T. Rex | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 18 December 1970 | |||
Recorded | 14 May – 31 August 1970 | |||
Studio | Trident, London | |||
Genre | Rock, Folk rock | |||
Length | 37:41 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | Tony Visconti | |||
T. Rex chronology | ||||
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T. Rex is a 1970 album by Marc Bolan's band T. Rex, the first under that name and the fifth since their debut as Tyrannosaurus Rex in 1968. It was released on 18 December by record labels Fly and Reprise. The album continued the shift begun by its predecessor from the band's previous folk style to a minimal rock sound, [1] with an even balance of electric and acoustic material. [2]
The duo's previous album A Beard of Stars had charted moderately well at number 21, selling around the same amount of copies as previous Tyrannosaurus Rex records, but frontman Marc Bolan felt frustrated at not being able to break out of cult status. [2] The new lineup with Finn toured extensively throughout the UK and Europe during 1970, acquainting audiences with their new electric sound while recording an album meant to capture it on tape. At the same time, Bolan's company signed with a new label, Fly Records. Just as a new single, "Ride a White Swan" was to see release in October 1970 Bolan decided to shorten the group's name to T. Rex, reflecting the change in style (as well as making it easier for people to pronounce). [2]
Although the album was credited to T. Rex, all the recordings (as well as the cover shot) were done when they were still known as Tyrannosaurus Rex, with the two-man lineup of singer/songwriter/guitarist Marc Bolan and percussionist Mickey Finn, while producer Tony Visconti played bass and recorder on a couple of tracks. Bolan had considered calling the album The Wizard or The Children of Rarn, before opting for a self-titled album. [2]
The album continued in the vein of the duo's previous effort A Beard of Stars , with an even further emphasis on an electric rock sound as well as the addition of strings, scored by Visconti, on several tracks. [3] Certain tracks like "The Time of Love is Now", "Suneye" and "Root of Star" were stylistically closer to the folk music of Tyrannosaurus Rex [2] but electric guitars and bass are fully integrated in tracks like "Jewel", "Childe", "Beltane Walk", "Diamond Meadows", "Is It Love", and "One Inch Rock", foreshadowing the style of the follow-up. As on previous albums, the lyrics were inspired in part by Tolkien, [4] including poetry about wizards, Druids, and a "Liquid Poetess in a buckskin dress". Journalist Tom Everett observed that Bolan was "clearly infatuated with mysticism, as well as the pure sounds of the English language", [5] although it would be the final time this subject matter would dominate his work. Elsewhere, "The Visit" details a UFO abduction while "Diamond Meadows" and "Suneye" are more conventional love songs that presage future ballads.
The album contained electric reworkings of two old Tyrannosaurus Rex songs, one of which, "The Wizard", was originally recorded as the A side of Bolan's (solo) first single in 1965. [2] The second was an electric version of the second Tyrannosaurus Rex single, "One Inch Rock", with an intro of scat-singing by Bolan and Finn, which the duo had been incorporating into live acoustic versions for some months prior to the album sessions. The remaining songs, however, were new material. "The Children Of Rarn" and its reprise, which opened and closed the UK album, were an incursion into symphonic rock which Bolan had wanted to develop into a full concept album which he was never able to complete; a 16-minute demo suite of its songs was taped in 1971. The B-side, a cover of "Summertime Blues", plus the intricate guitar instrumental outtake "Deep Summer" were also recorded during the sessions. [6]
Recording sessions began at Trident on May 14, 1970 with the rockers "Jewel" and "Is It Love", "Jewel" having already been premiered in concert; [6] this session set the stage for an electric pop/rock album. On Jun 1 the more tranquil "Diamond Meadows" and "The Visit" were taped along with "Ride A White Swan" (some sources list Jul 1 as the date for "Swan"). On Jun 16 the instrumental outtake "Deep Summer" was attempted but left unreleased. On Jun 24 Howard Kaylan of the duo Flo and Eddie attended the session for "Seagull Woman" to sing backup vocals for the first time on a T. Rex song (although his partner Mark Volman was also credited on the sleeve, session documentation does not confirm this). [6] The duo would go on to sing on many of the group's subsequent string of hits. "Summer Deep" and "The Time of Love Is Now" were recorded on Jun 26, while "Beltane Walk" and an early version of the "Hot Love" B-side "King of the Mountain Cometh" were attempted on Jul 1. Remakes of two older songs, "One Inch Rock" and "The Wizard" were recorded Jul 6 along with "The Children of Rarn". The final sessions on Aug 5 and 31 saw "Root of Star" committed to tape. Session notes for the recording of "Childe" and "Suneye" appear to be lost. [6]
The sleeve design was unusual, requiring a sideways look to unfold the full cover, or to have the artwork sideways to remove the LP. The cover pic was taken that summer by Pete Sanders at his parents' home in Selbridge. White pancake face makeup was worn by Marc and Mickey, while Bolan clutched his electric guitar to suit the new electric image he was trying to create. [2] A preface to the printed lyrics states "Dedicated To All Who Are And Will Be Forevermore."
