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Key Information

Chip Taylor (born James Wesley Voight; March 21, 1940) is an American songwriter and singer noted for writing "Angel of the Morning" and "Wild Thing".[1]

Early life

[edit]

Taylor was born on March 21, 1940, in Yonkers, New York. He is the brother of actor Jon Voight and geologist Barry Voight and the uncle of actress Angelina Jolie and actor James Haven.[2] Taylor and his brothers attended Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, New York.[3] In 1961, Taylor attended the University of Hartford in Hartford, Connecticut, for one year.[citation needed]

After an unsuccessful attempt to become a professional golfer like his father, Elmer Voight, Taylor entered the music business.[4]

Career

[edit]

As songwriter

[edit]

Taylor wrote many pop and rock songs, both alone and with other songwriters, including Al Gorgoni (with whom he also performed, as the duo Just Us),[2] Billy Vera, Ted Daryll, and Jerry Ragovoy,[citation needed] first freelancing and then as an employee of a New York City music publisher.[2]

Taylor's first big hit was "Wild Thing", which, though first recorded in 1965 by Jordan Christopher and the Wild Ones, became famous as both a hit single by the Troggs in 1966 and a live performance by Jimi Hendrix in 1967, and was later covered by the Runaways, the Muppets, and X.[citation needed] "Angel of the Morning" was first recorded by Evie Sands in 1967, before becoming a hit for Merrilee Rush and also P. P. Arnold in 1968, then a million-selling single in 1981 for country-pop singer Juice Newton; later a rendition from Chrissie Hynde was released.

Other notable pop and country songs written by Taylor include "He Sits at Your Table" (Willie Nelson), "I Can't Let Go" (Evie Sands, the Hollies, Linda Ronstadt), "The Baby" (the Hollies), "Worry" (Johnny Tillotson), "Make Me Belong to You" (Barbara Lewis), "I Can Make It With You" (the Pozo Seco Singers, Jackie DeShannon), "Any Way That You Want Me" (the Troggs, Evie Sands, Melanie, American Breed, Juice Newton, Mary Mason, Lita Ford, Liverpool Five), "On My Word" (Cliff Richard), "Step Out of Your Mind" (The American Breed), "Country Girl City Man" (Billy Vera and Judy Clay), "I'll Hold Out My Hand", "Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)" (Lorraine Ellison, Janis Joplin), "Julie" (Bobby Fuller Four, Marshall Crenshaw), and "Lonely Is As Lonely Does" (the Fleetwoods).[citation needed]

Shaggy used "Angel of the Morning" as the basis for his hit "Angel" in 2001.[5]

In 2009, Ace Records released a compilation CD of some of Taylor's compositions as recorded by other artists (Wild Thing: The Songs of Chip Taylor).[citation needed]

His own recordings

[edit]
Chip Taylor, 1973

Taylor's first releases were on the King label and their subsidiary DeLuxe. In 1958, he and the Town Three released two 45s on DeLuxe, numbers 6176 "Midnight Blues" and 6180 "I Want a Lover". In 1959, he recorded for King as Wes Voight on 5211 "I'm Movin' In", and his final recording as Wes Voight on King 5231 "I'm Ready to Go Steady" and "The Wind and the Cold Black Night". The two King 45s were released in both mono and stereo, making them some of the first stereo singles available. Taylor has released recordings on Warner Bros., Columbia, and Capitol. His first chart single was his recording (as Chip Taylor) of "Here I Am" in 1962 on Warner Bros. Records.[6] He also had a top 40 hit in Australia in 1963 with "Sandy Sandy" with the Town and Country Brothers, a later iteration of Wes Voight and the Town Three, with Ted Daryll (who wrote the song) and Greg Richards, writers of "She Cried" by Jay and the Americans.[7][8]

Performing and recording in the 1990s and the 21st century

[edit]

Taylor restarted his performing and recording career in 1993.

At the 2001 South by Southwest Music Conference in Austin, Texas, Taylor met singer and violinist Carrie Rodriguez, with whom he performed and recorded Americana music for several years. The duo recorded Let's Leave This Town in 2002. They released The Trouble With Humans the following year and the critically acclaimed Red Dog Tracks in 2005. Each has since released successful solo albums. Taylor's double-CD Unglorious Hallelujah/Red Red Rose, his first solo album in five years, was quickly hailed as "a future classic" by Sonic Magazine, whose reviewer declared: "This is the best we've heard from Chip Taylor so far." Rodriguez's solo album, Seven Angels on a Bicycle, was released in August 2006. In late 2006 and early 2007, Rodriguez toured on her own but continued to perform with Taylor from time to time.[9] Taylor has done a series of shows[when?] with guitarist John Platania and the young singer/fiddler Kendel Carson, and he produced both their 2007 albums.

