T.Rex

T.Rex - Get It On (18 Unplugged & Electric Tracks) - 2000 - Prism Leisure

" Get it off!” cried the troll, uncrouching from the shadows, and this before the disc had even started. I couldn’t blame him; we’d been burned before by posthumous product from the bloated vaults of Bolan. And this would seem to aspire to the lowest rung of product: released in 2000 (after everything had already been re-hashed to death), with a lame title, produced in Israel (the birthplace of many great things, but not glam), stingy liner notes (relative to the tomes already heaped upon the fallen one) that reveal the contents as a mix of alternate versions, acoustic radio promos and studio rehearsals. I was ready to join my voice to the troll’s and scream “For the love of Bolan, leave his legacy alone you jeep bastards!” And as I was thinking this, “Get It On” sputtered from the speakers. Not the original version, but an alternate version nearly identical in execution and electricity. (I don’t listen to T. Rex so often that I can tell the subtle differences that separate a take one and take two.) Likewise, “Hot Love” and “Ride A White Swan” could’ve passed for the original versions in my mind. I noticed a difference with “One Inch Rock,” it didn’t swagger quite so much, but not bad at all. The troll was quiet; so was I. Maybe we’d stumbled upon a pretty good purchase for our six dollars. Then the acoustic songs from the February 1972 US radio shows rolled around. They’re a little raw, the recording quality is fitfully adequate, and if you thought these songs sounded the same in the electric incarnations, these feel like a never-ending space odyssey (i.e., they all sound like David Bowie’s “Space Oddity”). But in here are looks at “Ballroom of Mars,” “Mystic Lady” and “Spaceball Ricochet” before they slid onto The Slider’s platter, and that’s gotta matter, right? “Woodland Rock” marks the electric rehearsal sessions for Electric Warrior drawn from February 1971, including early versions of a lumbering “Monolith” and a familiar “Baby Strange.” This segment includes some real surprises, from a delightful version of “Honey Don’t” to a feedback-drenched “Jewel” that literally blows the mind. “Of course,” noted the troll, “these are simply the scattered baubles that litter the entrance to the bulging treasure room of alternate and unreleased tracks accumulated by Marc on Wax, Edsel, et al.” And, yes, that’s true. There must be overlap, because these songs are too interesting not to have made our earlier acquaintance. But if you’ve missed them, and might prefer a quick introduction to a tepid conversation that sees the shadows on the lawn grow long, there is this. And so it ends where it began, though in a different key, with me saying: Get It On gives good bang for the buck. © 2004 Connolly & Company. All rights reserved http://www.connollyco.com/discography/trex/getprism.html

T. Rex began life as a British folk-rock combo called Tyrannosaurus Rex. Evolving into T. Rex the band was huge during the 70's "Glam Rock" era, due to the creative talents of vocalist and guitarist Marc Bolan (born Marc Feld). Bolan purposely created a trashy form of rock & roll, combining early rock & roll sleaze, with fat distorted guitars, and dirty, simple grooves, as well as a psychedelic/folky/hippie influence on the band's balladic side. In Britain, Marc Bolan and T.Rex achieved superstardom, with a series of Top Ten hits, including four number one singles. In America, the group only had one major hit, "Bang a Gong (Get It On)", before disappearing from the charts in 1973. T. Rex's popularity in the U.K. began to fade after 1975, but they still have a huge following. The late Marc Bolan is now a cult figure in rock music and his compositions and playing style has influenced many hard rock, punk, new wave, and alternative rock bands. The album here includes early re-mixes, and alternative versions, with acoustic and electric sessions for radio broadcasting. Many of the tracks are not readily available elsewhere. Due to the nature of these recordings, audio quality varies from track to track. Marc Bolan was a major dude in rock music, and has bequested a wonderful musical legacy. He is now a "21st Century Boy"!. Listen to his "The Beginning of Doves" album, and T.Rex's classic "The Slider" album.

