Philip John Taylor (21 September 1954 – 12 November 2015), better known as "Philthy Animal", was an English drummer. He was a member of the

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

band

Motörhead Motörhead () were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1975 by bassist and lead vocalist Lemmy Kilmister, guitarist Larry Wallis and drummer Lucas Fox. Kilmister was the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band a ...

from 1975 to 1984 and 1987 to 1992, recording eleven studio albums and four live albums with the band. The Motörhead line-up consisting of Taylor,

Lemmy Ian Fraser Kilmister (24 December 1945 – 28 December 2015), better known as Lemmy Kilmister or simply Lemmy, was a British musician. He was the founder, lead vocalist, bassist and primary songwriter of the metal band Motörhead, of which he ...

and

"Fast" Eddie Clarke Edward Allan Clarke (5 October 1950 – 10 January 2018), better known as "Fast" Eddie Clarke or simply "Fast" Eddie, was a British guitarist who was a member of heavy metal bands Fastway and Motörhead. Of Motörhead's classic lineup, which ...

is generally regarded as the 'classic' line-up of the band.

Biography

Born on 21 September 1954 in

Hasland Hasland is a suburb of Chesterfield in the Borough of Chesterfield in Derbyshire, England. Hasland is located south of Spital, east of Birdholme and north of Grassmoor. Hasland ward had a population of 6,615 on the 2011 Census. Despite the ...

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire to the north, Nottinghamshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south-east, Staffordshire to the south a ...

, Taylor grew up in

Leeds Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...

. He took drum lessons at

Leeds College of Music Leeds Conservatoire (formerly known as The Leeds Music Centre, the City of Leeds College of Music, and Leeds College of Music) is a higher education music conservatoire based in the Quarry Hill district of Leeds, England. It was founded in 19 ...

on advice from his father. After first meeting Lemmy whilst he was still in

Hawkwind Hawkwind are an English rock band known as one of the earliest space rock groups. Since their formation in November 1969, Hawkwind have gone through many incarnations and have incorporated many different styles into their music, including hard ...

in 1973, who was a fellow

speed In kinematics, the speed (commonly referred to as ''v'') of an object is the magnitude of the change of its position over time or the magnitude of the change of its position per unit of time; it is thus a non-negative scalar quantity. Intro ...

user, he joined Motörhead and replaced

Lucas Fox Lucas Fox (born 25 February 1953) is an English drummer who was a founding member of British rock band Motörhead and London punk rock band Warsaw Pakt. Career Motörhead In 1975, Fox picked up Lemmy from London Airport after he was sa ...

during the recording of the band's first album ''

On Parole ''On Parole'' is a studio recording released by British rock band Motörhead, which at the time consisted of Lemmy Kilmister on vocals and bass, Larry Wallis on guitar, and Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor on drums (replacing Lucas Fox). It was ...

'' in 1975. Lemmy has said that Fox was not working out and Taylor "had a car and could give us a lift back down to the studio". Taylor, in turn, introduced Lemmy to guitarist

, having worked with him while painting a

houseboat A houseboat is a boat that has been designed or modified to be used primarily for regular dwelling. Most houseboats are not motorized, as they are usually moored or kept stationary, fixed at a Berth (moorings), berth, and often tethered to ...

. Shortly after recording the classic ''

Ace of Spades The ace of spades (also known as the Spadille, Old Frizzle, and Death Card) is traditionally the highest and most valued card in the deck of playing cards. The actual value of the card varies from game to game. Design The ornate design of the ...

'' album in 1980, Taylor broke his neck after being lifted above the head of a friend in a test of strength, only to be dropped on his head. Taylor continued to play in Motörhead with the aid of a neck brace, as is visible in the music video for "

". As a result, Taylor had a prominent lump located on the back of his neck (affectionately referred to as his "knob"), thought to be a calcium deposit caused by his previous spinal trauma. Tour-disrupting injuries were not unfamiliar to Taylor at the time, as he had previously broken his hand whilst punching a man outside his flat in London. Taylor continued to drum by using

gaffer tape Gaffer tape (also known as gaffer's tape, gaff tape or gaffa tape as well as spike tape for narrow, colored gaffer tape) is a heavy cotton cloth pressure-sensitive tape with strong adhesive and tensile properties. It is widely used in theatre, p ...

to attach his drum stick into his hand until it had sufficiently healed. Taylor left Motörhead in 1984. The following year, he made appearances with

Waysted Waysted were a British hard rock band, formed by former UFO bassist Pete Way and Scottish rocker Fin Muir (Ian Muir) in 1982. Recruiting Frank Noon (formerly with Def Leppard), Ronnie Kayfield and Paul Raymond, Waysted signed to Chrysalis Re ...

