Marc Bolan

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Marc Bolan
Background information
Birth name	Mark Feld
Born	September 30, 1947, Hackney, East London, England
Died	September 16, 1977, London, England
Genre(s)	Glam Rock
Instrument(s)	Guitar vocals
Years active	1967-1977
Label(s)	A&M EMI Mercury Records
Associated acts	T. Rex John's Children
Website	Marc Bolan Info Page

Marc Bolan (born Mark Feld in Hackney, London, September 30, 1947; died Barnes, London, September 16, 1977), was an English singer, songwriter and guitarist whose hit singles, fashion sensibilities and stage presence with T. Rex in the early 1970s helped cultivate the glam rock era and made him one of the most recognisable stars in British music of the time. His untimely death, two weeks before his 30th birthday, gave him a cult status which remains to this day.

Contents 1 Early life and career 2 Tyrannosaurus Rex 3 T. Rex and glam rock 4 Decline 5 Resurgence 6 Death 7 Legacy 8 Solo discography 9 See also 10 References 11 External links

[edit] Early life and career

The son of a Jewish van driver and caretaker, Bolan grew up in post-war Hackney in East London, and later lived in Wimbledon, southwest London. He fell in love with the rock and roll of Gene Vincent and Chuck Berry at an early age and became a Mod, hanging around coffee bars such as the 2 I's in Soho. He appeared in an episode of the television show Orlando as a Mod extra.

At the age of nine, Bolan was given his first guitar, and began a skiffle band shortly after. At 14, he was expelled from school. His rebellious streak came out in the wild hair and the often sexual lyrics of the early 1970s star.

He briefly became a model, then in early 1967 he joined the protopunk band John's Children, which achieved some success as a live band but sold few records. A John's Children single written by Marc Bolan called Desdemona might have had some chart success but was banned by the BBC for its line "lift up your skirt and fly". When the band dissolved, Bolan claimed to have spent time with a wizard in Paris who allegedly gave him secret knowledge and could levitate. The time spent with him was often alluded to but remained "mythical"; in reality the wizard was probably US actor Riggs O'Hara, with whom Bolan made a trip to Paris in 1965. His songwriting took off, and he began writing many of the neo-romantic songs that would appear on his first albums with Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Bolan's stage name possibly originated as a contraction of Bob Dylan's name or from an error on a Decca record label, Mark Bowland. It is as likely to have been taken from James Bolam, the British actor with whom Marc shared a flat in the early 1960s.^{[citation needed]} see 2 below

Besides Berry, Bolan's influences included Dylan, Cliff Richard, and Elvis Presley. Later influences included the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles and the Beach Boys.

[edit] Tyrannosaurus Rex

Bolan used to busk his songs on the streets of London, earning enough money for the fare home. Eventually, he formed Tyrannosaurus Rex with percussionist Steve Peregrin Took. They emerged as one of the original bands of the "underground" scene, and began as an acoustic duo performing simple melodic songs using surreal lyrics, rich with references to fantasy and mythology, and modern society too.

By 1970 Bolan increasingly experimented with electronic elements in his music, giving it a much "rockier" feel. By the time he bought a vintage Gibson Les Paul guitar that was later featured on the cover of the album T. Rex in 1970 (not to be confused with the picture of Marc with a Fender Stratocaster above) the musical direction was set.

Tyrannosaurus Rex released three albums and five singles, flirting with the charts but without any significant success or commercial acclaim, although this early work received airplay and support from Radio 1 DJ John Peel. One of the highlights of this era was playing at the first free Hyde Park concert in 1968.

Bolan sacked Took during their first US tour, claiming musical and ethical differences. Took, however, was contractually obliged to go through with the tour. Bolan replaced him with bongos player Mickey Finn, releasing one more album before shortening the band's name to T. Rex and replacing his acoustic guitar with an electric model. Bolan married girlfriend June Child (former secretary to the manager of one of Bolan's idols, one-time Pink Floyd guitarist Syd Barrett) and was writing songs at home, hoping to find that first hit.

[edit] T. Rex and glam rock

This he did when, in 1970, he played for his wife a simple high-pitched four-verse tune called Ride A White Swan. He then rang producer Tony Visconti to sort out a studio session. The single, which featured no drums or bass, was recorded on 1 July 1970 and released that autumn, making slow progress in the UK Top 40 and finally peaking in early 1971 at No.2.

Bolan, aided by Visconti, largely (and, in many ways, unwittingly) invented the style that would become glam rock and helped restore a brash and exciting feel, when rock bands had grown increasingly self-important. With his corkscrew hair and boyish good looks, Bolan's emergence heralded the start of a new era of British music which could be appreciated by both serious rock fans and pop-loving kids. In an innovative touch, Bolan put drops of glitter on each of his cheekbones (stories are conflicting about his inspiration for this - some say it was initially introduced by his PA, the late Chelita Secunda, although Bolan told John Pidgeon in a 1974 interview on Radio 1 that he noticed the glitter on his wife's dressing table prior to a photo session, and just casually daubed some on his face there and then) and soon other stars and glam fans were doing the same.

