Having drummed for Boris Pickett and Herb Alpert, Taylor joined the band in 1962 to fill in for Howie Johnson, who had been severely injured in a motorcycle accident. His distinct, harder-edged rock style so impressed the members of the band, that they asked him to become a permanent member of the group.
Taylor was known for his powerful playing, great timing & distinct snare sound. He was purportedly one of the few drummers who could make an effective snare drum roll with one hand. Mel played in the traditional way as opposed to the matched grip. He origninaly started out with The Ventures on a 4-piece drum kit with just hi-hats & a ride cymbal that was also his crash. Towards the end of the 1960s, he expanded his kit to have multiple toms, double bass drums & added numerous crash cymbals to his set as well. His kit remained this way until his death from cancer in 1996. From his initial diagonsis until his death was only a very bried period of about two weeks. He had been a smoker, but had quit smoking about 11 years before his death.
Mel has mentioned in many interviews that Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich & Louie Bellson were some of his biggest influences growning up, and that he got the double bass idea from Louie Bellson. Mel has used many drum kits over the years including Rogers, Ludwig, Gretsch & Canopus. Mel prefered Zildjian cymbals, Pro-Mark drumsticks & Remo drumheads.
Mel released a solo album in the late 1960s. He formed his own band called "Mel Taylor & The Dynamics," in the late 1970s when The Ventures became The New Ventures, a disco/funk/rock band with female singers. When Mel passed away in 1996 from cancer, his son, Leon Taylor, took his place and has been The Ventures' drummer ever since.
