moment. The source material details that in 1970, 00:08:15.899 --> 00:08:18.439 Roger Taylor turned down the opportunity to become 00:08:18.439 --> 00:08:21.439 the drummer for Genesis. Can you imagine? His 00:08:21.439 --> 00:08:24.100 decision at that exact moment changed the history 00:08:24.100 --> 00:08:27.180 of two major bands at the same time. Precisely. 00:08:27.500 --> 00:08:30.339 That choice directly led to Phil Collins joining 00:08:30.339 --> 00:08:32.940 Genesis instead, which allowed him to eventually 00:08:32.940 --> 00:08:35.679 become their frontman and, you know, a massive 00:08:35.679 --> 00:08:38.059 solo star. It just underscores that Taylor had 00:08:38.059 --> 00:08:40.500 options. He wasn't desperate for any gig he could 00:08:40.500 --> 00:08:42.759 get. He had a vision for the sound he wanted 00:08:42.759 --> 00:08:46.200 to create, and he chose to stick with the early 00:08:46.200 --> 00:08:48.899 version of Queen. You have to wonder, if he had 00:08:48.899 --> 00:08:51.320 joined Genesis, would they have leaned harder 00:08:51.320 --> 00:08:54.500 into that power rock sound he personified? That's 00:08:54.500 --> 00:08:56.980 a great question. How would his rhythmic presence 00:08:56.980 --> 00:08:59.700 have shaped your transition away from progressive 00:08:59.700 --> 00:09:03.220 rock? And maybe most interestingly, how would 00:09:03.220 --> 00:09:05.940 it have shaped Phil Collins' career? It might 00:09:05.940 --> 00:09:08.220 have delayed or even eliminated his role as a 00:09:08.220 --> 00:09:11.379 frontman years later. It's just, it's mind -boggling 00:09:11.379 --> 00:09:13.440 to think about. It forces us to acknowledge that 00:09:13.440 --> 00:09:16.139 Taylor was driven by creative alignment, not 00:09:16.139 --> 00:09:18.779 just opportunity. And that creative vision was 00:09:18.779 --> 00:09:20.460 already being forged. In their shared living 00:09:20.460 --> 00:09:23.419 space, right? Yeah. The sources detail that Taylor 00:09:23.419 --> 00:09:25.860 was already flat sharing and working at a Kensington 00:09:25.860 --> 00:09:28.860 market stall with Freddie Mercury, who was then 00:09:28.860 --> 00:09:31.740 known as Farrakh Bulsara. They were in the thick 00:09:31.740 --> 00:09:34.379 of that struggling artist hustle together. And 00:09:34.379 --> 00:09:37.159 we get this very specific, very reflective narrative 00:09:37.159 --> 00:09:40.460 moment from the sources. September 18th, 1970. 00:09:41.120 --> 00:09:44.080 The day Jimi Hendrix died. Taylor and Mercury 00:09:44.080 --> 00:09:47.120 closed their market stall to honor him. That 00:09:47.120 --> 00:09:50.399 day marks this profound cultural inflection point. 00:09:50.559 --> 00:09:53.740 And for them, it's the definitive end of their 00:09:53.740 --> 00:09:56.320 pre -rock star hustle. It was a solemn, shared 00:09:56.320 --> 00:09:59.240 commitment to their art. It was. And Bulsara, 00:09:59.419 --> 00:10:01.820 who was a huge fan of Smile, convinced the remaining 00:10:01.820 --> 00:10:04.480 members, Taylor and May, to continue. He renamed 00:10:04.480 --> 00:10:07.019 the group Queen and stepped in as vocalist. And 00:10:07.019 --> 00:10:09.480 they recruited John Deacon in 1971, and that's 00:10:09.480 --> 00:10:11.759 it. The classic lineup was complete. Now that 00:10:11.759 --> 00:10:13.519 the foundation is set, let's go back to that 00:10:13.519 --> 00:10:16.179 analytical mind and look at his influences. Because 00:10:16.179 --> 00:10:18.620 Queen's rhythmic backbone is highly complex. 00:10:18.899 --> 00:10:20.399 Well, it is. It incorporates everything from 00:10:20.399 --> 00:10:23.000 explosive hard rock to jazz finesse, sometimes 00:10:23.000 --> 00:10:25.460 in the very same song. And if you look at the 00:10:25.460 --> 00:10:28.960 four major influences Taylor cited, it's a masterclass 00:10:28.960 --> 00:10:31.600 in synthesis. It really is. It shows a drummer 00:10:31.600 --> 00:10:35.519 who understood power, technique, musicality, 00:10:35.559 --> 00:10:39.779 and originality. He was pulling from completely 00:10:39.779 --> 00:10:42.690 disparate corners of the musical universe. His 00:10:42.690 --> 00:10:45.190 early role model was Mitch Mitchell of the Jimi 00:10:45.190 --> 00:10:47.649 Hendrix Experience. And what stands out in his 00:10:47.649 --> 00:10:49.929 admiration for Mitchell isn't just the playing, 00:10:50.110 --> 00:10:52.230 it's the compositional approach. What do you 00:10:52.230 --> 00:10:54.470 mean by that? Well, Taylor described Mitchell's 00:10:54.470 --> 00:10:57.610 style as fusion of jazz technique and wonderful 00:10:57.610 --> 00:11:00.429 riffs, but with this rolling, ferocious attack 00:11:00.429 --> 00:11:02.690 on the whole