Richard Dean Taylor (May 11, 1939 – January 7, 2022) was a Canadian musician, most notable as a singer, songwriter, and record producer for Motown during the 1960s and 1970s. According to Jason Ankeny, Taylor was "one of the most underrated acts ever to record under the Motown aegis." which hit No. 1 in Cashbox and also reached No. 2 in Canada and No. 2 in the United Kingdom. It peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. Taylor became well known in the UK for other hits, including "Gotta See Jane" and "There's a Ghost in My House".

Life and career

Taylor was born in Toronto, Ontario, on May 11, 1939. He began his career in 1961, as a pianist and singer with several country music bands in Toronto.

After Holland, Dozier and Eddie Holland left Motown, more success for Taylor came as a member of the Motown writing and production team known as "the Clan", together with Frank Wilson, Pam Sawyer and Deke Richards. This production group was briefly the prime creator of material for Diana Ross & the Supremes after the Holland-Dozier-Holland team left Motown. Among Taylor's successful co-compositions and co-productions during 1968 and 1969 as a member of The Clan were Diana Ross & the Supremes' No. 1 US hit "Love Child" and their Top 10 follow-up hit "I'm Livin' in Shame".

Taylor resumed his recording career in 1970, becoming one of the first artists assigned to Motown's new subsidiary Rare Earth, which was dedicated to white artists. In that year, his first Rare Earth single, "Indiana Wants Me", became a No. 2 hit in his native Canada and No. 1 in Cashbox magazine in the US, the first Motown record by a white performer to reach that position.

Discography

Albums

  • 1970: I Think, Therefore I Am (Rare Earth Records) – CAN No. 50, US No. 198
  • 1973: Indiana Wants Me (Sounds Superb) (UK-only compilation)
  • 1975: LA Sunset (Polydor)
  • 2001: The Essential Collection (Spectrum)

Singles

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

! rowspan="2" |Title

! rowspan="2" |Year

! colspan="12" |Peak chart positions

|-

! scope="col" |<small>CAN</small><br/>

!<small>CAN (AC)</small><br/>

! scope="col" |<small>AUS</small><br/>

!<small>GER</small><br/>

!<small>IRE</small><br/>

!<small>NL</small><br/>

!<small>NZ</small><br/>

!<small>SA</small><br/>

!<small>UK</small><br/>

!<small>US</small><br/>

!<small>US AC</small><br/>

!<small>US Country</small><br/>

|-

! scope="row" |"At the High School Dance" <small>(as R. Dean Taylor & His Combo)</small>

|1960

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|-

! scope="row" |"I'll Remember"

| rowspan="2" |1962

| align="center" |23<br/>

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|-

! scope="row" |"We Fell in Love as We Tangoed"

| align="center" |—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|-

! scope="row" |"Let's Go Somewhere"

|1965

| align="center" |39<br/>

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|-

! scope="row" |"There's a Ghost in My House"

|1967

| align="center" |—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|-

! scope="row" |"Gotta See Jane"

|1968

| align="center" |—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|32

|—

|—

|17

|—

|—

|—

|-

! scope="row" |"Indiana Wants Me"

|1970

| align="center" |2

|6

|30

|—

|2

|—

|11

|3

|2

|5

|—

|—

|-

! scope="row" |"Ain't It a Sad Thing"

| rowspan="4" |1971

| align="center" |35

|23

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|66

|—

|—

|-

! scope="row" |"Gotta See Jane" <small>(re-recording)</small>

|12

|—

|89

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|67

|—

|—

|-

! scope="row" |"Two of Us" <small>(New Zealand-only release)</small>

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|-

! scope="row" |"Candy Apple Red"

| align="center" |69

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|104

|—

|—

|-

! scope="row" |"Taos New Mexico" / "Shadow"

|1972

|48<br/>75

|—<br/>43

|98

|—

|—

|22

|—

|—

|—

|83

|28

|—

|-

! scope="row" |"Sweet Flowers"

| rowspan="2" |1973

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|-

! scope="row" |"Indiana Wants Me" <small>(US-only re-release)</small>

| align="center" |—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|-

! scope="row" |"Who Will Wipe My Tears Away"

| rowspan="5" |1974

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|-

! scope="row" |"There's a Ghost in My House" <small>(re-release)</small>

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|29

|—

|—

|3

|—

|—

|—

|-

! scope="row" |"Don't Fool Around" <small>(UK and Netherlands-only release)</small>

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|-

! scope="row" |"Window Shopping" <small>(UK and Europe-only release)</small>

| align="center" |—

|—

|—

|35

|—

|—

|—

|—

|36

|—

|—

|—

|-

! scope="row" |"Gotta See Jane" <small>(UK and Ireland-only re-release)</small>

| align="center" |—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|41

|—

|—

|—

|-

! scope="row" |"Walkin' in the Sun"

| rowspan="2" |1975

| align="center" |—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|-

! scope="row" |"Let's Talk It Over"

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|90

|-

! scope="row" |"We'll Show Them All"

| rowspan="3" |1976

| align="center" |77

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|-

! scope="row" |"Bonnie"

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|-

! scope="row" |"Closer My Love"

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|-

! scope="row" |"I'll Name the Baby After You"

|1979

| align="center" |—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|-

! scope="row" |"Let's Talk It Over" <small>(new version)</small>

|1981

| align="center" |—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|-

! scope="row" |"Out in the Alley" <small>(US-only release)</small>

|1982

| align="center" |—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|-

! scope="row" |"There's a Ghost in My House" <small>(UK-only limited re-release)</small>

|2004

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

|-

| colspan="14" style="font-size:90%" |"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

|}

Songwriting credits

  • "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

See also

  • List of Motown artists
  • List of Cashbox Top 100 number-one singles of 1970
  • List of 1970s one-hit wonders in the United States

References

  • Official website
  • Discography at 45cat.com
  • Artist page from the CHUM Chart