In 1969, Taylor was working with Freddie Mercury at the Kensington Market (they were living in an apartment around the same time). Mercury, then known as Freddie Bulsara, was an avid fan of Smile. After the band split up in 1970, Bulsara convinced the remaining two members to continue, and he eventually joined the band. In 1971, they found bass guitarist John Deacon and brought him into the band, before going on to release their debut album in 1973. Taylor is the third most credited songwriter for the band, usually contributing one or two tracks per record, and he is considered as a prominent songwriter.