TRACK LISTING
Disc 1
| 1 |
Hot Love Ray Dorest (Mungo Jerry) |
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| 2 |
Telegram Sam John Matthews (Undercover) |
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| 3 |
Raw Ramp Steve Overland (FM) |
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| 4 |
The Groover Chris Farlowe (Colosseum) |
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| 5 |
I Love To Boogie Ray Dorest (Mungo Jerry) |
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| 6 |
Get It On Danielz |
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| 7 |
The Motivator Steve Overland (FM) |
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| 8 |
20th Century Boy Doogie White (Rainbow, MSG) |
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| 9 |
Metal Guru John Matthews (Undercover) |
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| 10 |
Children Of The Revolution Jill Saward (Shakatak) |
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| 11 |
Jeepster Danielz |
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| 12 |
Ride A White Swan Davie Paton (Pilot) |
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Synopsis
Born Mark Field in Hackney, London, Bolan was a huge rock and roll fan as a child, his heroes included Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran and Chuck Berry, and from the moment he received his first guitar at the age of nine and began a skiffle band it was clear he was destined for stardom. Music played a large part of Bolan’s school years and he played guitar in Susie and the Hoops whose lead singer was a 12 year old Helen Shapiro.
After leaving school he had a short career as a model and appeared in the John Temple menswear store catalogue as well as cardboard cut outs for shop windows and a Town Magazine photo spread exemplifying Mod fashion. At this time he was still known as Mark Field but soon changed his stage name to Toby Tyler when he moved in with Allan Warren, who eventually became his first manager organising photo shoots, hiring a recording studio and having Bolan’s first records cut. After an unsuccessful test-screening submission to EMI, Warren sold Bolan’s contract to property mogul David Kirch for the price of three months back rent. The tapes that were produced during the Toby Tyler years went missing for a quarter of a century before being found in 1991 and sold for nearly $8,000. These tapes were released on CD in 1993 and remain the earliest known recordings of Marc Bolan.
Bolan achieved no success while under the management of Kirch due to his property commitments but was soon signed by Decca Records. It is at this time he changed his name again to firstly Mark Bowland and then eventual Marc Bolan and released his first single “The Wizard”. In 1967 his then manager Simon Napier-Bell added him to the line up of the band John’s Children with whom he received limited success. When John’s Children spilt up Bolan teamed up with Steve Peregrin Took and created the folk-rock acoustic duo Tyrannosaurus Rex playing songs written Bolan with Took providing percussion and bass to Bolan’s acoustic guitars and voice. Tyrannosaurus Rex released four albums and four singles occasionally dipping into the charts but never reaching higher than fifteen. Took was soon replaced in the band by Mickey Finn for the final Tyrannosaurus Rex album “A Beard Of Stars” as electric influences become more prominent in the music.
The group’s name was then shortened to T. Rex and they recorded the song “Ride A White Swan” which, after spending many weeks in the charts, eventually reached number 2. This was followed by expanding the band to a quartet by bringing in Steve Currie on bass and Bill Legend on the drums. The change led to two chart topping hits “Hot Love” and “Get It On”. In 1971 the band’s then record label Fly, released the song “Jeepster” without Bolan’s consent which then lead to T.Rex dumping Fly as its label and signing with EMI. More success was to follow in 1972 with two more number 1 hits; “Telegram Sam” and “Metal Guru”, with “Children Of The Revolution” and “Solid Gold Easy Action” reaching number 2.
1973 brought more chart success with “20th Century Boy” reaching number 3 and “The Groover” reaching number 4, but it was also the beginning of the end for the original T.Rex line up with Legend leaving that year and Finn leaving in 1975. But although Bolan’s health and personal life were less than stable he continued working and produced at least one successful chart hit every year until his untimely death in 1977.
