Taylor was born in Harlow, Essex in 1956 into a family with a musical heritage and a gypsy/traveller tradition, although he did not strictly lead the traditional gypsy lifestyle. It was no surprise then that, after being given a guitar at age 4 by his father, bassist William ‘Buck’ Taylor, he would develop a passion for jazz in general and Django Reinhardt in particular. Over the next few years the young Taylor would hone his skills and, by age 11, was playing regularly in his father’s band. This experience made him determined to pursue a career in music and, after much persuasion, his parents allowed him to leave school aged 15 to try and achieve this ambition.
Over the next few years Taylor played in numerous bands, in holiday camps, various radio dates and on cruise ships (one cruise lead to the personal highlight of jamming with the Count Basie orchestra). Performing dates in and around London soon brought him into contact with fellow jazz guitarist Ike Isaacs who took the younger man under his wing. In addition to performing with Taylor as a duet, Isaacs helped develop his sense of jazz harmony and started him on the road to developing his unique fingerstyle technique. It was through Isaacs that Taylor was introduced to Stephane Grappelli, erstwhile violinist in Hot Club of France with Django Reinhardt. When one of Grappelli’s regular band members sustained an injury, Taylor was invited to deputise for a few European dates. Suitably impressed, Grappelli invited him to join his band full-time. He accepted and performed and recorded with the Frenchman for the next eleven years.
His success with Grappelli allowed him more freedom in his career. He reduced some of his commitments and relocated to Scotland where he still lives (this explains why he is sometimes referred to as Scottish). Another benefit of his Grappelli association was that he began to tour North America regularly, allowing him to reach a new audience and to build new relations. He came to know musicians such as Chet Atkins and David Grisman, with whom he would both record, while another contact financed the production of an album, Sarabanda. The album received substantial airplay but financial difficulties at the record label prevented any major success.
This success was tempered by a difficult period in the mid 80s stemming from Grappelli suffering a heart attack. Although the Frenchman would go on to make a full recovery, it was some time before he would be able to tour again. Taylor found it difficult to replace the Grappelli gig with other work and fell into a period of financial hardship, forced to sell his guitars to survive. Depressed at being unable to provide for his family he became disenchanted with music, his guitars going virtually untouched for almost a year. He finally agreed a price for his one remaining guitar, a gift from mentor Isaacs, but, on the way to close the deal he pulled his car over to allow himself a final play of the instrument and suddenly found his passion for playing re-ignited. The deal was called off and this incident proved to be the catalyst in the next stage of his career.
Keen to avoid having to rely on other musicians for income, Taylor spent some time working on his fingerstyle technique before starting to perform as a solo act. These concerts were immediately successful, both critically and financially. So much so that, after a few years, he was able to stop touring with Grappelli and concentrate on his solo career, aided by a recording contract with Scottish label Linn. Primarily a manufacturer of high-end audio equipment, Linn felt that Taylor’s intimate and intricate style and unique tone would ably demonstrate the quality of their equipment. Some of these Linn recordings are solo (Artistry and Portraits which featured Chet Atkins), some recorded as a modern jazz quartet (Don’t Fret) and there is also a reunion album with Grappelli. The relative success of these albums, and his concert dates, raised his profile in the guitar community as his peers became interested in his unique style.
While Taylor is inspired by many guitarists, musically he relates more to pianists such as Art Tatum and Bill Evans and this influence can clearly be heard in his playing. His philosophy is that the guitar should be a complete instrument able to provide bass, harmony and melody. His arrangements and compositions are often influenced by composers like Nelson Riddle featuring moving lines and complex harmony as opposed to block chords with single note lines over the top. All this is achieved without compromising the melody which he considers the most important element in any arrangement.
From a technical standpoint Taylor’s most distinguishing feature is his ability to syncopate rapid bass lines with the melody, often incorporating thumb upstrokes on the bass strings to give a distinct rhythmic quality to his playing, Combined with a unique tone and extensive use of harmonics, his playing is instantly recognisable. His solo version of Gershwin’s ‘I Got Rhythm’ from his album Portraits, with its lightning fast double-time walking bass line, is probably the best example of all these qualities on a single recording.