kit. So it was about the structure, 00:11:02.809 --> 00:11:05.669 not just the beat. Exactly. He said Mitchell 00:11:05.669 --> 00:11:08.049 played the kit like a song and was characterized 00:11:08.049 --> 00:11:10.889 by total integration into the song, not just 00:11:10.889 --> 00:11:13.450 marking time. That's a composer's way of thinking 00:11:13.450 --> 00:11:15.850 about rhythm. The drumming isn't just accompaniment, 00:11:15.889 --> 00:11:18.350 it's a melody in itself. Precisely. Then you 00:11:18.350 --> 00:11:21.330 have the absolute pinnacle of power, John Bonham 00:11:21.330 --> 00:11:23.730 of Led Zeppelin. Who Taylor called the greatest 00:11:23.730 --> 00:11:26.190 rock and roll drummer of all time. Here, the 00:11:26.190 --> 00:11:28.509 focus shifts entirely to sound and innovation, 00:11:28.710 --> 00:11:31.889 the engineering of impact. Taylor praised Bonham 00:11:31.889 --> 00:11:35.049 for achieving the greatest sound out of his drums. 00:11:35.110 --> 00:11:38.009 They sounded enormous. But the deeper analysis 00:11:38.009 --> 00:11:40.730 is his note that Bonham could do more with one 00:11:40.730 --> 00:11:43.529 bass drum than most could do with three. All 00:11:43.529 --> 00:11:46.970 due to his speed, technique, and power. Which 00:11:46.970 --> 00:11:49.070 highlights Taylor's appreciation for efficiency 00:11:49.070 --> 00:11:52.330 and maximal effect. It's about getting that huge 00:11:52.330 --> 00:11:54.610 sound without relying on excessive equipment. 00:11:55.049 --> 00:11:57.529 That's a true producer's ethos. And then, rounding 00:11:57.529 --> 00:11:59.450 out the rock legends, we come back to the man 00:11:59.450 --> 00:12:02.029 who inspired his focus on tuning, Keith Moon. 00:12:02.250 --> 00:12:05.809 Right. Taylor described Moon as absolutely brilliant. 00:12:05.950 --> 00:12:08.090 He had a totally unique style. He didn't owe 00:12:08.090 --> 00:12:10.950 anyone anything. This appreciation really speaks 00:12:10.950 --> 00:12:13.309 to his deep respect for originality and having 00:12:13.309 --> 00:12:15.529 a distinct personality in your playing, even 00:12:15.529 --> 00:12:19.139 when Moon's style was bordering on, well... And 00:12:19.139 --> 00:12:21.799 finally, for sheer technical ability, the sources 00:12:21.799 --> 00:12:24.279 point out that Taylor looked entirely outside 00:12:24.279 --> 00:12:26.940 the rock genre. He cited the jazz and big band 00:12:26.940 --> 00:12:29.240 drummer Buddy Rich. Calling him the best I've 00:12:29.240 --> 00:12:31.980 ever seen for sheer technique. So if you connect 00:12:31.980 --> 00:12:34.320 all these dots. Taylor built his style on four 00:12:34.320 --> 00:12:37.080 pillars. The melodic jazz musicality of Mitchell. 00:12:37.379 --> 00:12:40.299 The raw power and sound engineering of Bonham. 00:12:40.379 --> 00:12:43.620 The unpredictable, unique flair of Moon. And 00:12:43.620 --> 00:12:47.029 the precise technique of Buddy Rich. That cocktail 00:12:47.029 --> 00:12:49.769 explains exactly how he could provide the rhythmic 00:12:49.769 --> 00:12:52.649 backbone to a band that jumped from vaudeville 00:12:52.649 --> 00:12:55.710 to opera to power ballads to disco, sometimes 00:12:55.710 --> 00:12:58.330 within a single album cycle. It's the only way 00:12:58.330 --> 00:12:59.860 it could have worked. I mean, think about the 00:12:59.860 --> 00:13:02.759 transition from the fluid, almost jazzy fills 00:13:02.759 --> 00:13:07.000 in the millionaire waltz to the raw, driving, 00:13:07.179 --> 00:13:11.000 bonamass power of Stone Cold Crazy. That diverse 00:13:11.000 --> 00:13:13.519 mix of influences is essential, and it allowed 00:13:13.519 --> 00:13:16.000 him to pivot effortlessly across Queen's wildly 00:13:16.000 --> 00:13:18.460 varying genres. It's the sound of a polymath 00:13:18.460 --> 00:13:20.399 applying diverse knowledge. He had the technique 00:13:20.399 --> 00:13:22.639 to play anything, the engineering sense to make 00:13:22.639 --> 00:13:24.759 it sound massive. And the compositional instinct 00:13:24.759 --> 00:13:26.600 to ensure the drumming always served the song 00:13:26.600 --> 00:13:28.440 first. Okay, so having established him as... 00:13:28.460 --> 00:13:31.740 this rhythmic and technical cornerstone. We absolutely 00:13:31.740 --> 00:13:34.279 have to move to his creative output outside the 00:13:34.279 --> 00:13:36.360 drum kit. We do. And the source is very clear 00:13:36.360 --> 00:13:39.039 on this. Taylor is the third most credited songwriter 00:13:39.039 --> 00:13:41.559 for Queen. Consistently contributing at least 00:13:41.559 --> 00:13:44.259 one or two tracks to every single album. That 00:13:44.259 --> 00:13:46.980 level of consistent, successful contribution 