T. Rex Biography

T. Rex (originally known as Tyrannosaurus Rex, also occasionally spelled T Rex or T-Rex), were an English rock band fronted by Marc Bolan. It was founded in 1960s London and found success as a 1970s glam rock group.

The band was founded by Marc Bolan in 1967 and performed just once as a four-piece rock band, at Electric Garden in Covent Garden, London, before immediately breaking up in disarray. Bolan retained the services of percussionist Steve "Peregrin" Took and the duo began producing eccentric, pastoral, and folk-tinged ditties steeped in Tolkienian mythology, with spiritual homages to Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran thrown into the mix for good measure.

The combination of Bolan's acoustic guitar and cat-like wail with Steve Took's bongos and assorted percussion, which often included children's instruments such as the Pixiephone, gained them a devoted following on a thriving underground scene that included the Incredible String Band. Disc jockey John Peel befriended the band and ferried them to and from gigs in his Mini. Peel later appeared on record with them, reading stories written by Bolan. Another key collaborator was producer Tony Visconti, who went on to produce the band's albums well into their second phase.

By 1968, the act had become a modest success on radio and on record, and had released three albums. Whilst Bolan's early material was rock and roll influenced folk and protopunk, he was now writing glowing, dramatic, elegant, and baroque songs with lush melodies and surreal lyrics filled with Greek and Persian mythology as well as mythical creations of his own, still with rock overtones. The band became regulars on Peel sessions on BBC radio, and had toured Britain's student union halls. The group, however, received bad press from journalists and critics, who were annoyed at the overexposure they were getting on John Peel's radio shows.

By 1969 there was a clear rift between the two halves of Tyrannosaurus Rex. Bolan and his girlfriend June Child (ex-girlfriend of the late Syd Barrett) were living a quiet life, while Took had fully embraced the anti-commercial/community spirited/drug-taking ethos of the UK Underground scene centered around Ladbroke Grove. Took was also attracted to the most anarchistic elements, such as Mick Farren/Deviants and members of the Pink Fairies Rock 'n' Roll and Drinking Club.

By now Took was writing his own songs and wanted the duo to perform them, but Bolan firmly refused. Took contributed his talents and two songs, including "The Sparrow Is A Sign," to Twink's Think Pink album, which Bolan probably also did not approve of.

Bolan's relationship with Took ended after Unicorn, although they were contractually obliged to go through with a US tour which was doomed before it began. Poorly promoted and planned, the tour saw the acoustic duo senselessly billed alongside loud electric acts. Took commented that the audience often did not even notice they had started their set, and he would sometimes strip to the waist and whip himself in Iggy Pop manner.

As soon as he returned to the United Kingdom, Bolan replaced Took with bongo player Mickey Finn, who would remain with Bolan until 1975. They made A Beard of Stars, the final album under the name Tyrannosaurus Rex. Unlike Took, Finn had no song writing aspirations. Finn was also more eccentric and fun than Took, and famously owned a large powerful motorcycle that impressed Bolan so much that he chose him as Took's replacement.

As well as progressively shorter titles, the albums began to show higher production values, more accessible song writing from Bolan, and experimentation with electric guitars and a true rock sound. The breakthrough was in "King of the Rumbling Spires," (recorded with Steve Took) which used a full rock band. This era also saw the publication of The Warlock of Love, a book of Bolan's poetry; derided by critics, it nevertheless became the best-selling poetry book of its time.

The next album, titled simply T. Rex, continued the process of simplification by shortening the name, and completed the move to electric guitars. (Legend has it that Tony Visconti got fed up with writing the name out in full on studio chitties and tapes and began to abbreviate it. When Bolan first noticed he was supposedly furious, but later claimed the idea was his.) The sound was altogether "peppier," and the first single, "Ride a White Swan," (which wasn't included on the album) reached number two in the UK chart in late 1970. In early 1971, the T. Rex album reached the top ten of the UK album charts on the strength of the single (that was not actually included on the album).

Original members of the band began to leave in 1974, the first being Bill Legend in mid 1974, alienated by Bolan's increasingly egotistical behaviour, which was fed by success, money, cocaine, and brandy. Bolan and his wife/manager June divorced and he began a relationship with Gloria Jones, a session singer, on the band's second major US tour. Jones had achieved fame in the US for the 1964 recording "Tainted Love," written by Ed Cobb of the Four Preps. In the early 1980s, the UK group Soft Cell gained notoriety with their cover of this song.

