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Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan Sept 1947 - Sep 1977
Marc Bolan was born Mark Feld, in London, September 30 1947. The son of a Jewish working-class couple, Simeon and Phyllis Feld.
Marc had an interest in music at an early age,by the age of 12 he joined a band called Susie and The Hula Hoops.
At 13 he became obsessed with the Mod fashions that swept Britain and would spend all his money on similar clothes. Shortly there-after he became a model.
At 17 he shifted his attention back to music and changed his name to Toby Tyler. Entering the British folk circuit, his first recording was turned down by EMI, after which he changed his name back to Mark Feld.
After a trip to France (where he lived with a wizard) his obsession was with Greek mythology and British romantic poetry. Marc's early poems and lyrics were greatly influenced by the Tolkien books "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of The Rings".
In 1965 Decca released "The Wizard" and Mark Feld is now Marc Bolan and is finally on the British air waves.
Marc joins the band John's Children in 1966. They had several singles including the classic "Desdomona". Soon after-ward Marc quit the band due to lack of success, and because he was not the lead vocalist.
Not long after John's Children, Marc teams up with percussionist Steve Peregrine Took and three other musicians. Marc names his new band Tyrannosaurus Rex. The band ended abruptly when the hire-purchase company took their equipment back. Undaunted, Bolan and Took remain as an acoustic duo.
In the autumn 1967, producer Tony Visconti stumbles across the duo, and Tyrannosaurus Rex is signed up and enter the studio. They emerge with the single "Debora", and an album "My People Were Fair And Had Sky In Their Hair But Now They're Content To Wear Stars On Their Brows".
After the unexpected success of the debut album and single, they return to the studio in the summer of 1968 and record "Prophets, Seers, And Sages, The Angels Of The Ages".
The bands third album "Unicorn" is the most accessible, with a Spector-esque sound and Bolan's most effective songs yet.
In between the third and forth albums Steve Took is replaced by Mickey Finn. In March 1970 "A Beard Of Stars" is released and just narrowly missed the Top Ten. The album's closing track "Elemental Child" an unlikely Bolan rocker complete with Hendrix-inspired guitar was a prelude of things to come.
Later that year switching from acoustic to electric guitar and shortening the name to T.Rex, the duo hit number-two on the UK chart with "Ride A White Swan". Their album entitled "T.Rex" is released December 1970. Adding bassist Steve Currie and drummer Bill Legend "Hot Love" topped the chart for six weeks in early 1971. "Get It On", re-titled "Bang A Gong" for America became another chart topper and their biggest hit ever. The album "Electric Warrior" is released September of the same year.
1972, Marc Bolan/T.Rex are at their peak. Marc formed his own record label, the T.Rex Wax Co. He also opened his own central London offices. In January, the new label was launched with "Telegram Sam" which hit number one. In March T.Rex play to crazed fans at the sold out Wembley shows. These concerts formed a large part of the Ringo Starr film "Born To Boogie". The best of album "Bolan Boogie" is released in April. The "Slider" album is released in July and is the pivotal album in Marc's career.
"20th Century Boy" was the first single of 1973. In March the album "Tanx" is released and ushered in a new sounding T.Rex, but the album failed to emulate the success of its immediate predecessors. Marc boasted that "Tanx" was a gospel album". To break into the American market he thought it necessary to incorporate contemporary black American music into the T.Rex sound. At the end of the year drummer Bill Legend leaves the band.
By the time the album "Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow or a Creamed Cage in August" appeared in February 1974, Marc's relationship with American soul singer/song writer Gloria Jones was no longer a secret (he was married to June Bolan), neither was his affection for black music. The combination of the two prompted the full-blown departure from the T.Rex sound. In March Tony Visconti and Marc go their separate ways. Later that year Mickey Finn leaves.
By 1975 Marc and T.Rex hit an all time low, the February release of the album "Bolans's Zip Gun" is the least popular Bolan album to date. He had been living in Beverly Hills to avoid the British taxes, drugs and alcohol plague him as does his weight gain. But things would turn around for Marc with the birth of his and Gloria's son Rolan. Marc was determined to get cleaned-up, shed the extra weight and make a comeback. Despite the taxes he decides to move back to England. In June the single "New York City" is released and reaches 15th on the chart. The band hit the road playing sold out Ballroom engagements. It appears Marc's comeback is in full gear.
In January 1976 Marc and T.Rex embark on the most extensive tour of England since 1971. Around the same time, the album "Futuristic Dragon" is released, and though T.Rex seem to be on the road to recovery, the album only reached 50 on the chart. In June the single "I Love to Boogie" is released and reaches 13th on the chart. By this time Punk/New Wave was exploding onto the music scene, Marc would be christened the 'Grandfather of Punk'. Steve Currie the last remaining original T.Rex member leaves the band at this time.
In March 1977 the album "Dandy In The Underworld" is released, some consider this to be the best Bolan album since "Electric Warrior". The ensuing tour brought along The Damned as the opening band, Marc did this to solidify the link to Punk/New Wave. The success of T.Rex was on the rise. In August, Marc was given his own T.V. show to host called "Marc", also the same month saw the release of the final single "Celebrate Summer", which was destined for the charts. Sadly when things were going so well for Marc, his life ended abruptly when the car he was riding in, driven by Gloria, hit a tree on September 16th, 1977, just weeks before his 30th birthday.