A passionate music fan, Taite established his reputation with eccentric interviews of famous musicians such as Bob Marley and Lou Reed.

He first received attention as part of a Beatles-inspired band called the Merseymen, in which Taite drummed under the stage name Jett Rink.

This interview is credited with inspiring the famous photo, taken the following year, in which the Sex Pistols sign their record contract in the same location.

Taite waited at Marley's hotel and joined a pickup soccer game with the touring musicians, using the opportunity to build rapport and convince them to allow the interview.

[2] Former colleagues recall that Taite would wait to submit his interviews until the last moment before their deadlines, so as to prevent studio executives from re-editing his material.