Rest in peace, R. Dean Taylor

[carlo]

Sadly, there are reports coming in this evening on social media that Canadian Motown artist, songwriter and producer, R. Dean Taylor, has passed away. Rest in peace, Mr. Taylor. Thank you for your valuable contributions to music history.

[copley]

From one of his FB friends, news just coming in that R. Dean Taylor passed away this morning.


https://youtu.be/UWrYpWGH_qI

[carlo]

I grew up hearing this song all the time on Canadian 'oldies' radio stations, as it was a big hit here, when it was released in 1970. It was also a hit on the charts in the US and UK. I had no idea until tonight that this was his song, released on Motown's Rare Earth label. This is also the first time I've heard it in many years. Wowww. Memories :)


https://youtu.be/fZL_tZxyBDo

[Levi Stubbs Tears]

Farewell Mr Taylor. Hopefully Jane was waiting for you in Motown heaven.

[Motown Eddie]

Truly sorry to hear about the passing of R. Dean Taylor. I'll remember him best for the many songs that he co-wrote with H-D-H and 'The Clan' during Motown's Classic era [as well as my favorite single by him, "There's A Ghost In My House"]. RIP.

[jaybs]

From one of his FB friends, news just coming in that R. Dean Taylor passed away this morning.


https://youtu.be/UWrYpWGH_qI

1974, start of my career as a teenager in UK Radio, I had played 'Ghost in my House' in disco's a big Northern Soul Hit for a long time. I kept speaking to my contact at the UK Tamla Motown office pleaing for a release, writing letters to him, at last he replied we are going to release it, and it reached Numer 3 in The UK Pop Charts, what a success! can still see those Nothern Soul dancers on the floor, I was promised an Award isc if it reached Numer 1, but we got so close but not close enough.

Rest in Peace, R Dean Taylor, thanks for all the Joy you brought those Nothern Soul Dancers in Wigan Casino and The Blackpool Mecca, on the very rare! often scratched single many of us played in discos and radio here in the UK!

[Graham Jarvis]

So sad, he was always a hero in the UK, my favourite and the biggest hit he ever had in the UK was "Ghost in My House". What an incredible artist and songwriter, may he rest in peace. We will never forget him.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6MI5UVB1H8

[Boogiedown]

1974, start of my career as a teenager in UK Radio, I had played 'Ghost in my House' in disco's a big Northern Soul Hit for a long time. I kept speaking to my contact at the UK Tamla Motown office pleaing for a release, writing letters to him, at last he replied we are going to release it, and it reached Numer 3 in The UK Pop Charts, what a success! can still see those Nothern Soul dancers on the floor, I was promised an Award isc if it reached Numer 1, but we got so close but not close enough.

Rest in Peace, R Dean Taylor, thanks for all the Joy you brought those Nothern Soul Dancers in Wigan Casino and The Blackpool Mecca, on the very rare! often scratched single many of us played in discos and radio here in the UK!


great story jaybs!! Bravo !

and INDIANA WANTS ME gave Motown an unexpected shot in the arm.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2p3OfHP5Hmo

Cashbox ranked it at #1

RIP R Dean Taylor.

[snakepit]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0jx_TPMicUc

Topical novelty track that Motown shelved.

[mysterysinger]

Very sad news indeed. R Dean Taylor has been a contributor on this forum in the past.

Here he is singing "Indiana Wants Me"


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eG2LI1hb35U

[mysterysinger]

And here he's singing "Don't Fool Around"


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8GlwAQP9Ng

[mysterysinger]

Pre Motown days .... we'll remember Richard Dean Taylor.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Iebj6Y3p_Y

[snakepit]

Northern Soul event....with " let's go somewhere " played.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UzhvEDyMJes

[wilxy]

Very Sad News, RIP Sir........

[TomatoTom123]

Rest in Peace, R. Dean Taylor.

[BayouMotownMan]

Rest in Peace, R. Dean Taylor.

Has there been an official confirmation of his passing?

[Boogiedown]

I hadn’t realized that Taylor had such a sound following in the UK.

Very nice to see.

[zani57]

I have searched for an official confirmation, but, so far, nothing. Did find this, however —

https://50minds.com/what-happened-to-r-dean-taylor-is-r-dean-taylor-dead-or-alive-canadian-singer-death-rumors-hoax-reason-explained/

[BayouMotownMan]

I have searched for an official confirmation, but, so far, nothing. Did find this, however —

https://50minds.com/what-happened-to-r-dean-taylor-is-r-dean-taylor-dead-or-alive-canadian-singer-death-rumors-hoax-reason-explained/

He died on Jan 10? It's only Jan 9

[zani57]

He died on Jan 10? It's only Jan 9

I think the point of that piece I posted is that it MIGHT be a hoax. With no official confirmation, we don't know for sure.

[jbpintus]

I don’t have any proof of anything.
But come on… I feel it’s enough to always think everything is fake news.
Of course it’s needed to check informations.

But… if we check with what we have, and what we know for sure, RDT was not known to want to have people knowing what he was up to for years. Someone posted the news on his FB. That person is Chuck Brucato, who was singer of the Rare Earth group RUSTIX, whose first album BEDLAM was produced by R Dean Taylor in 1969.
They’ve been friends ever since and Chuck Brucato has for years posted things on his social medias about RUSTIX and R Dean Taylor. Joe Brucato, Chuck’s brother confirmed RDTs death too. He’s the only person we are aware of who still had contacts with him. So why not believing him.

Now let’s celebrate the great music RDT was responsible for. Let’s play his Essential Collection cd from Spectrum which is just perfect and has the mixes I like the best.
He won’t post here to confirm he left us - it’s been quite a while since he stopped chatting over here at that …

His website is quite simple but has interesting photos and informations btw
www.rdeantaylor.com

[tamlaboy]

Sadly, there are reports coming in this evening on social media that Canadian Motown artist, songwriter and producer, R. Dean Taylor, has passed away. Rest in peace, Mr. Taylor. Thank you for your valuable contributions to music history.#

His death is not confirmed on his HP or on Wikipedea

[carlo]

Thank you for confirming, jbpintus. It does indeed seem that the news of his passing was first confirmed by Chuck Brucato.

In regards to the "50minds.com" link shared above, kindly be careful with the types of websites you source for information, as this website is one of many examples of these spam websites that contain articles that are simply pasted together by web-crawling bots, based on trending posts it finds on social media. These types of websites are not meant to be used as sources of information, as they simply exist as click-bait for ad revenue generation. The same can be said for bot generated YouTube videos.

Wikipedia is also not always the best source either since anyone can update or edit a Wikipedia page. It may likely simply be a case of his page not yet being updated by anyone, since any edits should be referenced by a legitimate source/website, like an obituary. We've yet to see one, other than this sole Facebook post.

If he has any family, hopefully they can arrange to have an obituary published this week.

[MIKEW-UK]

Soultracks confirmed

https://www.soultracks.com/story-r-dean-taylor-dies

[blkfrost]

Loved the album he produced for Rustix. Wish that would get a cd release.

[jboy88]

Now that we finally got some credible receipts, I can now give a solemn RIP to one of the great unsung heroes of Motown! Thanks for the music!

[dickiemint]

Such sad news, but I thought he had passed prior to this . RIP Mr Taylor

[carlo]

Published today by The Canadian Press...contains a printed interview with his wife:

https://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/entertainment/r-dean-taylor-who-gave-motown-one-of-its-top-hits-by-a-white-artist-dies-at-82-1.5747737

[jobeterob]

Published today by The Canadian Press...contains a printed interview with his wife:

https://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/entertainment/r-dean-taylor-who-gave-motown-one-of-its-top-hits-by-a-white-artist-dies-at-82-1.5747737

Kind of sad

Some of this has been rumoured for many years

Good article

[moe]

Geez, I just saw this....another one who visited SDF...gone!
RIP.....

[bob_olhsson]

I worked a lot with Dean including the Rustix album. He was the first person at Motown to build a record one instrument at a time mostly played by himself. It was uncharted territory. I remember quickly figuring out that mechanical or electric metronomes didn't keep good enough time, so we created tape loops to use.