00:13:46.980 --> 00:13:50.360 is incredibly unusual for a drummer, especially 00:13:50.360 --> 00:13:53.220 in a band with two other primary songwriters, 00:13:53.340 --> 00:13:56.340 like Freddie Mercury and Brian May. It makes 00:13:56.340 --> 00:13:58.639 him so much more than just the guy keeping the 00:13:58.639 --> 00:14:01.919 beat. He was a creative engine for defining Queen's 00:14:01.919 --> 00:14:04.379 stylistic evolution, particularly in their later 00:14:04.379 --> 00:14:07.340 eras. And these aren't minor cuts or album fillers 00:14:07.340 --> 00:14:10.840 we're talking about. They are bona fide, generation 00:14:10.840 --> 00:14:14.019 -defining hits. Absolutely. The sources list 00:14:14.019 --> 00:14:17.700 his lead or co -writing credits on three UK number 00:14:17.700 --> 00:14:20.940 one hits. These are the days of our lives. Innuendo, 00:14:20.940 --> 00:14:23.480 which was a co -write, but the band credits him 00:14:23.480 --> 00:14:25.750 with initiating it. And of course, the iconic 00:14:25.750 --> 00:14:27.909 Under Pressure, another co -write with David 00:14:27.909 --> 00:14:30.230 Bowie. And that list just keeps going with five 00:14:30.230 --> 00:14:32.950 other major hits for Queen. Radio Gaga, A Kind 00:14:32.950 --> 00:14:35.350 of Magic, Heaven for Everyone, Breakthrough, 00:14:35.490 --> 00:14:38.169 and The Invisible Man. What's so critical here 00:14:38.169 --> 00:14:40.330 is not just the quantity, but the style of his 00:14:40.330 --> 00:14:43.590 writing. Taylor consistently injected new, often 00:14:43.590 --> 00:14:46.649 more streamlined pop or new wave influences into 00:14:46.649 --> 00:14:49.250 Queen's sound. And that often contrasted sharply 00:14:49.250 --> 00:14:52.409 with the... you know, the Baroque or orchestral 00:14:52.409 --> 00:14:55.110 sensibilities of Mercury and May. Radio Gaga 00:14:55.110 --> 00:14:57.629 is the perfect example of that stylistic shift. 00:14:57.769 --> 00:15:00.190 It's not a hard rock epic. Not at all. It's a 00:15:00.190 --> 00:15:03.610 minimalist, electronic stadium anthem that uses 00:15:03.610 --> 00:15:06.309 synthesizers and repetition to build this incredible 00:15:06.309 --> 00:15:08.970 momentum. Radio Gaga really defines the works 00:15:08.970 --> 00:15:11.429 era and showcases his ability to write these 00:15:11.429 --> 00:15:13.990 massive stadium -sized tracks that moved Queen 00:15:13.990 --> 00:15:16.190 forward. He was instrumental in keeping Queen 00:15:16.190 --> 00:15:19.129 relevant in the 1980s. He embraced new wave and 00:15:19.129 --> 00:15:21.350 electronic sounds. and that ensured the band 00:15:21.350 --> 00:15:23.830 didn't become a dinosaur. And central to all 00:15:23.830 --> 00:15:26.669 of these compositions is his voice. We hear him 00:15:26.669 --> 00:15:29.690 providing that necessary high end in Queen's 00:15:29.690 --> 00:15:32.750 famously complex backing harmonies. But the sources 00:15:32.750 --> 00:15:35.350 specify that Taylor employs a distinctive falsetto 00:15:35.350 --> 00:15:38.070 vocal range, which is often prominently featured 00:15:38.070 --> 00:15:40.690 on his own compositions, both for Queen and in 00:15:40.690 --> 00:15:43.389 his solo work. That falsetto was absolutely essential 00:15:43.389 --> 00:15:46.259 to the Queen sound. Oh, completely. Along with 00:15:46.259 --> 00:15:49.039 Freddie Mercury's powerful lead and Brian May's 00:15:49.039 --> 00:15:52.200 lower, often more nasal harmonies, Taylor's high 00:15:52.200 --> 00:15:55.799 register completed that complex, almost operatic 00:15:55.799 --> 00:15:59.100 vocal layering that made Queen instantly recognizable. 00:15:59.399 --> 00:16:01.639 He was the sonic glue holding the highest harmonies 00:16:01.639 --> 00:16:03.580 together. And beyond his immediate band duties, 00:16:03.799 --> 00:16:06.539 we also see that highly analytical side of his 00:16:06.539 --> 00:16:08.580 personality showing up in his production work 00:16:08.580 --> 00:16:10.620 for other people. He wasn't just performing the 00:16:10.620 --> 00:16:12.899 music, he was shaping the final sonic product 00:16:12.899 --> 00:16:15.740 for other artists. This confirms that analysis 00:16:15.740 --> 00:16:18.000 we made earlier about his science background 00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:20.179 translating into systematic audio construction. 00:16:20.620 --> 00:16:23.100 The sources confirm he produced albums for the 00:16:23.100 --> 00:16:26.309 rock band Magnum. Their 1986 album Vigilante, 00:16:26.450 --> 00:16:29.389 specifically. And also albums for Virginia Woolf 00:16:29.389 --> 00:16:32.509 and Jimmy Nail. Why would a band like Magnum 00:16:32.509 --> 00:16:35.309 seek out Queen's drummer as a producer in the 00:16:35.309 --> 00:16:37.509 mid -80s? What was he bringing to the table? 