, and joined former Motörhead and

Thin Lizzy Thin Lizzy are an Irish rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. The band initially consisted of bass guitarist, lead vocalist and principal songwriter Phil Lynott, drummer Brian Downey, guitarist Eric Bell and organist Eric Wrixon although Wr ...

guitarist Brian Robertson to form the band Operator. In 1986, he was part of

Frankie Miller Francis John Miller (born 2 November 1949) is a Scottish rock singer-songwriter and actor. Miller wrote for and performed with many recording artists and is best known for his 1977 album ''Full House'', the singles "Be Good To Yourself", " D ...

's touring band. Taylor returned to Motörhead in 1987. He said "I always regretted leaving. Let's just say I took a three-year holiday." He continued playing in the group until 1992. After having been warned three times in the previous two years "to get his act together", he was fired after recording "I Ain't No Nice Guy", because of his poor performance. Kilmister, Ian and Garza, Janiss ''White Line Fever'' (2002) —

Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster LLC (, ) is an American publishing house owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts since 2023. It was founded in New York City in 1924, by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. Along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group US ...

pp. 242-243 From 2005 to 2008, Taylor played and recorded in a group called The Web of Spider with Whitey Kirst (

Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter, actor and radio broadcaster. He was the vocalist and lyricist of proto-punk band the Stooges, who were formed in 1 ...

) on guitar and Max Noce on bass. In 2007, Taylor briefly worked on a project called Capricorn with former Danzig guitarist

Todd Youth Todd Schofield (May 15, 1970 – October 27, 2018), known as Todd Youth, was an American guitarist, best known for his work with Warzone, Murphy's Law and Danzig. Biography Starting in 6th grade, Todd began sneak out from home into New Yo ...

, former

Monster Magnet Monster Magnet is an American rock music, rock band formed in Red Bank, New Jersey, in 1989 by Dave Wyndorf (vocals and guitar), John McBain (musician), John McBain (guitar), and Tim Cronin (vocals and drums). The band has since undergone severa ...

guitarist Phil Caivano and former

Nashville Pussy Nashville Pussy is an American rock band from Atlanta, Georgia. The band's lyrical themes mostly revolve around sex, drugs, drinking, fighting, and rock 'n' roll. Initially called Hell's Half-Acre, the band's name comes from Ted Nugent's int ...

bassist Corey Parks. After playing in The Web of Spider, Taylor began work on a project with guitarist Chris Holmes, formerly of the heavy metal band W.A.S.P., and in 2009, Taylor joined American thrash metal band

Overkill Overkill may refer to: * Overkill (term), the use of excessive force or action to achieve a goal * Surplus killing, when a predator kills more prey than it can eat * Overexploitation, depletion of a natural resource through overharvesting ** Over ...

for a set at the Islington Academy. The set included a cover of the Motörhead song from which Overkill took their name. He sporadically played drums for

Mick Farren Michael Anthony Farren (3 September 1943 – 27 July 2013) was an English rock musician, singer, journalist, and author associated with counterculture and the UK underground, who had a significant influence on the development of British proto ...

and The Deviants, featuring on ''

Dr. Crow ''Dr. Crow'' is a studio album by Mick Farren and friends. It was released in 2002 under the name The Deviants. The album was recorded with longtime friends and collaborators, including Andy Colquhoun and Jack Lancaster, and also featured Way ...

'' (2002), ''Sheep in Wolves' Clothing'' (2008), and ''Portobello Shuffle'' (2009). Taylor reunited with Lemmy and Clarke on 6 November 2014 at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, on stage for Motörhead's classic "Ace of Spades" only to come on to wave to the crowd and leave.

Death

Taylor died on 12 November 2015 in London at the age of 61 after an illness.

Liver failure Liver failure is the inability of the liver to perform its normal synthetic and metabolic functions as part of normal physiology. Two forms are recognised, acute and chronic (cirrhosis). Recently, a third form of liver failure known as acute- ...

was cited as a cause.

said of his former bandmate:

told ''

Classic Rock Classic rock is a radio format that developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, it comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the early-1990s, primarily focusing on comm ...

'' that he was "devastated" to have lost one of his best friends. He also remembered former Motörhead guitarist Michael "Würzel" Burston, who died in 2011. Lemmy died on 28 December 2015, less than seven weeks after Taylor and on 10 January 2018 "Fast Eddie" Clarke also died.