The goal was to create a hit that didn't sound at all like Motown. "Indiana Wants Me" was the first record from Motown to ever get airplay on many stations that wouldn't touch any black artists. It was a big deal because Berry Gordy wanted Motown to be another Columbia Records and not merely a Chess or Atlantic.

[ralpht]

Harry Balk was somewhat upset with Dean for not putting a band together when the record hit. It would have been good for promotion, plus Dean was losing out on a lot of concert money.

[bob_olhsson]

True. I don't think Dean had a clue about how to go about that. Most artists in his genre already had a band before they got signed and they had gotten signed because of their draw.

[florence]

Sad news indeed.

RIP Dean.

I always remember him for Indiana Wants Me although Ghost was really big in the UK.

What does anyone know about his early contract with Motown - was it his choice to be paid in cash rather than receive songwriter credit?

Any other big songs apart fro Love Is Here And Now You're Gone and Standing In The Shadows Of Love that he was involved in?

[Levi Stubbs Tears]

Published today by The Canadian Press...contains a printed interview with his wife:

https://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/entertainment/r-dean-taylor-who-gave-motown-one-of-its-top-hits-by-a-white-artist-dies-at-82-1.5747737

That is how so many lives end - with our family or friends unable to talk in their last hours. But we talk to them and sometimes play music to remind ourselves of past history.

Once again, Vale Mr Taylor.

[mysterysinger]

Sad news indeed.

RIP Dean.

I always remember him for Indiana Wants Me although Ghost was really big in the UK.

What does anyone know about his early contract with Motown - was it his choice to be paid in cash rather than receive songwriter credit?

Any other big songs apart fro Love Is Here And Now You're Gone and Standing In The Shadows Of Love that he was involved in?

Here's a few

"A Little Bit for Sandy" – Paul Petersen
"Ain't It a Sad Thing" – Taylor
"All I Need" – The Temptations
"At The High School Dance" – Taylor
"Baster Baby Blues" – The Kinsey Sicks
"Dance Hall Rock" – Barrington Levy
"Don't Fool Around" – Taylor
"Go on and Cry" – The Mynah Birds, Bloodstone
"Gotta See Jane" – Taylor, The Fall, Golden Earring
"I Don't Want to Own You [[I Just Want to Love You)" – The Supremes
"I Know Better" – Gladys Knight & the Pips, Barbara McNair, The Marvelettes
"I'll Turn to Stone" – Four Tops, Jackie DeShannon
"I'm Livin' in Shame" – Diana Ross & The Supremes
"Indiana Wants Me" – Taylor, Joe Simon
"It Must Be Love Baby" – Chris Clark
"It's My Time" – The Mynah Birds
"Just Look What You've Done" – Brenda Holloway
"Let's Go Somewhere" – Taylor, David Garrick
"Love Child" – Diana Ross & The Supremes, La Toya Jackson, Sweet Sensation
"Love's Your Name" – Taylor
"Mother You, Smother You" – Diana Ross & The Supremes
"Offering" – Fred Wesley
"Shadow" – Taylor, Tindersticks
"So Long" – Marvin Gaye
"The Beginning of the End of Love" – Diana Ross & The Supremes
"There's A Ghost in My House" – Taylor, The Fall, Graham Parker, The Fog Band, Yachts
"Turn To Stone" – Rick Danko
"Window Shopping" – Taylor[20]

+ Messengers, Rustix etc
Can anyone also confirm "[[Come Round Here) I'm The One Ypu Need" ?

[kenneth]

What an impressive list of credits. I had no idea he was part of The Clan! It’s amazing how much talent and skill there is in this artist, who wasn’t necessarily a household name to most people. Look at the rich legacy he was involved with and how much he contributed to Motown.

I know his first album was originally called “I Think, Therefore I Am,” prior to it being retitled to the name of his first big hit. That album is one of only a handful that were rechristened to be the name of the hit single, including a few others such as “Tears of a Clown,” “I Heard it Through the Grapevine,” “MacArthur Park” and I’m sure others.

I missed this thread the first time around so I appreciate @sansradio letting me know we here at SDF did pay tribute to this talented and gifted man.