00:16:37.769 --> 00:16:40.110 Well, because that specific era required a shift 00:16:40.110 --> 00:16:42.889 in sound. Bands needed to move from a looser 00:16:42.889 --> 00:16:45.990 70s rock aesthetic to a very tightly controlled, 00:16:46.190 --> 00:16:49.549 slick, polished 80s stadium sound. Huge drums, 00:16:49.649 --> 00:16:53.070 precision instrumentation. Exactly. So who better 00:16:53.070 --> 00:16:55.730 to provide that technical roadmap than someone 00:16:55.730 --> 00:16:58.950 who was trained in systematic analysis and was 00:16:58.950 --> 00:17:02.629 actively engineering massive stadium -sized hits 00:17:02.629 --> 00:17:06.240 like Radio Gaga. It proves his technical ability 00:17:06.240 --> 00:17:08.640 was sought out well beyond the context of Queen. 00:17:08.859 --> 00:17:11.680 And to be a successful producer, you need that 00:17:11.680 --> 00:17:13.980 analytical precision to manage all the different 00:17:13.980 --> 00:17:16.619 sonic elements, dictating the final frequency 00:17:16.619 --> 00:17:19.220 balance and the structural tightness of an album. 00:17:19.359 --> 00:17:21.460 So we have the technique, the hits, the voice, 00:17:21.500 --> 00:17:24.150 and the external production credit. But the sheer 00:17:24.150 --> 00:17:26.569 volume of his creative ambition meant that even 00:17:26.569 --> 00:17:28.930 Queen at its height wasn't enough to contain 00:17:28.930 --> 00:17:31.809 him. Not even close. After Queen finished the 00:17:31.809 --> 00:17:34.569 Magic Tour in 1986, he needed another outlet. 00:17:35.079 --> 00:17:37.140 And that brings us to his parallel career. And 00:17:37.140 --> 00:17:39.559 this parallel career is the most definitive evidence 00:17:39.559 --> 00:17:42.480 of Roger Taylor being a true polymath. Because 00:17:42.480 --> 00:17:44.519 he actively sought out roles that completely 00:17:44.519 --> 00:17:46.980 overturned his established identity as a world 00:17:46.980 --> 00:17:49.279 -class drummer. He started a side project called 00:17:49.279 --> 00:17:53.019 The Cross, which existed from 1987 to 1993. And 00:17:53.019 --> 00:17:55.640 this is the critical distinction. While he remained 00:17:55.640 --> 00:17:58.039 Queen's drummer, he fronted The Cross. As the 00:17:58.039 --> 00:18:01.000 rhythm guitarist and significantly the lead vocalist, 00:18:01.059 --> 00:18:03.539 he purposely stepped out from behind that massive 00:18:03.539 --> 00:18:06.400 drum kit to take center stage. He became the 00:18:06.400 --> 00:18:09.680 primary expressive voice. That move is just. 00:18:10.359 --> 00:18:12.980 It's enormously significant, both creatively 00:18:12.980 --> 00:18:15.380 and psychologically. It gave him an uncompromised 00:18:15.380 --> 00:18:18.079 platform for his own songwriting and vocal expression 00:18:18.079 --> 00:18:20.240 without having to navigate the, you know, the 00:18:20.240 --> 00:18:23.059 internal dynamics of Mercury and May. The Cross 00:18:23.059 --> 00:18:26.420 released three albums. shove it in 88 mad bad 00:18:26.420 --> 00:18:29.339 and dangerous to know in 1990 and blue rock in 00:18:29.339 --> 00:18:32.619 1991 and the sources note a really rapid stylistic 00:18:32.619 --> 00:18:35.279 evolution too they do the debut incorporated 00:18:35.279 --> 00:18:38.019 prominent dance and electronic influences which 00:18:38.019 --> 00:18:40.519 they then subsequently dropped as the band found 00:18:40.519 --> 00:18:43.240 its heavier rock footing it shows an artist actively 00:18:43.240 --> 00:18:45.799 using the side project as a kind of lab for experimentation 00:18:45.799 --> 00:18:48.539 discarding what didn't work and at the same time 00:18:48.539 --> 00:18:50.539 he maintained a highly productive solo career 00:18:50.940 --> 00:18:53.900 Six studio albums and one solo live album, Outsider 00:18:53.900 --> 00:18:57.240 Tour Live from 2022. That is an enormous amount 00:18:57.240 --> 00:18:59.640 of work to produce while also touring the world 00:18:59.640 --> 00:19:01.880 with Queen and managing a side band. We should 00:19:01.880 --> 00:19:04.740 focus on his first solo album, Fun and Skace 00:19:04.740 --> 00:19:07.940 from 1981, because it's the perfect illustration 00:19:07.940 --> 00:19:11.720 of his analytical, multi -instrumentalist capability. 00:19:11.980 --> 00:19:13.839 This is the one where he did everything, right? 