During the 21st century through 2020, Taylor has continued to perform with his band The New Ukrainians (John Platania on electric guitar, Björn Petterson on bass, and a revolving cast of other musicians). Each concert almost always includes both "Wild Thing" and "Angel in the Morning".[10][11][12]

Taylor's album Yonkers, NY was a 2011 nominee for a Grammy Award for best recording package, but lost to Brothers by the Black Keys.[13]

In 2012, Paal Flaata released an album of only Chip Taylor songs, Wait By the Fire – Songs of Chip Taylor.

Taylor's performance of his song "On the Radio" was featured in "Episode 8" of Season 2 of the Netflix TV series Sex Education.

Rainy Day Records

[edit]

In 1967, Taylor, along with Al Gorgoni, formed Rainy Day Records, which was distributed by Jubilee Records. The label released the single "Night Owl" by the Flying Machine, a group that included James Taylor.[14]

Train Wreck Records

[edit]

In 2007, Taylor launched his own independent label, Train Wreck Records.[15]

Personal life

[edit]

By Taylor's own accounts, from 1980 through 1995 he was very successful at, but unhappily addicted to, gambling professionally on blackjack in New Jersey casinos and on horse races. He then returned to music, starting by singing to his dying mother, Barbara Voight.[16][17] Taylor has said that the gambling addiction was hard on both himself and his family. He has written that, after having an epiphany, he changed his attitude and created the "Church of the Train Wreck" self-help program for himself and others.[18]

Taylor continues to live in New York City. He has been married to Joan Carole Frey since 1964, and they have children and grandchildren. (Joan and Chip were temporarily divorced for several years, starting in the 1990s.)[19][20]

Taylor is the younger brother of actor Jon Voight and geologist Barry Voight, and the paternal uncle of actress Angelina Jolie and former actor James Haven.[citation needed]

Discography

[edit]

Albums

[edit]
Year Album US Country Label
1971 Gotta Get Back to Cisco [as Gorgoni, Martin & Taylor]  — Buddah
1972 Gorgoni, Martin & Taylor [as Gorgoni, Martin & Taylor]  — Buddah
1972 Gasoline  — Buddah
1973 Chip Taylor's Last Chance  — Warner Bros.
1974 Some of Us  —
1975 This Side of the Big River 36
1976 Somebody Shoot Out the Jukebox [with Ghost Train]  — CBS
1979 Saint Sebastian  — Capitol
1996 Hit Man  — Gadfly
1997 Living Room Tapes  — Gadfly
1999 Seven Days in May... A Love Story  —
2000 London Sessions Bootleg  —
2001 Black & Blue America  —
2002 Let's Leave This Town  — Lone Star
2003 The Trouble with Humans  — Lone Star
2005 Red Dog Tracks  — Back Porch Records
2006 Unglorious Hallelujah  — Back Porch Records
2007 Live from the Ruhr Triennale  — MRI
2008 New Songs of Freedom  — Megaforce
2008 Songs from a Dutch Tour  — Train Wreck
2009 Yonkers NY  — Train Wreck
2012 Fuck All the Perfect People  — Train Wreck
2013 Block Out the Sirens of This Lonely World  — Train Wreck
2014 The Little Prayers Trilogy  — Train Wreck
2016 Little Brothers  — Train Wreck
2017 Rock and Roll Joe  — Train Wreck
2018 Fix Your Words  — Train Wreck
2018 Time Waits for No Little Girls Uncovered  — Train Wreck
2019 Whiskey Salesman  — Train Wreck
2020 In Sympathy of a Heartbreak  — Train Wreck
2023 The Cradle of All Living Things  — Train Wreck
2024 Behind The Sky Train Wreck
2025 The Truth And Other Things Train Wreck

Compilations

[edit]
Year Album Label
2008 Angels & Gamblers: Best of 1971–1979 Raven Records
2010 James Wesley Days Best of 99–10 Rootsy / Train Wreck

Singles

[edit]
Year Single Chart positions Album
U.S. Country CAN Country
1958 "Midnight Blues/Another Guy's Line" DeLuxe 6176
1958 "I Want a Lover/Little Joan" DeLuxe 6180
1959 "I'm Movin' In/Everything's the Same" King 5211
1959 "I'm Ready to Go Steady/The Wind and the Cold Black Night" King 5231
1962 "Here I Am/I Love You but I Know"
1967 "You Should Be from Monterey/I'll Never Be Alone" Rainy Day 45-8002
1973 "101 in Cashbox" Chip Taylor's Last Chance
1975 "Me As I Am" 80  — Some of Us
"Early Sunday Morning" 28 41
"Big River" 61  — This Side of the Big River
1976 "Circle of Tears" 92  —
1977 "Hello Atlanta" (with Ghost Train) 93  — Somebody Shoot Out the Jukebox

Music videos

[edit]
Year Video
2008 "New Song Of Freedom"
2009 "Charcoal Sky"
2011 "Fuck All The Perfect People"
2014 "Little Prayers"
"Queen of the World"
2015 "Refugee Children"
2016 "Who's Gonna Build That Wall"
2017 "Whisper Amen"
"Senorita Falling Down"