Bolan left producer Tony Visconti in early 1974, after the album Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow failed to become a major hit. From the 1975 Bolan's Zip Gun album onwards, Bolan produced his own material in addition to writing his own songs, apart from the song "Till Dawn" which was the last known T. Rex song to be produced by Visconti. Needless to say, the Bolan productions were not very well received in the music press (Rolling Stone magazine gave Zinc Alloy and all further studio albums one star out of five).

Jones became Bolan's backing singer, lover, and the mother of his only child, Rolan, who was born in 1975. Mickey Finn left the band in early 1975. Always a fantasist with a Napoleon complex, Bolan grew increasingly isolated from the "real world," and high UK tax rates drove him into exile in Monte Carlo and the US. No longer a vegetarian, he grew heavy on a diet of hamburgers and alcohol, and was ridiculed in the music press.

In 1976 T.rex released their second to last album "Futuristic Dragon" which was liked by critics and fans, but still only managed to reach No.50. Promoted By the singles "New York City" (Which reached No.15 in the summer of 1975) "Dreamy Lady" (No.30)and "London Boys" which charted at No.40 one week before the album. To promote the album, Bolan made performances on such programes as Top of the Pops, Supersonic and Get It Together.

In The summer of 1976, T.Rex released two more singles, "I Love To Boogie" (Which Charted At No.13 and would appear on the Dandy In The Underworld Album) And "Laser Love" which only scraped to No.42. In early 1977, his final album "Dandy in The Underworld" was released to great critical aclaim, and was well received by fans who only two years ago had grown tired of their once megastar idol. Bolan was now thin (some said too thin) and took far more time to write and record songs.

A spring UK tour with The Damned as supporters garnered positive reviews. In Autumn 1977 Bolan hosted his own ITV show, Marc. Bolan was a crusader for punk rock, which led him to invite many punk artists to appear on his TV show. Interested in bridging the gap between the rock and roll of the early seventies with the current younger generation's punk scene, the format was to allow Bolan to play his own music, both old and new, as well as to introduce and interview upcoming bands, who included The Jam, Generation X, The Rods, and Boomtown Rats.

On the final episode of Marc, a long-awaited performance with his old friend David Bowie was scheduled. At the end of the show, Marc proceeded to trip and fall off of the stage, receiving a smirk from Bowie, and the credits abruptly rolled. This would be Marc's final public appearance and his symbolic "fall from grace," for he would die less than a week later.

As Bolan was enjoying a newfound surge in popularity, he talked about performing again with original partners Finn and Took, as well as rejoining producer Tony Visconti. Unfortunately, after drinking and dining at a club and restaurant, a few minutes before 5 a.m. on September 16, 1977, he was killed almost instantly when his car, driven by his girlfriend Gloria Jones, hit a tree (now the site of Bolan's Rock Shrine), in Barnes, South West London, less than a mile from his home in Richmond. He died two weeks before his 30th birthday. Ironically, Marc never learned to drive a car, and was known to fear them for he had visions all his life of dying in an automobile (references to which appear in some of his lyrics, notably 1972's "Solid Gold Easy Action"). Gloria Jones survived the crash, and shortly afterward she fled to her native America with Rolan.

The manner of Bolan's death was made even more incredible when one considers the number of automotive references made in his songs.

The band had an undeniable influence on punk rock and Britpop, while many modern indie bands play music heavily influenced by the glam scene, especially T. Rex. The early acoustic material was influential in helping to bring about progressive rock and 21st century folk music-influenced singers. Cover songs have been recorded by many groups, notably Power Station's hit 1985 take on "Get It On," Iggy Pop's version of "20th Century Boy," The Bongos' 1981 version of "Mambo Sun," and Bauhaus' cover of "Telegram Sam." The Smiths have actually claimed to have borrowed heavily from portions of "Metal Guru" for their 1986 hit "Panic." Although this is completely obvious and need not be claimed. Siouxsie & the Banshees also recorded a cover of "20th Century Boy" as a B-side on their single The Staircase (Mystery) In earlier concerts, legendary rock band X Japan performed an arranged version of "20th Century Boy".

Later hard rock groups such as AC/DC were influenced not only by the music of T. Rex, but also by the outrageously sexual lyrics of "Bang a Gong (Get it on)", "Baby Strange," and other songs.

(Numbers listed after the titles are highest UK chart positions.)