Here's an excerpt from SMUG Magazine; it's an article called

"...And then there was JOHN"

JOHN TAYLOR was not only Duran Duran's bassist, but as a founding member, he was respected and intensely worshipped. It's a reality he's had to live with for almost two decades. Duran Duran was an around the clock job that alienated him as much as it catapulted his name to superstardom.

From the start, he had the ideal look: tall and lanky, with flowing hair and an outrageous fashion sense. He exemplified new wave, showing little regard for the fashion standards at the time. His impeccable style stayed with him throughout his career with Duran ('79-'97) and various solo outings and side projects, including 1986's Power Station and 1996's Neurotic Outsiders.

Like many musicians forcibly coping with their celebrity status, fame was bringing out the worst in him. "It's all so addictive," he explains in the Santa Monica studio which houses his record label B5, "the attention was, certainly. All of us went through the same thing.

"You're getting 1,000 times more attention than you've ever had as an individual, but it's still not enough." Though it became too much very quickly. In the span of a few short years, John's life was overrun with schedules, commitments and appearances. On the road, it was no different: "Pop groups should take analysts on the road with them as monitors, taking your blood pressure and your emotional climate every 48 hours. And group therapy - God, we should've had that. That would have been great.

"I wouldn't be around if Duran Duran was a one-man band. We were only able to get through it, because there was enough of us to fill up the cracks if anybody was, you know, 'out to lunch.' There was one time when we were on tour in Germany that I was so drunk, they had to cancel the tour. I kind of got punished for that. They said 'we're canceling the tour, but we're going to do these three dates in Portugal with another bass player just to let you know that you can't go on doing this every year.' That was 1982, I put my head through a piece of glass that year!"

The pressures of life on tour coupled with his own anxiety took its toll on John's personal life. "It was par for the course. It was one of the golden rules of pop stardom: buy a fast car, get a model girlfriend and fuck her," he jokes. What really transpired in those trying years was a broken marriage and a stint in rehab. But, as was John's way, he dealt with his problems through music, taking on a solo career and wowing his apprehensive fans in the process. "There were those obsessive fans who would say, ' I wish you wouldn't waste time with these solo projects' and asked me to concentrate more on the band, but I find it incredible that Duran Duran stayed together as long as we did - side projects and all. I did what I had to do. I did the single for "9 1/2 Weeks" and kind of gave (a solo career) a try, but I don't think I was really ready to take on the responsibility. Not like now."

During his divorce, he was writing and recording at a furious pace eventually releasing an album on his own, Feelings Are Good and Other Lies (1995). Its bitter title is a perfect reflection of his hard times. Angry, both lyrically and musically, the album remains a true testament to his struggle towards regaining his self.

Feelings was not a great seller, but John never intended it to be. "I never felt like I was racing towards something, or that I had to do this by a certain time. But I decided it was time for me to take care of myself, and nothing else mattered. I'm not trying to copy somebody else's career. I'm in my forties, and I'm doing something that's got integrity. I'm not trying to be a pop star anymore, I'm just trying to be a songwriter. The same way that I'm trying not to be fat. And I don't mean any disrespect to fat people, but as long as you look like you've got your shit together, it counts for something."

In John's case, it's not just a matter of perception, he really did get his shit together by getting involved in new projects. While still an official member of Duran Duran, John took a spot at stage left with the Sex Pistols' Steve Jones at his right. Together they formed the Neurotic Outsiders, a garage band for former rock stars. At the Outsiders' New York show in 1996, the line-up consisted of John, Steve, Slash (Guns N' Roses) and Billy Idol. It was a triumphant return to the stage, even if it was just a one time thing, and the fans were jubilant.

"People's interest in our side projects is one of the main reasons why the fan base has stayed so devoted. There's been a lot to talk about! That's what fan bases are about: they collect their little communication conduit, and they bring people together and help them get over their insecurities."

But the fans were dealt a major blow earlier this year, when John announced that he would be leaving Duran Duran once and for all. "I felt like I'd done all that I could with the band. Duran Duran seemed like a great idea when I was seventeen, but after a while I grew tired of the spotlight, as did Andy. That's why he left. I would have been on this new record (Medazzaland) if I had stayed in the band, but I felt I was just lying to everybody. I had enough."

As for John's relationship with his former bandmates, "let's not go there" is his response. "I still have tremendous respect for Simon as a songwriter, but even he got a little flaky at times."

Once his announcement was official, John set out to record again. With the help of old friend/renowned producer Hein Hoven, he made B5 records as artistic and corporate reality. He finally reached the comfort level he yearned for: he had the freedom to write songs, orchestrate musical arrangements and experiment with sound. His latest solo incarnation, Autodidact, is a lush, pop-driven EP with beautiful melodies, harmonies, and that sultry elegance so vital to Duran Duran.

But the scars of his fame remain, and John still finds himself ducking the spotlight. "I concern myself with overexposure when I've got a product coming out. That will literally stop me from going out, because I don't want to be seen. I hide behind my product. It's been a long time since I've justified my own existence to myself. That was never a worry when (Duran Duran) was touring, but now there are times when I don't want to be seen in places, because I would feel like I was something nostalgic."

For someone with John's previous stature, his notoriety isn't likely to decrease. Duran Duran was a huge part of many people's lives, and some aren't ready to let him live it down. "If that happens, again, I'll do what I have to do. At least now, I have the freedom to decide what that will be."