T. Rex was released on 18 December 1970 by Fly and Reprise. The US pressing of the LP concluded with "Ride a White Swan" rather than "The Children of Rarn (Reprise)".
The album broke T. Rex in the UK, following the surprise success of the then-recent single "Ride a White Swan", which reached No. 2 in the UK Singles Chart, and before its No. 1 follow-up "Hot Love". The album is today listed by the Official Charts Company's website as having eventually reached a chart peak of No. 7 and accumulated several runs on the charts totaling 25 weeks. [7] This peak however took place during the 1971 United Kingdom postal workers strike, during which no album chart was issued and therefore the site recognises the Melody Maker chart for February–April 1971. [8] The Guinness Book of British Hit Albums which did not recognise any album chart for the missing weeks, listed the album as having peaked at No. 13. [9]
In 2004, the album was remastered and reissued by A&M Records with 9 bonus tracks. In 2014 a two-disc deluxe edition was released by A&M in Europe with the first disc containing the remastered album along with non-LP tracks and a BBC radio session on disc one, with a plethora of demos and studio outtakes on disc two.
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Guardian | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Rolling Stone | very favourable [5] |
Upon release, Rolling Stone published a glowing review saying, "It's difficult to isolate any one or two songs as being special favorites". Reviewer Todd Everett praised the band for "their ability to intermix vocal and instrumental sounds — the voices often go into a feedback guitar imitation. It's not the kind of trick every group should try". [5] In the UK reception was also highly positive, with Ray Hollingworth of Melody Maker describing it as "energy-packed rock, basted with Bolan's poetic and imaginative vocals", [11] while Nick Logan of New Musical Express opined it was "immensely enjoyable...electricity has had a dual effect of strengthening the rhythmic and melodic qualities of Bolan's compositions and after five albums, it must be a source of satisfaction to pull out such good songs". [6] Disc & Music Echo also called it superb, claiming "sweeping strings and lush backings suit this duo far better than one might have expected" while Penny Valentine at Sounds noted "people may argue that T. Rex's sound is no longer mystic and pure, but I for one am thankful it's not...Marc, while still retaining a lot of typical Bolanesque, now has much more rhythmic appeal and firm attraction". [6]
In his retrospective review, Mark Deming of AllMusic wrote, "T. Rex is the quiet before the storm of Electric Warrior , and it retains a loopy energy and easy charm that makes it one of Bolan's watershed works". [4] Writing for The Guardian , Alexis Petridis noted that the album "allowed Bolan's instincts to the fore: more electric guitar; sharper, simpler rhythms; vocals doused in the old-fashioned slapback echo found on "Heartbreak Hotel"; strings accentuating a penchant for what Julian Cope would later characterize as the “Glam Descend”, chord sequences lurching in downward patterns that sound simultaneously melancholy and triumphant". [10] Likewise, a review in Ultimate Classic Rock calls it an instant classic, noting that the album is filled with songs like "Childe", "Beltane Walk", and "One Inch Rock" that are "50's rockers dressed up in early 70's flair...Bolan, along with Finn and producer Tony Visconti, mined a sound that, with just a bit of tweaking, would catapult T. Rex onto the pop charts with a string of massive hits in their native U.K." [12]
Richard Barone of the Bongos covered "The Visit" on his first solo album, Cool Blue Halo (1987). [13] Siouxsie Sioux covered "Jewel" in 1999 with her second band the Creatures. [14]
All tracks are written by Marc Bolan, except where noted
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "The Children of Rarn" | 0:53 |
2. | "Jewel" | 2:46 |
3. | "The Visit" | 1:55 |
4. | "Childe" | 1:41 |
5. | "The Time of Love Is Now" | 2:42 |
6. | "Diamond Meadows" | 1:58 |
7. | "Root of Star" | 2:31 |
8. | "Beltane Walk" | 2:38 |
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Is It Love?" | 2:34 |
2. | "One Inch Rock" | 2:28 |
3. | "Summer Deep" | 1:43 |
4. | "Seagull Woman" | 2:18 |
5. | "Suneye" | 2:06 |
6. | "The Wizard" | 8:50 |
7. | "The Children of Rarn (Reprise)" (the U.S. version features "Ride a White Swan" in place of this track) | 0:36 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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16. | "Ride a White Swan" (Single A-side) | 2:30 | |
17. | "Summertime Blues" (Single B-side) | Eddie Cochran, Jerry Capehart | 2:42 |
18. | "Poem" | 0:34 | |
19. | "The Visit" (Take 4) | 1:57 | |
20. | "Diamond Meadows" (Take 6) | 1:56 | |
21. | "One Inch Rock" | 2:26 | |
22. | "Seagull Woman" | 2:19 | |
23. | "The Wizard" | 8:33 | |
24. | "The Children of Rarn" | 0:42 |
with:
Chart (1970/71) | Peak position |
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Australia (Kent Music Report) [15] | 37 |
UK Albums Chart | 7 (Official Charts website) [7] 13 (Guinness Book of British Hit Albums) [9] |
Marc Bolan was an English guitarist, singer-songwriter and poet. He was a pioneer of the glam rock movement in the early 1970s with his band T. Rex. Bolan strongly influenced artists of many genres, including glam rock, punk, post-punk, new wave, indie rock, Britpop and alternative rock. He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020 as a member of T. Rex.
Steve Peregrin Took was an English musician and songwriter, best known for his membership of the duo Tyrannosaurus Rex with Marc Bolan. After breaking with Bolan, he concentrated on his own singer-songwriting activities, either as a solo artist or as a frontman for several bands.
Michael Norman Finn was an English musician. He was best known as the percussionist and sideman to Marc Bolan in his band Tyrannosaurus Rex and later the 1970s glam rock group T. Rex. After Bolan's death and T. Rex's demise, he worked as a session musician for The Blow Monkeys and The Soup Dragons.
Electric Warrior is the second studio album by English rock band T. Rex, released on 24 September 1971 and their sixth since their 1968 debut as Tyrannosaurus Rex. The album marked a turning point in the band's style, moving away from the folk-oriented sound of the group's previous albums and pioneering a more flamboyant, pop-friendly glam rock style.
The Slider is the seventh studio album by English rock band T. Rex, and the third since abbreviating their name from Tyrannosaurus Rex. It was released on 21 July 1972 by record labels EMI and Reprise. Two number-one singles, "Telegram Sam" and "Metal Guru", were released to promote the album. Issued at the height of the band's popularity, The Slider received acclaim from critics, reaching number 4 in the UK Albums Chart and number 17 in the US.
A Beard of Stars is the fourth studio album by English psychedelic folk band Tyrannosaurus Rex, and their last before changing their name to T. Rex. It was released in March 1970 by record label Regal Zonophone.
Unicorn is the third studio album by English psychedelic folk band Tyrannosaurus Rex. It was released on 16 May 1969 by record labels Regal Zonophone and Blue Thumb, and was the last Tyrannosaurus Rex album to feature Steve Peregrin Took.
