Queen’s Roger Taylor Debuts Solo ‘The Clapping Song’

Queen co-founder and drummer Roger Taylor has thrown out some frivolity as a taster for his solo album ‘Outsider’. Check out his new ditty ‘The Clapping Song’.

‘The Clapping Song’ was written by Lincoln Chase and originally released by Shirley Ellis in 1965. “I loved the original by Shirley Ellis,” Roger Taylor says. “It’s just so joyful and simple. It’s got a swing to it, and I’ve tried to recreate that swing using an ancient drum kit. It was just a real pleasure to do that song, it’s like a playground nursery rhyme for kids.”

Fun fact: The line “all went to heaven in a little row boat” was borrowed by Tom Waits on ‘Clap Hands’ from ‘Rain Dogs’ (1985) and Radiohead on ‘Pyramid Song’ on ‘Amnesiac’ (2001).

Roger Taylor says ‘Outsider’ is his mature late-career statement. “Autumnal is a very good word for it,” he says. “It’s slightly nostalgic and wistful, and quite adult, a bit more grown-up than my last couple of albums.”

For ‘Outsider’ Taylor will also make political statements. “In Queen we always tried to be apolitical,” he said. “But when you have the freedom to express yourself as a single person, you can say what the hell you like, which I’ve always tried to do. So many gangsters are running countries these days.”

Roger Taylor will perform a 14 date UK solo tour to launch ‘Outsider’ and yes, there will be Queen tracks in his solo set.

Roger Taylor – Outsider

Track Listing:
1. Tides.
2. I Know, I Know, I Know.
3. More Kicks.
4. Absolutely Anything.
5. Gangsters Are Running This World.
6. We’re All Just Trying To Get By – Featuring K T Tunstall.
7. Gangsters Are Running This World – Purple Version.
8. Isolation.
9. The Clapping Song*
10. Outsider.
11. Foreign Sand – English Mix**
12. Journey’s End.

All songs written by Roger Taylor except:
*The Clapping Song – Written by Kay Werner, Lincoln Chase, Sue Werner.
**Foreign Sand – Written by Roger Taylor and Yoshiki.
Album Produced by Roger Taylor & Joshua J Macrae. Roger Taylor ‘Outsider’ Tour Dates October 2021.

Roger Taylor tour dates

Sat 2 October NEWCASTLE, O2 Academy
Sun 3 October MANCHESTER, Academy
Tue 5 October YORK, Barbican
Wed 6 October CARDIFF, St. David’s Hall
Fri 8 October LIVERPOOL, O2 Academy
Sat 9 October NORWICH, University East Anglia (UEA)
Mon 11 October BATH, Forum
Tue 12 October BOURNEMOUTH, O2 Academy
Thu 14 October PLYMOUTH, Pavilions
Fri 15 October NOTTINGHAM, Rock City
Sun 17 October BEXHILL, De La Warr Pavilion
Tue 19 October GUILFORD, G Live
Wed 20 October COVENTRY, HMV Empire
Fri 22 October LONDON, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire