Born Richard Dean Taylor on the 11th May 1939 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, he began his career in 1961 as a pianist and singer with several bands in Toronto. He also made his first recordings in 1961, for the Audiomaster record label. The next year, Taylor's "At the High School Dance", a single for Amy-Mala Records, was a minor success. His next single, "I'll Remember", on the Barry label, reached number twenty-three for Toronto rock -and-roll radio station CHUM, and the singer decided to relocate to Detroit, Michigan to further his career.
In Detroit, Taylor was hired by Motown Records in 1964 as a songwriter and recording artist for the Motown subsidiary V.I.P. label. Taylor's scheduled first single (March 1964) for V.I.P. was the topical satire "My Ladybug (Stay Away from That Beatle)", but it was deemed too weak for release and was never issued.
It was not until November 1965 that Taylor's debut V.I.P. single, "Let's Go Somewhere", was issued. It was written by Taylor in conjunction with Brian Holland, and produced by the team of Holland and Lamont Dozier, who had already produced five number-one songs for The Supremes. However, the song was only a regional success, in several U.S. cities and Toronto.
Taylor's next single (1967's "There's a Ghost in My House") was written by the team of Holland–Dozier–Holland along with Taylor, and again produced by Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier. It was also a commercial disappointment in the U.S., but it reached number three in the U.K. in 1974. Taylor was also beginning to become a songwriter for other acts; for example "I'll Turn to Stone" by the Four Tops and "All I Need" by The Temptations were both charting U.S. singles in 1967, co-composed by him.
In 1968, Taylor's self-produced single "Gotta See Jane", (co-written with Brian Holland), became a top-twenty hit in the UK. However, his real success came as a member of the Motown writing and production team known as "The Clan". This production group were briefly the prime creators of material for Diana Ross & the Supremes after the Holland/Dozier/Holland team left Motown. Among Taylor's successful co-compositions and co-productions during 1968/69 as a member of The Clan were Diana Ross & the Supremes' number-one U.S. release "Love Child" and their number-ten releaset "I'm Livin' in Shame".
Taylor resumed his recording career in 1970, becoming one of the first artists assigned to Motown's new subsidiary Rare Earth, which was dedicated to Caucasian artists. In that year his first Rare Earth single, "Indiana Wants Me", reached number one in his native Canada. It reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and number two in the U.K.. "Gotta See Jane" was also reissued in 1971, and became a top-ten success in Canada. His 1972 single "Taos, New Mexico" did not do well on the Canadian charts.
Taylor continued recording for Rare Earth, and working as a writer/producer for other artists until Rare Earth was ended in 1976. Though he never again scored the charts as he had done with "Indiana Wants Me", his releases did moderately well, especially in Canada. As a Canadian citizen, he could be played on CKLW and other Canadian radio stations and counted towards the stations' Canadian content quotas.
Taylor attempted a comeback during the early 1980s, after which he had a hiatus from the music industry. He has recently established his own record company, Jane Records.
two of us
R. Dean Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've noticed your smile
Your touch has captivated my heart
From this moment I'd rather live for you
Than have to restart
You brighten up my day
I feel so warm when I'm with you
You give me chills that run down my spine
It's just the two of us
It's just the two of us
It's just the two of us
It's just the two of us
I wanna thank you for the years you put into me
You never let me down
You deal with me so gently
I'd lose my mind if I had to live a day without you
I wanna let you know it'll always be us two
It's just the two of us
It's just the two of us
It's just the two of us
It's just the two of us
It's just the two of us
It's just the two of us
In R. Dean Taylor's song "Two Of Us," the singer is expressing their deep feelings of love and gratitude towards their partner. From the very beginning of their relationship, they were drawn to their partner's infectious smile and captivating touch. The singer proclaims that they would rather live for their partner than ever have to restart their life without them. The emotions that their partner brings them are undeniable and they feel warm and safe in their presence. The singer even confesses to getting chills down their spine whenever they are with their partner, emphasizing the strong physical and emotional connection between them.
The chorus repeats the phrase "It's just the two of us," emphasizing the importance of their partnership as a unit. The singer expresses their gratitude for their partner's unwavering love and dedication, thanking them for the years of dedication and gentleness. The singer cannot imagine living without their partner and makes a promise that it'll always be "us two." The repetition of the chorus at the end asserts the importance of their relationship and denotes that they're in it for the long haul.
Overall, "Two Of Us" is a heartfelt, emotional ballad that expresses the depth of love, commitment, and loyalty two people can share.
Line by Line Meaning
Since day one
From the very beginning
I've noticed your smile
I have always been drawn to your smile
Your touch has captivated my heart
Your touch has deeply affected me and made me fall in love with you
From this moment I'd rather live for you
I am committed to living my life for you from now on
Than have to restart
I would rather continue to be with you than start over with someone new
You brighten up my day
You make my day happier and more enjoyable
I feel so warm when I'm with you
Being around you makes me feel happy and comfortable
You give me chills that run down my spine
You make me feel excited and thrilled in a good way
Every time I'm with you
Whenever we are together
It's just the two of us
It's only you and me
I wanna thank you for the years you put into me
I am grateful to you for investing time and effort in our relationship
You never let me down
You have always been there for me and never disappointed me
You deal with me so gently
You treat me kindly and patiently
I'd lose my mind if I had to live a day without you
I cannot imagine my life without you, it would be unbearable
I wanna let you know it'll always be us two
I want you to know that we will always be together
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Randall Potter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@darrenhaycock3905
Brilliant the first white guy to be signed by Motown pure class ❤
@MrJoeybabe25
Nice cover.
@Count_Blastula
Hello YouTubers! NICE TO HEAR FROM R. DEAN TAYLOR OTHER THAN 'INDIANA' FOR A CHANGE, HATE THAT SONG. THIS IS GOLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@MrJoeybabe25
Did he release this as a single?
@breezester
Aye,not bad....Sounds like the Wurzels without the Wur......