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Chip Taylor

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Chip Taylor (born James Wesley Voight; March 21, 1940) is an American songwriter, singer, and musician best known for composing the rock classic "Wild Thing," a number-one hit for in 1966, and "," which topped charts for artists including in 1968 and in 1981. Born in , to a family of Polish descent with a father who was a , Taylor is the younger brother of Academy Award-winning actor and began his music career in the late as a performer under the name Wes Voight, releasing regional singles before shifting to songwriting. Throughout the , he penned numerous chart successes across genres for performers such as , , and , establishing himself as a versatile hitmaker in pop, rock, country, and R&B. Taylor's later career encompassed country and gospel recordings, including gospel standards like "," and he maintained a prolific output as a performer into the , earning induction into the in 2016 for his enduring contributions to American music.

Early Life

Family and Upbringing

Chip Taylor was born James Wesley Voight on March 21, 1940, in , into a stable household headed by his father, Elmer Voight, a lifelong teaching professional, and his mother, Barbara Voight. The family's environment in Westchester County emphasized encouragement of individual pursuits, with parents fostering their sons' emerging talents amid a middle-class setting. As the youngest of three brothers born within roughly two years of each other, Taylor shared close sibling bonds with middle brother , who displayed early dramatic gifts and later pursued , and eldest , who gravitated toward scientific interests culminating in . This relational dynamic highlighted contrasts in inclinations—Jon's performative flair versus Taylor's budding affinity for music—contributing to Taylor's independent streak as he diverged from his brothers' trajectories without familial pressure toward conformity. Formative creativity emerged early through family-supported musical exposure; at around age five or six, Taylor requested and received a , marking his initial gravitation toward music over other household activities. Parents permitted radio listening to genres like , scarce in 1950s New York, during shared family time, which subtly ignited Taylor's distinct creative impulses amid an otherwise conventional upbringing. The family was raised Catholic, instilling a foundational ethic that later intersected with Taylor's artistic independence.

Education and Initial Interests

Taylor graduated from Gorton High School in , in the late 1950s, where he first explored music by forming a high school trio named Wes Voight and the Town and Countrymen. Following graduation, he briefly attended college for one year but opted out to pursue practical endeavors over extended academic study. Influenced by his father's profession as a golf pro, Taylor trained intensively as a and competitor, aiming for a career in professional ; however, after failing to qualify for competitive tours, he abandoned the pursuit by the early , demonstrating early adaptability amid setbacks. Parallel to golf, Taylor developed an interest in music through self-taught guitar playing and participation in local bands during his high school years, laying groundwork for later professional shifts without initial commercial success.

Career

Songwriting Breakthrough (1960s)

In the early 1960s, Chip Taylor secured a position as a staff songwriter at April-Blackwood Music, the publishing arm of , immersing himself in New York City's ecosystem where teams of writers crafted hits for recording artists. This role provided him with weekly advances against royalties—initially around $250—freeing him from financial pressures to experiment with compositions blending rock energy and emotional depth, distinct from the era's prevalent keyboard-driven pop formulas. Taylor's first major success arrived with "Wild Thing," composed in 1965 for the New York band The Wild Ones, whose version gained local airplay before recorded a raw, two-take rendition that propelled it to number one on the in July 1966 and number two on the UK Singles Chart. The track's primal riff and shout-along chorus captured garage rock's unpolished appeal, selling over a million copies in the alone and establishing Taylor's knack for simple, anthemic structures that performers could amplify into global smashes. Building on this momentum, Taylor wrote "" in 1966, a introspective exploring post-intimacy vulnerability that initially appeared on ' album before Merrilee Rush's 1968 single version peaked at number seven on the , earning a certification for one million units sold. Subsequent covers by artists including (number four in 1981) and amplified its reach, with dozens of versions underscoring the song's versatile emotional core. These hits generated significant royalties for Taylor, yet they exemplified the music industry's structural bias toward front-stage interpreters over behind-the-scenes creators, granting him and peer respect but little public spotlight as a performer during the decade. Taylor also co-penned tracks like "Anyway That You Want Me," recorded by and later others, further cementing his output amid the competitive staff-writer environment.