00:19:14.670 --> 00:19:17.190 The sources confirm Taylor performed all the 00:19:17.190 --> 00:19:19.529 vocals and played all the instruments himself, 00:19:19.809 --> 00:19:22.410 aside from about half of the keyboards, which 00:19:22.410 --> 00:19:25.190 were provided by engineer David Richards. Talk 00:19:25.190 --> 00:19:27.950 about absolute creative control. Building an 00:19:27.950 --> 00:19:30.569 entire album from the ground up, instrument by 00:19:30.569 --> 00:19:33.029 instrument, tracking all the vocals, engineering 00:19:33.029 --> 00:19:36.250 the sonic space himself, that requires that surgical 00:19:36.250 --> 00:19:38.470 level of focus we talked about earlier. It's 00:19:38.470 --> 00:19:40.809 the ultimate application of the analytical mind 00:19:40.809 --> 00:19:44.630 in the studio. To plan, sequence, perform, and 00:19:44.630 --> 00:19:47.269 oversee every single layer of that music without 00:19:47.269 --> 00:19:49.789 the support of three other band members is an 00:19:49.789 --> 00:19:52.230 incredible engineering feat. And he even managed 00:19:52.230 --> 00:19:54.289 to promote it, appearing on Top of the Pops for 00:19:54.289 --> 00:19:56.660 the single Future Management. His next album, 00:19:56.819 --> 00:19:59.839 Strange Frontier in 1984, showed his willingness 00:19:59.839 --> 00:20:02.720 to engage with other songwriters' works. He included 00:20:02.720 --> 00:20:05.000 covers of Bruce Springsteen's Racing in the Street 00:20:05.000 --> 00:20:08.019 and Bob Dylan's Masters of War. But what I find 00:20:08.019 --> 00:20:10.720 fascinating... Is the Queen family involvement 00:20:10.720 --> 00:20:13.819 here? Even with his solo venture, the bonds were 00:20:13.819 --> 00:20:16.119 still strong. Right. Freddie Mercury provided 00:20:16.119 --> 00:20:18.960 backing vocals on Killing Time. Brian May made 00:20:18.960 --> 00:20:21.640 a guest appearance. And John Deacon even remixed 00:20:21.640 --> 00:20:24.099 the B -side. It shows that even when he sought 00:20:24.099 --> 00:20:27.099 total independence, the core musical ecosystem 00:20:27.099 --> 00:20:30.619 of Queen was still supportive of his autonomous 00:20:30.619 --> 00:20:32.880 pursuits. And then we jump forward to Happiness 00:20:32.880 --> 00:20:36.039 in 1994, which came out after Freddie's death. 00:20:36.509 --> 00:20:51.720 What does it say? Wow. That is such a rich detail. 00:20:51.960 --> 00:20:54.660 It really is. Phylicinous cynocephalus is the 00:20:54.660 --> 00:20:56.880 scientific name for the Tasmanian tiger, a beautiful 00:20:56.880 --> 00:20:59.440 marsupial that was declared extinct decades ago. 00:20:59.579 --> 00:21:01.519 So by dedicating the album to both the animal 00:21:01.519 --> 00:21:03.619 and to Freddie, Taylor is connecting the concept 00:21:03.619 --> 00:21:06.680 of loss, preservation, remembrance. Both in nature 00:21:06.680 --> 00:21:09.240 and in human relationships, it shows this deep, 00:21:09.279 --> 00:21:11.640 reflective engagement with environmentalism and 00:21:11.640 --> 00:21:14.279 mortality, linking directly to the tribute for 00:21:14.279 --> 00:21:17.019 Mercury. And that album also showcased his solo 00:21:17.019 --> 00:21:20.099 commercial viability. It produced his first UK 00:21:20.099 --> 00:21:23.299 hit single. The Politically Charged Nazis, 1994, 00:21:23.900 --> 00:21:27.420 followed by Happiness and the collaborative track 00:21:27.420 --> 00:21:30.440 Foreign Sand. And the success of Foreign Sand, 00:21:30.599 --> 00:21:33.099 which was a joint effort with Yoshiki, the drummer 00:21:33.099 --> 00:21:35.380 and pianist from the Japanese rock band X Japan. 00:21:35.930 --> 00:21:38.509 That speaks volumes about his individual international 00:21:38.509 --> 00:21:41.990 stature. His creative reach extended across genres 00:21:41.990 --> 00:21:44.630 and cultures, totally independent of the massive 00:21:44.630 --> 00:21:46.710 Queen brand. And fitting for someone with such 00:21:46.710 --> 00:21:49.069 an analytical and forward -thinking mind, he 00:21:49.069 --> 00:21:51.509 embraced digital innovation very early on. He 00:21:51.509 --> 00:21:54.650 did. In 1998, to promote his fourth album, Electric 00:21:54.650 --> 00:21:57.470 Fire, he performed one of the first ever internet 00:21:57.470 --> 00:22:00.009 gigs. An innovative venture that actually earned 00:22:00.009 --> 00:22:02.029 him a mention in the Guinness Book of World Records. 