In 1977 Granada TV began producing and airing the MARC TV show starring Marc Bolan of T.Rex fame. The shows aired on British television and also featured such up & coming punk & new wave bands like Boomtown Rats, The Jam, Generation X as well as Hawkwind and Bolan’s good friend, David Bowie. Unfortunately the show only ran six weeks as Bolan was killed in a car wreck on September 16, 1977.
Shown here are some photos of legendary rock music journalist Jane Scott interviewing T.Rex’s Marc Bolan in 1972. T.Rex appeared in Cleveland twice that year, on February 25 at the Yorktown Theatre and on September 28 at the Allen Theatre (which I attended).
Jane Scott, along with Gloria Stavers, was one of the first women to cover rock music. She was the country’s first music critic for a major daily newspaper (Cleveland Plain Dealer), a gig she held for nearly 50 years. From the Beatles to Duran Duran, she saw and interviewed them all.
Jane Scott, who retired at age 82, passed away on July 4, 2011 at the age of 92. On July 5, 2012 the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame & Museum unveiled a life-size bronze statue of Jane. Her papers, files and memorabilia were donated to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame & Museum.
Now remastered for the first time by Tony Visconti, this classic album – released in July 1972 on the back of three chart-topping T.Rex LPs – provides a perfect snapshotof the era the press dubbed ‘T. Rextasy’ and is proof of Bolan’s extraordinary and enduring appeal across the generations.
The Slider contained two UK Number 1 hit singles, Telegram Sam and Metal Guru – the latter famously regarded by Morrissey as “pop perfection”. It was the first to bear the T.Rex Wax Co imprint, a seal of approval from EMI Records, who felt Bolan sufficiently important to warrant having his own record label. On the accompanying DVD, Tony Visconti recalls the making of the album in an exclusive new 105-minute interview with Bolan biographer Mark Paytress.
The DVD also features TV footage including performances of Telegram Sam and Metal Guru from Top Of The Pops, ITV performance footage of Cadilac, Spaceball Ricochet and Telegram Sam, plus Marc’s interview with Russell Harty from 1972. Rounding off the DVD is footage of Marc Bolan and Mickey Finn visiting EMI’s pressing plant, a TV advert for The Slider and a US promotional film of Buick Mackane.
Tony Visconti has also written a special essay for the 48-page hardback coffee-table book included in the box, which also features a 6,000-word essay by Paytress, rare photos and reproductions of archive material. Also included in the set, which comes in a sturdy 12” x 12” box, is a 180g vinyl pressing of the original album, its two spin-off singles and a repro of the hugely collectable promo-only Chariot Choogle 45, all in facsimile T. Rex Wax Co paper sleeves. Rounding off the package is a 40-page book of the sheet music for every song on the album, an A2 poster, sticker, plastic carrier bag, sew-on patch and facsimiles of an original Bolan fan club letter, membership card, rosette and concert ticket.
CONTENT INCLUDES:
2 x CDs / 1 x DVD / 1 x 180gram vinyl LP / 3 x 7” singles
48 page casebound book
Liner notes by: • Tony Visconti • Mark Paytress • Marc Bolan
105 minute filmed interview with Tony Visconti
Top Of The Pops and other TV appearances
40 page book of sheet music
Poster
Plus reproductions of memorabilia and ephemera
Here is another collection of photos of Marc Bolan hanging out with some of his better known friends. In addition to appearing on stage with various bands & performers throughout his career Bolan also appeared on numerous singles and albums by other performers.
Happy Birthday, Jeepster!
David Bowie & Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan & Robert Plant
Elton, Marc, Ringo
Harry Nilsson & Marc Bolan
Keith Moon & Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan & Alice Cooper
Marc Bolan & Dave Vanian
Marc Bolan, Linda McCartney, Paul McCartney
George Harrison & Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan & Ringo Starr
This was a 1976 poster produced & issued by the Health Education Council based in London, England that utilized T.Rex’s frontman Marc Bolan in a year long anti-smoking campaign. One of Britain’s biggest stars, Bolan’s contribution was used to encourage young girls to not start smoking.
Bolan also made television appearances on behalf of the anti-smoking campaign appearing on such British programs as Nationwide and others. The Health Education Council also stressed the £150 per year cost to fund a pack-a-day smoking habit meant girls would be with less money and would be considered less attractive to the opposite sex (hence, Bolan’s ‘look’). Today, a pack of cigarettes a day in Britain costs over £2000 per year.