Early Solo Recordings and Challenges

Taylor initiated his solo recording career with the 1971 Gasoline on , a rock-oriented effort that represented his shift from behind-the-scenes songwriting to fronting his own material. Despite prior hits penned for others, the album achieved negligible commercial success, underscoring the difficulties in translating songwriting acclaim into performing viability amid a saturated market. Transitioning labels to Warner Brothers, Taylor pivoted toward country-rock with Chip Taylor's Last Chance in 1973, an album featuring raw, outlaw-inflected tracks recorded partly in informal settings like a Massachusetts studio. Critics, including Rolling Stone, praised it as one of the year's top country releases for its authentic grit, yet sales lagged, reflecting broader industry resistance to his experimental edge over polished hits. Follow-up efforts like This Side of the Big River (1974) sustained the genre focus but encountered similar flops, with label shifts to Columbia in 1976 and Capitol by 1979 signaling persistent promotional and market fit issues. These recordings highlighted Taylor's willingness to risk stability—eschewing security for performative autonomy—but exposed empirical underperformance, as niche appeal in country outliers failed to counterbalance low chart penetration and distribution hurdles. Earlier ventures, such as 1967 singles on his co-founded Rainy Day Records with Al Gorgoni, foreshadowed this pattern of limited traction despite creative control. By mid-decade, mounting frustrations with commercial irrelevance amid artistic experimentation contributed to industry disillusionment, though without yielding the breakthroughs his songcraft suggested.

Gambling Hiatus and Professional Shift (1980s)

In 1980, Taylor departed from , citing the label's insufficient promotion of his albums as a primary factor in his disillusionment with the music industry. This exit marked the beginning of a deliberate pivot away from recording and performing, driven by frustration with the sector's opaque dynamics, where success often hinged on internal politics and inconsistent support rather than artistic merit or market potential. In contrast, Taylor viewed professional as a domain governed by verifiable probabilities and skill, allowing for rational risk assessment through self-taught mathematical strategies like in . Taylor's gambling career, spanning approximately 14 to 15 years until the mid-1990s, centered initially on , where he honed expertise in probability and statistical edge calculation to achieve consistent profitability. His proficiency led to bans from multiple Atlantic City casinos due to effective card-counting techniques, prompting a shift to in partnership with veteran expert Ernie Dahlman starting around 1981. Daily wagers reached $10,000 to $15,000, with net losses closely mirroring stakes but yielding annual profits that supplemented his songwriting royalties, underscoring gambling's appeal as a merit-based endeavor reliant on analytical discipline over chance or favoritism. During this hiatus, Taylor maintained minimal involvement in music, eschewing new releases or tours to focus exclusively on gambling's structured transparency, which he contrasted with the music business's unreliability and subjective gatekeeping. This period highlighted his preference for pursuits where outcomes derived from empirical odds and personal acumen, free from the promotional vagaries that had undermined his earlier solo efforts.

Return to Performing and Recording (1990s-2000s)

Taylor resumed performing and recording in the mid-1990s after his hiatus, initially focusing on reinterpreting his earlier compositions. In 1996, he released Hit Man, a collection covering his own songwriting hits such as "Wild Thing" and "," signaling a return to roots-oriented material amid a burgeoning Americana scene. This independent effort reflected his shift away from major-label constraints toward self-directed output. In 1997, Taylor established Train Wreck Records, his own label based in Hartsdale, New York, to facilitate greater artistic control and distribution of personal projects. The imprint enabled a series of releases emphasizing folk and influences, aligning with his evolving preference for unpolished, narrative-driven songs over commercial pop structures. A pivotal emerged in 2001 when Taylor encountered violinist Carrie Rodriguez at the Music Conference in , leading to joint performances and recordings. Their debut duo album, Let's Leave This Town, arrived in 2002 via Train Wreck, blending Taylor's gravelly vocals with Rodriguez's fiddle work in an Americana style that garnered attention for its raw authenticity. Follow-up The Trouble with Humans in 2003 further solidified this partnership, earning praise for tracks exploring human frailty and receiving positive reviews in folk and outlets. These efforts revived Taylor's stage presence on folk circuits, prioritizing intimate venues over mainstream arenas.

Recent Releases and Activities (2010s-2025)

In the , Taylor maintained a steady pace of releases and performances, collaborating extensively with the band The New Ukrainians on the album F**k All the Perfect People, issued in 2012 and featuring tracks like "" and "The Dutchman Blues" that blended folk-rock with raw, irreverent lyrics. This period also saw output such as the Little Prayers Trilogy in 2014, a conceptual set exploring personal and spiritual themes, and A Song I Can Live With in 2017, emphasizing introspective songcraft amid his ongoing live work. Taylor frequently performed in unconventional venues, including maximum-security prisons, which he described as among his most rewarding experiences for their unfiltered audience connection. Entering the 2020s, Taylor's activities persisted despite health setbacks, with releases like Can I Offer You a Song in 2021 and The Cradle of All Living Things in 2023, the latter incorporating global influences from his travels and collaborations. In early 2023, he underwent and for throat cancer, a ordeal that directly inspired the songs on Behind the Sky, recorded with his band and released on March 8, 2024, via Train Wreck Records; the album includes explicit references to treatment in tracks such as "" and "George in ," capturing the physical and emotional toll with stark realism. Following remission, Taylor produced The Truth and Other Things, a expansive three-disc collection of 25 songs released in February 2025, echoing the reflective structure of his earlier Little Prayers Trilogy but drawing from recent introspection and recovery; the set spans low-key narratives on , loss, and resilience, available initially as a digital single-disc edition before the full box. Throughout 2023 and 2024, he conducted interviews detailing his cancer battle and creative process, while sustaining selective touring focused on intimate and prison-based gigs to accommodate physical limitations from aging and treatment.