00:22:02.269 --> 00:22:04.579 This is crucial. He wasn't just resting on his 00:22:04.579 --> 00:22:07.660 past glories with Queen. He was actively experimenting 00:22:07.660 --> 00:22:10.200 with new distribution and performance platforms, 00:22:10.440 --> 00:22:13.039 always looking for that next technological edge. 00:22:13.160 --> 00:22:15.180 And the sheer weight of this entire parallel 00:22:15.180 --> 00:22:17.880 career is collected in one place. The lot from 00:22:17.880 --> 00:22:20.460 2013, which compiled all of his non -Queen work. 00:22:20.799 --> 00:22:23.880 That compilation is in itself a piece of evidence 00:22:23.880 --> 00:22:27.099 for the polymath thesis. His work was so voluminous, 00:22:27.119 --> 00:22:30.339 so stylistically distinct from Queen that it 00:22:30.339 --> 00:22:33.700 needed its own comprehensive box set to define 00:22:33.700 --> 00:22:36.680 his legacy as a separate autonomous artist. And 00:22:36.680 --> 00:22:39.039 he remains culturally current. His most recent 00:22:39.039 --> 00:22:42.380 studio album, Outsider from 2021, debuted successfully 00:22:42.380 --> 00:22:45.559 at number three on the UK albums chart. And that 00:22:45.559 --> 00:22:47.839 ties right into the global events of that time. 00:22:47.940 --> 00:22:50.829 The single Isolation. which he released in 2020 00:22:50.829 --> 00:22:53.309 in response to the COVID -19 pandemic. It topped 00:22:53.309 --> 00:22:55.950 the UK iTunes rock chart. Showing his immediate 00:22:55.950 --> 00:22:58.809 responsiveness to cultural moments and his ability 00:22:58.809 --> 00:23:01.390 to connect with audiences through highly relevant 00:23:01.390 --> 00:23:04.410 current material. He's not just a legacy act. 00:23:04.470 --> 00:23:06.150 He's an active commentator. Okay, so now we need 00:23:06.150 --> 00:23:08.170 to synthesize the astonishing breadth of his 00:23:08.170 --> 00:23:10.730 collaborations listed in the sources. And the 00:23:10.730 --> 00:23:12.789 list is just a roadmap of modern rock history. 00:23:12.950 --> 00:23:15.190 It confirms his status as a highly respected, 00:23:15.470 --> 00:23:17.710 in -demand musician across all sorts of genres. 00:23:17.990 --> 00:23:20.319 He's collaborated with... absolute legends. Eric 00:23:20.319 --> 00:23:23.740 Clapton, Roger Waters, Robert Plant, Phil Collins, 00:23:23.940 --> 00:23:27.579 Elton John, Gary Newman. The range is incredible, 00:23:27.720 --> 00:23:31.119 from hard rock virtuosos to new wave pioneers. 00:23:31.519 --> 00:23:33.960 It demonstrates not just respect for his drumming, 00:23:33.960 --> 00:23:36.500 but for his compositional skills and his ability 00:23:36.500 --> 00:23:39.240 to adapt. And the collaborations continued into 00:23:39.240 --> 00:23:41.799 the modern era. bringing in younger artists and 00:23:41.799 --> 00:23:44.279 international acts. Beyond that Yoshiki collaboration, 00:23:44.900 --> 00:23:47.759 he worked with the Welsh rock artist Jace Lewis, 00:23:48.039 --> 00:23:51.319 providing drums for the track Wrath. He was also 00:23:51.319 --> 00:23:53.579 a participant in major humanitarian efforts, 00:23:53.759 --> 00:23:56.000 appearing on Band Aid 30's Do They Know It's 00:23:56.000 --> 00:23:59.390 Christmas in 2014. Right, playing drums alongside 00:23:59.390 --> 00:24:02.390 many current British and Irish pop acts to raise 00:24:02.390 --> 00:24:05.430 money for the Ebola crisis. He continually uses 00:24:05.430 --> 00:24:07.750 his platform for maximum impact. But perhaps 00:24:07.750 --> 00:24:09.990 the collaboration that best showcases his influence 00:24:09.990 --> 00:24:12.589 on the next generation of drummers was his appearance 00:24:12.589 --> 00:24:15.049 with the Foo Fighters. That 2015 performance 00:24:15.049 --> 00:24:17.690 at Milton Keynes is such a fantastic, symbolic 00:24:17.690 --> 00:24:20.609 moment. Taylor and Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones 00:24:20.609 --> 00:24:23.710 joined Foo Fighters on stage to perform a cover 00:24:23.710 --> 00:24:26.339 of Under Pressure. It's an explicit acknowledgement 00:24:26.339 --> 00:24:28.660 from Dave Grohl, himself a legendary drummer, 00:24:28.799 --> 00:24:30.759 of the foundational importance of Taylor's work. 00:24:30.900 --> 00:24:33.160 It really is. It's a passing of the torch and 00:24:33.160 --> 00:24:35.640 a demonstration of mutual respect among drumming 00:24:35.640 --> 00:24:38.299 giants across multiple generations. And he also 00:24:38.299 --> 00:24:41.319 embraced some unique collaborations outside the 00:24:41.319 --> 00:24:44.079 standard rock sphere. The sources mention his 00:24:44.079 --> 00:24:47.000 2019 song, That's Football. Right. Released with 00:24:47.000 --> 00:24:49.799 the Czech Arsenal goalkeeper Petra Eč. who wrote 00:24:49.799 --> 00:24:51.940 the song for his own retiring football career. 00:24:52.119 --> 00:24:54.680 It just shows the extent of his cultural reach. 