TRACKS

GET IT ON (ALTERNATE VERSION)
HOT LOVE (ALTERNATE VERSION)
RIDE A WHITE SWAN (ALTERNATE VERSION)
ONE INCH ROCK (ALTERNATE VERSION)
COSMIC DANCER (FEB '72 ACOUSTIC)
BALLROOMS OF MARS (FEB '72 ACOUSTIC)
MYSTIC LADY (FEB '72 ACOUSTIC)
LIFE'S A GAS (FEB '72 ACOUSTIC)
JEEPSTER (FEB '72 ACOUSTIC)
SPACEBALL RICOCHET (FEB '72 ACOUSTIC)
DEBORAH (FEB '72 ACOUSTIC)
GIRL (FEB '72 ACOUSTIC)
WOODLAND ROCK (FEB '71 REHEARSAL)
MONOLITH (FEB '71 REHEARSAL)
HONEY DON'T (FEB '71 REHEARSAL)
BABY STRANGE (FEB '71 REHEARSAL)
JEWEL (FEB '71 REHEARSAL)
SUMMERTIME BLUES (FEB '71 REHEARSAL)

All songs composed by Marc Bolan, except "Honey Don't", by Carl Perkins, and "Summertime Blues", by Eddie Cochran, & Jerry Capehart

BAND MEMBERS INCLUDED -

Marc Bolan – guitar, lead vocals (Aug 1967 - Sep 1977) R.I.P
Jack Green – guitar (Jul 1973 - Nov 1973) [The Pretty Things]
Miller Anderson – guitar (Aug 1976 - Sep 1977) [Spencer Davis Group, Broken Glass, The Dukes, Savoy Brown, T.Rex and Chicken Shack]
Steve Currie – bass (Dec 1970 - Aug 1976) R.I.P [Chris Spedding]
Herbie Flowers – bass (Aug 1976 - Sep 1977) [Blue Mink, David Bowie, Elton John, Jeff Wayne, George Harrison]
Alex Cooksey – keyboards, bass guitar (Jul 1969 - Aug 1971)
Gloria Jones – keyboards, vocals (Jul 1973 - Aug 1976) [Neil Young, Ry Cooder, Buffie Sainte-Marie, Elvin Bishop, Little Feat, Steve Harley, Billy Preston]
Dino Dines – keyboards (Nov 1973 - Sep 1977) R.I.P [Keef Hartley, P.P Arnold, Hollies]
Bill Legend – drums (Dec 1970 - Nov 1973) [Billy Fury]
Tony Newman – drums (Aug 1976 - Sep 1977) [Three Man Army, Boxer, Jeff Beck, David Bowie, Donovan, Mick Ronson, Gene Vincent]
Davey Lutton – drums (Nov 1973 - Aug 1976) [Heavy Jelly, Ellis, Chris Spedding]
Steve Peregrine Took – percussion (Aug 1967 - Oct 1969) R.I.P [Deviants, Shagrat, Pink Fairies]
Mickey Finn – percussion (Oct 1969 - Dec 1974) R.I.P [Blow Monkeys, Soup Dragons]

T.REX (BIO)

Initially a British folk-rock combo called Tyrannosaurus Rex, T. Rex was the primary force in glam rock, thanks to the creative direction of guitarist/vocalist Marc Bolan (born Marc Feld). Bolan created a deliberately trashy form of rock & roll that was proud of its own disposability. T. Rex's music borrowed the underlying sexuality of early rock & roll, adding dirty, simple grooves and fat distorted guitars, as well as an overarching folky/hippie spirituality that always came through the clearest on ballads. While most of his peers concentrated on making cohesive albums, Bolan kept the idea of a three-minute pop single alive in the early '70s. In Britain, he became a superstar, sparking a period of "T. Rextacy" among the pop audience with a series of Top Ten hits, including four number one singles. Over in America, the group only had one major hit — the Top Ten "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" — before disappearing from the charts in 1973. T. Rex's popularity in the U.K. didn't begin to waver until 1975, yet they retained a devoted following until Marc Bolan's death in 1977. Over the next two decades, Bolan emerged as a cult figure and the music of T. Rex has proven quite influential on hard rock, punk, new wave, and alternative rock. Following a career as a teenage model, Marc Bolan began performing music professionally in 1965, releasing his first single, "The Wizard," on Decca Records. Bolan joined the psychedelic folk-rock combo John's Children in 1967, appearing on three unsuccessful singles before the group disbanded later that year. Following the breakup, he formed the folk duo Tyrannosaurus Rex with percussionist Steve Peregrine Took. The duo landed a record deal with a subsidiary of EMI in February 1968, recording their debut album with producer Tony Visconti. "Debora," the group's first single, peaked at number 34 in May of that year, and their debut album, My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair...But Now They're Content to Wear Stars on Their Brow, reached number 15 shortly afterward. The duo released their second album, Prophets, Seers & Sages, the Angels of the Ages, in November of 1968. By this time, Tyrannosaurus Rex was building a sizable underground following, which helped Bolan's book of poetry, The Warlock of Love, enter the British best-seller charts. In the summer of 1969, the duo released their third album, Unicorn, as well as the single "King of the Rumbling Spires," the first Tyrannosaurus Rex song to feature an electric guitar. Following an unsuccessful American tour that fall, Took left the band and was replaced by Mickey Finn. The new duo's first single did not chart, yet their first album, 1970's A Beard of Stars, reached number 21. The turning point in Bolan's career came in October of 1970, when he shortened the group's name to T. Rex and released "Ride a White Swan," a fuzz-drenched single driven by a rolling backbeat. "Ride a White Swan" became a major hit in the U.K., climbing all the way to number two. The band's next album, T. Rex, peaked at number 13 and stayed on the charts for six months. Encouraged by the results, Bolan expanded T. Rex to a full band, adding bassist Steve Currie and drummer Bill Legend (born Bill Fifield). The new lineup recorded "Hot Love," which spent six weeks at number one in early 1971. That summer, T. Rex released "Get It On" (retitled "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" in the U.S.), which became their second straight U.K. number one; the single would go on to be their biggest international hit, reaching number ten in the U.S. in 1972. Electric Warrior, the first album recorded by the full band, was released in the fall of 1971; it was number one for six weeks in Britain and cracked America's Top 40. By now, "T. Rextacy" was in full swing in England, as the band had captured the imaginations of both teenagers and the media with its sequined, heavily made-up appearance; the image of Marc Bolan in a top hat, feather boa, and platform shoes, performing "Get It On" on the BBC became as famous as his music. At the beginning of 1972, T. Rex signed with EMI, setting up a distribution deal for Bolan's own T.Rex Wax Co. record label. "Telegram Sam," the group's first EMI single, became their third number one single. "Metal Guru" also hit number one, spending four weeks at the top of the chart. The Slider, released in the summer of 1972, shot to number one upon its release, allegedly selling 100,000 copies in four days; the album was also T. Rex's most successful American release, reaching number 17. Appearing in the spring of 1973, Tanx was another Top Five hit for T. Rex; the singles "20th Century Boy" and "The Groover" soon followed it to the upper ranks of the charts. However, those singles would prove to be the band's last two Top Ten hits. In the summer of 1973, rhythm guitarist Jack Green joined the band, as did three backup vocalists, including the American soul singer Gloria Jones; Jones would soon become Bolan's girlfriend. At the beginning of 1974, drummer Bill Legend left the group and was replaced by Davy Lutton, as Jones became the group's keyboardist. In early 1974, the single "Teenage Dream" was the first record to be released under the name Marc Bolan and T. Rex. The following album, Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow, was the last Bolan recorded with Tony Visconti. Throughout the year, T. Rex's popularity rapidly declined — by the time "Zip Gun Boogie" was released in November, it could only reach number 41. Finn and Green left the group at the end of the year, while keyboardist Dino Dins joined. The decline of T. Rex's popularity was confirmed when 1975's Bolan's Zip Gun failed to chart. Bolan took the rest of the year off, returning in the spring of 1976 with Futuristic Dragon, which peaked at number 50. Released in the summer of 1976, "I Love to Boogie," a disco-flavored three-chord thumper, became Bolan's last Top 20 hit. Bolan released Dandy in the Underworld in the spring of 1977; it was a modest hit, peaking at number 26. While "The Soul of My Suit" reached number 42 on the charts, T. Rex's next two singles failed to chart. Sensing it was time for a change of direction, Bolan began expanding his horizons in August. In addition to contributing a weekly column for Record Mirror, he hosted his own variety television show, Marc. Featuring guest appearances by artists like David Bowie and Generation X, Marc helped restore Bolan's hip image. Signing with RCA Records, the guitarist formed a new band with bassist Herbie Flowers and drummer Tony Newman, yet he never was able to record with the group. While driving home from a London club with Bolan, Gloria Jones lost control of her car, smashing into a tree. Marc Bolan, riding in the passenger's seat of the car, was killed instantly. While T. Rex's music was intended to be disposable, it has proven surprisingly influential over the years. Hard rock and heavy metal bands borrowed the group's image, as well as the pounding insistence of their guitars. Punk bands may have discarded the high heels, feather boas, and top hats, yet they adhered to the simple three-chord structures and pop aesthetics that made the band popular. © Stephen Thomas Erlewine © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:0ifixqr5ldae~T1