Independent Ventures

Record Labels and Productions

In 1967, Chip Taylor co-founded Rainy Day Records with producer Al Gorgoni, with distribution handled by Records through support from executive Mickey Eichner. The label's primary purpose was to record and release material by , whom Taylor and Gorgoni produced, aiming for album formats over singles to target East Coast folk and audiences in areas like and . Key early releases included the 1967 single "Night Owl" by James Taylor's band The Flying Machine, arranged by Gorgoni and Trade Martin. Additional output encompassed Taylor's own singles, such as "You Should Be From Monterey," and projects involving artists like Kathy McCord, emphasizing artist-driven experimental blends of folk, R&B, and soul rather than a strict genre focus. Train Wreck Records, Taylor's independent label, emerged in the mid-1990s as he resumed performing, initially supporting his own releases and expanding to Americana acts. By 2003, it issued collaborative albums with violinist Carrie Rodriguez, including The Trouble with Humans, which debuted at number one on the Americana charts and launched Rodriguez's prominence through their duet partnership yielding three critically acclaimed records. Other signings encompassed Kendel Carson for fiddle contributions on Taylor's projects, guitarist John Platania, and Rodriguez's solo work, prioritizing roots-oriented recordings over commercial scale. The label sustained operations through 2025, issuing Taylor's triple LP The Truth and Other Things and maintaining a catalog of over two dozen titles, with success measured by sustained artist collaborations and niche acclaim rather than broad sales metrics.

Personal Life

Family Relationships

Chip Taylor, born James Wesley Voight, is the youngest of three brothers raised in , by parents Elmer and Barbara Voight, who encouraged creative pursuits among their sons. His older brothers include , a renowned for predicting the 1980 eruption, and Jon Voight, an Academy Award-winning actor whose Hollywood career achieved greater public prominence. The siblings exhibited shared family-rooted resilience in pursuing independent paths—Jon in acting, Barry in geology, and Chip in music and later professional —without relying on familial connections for advancement, as evidenced by Chip's adoption of a to forge his own identity apart from Jon's rising fame. Taylor married Joan Carole Frey on July 11, 1964; the couple had two children, son James Kristian Voight and daughter Kelly Jo Voight. They divorced in the early 1990s amid Taylor's extended hiatus from music to pursue professional , a period during which provided stability as he supported his household through earnings. The divorce proved temporary, with the pair remarrying after several years apart, reflecting sustained relational commitment despite career divergences. Taylor's children and later grandchildren, including Kelly's daughters Riley, Kate, and , have occasionally collaborated with him on recordings, such as family sessions tied to Kristian's wedding, underscoring empirical patterns of familial involvement in his musical endeavors without implying dependency.

Health and Spirituality

In late 2022, Chip Taylor received a of cancer, prompting a postponement of planned European performances and the initiation of and in early 2023. These treatments, described by Taylor as harrowing, directly informed the composition of songs for his 2023 album Behind the Sky, where themes of mortality and introspection emerged amid uncertainty about his survival. By June 2023, Taylor reported substantial recovery progress, stating he felt "pretty great" following the regimen, which allowed resumption of creative work without evident long-term interruption to his output. This empirical resilience—marked by sustained productivity into 2025, including the release of The Truth and Other Things—contrasts with initial fears of career cessation, underscoring treatment efficacy over any unsubstantiated narratives of transcendent intervention. Taylor's spirituality manifests through the "Church of the Train Wreck" podcast, launched in the late and revived periodically, which articulates a personal philosophy centered on navigating life's derailments—personal failures, addictions, and crises—toward redemption via self-motivated change rather than institutional . Drawing from his own history of and professional pivots, the series integrates spoken reflections with music selections to evoke resilience and depth, positioning "train wrecks" as catalysts for growth absent prescriptive moral frameworks. This outlook, while invoking occasional references to toward a in later works like The Truth and Other Things, prioritizes pragmatic recovery over doctrinal adherence, as evidenced by Taylor's avoidance of in favor of experiential wisdom. His cancer ordeal reinforced this ethos, yielding that blend stark realism with understated , yet grounded in verifiable perseverance rather than idealized spiritual triumph.