Discography

Motörhead

*''

'' (recorded 1975–76, released in 1979) *''

'' (1977) *''

'' (1979) *''

Bomber A bomber is a military combat aircraft that utilizes air-to-ground weaponry to drop bombs, launch aerial torpedo, torpedoes, or deploy air-launched cruise missiles. There are two major classifications of bomber: strategic and tactical. Strateg ...

'' (1979) *''

'' (1980) *'' No Sleep 'til Hammersmith'' (1981) *'' Iron Fist'' (1982) *''

Another Perfect Day ''Another Perfect Day'' is the sixth studio album by English rock band Motörhead. Released in May 1983 by Bronze Records, it would be the band's last studio album with the label. It is the band's only studio album to feature lead guitarist Br ...

'' (1983) *''

Rock 'n' Roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...

'' (1987) *''

Nö Sleep at All ''Nö Sleep at All'' is the third live album by English rock band Motörhead. Released in October 1988 by GWR Records, it was their only live album and last release with the label as legal matters continued between the parties. Background Mot ...

'' (1988) *''

1916 Events Below, the events of the First World War have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 1 – The British Empire, British Royal Army Medical Corps carries out the first successful blood transfusion, using blood that has been stored ...

'' (1991) *''

March ör Die ''March ör Die'' is the tenth studio album by British Rock music, rock band Motörhead, released in July 1992. It would be the band's second and final album with WTG Records. The album features guest appearances by Ozzy Osbourne, Guns N' Roses ...

'' (1992) – "I Ain't No Nice Guy" only *''The Manticore Tapes'' (recorded 1976, released in 2025)

Other recordings

*''The Muggers Tapes'' – live recording from a brief spell of about four gigs. Taylor drummed with

on guitar, John "Speedy" Keen, also on guitar, and Billy Wrath on bass. The album was released as a bonus to a ''Best of Motörhead'' release. *''Naughty Old Santa's Christmas Classics'' (1989) *''GMT One By One'' 12" single (1989) *''GMT War Games'' – CD release of same tracks plus one other (1991) *''The Deviants Have Left the Planet'' – drummed with

on vocals,

Larry Wallis Larry Wallis (19 May 1949 – 19 September 2019) was a British rock guitarist, songwriter and producer. He was best known as a member of the Pink Fairies and an early member of Motörhead. Biography Early bands In 1968, he formed a band calle ...

on guitar, etc. (1999) *''Sheep in Wolves' Clothing'' – Motorheadbangers fan club tribute CD. It features the Deviants

on vocals, Andy Colquhoun on guitar,

David Ito , known professionally as , is a Japanese comedian, actor and businessman. Biography Ito was born on 12 August 1966, in Iruma, Saitama. After graduating from Sayama High School, he was a local swimming instructor, but he aimed for being an i ...

as the bassist and Taylor as the drummer; re-recorded the Motörhead / Farren song "Lost Johnny" for the CD; released on 7 April 2008. *''Philthy Lies'' – Little Villains album, released posthumously via Heavy Psyche Sounds Records (2019) *''Taylor Made'' – Little Villains album, released posthumously via Cleopatra Records (2020)

Other appearances

*Taylor appears, dressed in drag, brandishing a

rolling pin A rolling pin is a cylindrical food preparation utensil used to shape and flatten dough. Two styles of rolling pin are found: rollers and rods. Roller types consists of a thick cylinder with small handles at each end; rod type rolling pins are ...

, midway through the

Girlschool Girlschool are a British rock band that formed in the new wave of British heavy metal scene in 1978. Frequently associated with contemporaries Motörhead, they are the longest-running all-female rock band, still active after more than 40 ...

promotional video for their 1980 song "Yeah, Right". video *''Classic Albums – Ace of Spades'' (DVD). Taylor is in interview and playing drums on several of the ''Ace of Spades'' albums classic tracks.

References

External links

*
Phil Taylor
at

MySpace Myspace (formerly stylized as MySpace, currently myspace; and sometimes my␣, with an elongated Whitespace character#Substitute images, open box symbol) is a social networking service based in the United States. Launched on August 1, 2003, it w ...

The Web of Spider
at MySpace
Motörhead official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Phil 1954 births 2015 deaths Motörhead members English heavy metal drummers English rock drummers People from Hasland Musicians from Leeds Deaths from liver failure English male drummers 20th-century English drummers 21st-century English drummers 20th-century English male musicians 21st-century English male musicians Waysted members