In the Pleasure Groove

Love, Death, and Duran Duran

By: John Taylor

Narrated by: John Taylor

Length: 7 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

John Taylor, Duran Duran's co-founder, takes the listener on a wild ride through his life. From the 80s through today, from Rio to All You Need is Now, John writes about the music, the parties, and the MTV videos that made millions swoon.

With Duran Duran, John Taylor has created some of the greatest music of our time. From the disco dazzle of debut single "Planet Earth" right up to their latest number one album, All You Need is Now, Duran Duran has always had the power to sweep the world onto its feet.

It's been a ride - and for John in particular, the ride has been wild, thrilling...and dangerous. Now, for the first time, he tells his incredible story. A tale of dreams fulfilled, lessons learned and demons conquered.

A shy only child, Nigel John Taylor wasn't an obvious candidate for pop stardom and frenzied girl panic. But when he ditched his first name and picked up a bass guitar, everything changed. John Formed Duran Duran with his friend Nick Rhodes in the summer of 1978, and they were soon joined by Roger Taylor, then Andy Taylor and finally Simon Le Bon. Together they were an immediate, massive global success story, their pictures on millions of walls, every single a worldwide hit.

In his frank, compelling autobiography, John recounts the highs - hanging out with icons like Bowie, Warhol and even James Bond; dating Vogue models and driving fast cars - all the while playing hard with the band he loved. But there were tough battles ahead - troubles that brought him to the brink of self-destruction - before turning his life around.

Told with humor, honesty and hard-won wisdom, and packed with exclusive pictures, In the Pleasure Groove is a fascinating, irresistible portrait of a man who danced into the fire... and came through the other side.

©2012 John Taylor (P)2012 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Unlike most cred-obsessed rockers, the Duran Duran bassist presents his (and the band's) story as one of substance in the service of style. And his natural raconteur's wit lends Duran's ruthless ambition some crucial charm.” (LA Times)

“Taylor's honest and heartfelt style makes for a highly worthwhile and entertaining read whether you are a fan of the band or not. In the Pleasure Groove is, quite simply, a fascinating tale of very interesting man who has jammed one hell of a lot of living into his 52 years.”(Huffington Post)

"The book is a familiar tale of rock ’n’ roll, sin and redemption, but Taylor’s capable voice make this a more nuanced and intriguing memoir than might be expected.” (Kirkus)

Fantastic

I loved this book! JT great narrator and such a good story of his youth, fame, family. So glad he got sober. Besides being good looking he is a great talent. I loaded up Rio album to listen and forgot what an awesome album it was. DD worked really hard and had long tours away from home. The music videos are classic when MTV actually played music. The book brought back the feel of the 80’s that I experienced as a teen with memories of the music. Glad to hear they are going back on tour in 2022 and wish they would come to South Carolina or nearby! Highly recommend this one.

Duranies Rock On

I like many a teenage girls was just wowed by Duran Duran in the 80's, posters on my walls and the sexual fantasies in my head. This book shows all of it the good and the bad, I enjoyed the honest of this book. The downside of this book is it shattered the last of my girlish fantasies leftover of this band of my youth. We all grow up, as do our childhood idols and I am glad to see that he has grown up and is doing well. Keep on rockin' John.

I Love this audio book from Nigel John Taylor!

I love this. John is a wonderful person and musician. He has shown such bravery in telling his story and I'm glad I read it. He's always been my favorite member of Duran Duran. Hopefully he can continue performing for many years to come. He's brilliant!

The perfect storm of entertainment

This book is the perfect storm of entertainment, great history, great storyteller and a life worth reflecting on.

I'm sad it came to an end and hope JT will add more chapters at some point.

A pleasure to listen to

What a great bio from an incredibly likeable and interesting person. Thank you John for giving us a peek into your life! Loved every minute!

Pleasure from the Pleasure Groove

Loved reading this book, loved it even more listening to John narrate it. I could relate so much to his addiction struggles. If I had not read this book years ago, I don't know if I would have gotten help for mine.

I Love John Taylor!

I've loved Duran Duran for years! I love them even more as I've gotten older! I loved the way John told his story.

The unlikely rock star...

If you could sum up In the Pleasure Groove in three words, what would they be?

Belief, perseverance and love.

What about John Taylor’s performance did you like?

Besides the fact that he has a great voice, it was nice to hear his stories come directly from him. When he spoke about his mother before she died, I began to cry. You could hear his anguish, and you knew it was real.

Any additional comments?

Great read for anyone, but if you are a DD fan...well it is a must read. I recommend the audiobook, just for the fact you can really hear his emotions throughout his story. I loved it!

Inside John Taylor and Duran Duran

Long live Duran Duran and John Taylor! This book is a must for any Duranie.

Good book

Good details in the beginning of his career
Kinda rushed through the later years of the story