Legacy and Impact

Songwriting Influence

Chip Taylor's composition "Wild Thing," popularized by The Troggs' 1966 recording, ascended to number one on the for two weeks beginning July 30, exemplifying a primal, riff-driven structure that prototyped garage rock's emphasis on raw simplicity and repetitive hooks. This track's causal influence manifested in its adoption as a template for subsequent rock subgenres, where minimal amplified visceral energy, as evidenced by its eight-week tenure in the top 10 and emulation in punk's stripped-down ethos. In parallel, "," Taylor's 1967-penned first charted via Merrilee Rush's version at number 7 on the in 1968, establishing a folk-prototype of quiet defiance and intimacy through ascending melodic lines and . Its structural endurance is quantifiable in covers like Juice Newton's 1981 rendition, which peaked at number 4, propagating Taylor's blend of emotional restraint and hook potency into country-folk hybrids. Taylor's broader songcraft impacted Americana and roots traditions through recordings by artists spanning genres, such as Willie Nelson's rendition of "He Sits at Your Table" and interpretations by and , which adapted his concise, hook-centric forms to amplify narrative causality in country-rock storytelling. His induction into the in 2010 underscores this legacy, rooted in empirical success metrics like multi-platinum adaptations rather than anecdotal acclaim. Yet, the dominance of "Wild Thing" has perpetuated a narrative, reducing perception of his catalog—including "" for —to secondary status despite their parallel chart contributions and genre-spanning utility.

Cultural Reception and Recognition

Chip Taylor received formal recognition for his songwriting legacy with induction into the in 2016, honoring compositions such as "Wild Thing" (1966, popularized by ) and "" (1968, later covered by artists including and Shaggy). The ceremony, held on June 9, 2016, at New York's Marriott Marquis, underscored his influence across genres, though such honors arrived decades after his peak commercial hits, reflecting a pattern of belated acclaim for behind-the-scenes contributors. Media coverage frequently emphasizes Taylor's unconventional life trajectory, including his 1980s stint as a professional —where he reportedly profited annually through card-counting, leading to bans from Atlantic City casinos—often framing it as a sensational detour rather than a calculated pivot. A 2024 Spin magazine interview with Taylor and his brother, actor , revisited "Wild Thing"'s enduring appeal, portraying the song's raw energy as timeless while noting family dynamics in Yonkers upbringing. Such portrayals balance admiration for his hits' versatility with anecdotal flair, though gambling stories risk overshadowing substantive output, as evidenced by consistent royalties sustaining him post-retirement from betting in the 1990s. Taylor's performances in maximum-security prisons, described in interviews as a personal highlight for direct audience connection, lack empirical data supporting rehabilitative outcomes, with accounts focusing on conversational rather than measurable behavioral shifts among . Enduring song popularity persists via covers and streaming—e.g., "Wild Thing" variants and Taylor's own tracks like "On the Radio" accumulating millions of plays on platforms—but reception critiques occasional underappreciation of his performing career relative to writing credits. Overall, public and critical views affirm his craft's longevity without notable controversies, prioritizing empirical hitmaking over performative persona.

Discography

Studio Albums

Chip Taylor's solo studio albums span over five decades, beginning with rock-oriented releases in the early before shifting toward , folk, and Americana styles, often self-released via his Train Wreck Records label from the late onward.
YearTitleLabel
1972GasolineBuddah Records
1973Chip Taylor’s Last Chance
1974Some of Us
1975This Side of the Big River
1976Somebody Shoot Out the Jukebox (with )Columbia Records
1979
1996Hit ManGadfly Records
1997The Living Room TapesGadfly Records
1999Train Wreck Records
2001Black and Blue AmericaTrain Wreck Records
2006Unglorious HallelujahTrain Wreck Records
2008New Songs of FreedomTrain Wreck Records
2009Yonkers NYTrain Wreck Records
2013Block Out the Sirens of This Lonely WorldTrain Wreck Records
2016Little BrothersTrain Wreck Records
2017Rock and Roll JoeTrain Wreck Records
2018Fix Your WordsTrain Wreck Records
2019Whiskey SalesmanTrain Wreck Records
2020In Sympathy of a HeartbreakTrain Wreck Records
The 2009 album Yonkers NY features spoken-word introductions to tracks recounting Taylor's upbringing in the namesake town, blending with acoustic folk arrangements. Recent releases like Fix Your Words (2018) continue his pattern of introspective, narrative-driven songwriting rooted in personal experiences.