Back in the 60’s & 70’s, decades before the internet and instant access to information, a lot of us didn’t know when bands were putting out new albums until we heard them on the radio. Some advanced news would filter in a head of time, minimally, in places like Scene, Creem, Circus, Rolling Stone, Rock Scene, Hit Parader, Trouser Press, etc…
For those of us who bought all the magazines and tabloids (Melody Maker, New Musical Express, Sounds) we’d often get advance word that a new album was being released by the record company advertisements that were placed in the media. They were usually timed to see print just weeks prior to releases so we’d have a heads up on what was coming out.
Here once again are some random samples of various advertisements hyping new album releases from back in the day as seen in various music publications.
Click on images to enlarge!
Here is a collection of photos of Marc Bolan hanging out with some of his better known friends. In addition to appearing on stage with various bands & performers throughout his career Bolan also appeared on numerous singles and albums by other performers. Just a few examples are:
Marc Bolan contributed to Ike & Tina Turner’s 1970’s singles Nutbush City Limits, Baby-Get It On & Sexy Ida. Bolan’s second wife, Gloria Jones, was a one time back-up singer/Ikette for the Ike & Tina Turner Revue.
Marc Bolan plays guitar on Ringo Starr’s “Ringo” album. The hit song, Back Off Boogaloo, was written by Starr as an acknowledgement of a slang term coined by Marc Bolan.
Marc Bolan was invited to Alice Cooper’s recording sessions in London during the recording of Alice Cooper’s Billion Dollar Babies. Bolan played guitar on Slick Black Limosine, Hello Hooray & Elected.
Alice Cooper, Keith Moon, Harry Nilsson & Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan played guitar on David Bowie’s single, The Prettiest Star.
Marc Bolan played dual lead guitar on ELO’s Ma Ma Ma Belle with Jeff Lynne.
Marc Bolan & Jeff Lynne
Marc Bolan played guitar and did some prodcuing for Donovan in a Munich recording studio for Donovan’s 7 Tease album.
Marc Bolan & Donovan
Marc Bolan played guitar on Cockney Rebel’s lead singer Steve Harley’s Amerika The Brave album and co-wrote the song Madmen with Harley.
Marc Bolan sang back-up vocals on Marsha Hunt’s recording of My World Is Empty Without You.
Bowie & Bolan
Marc Bolan, just months prior to his untimely death, performed with David Bowie doing the song Standing Next To You on Marc Bolan’s MARC television show.
Marc Bolan & The Rats
Billy Idol & Marc Bolan
The Ramones & Marc Bolan
Elton John & Marc Bolan
Elton John, Marc Bolan & Rod Stewart
Keith Moon & Marc Bolan
Stan Lee (!), Marc Bolan & Roy Wood
Bowie & Bolan
(c)2012 Doc Lehman/Bangagong!
Here are a few photos of ‘best dressed’ Marc Bolan/T.Rex fans. 35 years after his untimely demise, Marc Bolan still has an impact on music, culture and fashion.
40 years ago this month, T.Rex’s ‘Bangagong (Get It On)’, one of my all-time favorite songs (gee, ya think?) hit the USA Billboard Top Ten charts. While it ‘only’ reached as high as #8 in the USA charts, it was a huge million-selling plus mega-hit in Britain. The song, which clocks in at 4:25 has now become an iconic song of the 70’s and of British rock ‘n roll.
‘Bangagong (Get It On)’, which appeared on T.Rex’s Electric Warrior album, was released as single on the Fly label in the IK and Reprise in the USA. Written by Marc Bolan, of course, the track was produced by Tony Visconti and engineered by Roy Thomas Baker.
Besides Bolan the T.Rex band who recorded this included Mickey Finn, percussionist; Bill Legend, drums and Steve Currie, Bass. Background vocals were by the Turtles’/Flo & Eddie’s Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman. Playing saxophone the track is Ian McDonald, who co-founded King Crimson and Foreigner with Rick Wakeman on piano and Burt Collins on flugelhorn. percussionist percussionist percussionist
Over the years the song has been used in films, television, commercials and a number of bands and performers have recorded their own versions.
