The Pop Anachronism Of TOT TAYLOR

Tot Taylor, a tin pan alley lover in the heart of 80s music industry

Tot Taylor is an english composer, songwriter, film-scorer, producer and founder of the 80s label Compact Organization. His vision for a contemporary pop art influenced by favourite songforms of previous decades (Beatles, Burt Bacharach...) and especially by pre-rock'n'roll music (Cole Porter, Rodgers & Hart, George Gershwin...) found expression in a number of solo albums, scores for films or theatre plays, and other music, which he wrote and produced, (using often the alias Teddy Johns), for Compact artists such as Virna Lindt, Mari Wilson and others...

In spite of Compact Organization comparative commercial success circa 1981-83 and the influences it spred around (think of el records for example), Tot Taylor's music, with all its irony, self-parody and witty eccentrity, remained largely ignored and only japanese labels has reissued in 90s a part of it.

Selected 80s Works:
TOT TAYLOR Playtime (LP, 1981) - Inside Story (LP, 1982) - Box-Office Poison (LP, 1986) - Menswear (LP, 1987) - My Blue Period (LP, 1987) - THE SOUND BARRIER Suburbia Suite (LP, 1984)

A LFDJ introduction to Tot Taylor

01 offbeat (single, 1980) - 02 this time tomorrow ("Playtime") - 03 an appointment with you ("Playtime") - 04 this romance starts here ("Playtime") - 05 playtime ("Playtime'') - 06 love man (vocals: Mari Wilson, single, 1980) - 07 the girl with everything (single, 1981) - 08 don't spy on me (single, 1982) - 09 the crimson challenge ("Inside Story") - 10 richard rodgers ("Inside Story") - 11 car scribbles ("Suburbia Suite") - 12 australia ("Box-Office Poison") - 13 spoil her ("Box-Office Poison") - 14 the tearjerker waltz ("Suburbia Suite")

TOT TAYLOR - An Appointment with you

GNAC "Sevens" (UK,1999)

Compilation of 7``singles tracks and other early material from Mark Tranmer (a.k.a. GNAC). Instrumental music influenced by Durutti Column, 80`s indie acoustic works, and the atmosphere of 60`s - 70`s soundtracks for noir films or mystery tv series. Slow, minimalistic developments reflecting melancholy and appearing a sympathy for tiny nostalgic sounds and memories half sunken into the autumn fog. Quite far from new age traps, this lazy idyllic wandering has a charming pop personality and all the necessary lightness to divide the listeners to these they would join gracefully its dreamy flight and those who would drift indiferrent into a weightless loungeness.

sevens (80mb) (new link)