Compilations and Live Recordings

Taylor's compilation albums include Angels & Gamblers: The Best of Chip Taylor 1971–1979, released in 2008 by Raven Records, which draws from his era recordings such as Chip Taylor's Last Chance (1973) and This Side of the Big Divide (1974). Another key retrospective, James Wesley Days: The Best of Chip Taylor 99–10, appeared in 2010 via Rootsy/Train Wreck Records, compiling 37 tracks from his post-1999 independent phase, emphasizing collaborations and Train Wreck label output. The 2006 collection The New Bye & Bye: Four New Songs Plus the Best of the Train Wreck Years (reissued in 2015), featuring partnerships with Carrie Rodriguez, aggregates selections from 2002–2007 releases like The Living Room Tapes and Unglorious Hallelujah. Live recordings capture Taylor's stage presence, notably Live at McCabe's 2009, issued in 2011, documenting a solo acoustic set at the venue with interpretations of originals and covers. Additional live material appears in Live from the Ruhr, a 2006 release with Rodriguez from a German festival performance. Taylor has conducted multiple prison concerts, including a 2012 appearance at Norrtälje Prison in with The New Ukrainians, inspiring tracks like the titular song on his 2012 album The Little Prayers Trilogy: Compendio; these sets, often unrecorded commercially, underscore his affinity for incarcerated audiences, as he has toured maximum-security facilities in and composed prisoner-themed material. In February 2025, Taylor issued The Truth and Other Things, a three-disc set via Train Wreck/Continental Record Services comprising 25 tracks across themes like "The Truth and Other Things," "Airplane Songs," and reflective narratives, evoking his earlier Little Prayers Trilogy in scope and introspection while incorporating recent compositions post-cancer recovery.

Singles

Chip Taylor issued singles primarily on small labels during the late and early , achieving limited commercial success before transitioning to country-oriented releases in the that yielded several chart entries on the Hot Country Singles chart. His early singles, such as "Another Guy's Line" (De Luxe 45-6176, 1958) and "Here I Am" (Warner Bros. 5314, 1962, peaking at #2 on adult contemporary charts), reflected a rock and pop style influenced by his songwriting roots. In the mid-1970s, Taylor found greater traction with Warner Bros., releasing introspective tracks from albums like Some of Us (1974) and This Side of the Big River (). "" (Warner Bros. WBS 8090, April ) reached #1 on the Hot Country Singles chart in May , marking his biggest hit as a performer. Other notable entries included "Me as I Am" (#4, January ), "Big River" (a cover, #3, September ), and "Hello " (#5, January 1977 on Columbia). These singles showcased Taylor's gravelly vocals and narrative songcraft, often self-penned, though chart performance waned after 1977 with releases like "One Night Out With the Boys" (Capitol 4692, February 1979).
YearSingle (A-Side / B-Side)Label (Catalog)Peak Chart Position (US Country)
1974Me as I Am / Comin' From BehindWarner Bros. (WBS 8050)#4
1975 / (The Coal Fields Of) ShickshinnyWarner Bros. (WBS 8090)#1
1975Big River / John Tucker's On The Wagon AgainWarner Bros. (WBS 8128)#3
1976Circle of Tears / You're Alright, CharlieWarner Bros. (WBS 8159)#92
1977Hello / Columbia (3-10446)#5
Taylor's singles output totaled over 20 in the US, but post-1970s releases shifted toward albums rather than standalone 45s, with occasional non-charting efforts like "Angel of the Morning" (Buddah BDA 325, October 1972), a self-cover of his own composition.