MARC BOLAN (BIO)

Singer/songwriter/guitarist Marc Bolan was one of the major glam rock figures of the early '70s, especially in England. After releasing his debut solo single, "The Wizard," and its follow-ups, "The Third Degree" and "Hippy Gumbo," on Decca Records in the U.K. in 1965-1966, he joined the band John's Children in 1967. The same year, he and percussionist Steve Peregine Took formed Tyrannosaurus Rex, an acoustic duo. They made three albums, My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair but Now They're Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows (1968), Prophets, Seers and Sages, the Angels of the Ages (1968), and Unicorn (1969), then split, with Bolan retaining the band name and teaming up with Mickey Finn on the electric Beard of Stars (1970). By the end of 1970, with the name abbreviated to T. Rex, Bolan and Finn scored a U.K. hit with "Ride a White Swan," the first of ten straight Top Ten hits, and the album T. Rex. Adding bass player Steve Curry and drummer Bill Fifield, T. Rex expanded into a full-fledged rock & roll band, and scored a number one hit with "Hot Love" and another with "Get It On." (Under the title "Bang a Gong (Get It On)," the song became T. Rex's only substantial U.S. hit, making the Top Ten in 1972.) This was followed by the landmark album Electric Warrior (1971), which topped the U.K. charts and included the single "Jeepster." Then came "Telegram Sam," T. Rex's third U.K. number one. "Metal Guru" became T. Rex's fourth number one in May 1972. (During this period, with T.Rextasy hitting Britain, numerous reissues also charted.) The next new T. Rex album, The Slider, became a Top Ten hit in July 1972. T. Rex's seventh straight Top Ten single, "Children of the Revolution," peaked in the charts in September, followed by "Solid Gold Easy Action" in December. In March 1973 came "Twentieth Century Boy," the ninth T. Rex Top Ten single, and the Top Ten album Tanx. In June, "The Groover" became the band's tenth and final Top Ten single. In August, Bolan tested the waters for using his own name on records, issuing the non-charting "Blackjack" single credited to Marc Bolan with Big Carrot, but then he retreated to the T. Rex rubric, though the original group was fragmenting. Bolan and T. Rex's commercial and critical fortunes declined afterwards, as they released Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow (1974), Bolan's Zip Gun (1975), Futuristic Dragon (1976), and Dandy in the Underworld (1977). Bolan died in an automobile accident in 1977, and his work has been reissued frequently in the U.K. © William Ruhlmann © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:dpfqxqt5ldje~T1