In 1971, British band Top of the Poppers covered “Get It On” on their Top of the Pops, Volume 18 album. When Blondie’s 1978 classic Parallel Lines was reissued a live recording of the song was included as a bonus song. In 1979 Witch Queen released a disco version while soon after Joe Perry recorded for his Joe Perry Project album Once A Rocker, Always A Rocker. In the past dozen years or so it’s also been recorded by The Boomtang Boys, Los Bunkers, Ministry, Cinema Bizarre, Porno Graffiti and in 2010 Carlos Santana recorded for his Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time with Bush’s Gavin Rossdale on lead vocals.
Fly Records – UK 45 RPM Record Sleeve
The song was featured in many films, including The Stoned Age (1994), Blue Juice (1995), Billy Elliot (2000), The Trip (2002), Meet the Fockers (2004), Flying Boys (2004), Jarhead (2005), The Bank Job (2008) and Barney’s Version (2010) and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2010).
Get it on, indeed!
‘Get It On’ UK Chart History
Back in the 60’s & 70’s, decades before the internet and instant access to information, a lot of us didn’t know when bands were putting pout new albums until we heard them on the radio. Some advanced news would filter in a head of time, minimally, in places like Scene, Creem, Circus, Rolling Stone, Rock Scene, Hit Parader, etc…
For those of us who bought all the magazines and tabloids (Melody Maker, New Musical Express, Sounds) we’d often get advance word that a new album was being released by the record company advertisements that were placed in the media. They were usually timed to see print just weeks prior to releases so we’d have a heads up on what was coming out.
Here are some random samples of various advertisements hyping new album releases from back in the day as seen in various music publications.
Click on images to enlarge!
OK, I’m as big a fan of T.Rex and Marc Bolan as the next person, as the header of this website will verify. Well, maybe not. I’ve been a fan of T.Rex since 1971 and since then bought all the albums, imports, 8-Tracks, Cassettes, CDs and DVDs. Over the years bought the occasional pin back, poster and T Shirts (tough to find T.Rex merchandise in the states back then). Just bought a new The Slider T-Shirt two weeks ago.
But am I a ‘hardcore’ fan? Well, some people who know me may be inclined to think that way, but do you want to know who some real, legitimate ‘hardcore’ fans are? Take a look at the images (click to enlarge). These are ‘hardcore’ T.Rex fans! That’s commitment!
Have nothing against tattoos (I got my prerequisite Paul Stanley ‘rose’ tattoo in 1974 and my oldest son is probably 70% covered in ‘em – youngest son has none) but at my age, at this stage? I don’t think so.
But it’s pretty cool that other people go for it. I’ve seen lots of Rolling Stones ‘tongue’ logos on people for 30 years or more but it’s amazing how many people have Marc Bolan/T.Rex tats these days, and these images, I am sure, only represent a tiny drop in the bucket.
Like I said, these people are the true ‘hardcore’ fans.
Especially for a musician who’s been gone for 34 years.
To reiterate: That’s commitment!
The cover of the BORN TO BOOGIE deluxe DVD set. Buy it!
My all time favorite film is A HARD DAY’S NIGHT featuring the Beatles. My second all-time favorite film is BORN TO BOOGIE despite having only seen it once, back in 1974 and then again in late ’77. It took from ’77 until 2006 until I was able to see it again when it was released in a deluxe DVD package.
I recall reading about it when it was first released back in the early 70’s in CIRCUS, CREEM, HIT PARADER and ROLLING STONE magazines and then remember a couple months later that myself and others were pissed because we read in (Cleveland) SCENE that it wasn’t going to be distributed in the USA. Until 1974 and I caught it. And then one Saturday evening circa late 1977 a buddy, myself and two dates were headed to Cleveland for dinner and a night out when an advertisement on the radio announced a special one-night only Midnight showing of BORN TO BOOGIE at the Mellett Mall theatre in Canton, OH. I freaked! Needless to say we ate, had fun in Cleveland and then headed south to Canton to catch the film.
Marc Bolan – The man behind T.Rex and T.Rextasy!
Wish they had camcorders then cause I would have bootlegged it.
And then, decades later, they finally released it in the USA on DVD.
It’s a great film and really showcases Marc Bolan as a true rock ‘n roll star. Hell, he epitomized being what a true rock star was (no one has/had more fun being a ‘rock star’ on stage than Bolan and perhaps Paul Stanley).
Directed by Ringo Starr, who makes several appearances (along with Elton John), it’s basically a concert film interspersed with some sublime segments. Also in the package are two T.Rex concerts and a killer documentary hosted by Bolan’s son Rolan Bolan.
Worth the price of admission!
You can find out more about it here: http://www.borntoboogie.net
