In the Pleasure Groove

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

A must for any DD fan!

Would you consider the audio edition of In the Pleasure Groove to be better than the print version?

Hearing the story from JT directly really brought the stories to life. His honesty and emotion really set the tone for the stories.

What was one of the most memorable moments of In the Pleasure Groove?

Finally having a glimpse into what their lives were really like at the height of their popularity was fun to hear.

What about John Taylor’s performance did you like?

Loved it. He is engaged and passionate. Great performance.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I enjoyed every minute of it.

Any additional comments?

His honesty really struck me. Any fan of the band will enjoy reliving the heydays!

7 people found this helpful

Unflinching look at drug use and stardom

As a fan of Duran Duran when I was a teenager, I enjoyed this look at what life was like for members of the band. In particular, I thought John's look at his early life, his flaws, drug use, and recovery was both brave and honest. The central question, perhaps, is how do people retain their humanity when beset with the excesses of superstardom? John Taylor recovered his humanity, and I felt happy for him when he did.

3 people found this helpful

Great story telling even if you aren't a Durannie!

What did you love best about In the Pleasure Groove?

It's John Taylor's voice narrating his own story, what's not to love? Yes, yes, I am a Durannie who has loved JT since 1983 when I was 13, but when I first read that he would be narrating his own story I was hesitant to buy it. He is, after all, a musician not an actor, so it could be stilted and dry. BUT JT is funny and does some great voices/parodies of various people, so it really brings the whole story to life. He's got such great perspective on his life too, but also walks you through his youth and early days in Duran in such detail you are reliving it all right there with him. I definitely was sad when the story came to a close. It was a lot of fun listening to him talk to me for so many hours. :)

What was one of the most memorable moments of In the Pleasure Groove?

So many: His memories of walking to church every day with his mom when he was a small child. His descriptions of how important fashion was to him waaay back in Birmingham and his rebellious teenage years. His interactions with his father.

What does John Taylor bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The voices he mimics of all the people he talks about in his book. His humor. His lovely voice in general.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When his parents died.

Any additional comments?

I think you definitely get so much more with this audiobook than you would just reading his story. Definitely worth purchasing, even if you already owned the book.

2 people found this helpful

Neat to know what was going on behind the scenes!

I almost didn't get this due to one negative review indicating he was a wuss who had nothing bad to say about anyone. I'm glad I didn't listen - I didn't mind that the autobiography was so positive. He doesn't gloss over his own past, the gritty parts, etc., so I didn't have a problem.

I found it interesting because also I've always liked Duran Duran, I wasn't a "Durannie" back then, so I didn't realize it was John and Nick who formed the band and were the driving force through all of this. I had assumed it was Simon since he was the frontman, as it often is with bands. I also thought John was sort of the 'dumb blonde' of the band and was shocked he even came out with a book...shows how much I know!

I found myself interested throughout the whole program, and glad I took the chance to get to know him.

2 people found this helpful

Dream come true

Would you listen to In the Pleasure Groove again? Why?

I have already listened to it twice already. I think it's great that John Taylor narrated this book as well. It brought me back to the 80's when I had Duran Duran all over my bedroom walls. I liked hearing about the bands rise to the top.

What was one of the most memorable moments of In the Pleasure Groove?

Listening to when John had basically taken the car keys away from his aging father brought back memories for me. Reminded me of times with my grandfather. Made me tear up.

Have you listened to any of John Taylor’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have seen Duran Duran in concert...nothing compares to that. But I did think it was awesome to listen to him narrate his book. I hope he does another.

1 person found this helpful

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.

I was a Simon girl-my sister was a John

I loved this audio book! I can’t express my immense gratitude for this book! It was a joy to go through the life of John! As he (yes HE reads his own story! Marvelous!) reads chapter by chapter of the his life I could pause the book and watch the videos to each song of which he spoke! What a wonderful thing to live in this modern day! I really enjoyed this!

Duran Duran Fans Rejoice

I recently had the unexpected pleasure of meeting Simon LeBon at a hotel before a concert. My sheer joy at recognizing and meeting one of my favorite teen idols as a now middle aged mom was amazing. He could not have been kinder, taking a picture with me and introducing himself to my young children. His lovely daughter was with him and after google searches, I was pleased to learn that all of the members of Duran Duran are healthy and happy with families still performing with great talent. John Taylor’s autobiography came up in my search and I immediately downloaded it on Audible. I loved hearing his voice (his British accent still as dreamy as it was on MTV in the 80s) and learning more about the history of my favorite band. John’s openness about his struggle and success in sobriety are inspiring. Maybe I will be so lucky to meet him someday as well!

No dirt, only truth

Ive been a fan of DuranDuran since they first hit the scene and of course many of us "loved" JT. What we didn't know was the deep dark space he was in during those times. What we learn in this book is that behind the pretty face and talented bass playing, he is very human as well as a hell of a warrior when facing addiction and sharing how he makes it work for him. I loved the touching stories in regards to his parents and enjoyed his sharing about Gela. It was wonderful to read about the man behind the glam and he does this elegantly without getting into the dirt that some may want out of an autobiography that was based on the wild 80s.

Great listen!

I didn't want it to end. Fascinating look into the history of DD and JT.