Around the mid-90s Taylor started a band inspired by the music of Django Reinhardt and the Hot Club which he named Spirit of Django. He recorded and toured successfully with this band while continuing his solo commitments. At the end of the decade he signed for Sony, releasing two albums Kiss and Tell and Nitelife. After Sony he set up his own company P3 music with whom he has released the acclaimed Solo, and The Valley which features guest appearances by Bryn Terfel, Sacha Distel and Simon Dinnigan. Recently he has appeared with a few ensemble groups including the 4 Martins (with Martin Simpson, Martin Carthy and Juan Martin), Guitars 3 (with Neil Stacey and Martin Simpson) and Le Nouveau Trio Gitan (with Christian Escoude and Davide Reinhardt, grandson of Django). He has also worked with Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings and composer Karl Jenkins.
Some of his other achievements include a British Academy of Composers & Songwriters 'Gold Badge of Merit', ten time winner of Best guitarist at British Jazz awards, Freeman of the City of London, honorary doctorate awarded by Paisley University, Scotland, and in 2002 he was appointed a Member of the British Empire (MBE) for services to jazz. In 1999 Martin founded an International Guitar festival which is held over three days in the village of Kirkmichael, near his home in Ayrshire. The festival includes concerts, recitals and tutorials from some of the world’s best guitarists and emerging talents. The money raised is used to fund a Guitar for Schools program, a charity which provides equipment and tuition for local schools.
Martin Taylor is also a UK based stage hypnotist, who has created audio-guides to self-hypnosis.
Bewitched
Martin Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But a fool can have her charms
I'm in love and don't I show it
Like a babe in arms
Love's the same old situation
Lately I've not slept a wink
Since this crazy situation
I'm wild again, beguiled again
A whimpering, simpering child again
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered, am I
Couldn't sleep, wouldn't sleep
Love came and told me, shouldn't sleep
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered, am I
I lost my heart, but what of it
She is cold I agree
She might laugh, but I love it
Although the laugh's on me
I'll sing to her, bring spring to her
And long, for the day when I'll cling to her
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered, am I
Martin Taylor’s “Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered” is a song that explores the complexities of love, while reflecting on the pains and joys that come with it. The song starts with the admission that the woman in question is a “fool”, but despite her flaws, she still manages to charm the singer. He knows he is in love and doesn’t hide it; he is as helpless as a "babe in arms". This paints a picture of a man who is deeply in love and willing to ignore the flaws of the woman he loves.
The chorus is where the emotions are at their strongest: “I'm wild again, beguiled again, a whimpering, simpering child again, bewitched, bothered and bewildered, am I”. The singer is unable to resist the woman’s charms and is constantly “bewitched, bothered & bewildered”. He is helpless against the power of love and cannot sleep for thinking about her.
The final verse sees him grappling with his love for this woman who doesn’t seem to reciprocate his feelings. In spite of her coldness, he still loves her and her laughter, despite the fact that the laugh is “on him”. He vows to sing and bring spring to her, and longs for the day when he will be able to cling to her. Overall, the song is a beautiful ode to love that captures the yearning, joy, and the pain that comes with it.
Line by Line Meaning
She's a fool and don't I know it
Although she may be foolish, I am aware of it and still enchanted by her.
But a fool can have her charms
Despite her foolishness, she possesses qualities that attract me to her.
I'm in love and don't I show it
I am deeply in love with her and it is obvious in my actions and behavior.
Like a babe in arms
My love for her is pure, innocent and infantile.
Love's the same old situation
The complexities of love haven't changed for me.
Lately I've not slept a wink
I have been sleepless and restless due to my love for her.
Since this crazy situation
The madness of my love for her is consuming me.
Has me on the blink
I am feeling confused and emotional because of my love for her.
I'm wild again, beguiled again
My love for her has reawakened a wild and enchanted part of me.
A whimpering, simpering child again
I am reduced to a vulnerable and dependent person under the spell of her love.
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered, am I
I am completely enchanted, confused, and perplexed by my love for her.
Couldn't sleep, wouldn't sleep
I couldn't and wouldn't sleep because of my love for her.
Love came and told me, shouldn't sleep
I am so consumed by love that it is telling me what to do.
I lost my heart, but what of it
Even though I have been hurt, I am still in love with her.
She is cold I agree
I acknowledge that she is detached and aloof towards me.
She might laugh, but I love it
Even her mocking laughter is endearing to me because I am so in love with her.
Although the laugh's on me
Even though others may perceive me as foolish or foolishly devoted, I am still in love with her.
I'll sing to her, bring spring to her
I am so in love with her that I will do anything to make her happy and bring joy to her life.
And long, for the day when I'll cling to her
I eagerly await the day when she will give me the love and affection that I desire and crave.
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered, am I
I am completely captured, confused, and overwhelmed by my love for her.
Lyrics © IMAGEM U.S. LLC , Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LEIF EDLING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind