"Children of the Revolution" | ||||
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Single by T. Rex | ||||
B-side |
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Released | 8 September 1972 | |||
Genre | Glam rock [1] [2] | |||
Length | 2:29 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | Marc Bolan | |||
Producer(s) | Tony Visconti | |||
T. Rex singles chronology | ||||
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"Children of the Revolution" is a song by T. Rex, written by Marc Bolan. It was a UK No. 2 hit single in September 1972. The song broke their sequence of four official single releases all reaching No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart ("Hot Love", "Get It On", "Telegram Sam", "Metal Guru"). It did not receive a regular album release.
"Children of the Revolution" was first recorded at Ascot Sound Studios for the film Born to Boogie , and featured Elton John on piano and Ringo Starr on a drum kit. [3]
A longer version of the song, at over twelve minutes in length, was recorded on 31 March 1972 at Copenhagen's Rosenberg Studios during sessions for the band's third album The Slider . [3] Flo & Eddie, formerly of the Turtles, contribute backing vocals to this version of the release. The tape box contained the note that the jam was "for the attention of Ringo".
The recording of the single version of the song began during the sessions for the Tanx album in August 1972. The track was mixed at Air Studios in mid August before being release on 8 September. [3]
"Jitterbug Love" was initially recorded on 2 August 1972 at the Château d'Hérouville in France, however only the drum track recorded at this session made it to the final release. Additional instrumentation was added at Air Studios on 11 August 1972. [3]
"Sunken Rags" was recorded during the last of the sessions for The Slider at Rosenberg Studios, Copenhagen in March 1972. [3]
In 1986, Violent Femmes released the version of the single from their album The Blind Leading the Naked .
In 1989, Greater Manchester artist Baby Ford released an acid house version on the Rhythm King record label. This cover was a No. 53 hit in the UK Singles Chart in 1989. [4] [5]
In 2001, Bono handled lead vocals on a version for the Baz Luhrmann film Moulin Rouge! and the accompanying soundtrack.
In 2011 Scorpions covered the song on their Comeblack album.
In June 2020, it was announced that Kesha would record a cover of the song along with Marc Bolan's son, Rolan, on backing vocals. [6] The tribute album containing the recording, Angelheaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan & T. Rex, was released in September 2020. [7]
Dinaw Mengestu's 2017 novel The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears was originally published in the UK as Children of the Revolution, and includes lyrics from the song within the story.
In 2014, Sonic Youth vocalist and guitarist Thurston Moore named "Children of the Revolution" as one of his 25 favourite songs. [8]
T. Rex version
| Baby Ford version
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI) [20] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
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 was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020 as a member of T. Rex.
Gloria Richetta Jones is an American singer and songwriter who first found success in the United Kingdom, being recognized there as "The Queen of Northern Soul". She recorded the 1965 hit song "Tainted Love" and has worked in multiple genres as a Motown songwriter and recording artist, backing vocalist, and as a performer in musicals such as Hair. In the 1970s, she was a keyboardist and vocalist in Marc Bolan's glam rock band T. Rex. She and Bolan were also in a committed romantic relationship and had a son, Rolan Bolan, together.
Electric Warrior is the second studio album by English rock band T. Rex, their sixth since their debut as Tyrannosaurus Rex. The album marked a turning point in the band's sound, 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, and reached number 4 in the UK charts 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.
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, with an even balance of electric and acoustic material.
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.
"Get It On" is a song by the English rock band T. Rex, featured on their 1971 album Electric Warrior. Written by frontman Marc Bolan, "Get It On" was the second chart-topper for T. Rex on the UK Singles Chart. In the United States, it was retitled "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" to avoid confusion with a song of the same name by the group Chase.
"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.
"Jeepster" is a song by English glam rock act T. Rex. It was released on 5 November 1971 by record label Fly as a single from the group's sixth studio album Electric Warrior. The B-side, "Life's a Gas", is taken from the same album. Several artists have recorded cover versions of it. Both of the single's tracks were written by Marc Bolan and produced by Tony Visconti.
"20th Century Boy" is a song by T. Rex, written by Marc Bolan, released as a stand-alone single on 2 March 1973.
Dandy in the Underworld is the twelfth and final studio album by English rock band T. Rex. It was released on 11 March 1977 by record label EMI. It reached No. 26 in the UK charts, the band's highest-charting album since 1974's Zinc Alloy. The leading single "I Love to Boogie" had been a hit single in the UK the previous year, peaking at number 13 in the singles chart.
"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.
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. It was beaten to No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart by "Long Haired Lover from Liverpool" by Little Jimmy Osmond.
American singer and songwriter Børns has released two studio albums, two live albums, three extended plays, 11 singles, and five music videos. Børns released his first EP, A Dream Between, in 2012, and released his debut studio album, Dopamine, on October 16, 2015.
"Dandy in the Underworld" is a song by English rock band T. Rex, which was released by EMI in 1977 as the third single from their twelfth and final studio album Dandy in the Underworld. The song was written and produced by Marc Bolan.
"Celebrate Summer" is a song by English rock band T. Rex, which was released in 1977 as a non-album single. The song was written and produced by Marc Bolan. "Celebrate Summer" was the last T. Rex release before Bolan's death in a car crash on 16 September 1977.
Bolan (...) started writing manic chant-along glam-rock hits such as "Metal Guru," "20th Century Boy," "Solid Gold Easy Action," and "Children of the Revolution."
Take 'Children of the Revolution' by T. Rex, from 1972. Credited for representing glam-rock at its best, this song is a landmark in British popular music and performed by one of the legendary idols, Marc Bolan.