00:24:55.180 --> 00:24:58.299 Music as a universal language connecting even 00:24:58.299 --> 00:25:01.740 elite athletes and rock stars. He's clearly open 00:25:01.740 --> 00:25:04.220 to anything that piques his analytical and creative 00:25:04.220 --> 00:25:06.299 interest. And of course, the enduring legacy 00:25:06.299 --> 00:25:08.920 of Queen itself continues. The sources confirm 00:25:08.920 --> 00:25:11.640 his involvement in Queen plus Paul Rogers. And 00:25:11.640 --> 00:25:14.400 the ongoing, massively successful work with Queen 00:25:14.400 --> 00:25:16.789 plus Adam Lambert. They've appeared on American 00:25:16.789 --> 00:25:20.009 Idol three times, received the MTV Global Icon 00:25:20.009 --> 00:25:22.609 Award, performed at the 2012 Summer Olympics 00:25:22.609 --> 00:25:24.849 closing ceremony. And looking ahead, the sources 00:25:24.849 --> 00:25:26.930 tell us he and Brian May are set for a major 00:25:26.930 --> 00:25:30.329 tribute to their most iconic song in 2025. Yes. 00:25:30.390 --> 00:25:33.470 On September 13th, 2025, Taylor and May are scheduled 00:25:33.470 --> 00:25:35.609 to perform at the last night of the Troms. They're 00:25:35.609 --> 00:25:38.130 joining the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus 00:25:38.130 --> 00:25:40.829 for a new orchestral arrangement of Bohemian 00:25:40.829 --> 00:25:43.190 Rhapsody. Marking the 50th anniversary of the 00:25:43.190 --> 00:25:45.910 song, this place is tailored right at the pinnacle 00:25:45.910 --> 00:25:49.049 of British musical tradition, bridging rock and 00:25:49.049 --> 00:25:51.269 the classical establishment. Now let's talk about 00:25:51.269 --> 00:25:52.990 the honors, because this is where the sources 00:25:52.990 --> 00:25:55.589 deliver some truly unique nuggets that define 00:25:55.589 --> 00:26:00.069 his long -term cultural impact. First up, the 00:26:00.069 --> 00:26:04.569 Royal Mail Stamp controversy in 1999. This is 00:26:04.569 --> 00:26:06.710 a remarkable detail about his cultural weight. 00:26:07.049 --> 00:26:09.589 Taylor became only the second living person, 00:26:09.650 --> 00:26:11.549 other than members of the British royal family 00:26:11.549 --> 00:26:14.769 and Sir Francis Chichester in 1967, to appear 00:26:14.769 --> 00:26:17.329 on a British stamp. And he was featured behind 00:26:17.329 --> 00:26:19.250 Freddie Mercury in the Great Britain's issue. 00:26:19.369 --> 00:26:21.490 So why was it considered controversial? Because 00:26:21.490 --> 00:26:23.970 there was this longstanding unwritten rule that 00:26:23.970 --> 00:26:26.230 the only living people allowed to appear on British 00:26:26.230 --> 00:26:28.690 stamps were members of the royal family. So by 00:26:28.690 --> 00:26:31.349 featuring Taylor, even incidentally behind Mercury, 00:26:31.670 --> 00:26:34.190 the royal mail essentially broke a decades -old 00:26:34.190 --> 00:26:37.289 tradition. They did. They acknowledged that Queen's 00:26:37.289 --> 00:26:40.269 cultural importance was so monumental that it 00:26:40.269 --> 00:26:43.230 superseded these protocols. It's a literal recognition 00:26:43.230 --> 00:26:45.990 of national treasure status. That's a wonderful 00:26:45.990 --> 00:26:48.549 example of how music can bend official rules. 00:26:49.049 --> 00:26:53.160 Moving to a more formal, recent honor. His appointment 00:26:53.160 --> 00:26:55.740 as an officer of the Order of the British Empire, 00:26:55.960 --> 00:26:59.039 the OBE. In the 2020 New Year, honors for services 00:26:59.039 --> 00:27:01.819 to music and the investiture ceremony in March 00:27:01.819 --> 00:27:04.299 2022 provided one of the most poignant moments 00:27:04.299 --> 00:27:06.819 in recent music history. What happened? Taylor 00:27:06.819 --> 00:27:10.220 dedicated his OBE to the recently deceased Foo 00:27:10.220 --> 00:27:13.220 Fighters drummer, Taylor Hawkins. And the sources 00:27:13.220 --> 00:27:15.819 provide this beautiful intergenerational reason 00:27:15.819 --> 00:27:18.180 for that dedication. Hawkins had been a crucial 00:27:18.180 --> 00:27:21.529 mentor to Taylor's own son, Rufus Taylor. who 00:27:21.529 --> 00:27:24.170 is the drummer for The Darkness. Wow. It's a 00:27:24.170 --> 00:27:26.089 powerful connection between musical generations 00:27:26.089 --> 00:27:28.789 honoring a peer who had influenced his own family's 00:27:28.789 --> 00:27:32.069 continuing legacy in music. It's respect, formalized. 00:27:32.190 --> 00:27:34.450 But if we needed any more evidence of his unique 00:27:34.450 --> 00:27:36.509 polymathic influence, we have the scientific 00:27:36.509 --> 00:27:39.650 tribute. Ah, yes, that BSC in biology we discussed 00:27:39.650 --> 00:27:43.210 earlier. It came full circle in 2013 when a newly 00:27:43.210 --> 00:27:46.589 discovered species of damselfly from Brazil was 00:27:46.589 --> 00:27:50.019 named... Heterogrean Roger Taylori. A damselfly 00:27:50.019 --> 00:27:52.559 named after Roger Taylor. So was this a tribute 00:27:52.559 --> 00:27:55.779 to his multifaceted talent? It was. Absolutely. 