Chip Taylor Lays His Songwriting Cards on the Table in New Book

To hear him tell it, songwriter Chip Taylor, best known for writing the Troggs' smash 'Wild Thing,' has three loves: music, horses and cards. So he details in his new autobiography, 'Songs From a Dutch Tour.'

In the book, Taylor, whose real name is James Wesley Voight, details his childhood with brother, actor Jon Voight (yes, that makes him Angelina Jolie's uncle), his ascent to the top of the pop, R&B and country charts, and why he gave it all up for professional gambling. His story is told with photograph's culled from his own personal vaults.

In the excerpt below, Taylor discusses how his biggest hit, 'Wild Thing,' came to pass, and why he was first embarrassed for anyone to hear it.

'A Day in the Life of a Songwriter/Gambler'

I was becoming a solid and established country music songwriter and then I started to add more and more of another early influence to my songwriting. The race records I listened to as a kid began creeping in to my writing and I was coming up with a rock 'n' roll hybrid that was less like the relatively sophisticated New York rock and more like soulful stuff coming out of Memphis. I started to get a reputation for this type of song, but my only song successes were still only country ones -- that is until I got that call.



Not too long after that call 'Wild Thing' by the Troggs became my first rock 'n' roll hit -- and it was huge. 'Angel of the Morning,' 'Anyway That You Want Me, 'Try Just a Little Bit Harder,' 'I Can't Let Go' and many other hit songs all came soon after. Aside from country hits, I now had hits on the Rhythm and Blues charts (I was so proud of that!), the jazz charts and the pop charts. I wasn't considered just a country writer.

'Wild Thing'

A respected A&R executive, Gerry Granahan, called me out of the blue. He said he heard I was writing some interesting rock 'n' roll. He asked if I could send him something for a new band he was recording, Jordan Christopher and the Wild Ones. I was so excited that someone asked me for a rock 'n' roll song that I said I'd try to write him a new one. I asked when he needed it. He said the next day.

It was about 2:00 PM. I had a demo session scheduled for 5:00 to record a country song. I started fooling around in my office with a cool little rhythm thing -- with a percussive type strum that had its own sweaty unschooled thing. My guess is that if I was taught to play guitar my strum would not have been that organic and this song would not have been written.

As soon as the rhythm started, I started singing along with the groove, "Wild Thing, you make my heart sing/You make everything groovy" ... It felt so good!

I was only minutes into the writing process and already it was taking form. Whenever possible, I like to put space in my songs for unguided emotion to take over. So there I was, stopping -- like the Sun musicians did in 'Blue Suede Shoes' -- and saying, "Wild Thing, I think I love you ... but I wanna know for sure ... c'mon and hold me tight ... I love you!"

Oh, did I love that!

I knew one thing for sure -- I wasn't going to record the country song that day. I was going to record this cool little new one. I wasn't sure what else to say in the song, but I didn't want to think it out too much. Just before I got to the studio, I called my engineer Ron Johnson on the phone and asked him to have my stool and mike ready and in place -- and as soon as I sat down to put the tape in record and turn out the lights. I recorded it like a blues singer ... not knowing exactly where I was going ... just letting words flow from emotion ... four minutes later, there it was ... 'Wild Thing' ... but what was it?

Gerry Granahan recorded a fine record with Jordan Christopher but it never saw the light of day.

Although I personally loved my demo of 'Wild Thing,' I was embarrassed to let anyone else hear it -- due to its overt sexuality. So when the actual demos arrived from the studio, I hid them above the bin marked "W," hoping no one would find them. But some culprit did find them and so he and I will both have to answer to the good Lord!

All the demos of April Blackwood Music songs were sent to their affiliate in London, Dick James Music. Producer Larry Page (who also produced and managed the Kinks) frequented the place to search for songs. He heard my demo, liked it and played it for the Troggs -- who liked it as well.

According to frontman, Reg Presley, Larry wanted the Troggs to record it as a B-side, reserving the A-side for their version of the Lovin' Spoonful's 'Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind.' The band however thought differently -- all those harmonies on the Spoonful song just weren't their thing and they were looking forward to recording 'Wild Thing.' The Larry Page Orchestra had a session booked and the Troggs were told to wait outside in case there was any studio time left. They waited in their van until they got the signal. There was three quarters of an hour for them to get their equipment in, get a sound check, get the songs recorded and get out again. 'Wild Thing' and another hit, 'With A Girl Like You,' were both recorded in two takes in ten minutes!

This definitive recording by the Troggs whose version truly captured the essence of the song and the demo. And their great recording [some say the first punk rock record] turned Jimi Hendrix on to the song. His awesome, amazing, sweaty version of 'Wild Thing' [setting fire to his guitar at Monterey while ending his set with it] helped turn it into the seminal rock song it is today. Big thanks to Gerry Granahan for that phone call.

'CombiningSongwritingandGambling'

Throughout my time as a successful writer in the '60s, I always made at least one or two bets on horses (mostly with bookmakers) every day. And every so often I go down to Atlantic City, New Jersey, stay at one of the casino's for a few weeks and play blackjack. That was it for me -- music, horses and cards. I loved feeling the chill of a melody that magic words could lean on, or finding the perfect blackjack situation, or deciphering a winning horse that cross the finish line often at long odds. I loved it all!

Don't get me wrong; Aside from family, there was nothing more important to me than music. It was my life ... but I did it only 50% of the time. And I loved having hits. And when the '70s rolled around, I loved making my own recordings. But I was not about to discard my gambling ways.

Buy 'Songs From a Dutch Tour'