The “Golden Hits Of The 70s”
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T. REX
“BANG A GONG (GET IT ON)”
(Marc Bolan)
Reprise 1032
No. 10 March 4, 1972
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Marc Bolan never did pick up a following in the States like he did in England. Most American rock fans
have little idea of just how BIG a star this seminal glam-rocker was in the U.K. At the height of Bolan’s
powers (1971-1974), his T-Rex concerts could generate a level of hysteria not seen since Beatlemania.
Before Bolan’s death in 1977, he had sold 37 million records-surpassing the combined sales in England of
all products issued by JIMI HENDRIX and the Who.
“The people in the business think I’ve had a cold spell since ‘Bang a Gong,’ whereas in reality I’ve been
selling loads of records all over the world,” Bolan explained in 1974 to Rock’s Alan Betrock. “But if you’re
not hot in their country, they think you’ve had it. I admit that I should’ve approached America differently
after ‘Bang a Gong’ was a hit here. I should have come over and followed it up, but we were just so busy
all over the rest of the world, we didn’t have time.”
Guitarist Marc Bolan (b. Mark Feld, July 30, 1947, London) attended the same primary school as British
pop singer Helen Shapiro and Procol Harum’s Keith Reid. At 15, he was a male model. His early rock
career had him signed with British Decca for a few solo singles as Toby Tyler, Marc Bowland, and finally,
as Marc Bolan. Briefly, in 1967, he was a member of the proto glam-rock group John’s Children.
In 1968, drawing on percussionist Steve Peregrine Took (b. July 28, 1949, London), his own considerable
imagination, and imagery from J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, Bolan assembled Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Starting with their debut album, My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair but Now They’re
Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows, the duo played acoustic instruments and dressed in flower-power
threads, beads, and headbands. Bolan’s mystical lyrics spoke of unicorns, gnomes, impish forest folk, and
fairies.
Gradually, Bolan added more electric sounds to his recordings; Unicorn (1970), a half-acoustic and half
electric set produced the act’s first charting “Ride a White Swan” (#76, 1971). By LP number five (A
Beard of Stars, 1971), Took had taken leave. His replacement was Mickey Finn, a former rocker from
Hapash & The Coloured Coat. Also added were bassist Steve Currie (b. May 21, 1947, Grimsby) and
drummer Bill Legend (b. Bill Fifield, May 6, 1944, Essex). Subtracted were a number of letters from the
group’s name: they became simply “T. Rex.”
“The [British] press have never been off my back, ever,” Bolan complained. “With a few exceptions I’ve
never had a good review for anything.” Not that it mattered: T. Rex racked up 11 singles on the British Top
10 from 1970 to 1973, including four number one disks.
While T. Rex only made the U.S. Hot 100 on one other occasion, with “Telegram Sam” (#67, 1972), the act
gathered a growing stateside following and had two best-selling albums–Electric Warrior (1971), which
featured “Bang a Gong,” and The Slider (1972). Tyrannosaurus Rex (A Beginning) (1972) and Tranx
(1973) also did well.
In 1973, the Bolan-mania was captured on film by Ringo Starr, as director, in a semi-documentary, Born
to Boogie. At this moment, homeland fans got fickled as they are apt to do, and his stardom waned.
“I was living in a twilight world of drugs, booze, and kinky sex,” Bolan told Rolling Stone. In an effort to
avert his descent, Bolan in 1975 left his wife and England for America. With a remodeled T. Rex band and
the punk rockers the Damned in support, Bolan made a last dash effort. Dandy in the Underworld was
passed over.
On September 17, 1977, Bolan perished in a car crash near Putney Common, England. Behind the wheel
was girlfriend Gloria Jones, creator of the original version of SOFT CELL’s “Tainted Love.” Steve
Peregrine-Took and Steve Currie died in 1980 and 1981, respectively.