00:27:56.000 --> 00:27:58.680 Yeah. The specific reason cited by the scientist 00:27:58.680 --> 00:28:01.619 who named it wasn't his degree. but in honor 00:28:01.619 --> 00:28:04.119 of his powerful sound, wonderful lyrics, and 00:28:04.119 --> 00:28:07.380 raspy voice. That is a perfect, holistic encapsulation 00:28:07.380 --> 00:28:10.319 of his diverse talents, rhythm, lyrics, and vocals, 00:28:10.480 --> 00:28:13.559 all recognized by entomologists studying Brazilian 00:28:13.559 --> 00:28:16.240 fauna. It's the ultimate recognition of the fusion 00:28:16.240 --> 00:28:18.740 of the methodical and the maniacal. That is truly 00:28:18.740 --> 00:28:21.279 next -level recognition. Finally, to show he's 00:28:21.279 --> 00:28:23.539 still innovating, the sources bring us right 00:28:23.539 --> 00:28:26.440 up to 2023 with his latest entrepreneurial venture. 00:28:26.990 --> 00:28:29.509 Taylor, along with his wife, Serena, Adam Glambert 00:28:29.509 --> 00:28:31.809 and others, opened a bar in West Hollywood called 00:28:31.809 --> 00:28:35.029 The Wild in November 2023. It just shows an ongoing 00:28:35.029 --> 00:28:36.930 commitment to new ventures and collaborations 00:28:36.930 --> 00:28:39.529 that extend beyond the stage, maintaining his 00:28:39.529 --> 00:28:41.369 relevant presence in the cultural and business 00:28:41.369 --> 00:28:44.289 sphere. This deep dive has covered an incredible 00:28:44.289 --> 00:28:47.269 amount of ground. We started with the surprising 00:28:47.269 --> 00:28:49.630 fact that Roger Taylor was almost a dentist, 00:28:49.910 --> 00:28:52.609 traced his path through the academic rigor of 00:28:52.609 --> 00:28:55.690 a science degree and saw how he became Queens 00:28:55.690 --> 00:28:59.829 meticulous. And one of the band's top songwriters. 00:29:00.130 --> 00:29:02.650 He then stepped out to become a critically acclaimed 00:29:02.650 --> 00:29:05.759 solo frontman with his own band. The Cross. And 00:29:05.759 --> 00:29:08.000 continues to collaborate and innovate, earning 00:29:08.000 --> 00:29:11.359 a stamp, a damsel fly, and an OBE along the way. 00:29:11.539 --> 00:29:13.980 The source material clearly shows that Taylor's 00:29:13.980 --> 00:29:16.319 career wasn't just about playing the drums for 00:29:16.319 --> 00:29:18.940 Queen. It was defined by a constant, restless 00:29:18.940 --> 00:29:21.859 pursuit of creative control and diverse expression. 00:29:22.220 --> 00:29:24.200 And that manifests through his meticulous production 00:29:24.200 --> 00:29:26.740 work, his substantial songwriting that defined 00:29:26.740 --> 00:29:29.420 Queen's 80s sound. His multi -instrumentation 00:29:29.420 --> 00:29:31.720 on his solo albums, and his deliberate decision 00:29:31.720 --> 00:29:34.740 to front his own band. This reflects a deep, 00:29:34.759 --> 00:29:37.299 sustained, creative drive far greater than that 00:29:37.299 --> 00:29:39.700 of a typical band drummer. The journey from studying 00:29:39.700 --> 00:29:41.839 biology and the systematic methods of science 00:29:41.839 --> 00:29:44.400 to becoming a drumming pioneer who synthesized 00:29:44.400 --> 00:29:46.980 every style imaginable is really the central 00:29:46.980 --> 00:29:49.019 narrative here. And this raises an important 00:29:49.019 --> 00:29:51.079 question for you, the listener, to mull over. 00:29:51.460 --> 00:29:55.400 We analyze his complex set of inspirations. The 00:29:55.400 --> 00:29:57.799 jazz fluidity of Mitch Mitchell, the colossal 00:29:57.799 --> 00:30:00.220 sound engineering of John Bonham, the unpredictable 00:30:00.220 --> 00:30:02.960 originality of Keith Moon, and the sheer technique 00:30:02.960 --> 00:30:07.440 of Buddy Rich. So given these raw, often conflicting 00:30:07.440 --> 00:30:10.640 ingredients. How did Taylor's unexpected academic 00:30:10.640 --> 00:30:13.339 background, balancing the objective precision 00:30:13.339 --> 00:30:16.339 of a science degree with the raw subjective power 00:30:16.339 --> 00:30:19.039 of his drumming heroes, allow him to become such 00:30:19.039 --> 00:30:22.200 a uniquely successful synthesizer of disparate 00:30:22.200 --> 00:30:24.980 musical styles in Queen? Plending hard rock, 00:30:25.140 --> 00:30:27.779 electronic pop, and the orchestral, often within 00:30:27.779 --> 00:30:29.799 the same album, with such seamless authority. 00:30:30.099 --> 00:30:32.259 It's the fusion of the methodical mind and the 00:30:32.259 --> 00:30:34.200 musical maniac. Something to think about the 00:30:34.200 --> 00:30:36.660 next time you hear that enormous Bonham -esque 00:30:36.660 --> 00:30:39.680 snare hit, followed by a perfect high falsetto 00:30:39.680 --> 00:30:41.960 harmony. Thanks for joining us for The Deep Dive. 00:30:41.960 --> 00:30:42.660 We will see you next time.