References

  1. https://www.songhall.org/profiles/chip-taylor
  2. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/chip-taylor-mn0000773849
  3. https://www.musicvf.com/songs.php?page=artist&artist=Chip%2BTaylor&tab=songaswriterchartstab
  4. https://www.lohud.com/story/entertainment/2019/01/29/chip-taylor-yonkers-born-country-singer-songwriter-reflects-career/2676781002/
  5. http://www.furious.com/perfect/chiptaylor.html
  6. https://www.trainwreckrecords.com/chip-taylor.html
  7. https://pleasekillme.com/chip-taylor/
  8. https://alancackett.com/chip-taylor-last-chance-some-of-us
  9. https://www.grandmagazine.com/2011/11/singer-songwriter-chip-taylor-and-golden-grandparents-rule-1/
  10. https://www.songwriter.co.uk/page742.html
  11. https://www.npr.org/2010/01/12/122488758/chip-taylor-and-jon-voight-growing-up-yonkers
  12. https://www.reddeeradvocate.com/local-entertainment/renaissance-man-chip-taylor
  13. https://bustedhalo.com/life-culture/busted-chip-taylor
  14. https://angelusnews.com/arts-culture/songwriter-chip-taylor-opens-up-about-music-faith-and-family/
  15. https://www.citybeat.com/music/chip-s-first-shot-12217764/
  16. https://www.americanamusicappreciation.com/post/a-chip-off-the-old-block
  17. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/apr/04/chip-taylor-interview-songwriter-wild-thing
  18. https://spectropop.com/ChipTaylor/
  19. https://folkworks.org/article/chip-taylor/
  20. https://www.jonkutner.com/wild-thing-the-troggs/
  21. https://www.rockmusictimeline.com/1966
  22. https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-story-behind-the-song-wild-thing-by-the-troggs
  23. https://www.spin.com/2024/08/people-wont-be-able-to-stop-singing-it-jon-voight-and-chip-taylor-on-the-enduring-rock-legacy-of-1966s-wild-thing/
  24. https://recordcollectormag.com/articles/hot-chip
  25. https://www.davegott.com/music/artist/chip_taylor/index.html
  26. https://www.slipcue.com/music/country/countryartists/taylor_chip_01.html
  27. https://whatfrankislisteningto.negstar.com/alt-country-country-rock/chip-taylor-chip-taylors-last-chance-warner-brothers-1973/
  28. http://www.richieunterberger.com/chiptaylor.html
  29. https://www.lpdiscography.com/?page=discography&interpret=870
  30. https://www.discogs.com/release/4937215-Chip-Taylor-You-Should-Be-From-Monterey-Ill-Never-Be-Alone-Again
  31. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2003/feb/20/20030220-085606-9721r/
  32. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/07/07/the-chill-nick-paumgarten
  33. https://bustedhalo.com/life-culture/busted-chip-taylor/2
  34. https://www.discogs.com/label/539247-Train-Wreck-Records
  35. https://www.npr.org/2011/01/27/133271039/chip-taylor-and-carrie-rodriguez-digging-roots
  36. https://www.npr.org/2005/08/16/4802284/chip-taylor-and-carrie-rodriguez-kindred-spirits
  37. https://countrystandardtime.com/d/article.asp?xid=797
  38. https://music.apple.com/us/album/f-k-all-the-perfect-people-feat-the-new-ukrainians/499673183
  39. https://www.discogs.com/release/5275728-Chip-Taylor-The-New-Ukrainians-FK-All-The-Perfect-People
  40. https://www.albumoftheyear.org/artist/19086-chip-taylor/
  41. https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/music/features/chip-taylor-interview-b2310768.html
  42. https://music.youtube.com/channel/UCzxsBc7vylGqzWGH-OZZ_2Q
  43. https://music.apple.com/us/album/behind-the-sky/1730734779
  44. https://www.plastichead.com/chip-taylor-behind-the-sky-compact-disc-tw094
  45. https://continentalrecordservices.bandcamp.com/album/truth-and-other-things-3disc
  46. https://americana-uk.com/chip-taylor-the-truth-and-other-things
  47. https://www.discogs.com/release/13698504-The-Flying-Machine-Night-Owl
  48. https://www.trainwreckrecords.com/artists.html
  49. https://recordstoreday.com/SpecialRelease/8200
  50. https://www.discogs.com/release/3857758-Chip-Taylor-Carrie-Rodriguez-The-Trouble-With-Humans
  51. https://www.culturesonar.com/chip-taylor-one-swift-taylor/
  52. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0852118/bio/
  53. https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/local/article/Wild-Thing-songwriter-teams-up-with-Riverside-2230776.php
  54. https://dmme.net/chip-taylor-rocks-the-cradle-one-more-time/
  55. https://www.facebook.com/chiptaylorus/posts/hi-friends-thanks-for-all-the-good-wishes-just-so-you-know-so-far-so-good-with-m/664992855444024/
  56. https://trainwreckrecords.podbean.com/
  57. https://www.facebook.com/100092516787373/posts/wild-thing-is-one-of-the-most-iconic-and-influential-rock-songs-of-the-1960s-des/727839583643261/
  58. https://www.thecurrent.org/feature/2020/04/15/today-in-music-history-the-troggs-released-wild-thing
  59. https://medium.com/the-riff/the-story-of-a-garage-rock-hit-thatll-make-your-heart-sing-d5952d21e756
  60. https://classicsongoftheday.com/angel-of-the-morning-merrilee-rush-juice-newton/
  61. https://americansongwriter.com/angel-of-the-morning-by-merrilee-rush-behind-the-song/
  62. https://rockcellarmagazine.com/chip-taylor-interview-songwriting-wild-thing-legacy/
  63. https://www.facebook.com/groups/240098362684435/posts/4303572249670339/
  64. https://musicrow.com/2016/03/chip-taylor-among-songwriters-hall-of-fame-inductees-for-2016/
  65. https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/chip-taylor-songwriters-hall-fame-wild-thing-7393338/
  66. https://app.chartmetric.com/artist/318732
  67. http://countrydiscoghraphy2.blogspot.com/2018/08/chip-taylor.html
  68. https://www.amazon.com/Yonkers-Ny-Chip-Taylor/dp/B002LAT58U
  69. https://open.spotify.com/album/0kZf2dKtZI4Xrjqlr9NRY5
  70. https://x.com/taylorchip
  71. https://chiptaylor-swe.bandcamp.com/album/james-wesley-days-the-best-of-chip-taylor-99-10
  72. https://www.countrystandardtime.com/d/cdreview.asp?xid=4519
  73. https://music.apple.com/za/artist/chip-taylor/489827
  74. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSh5kYPjCEg
  75. https://rockingmagpie.wordpress.com/2025/02/13/chip-taylor-the-truth-other-things-3cds/
  76. https://www.musicvf.com/Chip+Taylor.songs
  77. https://www.45cat.com/artist/chip-taylor
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