Prophets, Seers & Sages: The Angels of the Ages is the second studio album by English psychedelic folk band Tyrannosaurus Rex. It was released on 1 November 1968 by record label Regal Zonophone.
Tanx is a 1973 album by rock band T. Rex, the eighth since their debut as Tyrannosaurus Rex in 1968, and the fourth under the moniker T. Rex. It was released on 16 March by record label EMI. Tanx was a musical departure from previous works: still containing tracks in the vein of The Slider, singer and songwriter Marc Bolan showed his interest for soul music, funk and gospel. Female backing singers appeared on a few tracks. New instruments such as mellotron were used, played by producer Tony Visconti, allowing the T. Rex sound to evolve.
My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair... But Now They're Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows is the debut album by psychedelic folk band Tyrannosaurus Rex. The release of the album was planned for early May but delayed until 5 July 1968 by record label Regal Zonophone.
"Hot Love" is a song by English glam rock band T. Rex, released as a standalone single on 12 February 1971 by record label Fly. It was the group's first number one placing on the UK Singles Chart, where it remained at the top for six weeks beginning on 14 March 1971.
"Metal Guru" is a song by the British rock band T. Rex, written by Marc Bolan. It was the band's fourth number one on the UK Singles Chart when it topped the chart for four weeks from May–June 1972. It was also included on the album The Slider in 1972.
"Ride a White Swan" is a song by English band T. Rex. It was released as a stand-alone single on 9 October 1970 by record label Fly, and was the first single credited under the band's new, shorter name. Like all of the band's songs, it was written by the group's singer, guitarist and founder Marc Bolan. The song was included on the US version of the 1970 album, T. Rex.
Bolan's Zip Gun is the tenth studio album by English rock band T. Rex, released on February 1975 by record label EMI.
Bolan Boogie is a compilation album by the English glam rock band T. Rex. After Marc Bolan had left Fly Records to form his own label distributed through EMI/T. Rex Wax Co, his former label released this compilation in 1972 with recent single A- and B-sides recorded in 1970 and 1971, many of which had not appeared on previous albums. Also included are album tracks from Tyrannosaurus Rex's Unicorn (1969), A Beard of Stars (1970) and T. Rex's T. Rex (1970).
Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow is an album by English rock band T. Rex, the ninth since Tyrannosaurus Rex's debut LP. It was released in March 1974 on the T.Rex record label, distributed by EMI. It was the first and only album to be released under the moniker "Marc Bolan & T. Rex".
Light of Love is a US-only album released by British rock band T. Rex in 1974. It is composed of 3 tracks previously released in the UK on the album Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow, together with 8 songs recorded in the Spring of 1974 at Music Recorders Inc. Studios in Hollywood which would later appear on the album Bolan's Zip Gun. The album was engineered by Gary Ulmer and, in the absence of Tony Visconti, was produced by Marc Bolan himself. The album marked the first time that a T. Rex album had been produced without Tony Visconti and also marked Bolan's debut in this role. "Till Dawn", was re-recorded for Bolan's Zip Gun with Bolan at the controls.
T. Rex were an English rock band, formed in 1967 by singer-songwriter and guitarist Marc Bolan, who was their leader, frontman and only consistent member. Though initially associated with the psychedelic folk genre, Bolan began to change the band's style towards electric rock in 1969, and shortened their name to T. Rex the following year. This development culminated in 1970 with their first hit single "Ride a White Swan", and the group soon became pioneers of the glam rock movement.
"Solid Gold Easy Action" is a song by T. Rex, written by Marc Bolan. It was released as a single on 1 December 1972 and reached No. 2 in the UK Singles Chart. The song did not feature on an original studio album but was included on the 1972 Great Hits compilation album issued by EMI Records, as well as most CD reissues of Tanx. It was beaten to No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart by "Long Haired Lover from Liverpool" by Little Jimmy Osmond.
"King of the Rumbling Spires" is a single by Tyrannosaurus Rex, released in July 1969. It featured the duo of Marc Bolan and Steve Peregrine Took and was written by Bolan. It was a minor chart hit, the first by the group to contain electric guitar instead of acoustic, and was Took's last appearance with the duo on record.