The glam era also saw the rise of Bolan's friend David Bowie, whom Bolan had got to know in the underground days, plus later bands like Slade and the Sweet. Before long, Mick Jagger, Rod Stewart et al were daubing on the glitter and shopping at Alkasura - the creators of the finest threads of the day.

Bolan's next single was a five-minute song called Hot Love, complete with singalong chorus very much in the Hey Jude mould. It was No.1 for six weeks and quickly followed by Get It On, a grittier, more adult tune that spent four weeks in the top spot. The song was renamed Bang a Gong (Get It On) when released in the United States, to avoid confusion with another song of the same name by the American band Chase. The song reached No.10 in the States.

By now, T. Rex had a bassist, Steve Currie, and drummer Bill Legend. In November 1971, the band's record label, Fly, released the album track Jeepster without Bolan's permission. Outraged, Bolan took advantage of the timely lapsing of his Fly Records contact and left to EMI, who gave him his own record label, the T. Rex Wax Co. Its bag and label featured an iconic head-and-shoulders image of Marc. Despite Bolan's lack of endorsement, Jeepster still peaked at No.2.

In 1972, Bolan achieved two more No.1s with Telegram Sam and Metal Guru - the latter of which stopped Elton John getting to the top with Rocket Man - and two more No.2s in Children Of The Revolution and Solid Gold Easy Action. The total of four No.2 singles particularly galled his fans as three were held off the top spot by 'novelty' singles recorded by Clive Dunn, Benny Hill, and little Jimmy Osmond. In the same year he appeared in Ringo Starr's film Born to Boogie, a documentary showing T. Rex at the height of T. Rextasy during a concert at Wembley Empire Pool on 18 March 1972. Mixed in were surreal scenes shot at John Lennon's mansion in Ascot and a super-session with T. Rex joined by Ringo Starr on second drum kit, and Elton John on piano. At this time Marc was at height of his career and T. Rex record sales accounted for about 6% of total domestic record sales. The band was reportedly selling 100,000 records a day; however, no T. Rex single ever became a million-seller in the UK, despite many gold discs and an average of four weeks at the top per No.1 hit. (Documentation of actual sales has been lost.)

[edit] Decline

By 1973, his star gradually began to wane, even though he achieved a Number 3 hit with arguably his most famous tune to the next generation, 20th Century Boy. The Groover followed it to No.4, to become arguably Bolan's last hit of significance.

Eventually, the vintage T. Rex line-up disintegrated. Legend left in 1973 and Finn in 1975 and Bolan's marriage came to an end. He began an affair with backing singer Gloria Jones and disappeared for much of the next three years, continuing to release singles and albums less popular to the masses. However, he managed to score one more UK Top 20 hit per year until 1977. Around this time, Bolan's health began to fail seriously as he put on weight and became addicted to cocaine.

[edit] Resurgence

Gloria Jones gave birth to Bolan's son in September 1975, whom they named Rolan Bolan (although his birth certificate lists him as 'Rolan Seymour Feld'; compare David Bowie's son Zowie Bowie). That same year, Bolan returned to the UK from tax exile in the US, and to the public eye with a low-key summer tour. Bolan made regular appearances on the LWT pop show Supersonic, directed by his old friend Mike Mansfield, and released a succession of singles but he never regained the success of his glory days of the early 1970s. The last remaining member of Bolan's halcyon-era T. Rex, Currie, left the group in 1976.

In 1977, Granada Television commissioned Bolan to front a six-part series called Marc, where he introduced new and established bands and performed his own songs. Around this time Bolan lost weight, appearing nearly as trim as he had during T. Rex's earlier heyday. The show was broadcast during the post-school half-hour on ITV earmarked for children and teenagers; it was a big success. The last episode featured a unique Bolan duet with David Bowie.

Bolan got a new band together and set out on a fresh UK tour, taking along punk band The Damned as support to entice a young audience who did not remember his heyday.

[edit] Death

Bolan died on September 16, 1977, two weeks before his 30th birthday. He was a passenger in a purple Mini driven by Gloria as they headed home from Mortons Club and restaurant in Berkley Square. The speeding car struck a tree after spinning out of control near Gypsy Lane on Queens Ride, Barnes, southwest London. Bolan's home, which was less than a mile away, was immediately looted.

Some devotees view the tree as a shrine to his memory. The site now forms the Bolan's Rock Shrine memorial. A bronze bust of Marc Bolan at the site commemorated the 25th anniversary of his death in 2002. The bust was unveiled by his son Rolan, and the event was attended by fans, friends, and colleagues, including Mickey Finn.

At Bolan's funeral, attended by the likes of Bowie and Rod Stewart, a swan-shaped floral tribute was displayed outside the service in recognition of his breakthrough hit single. His ashes lie at Golders Green Crematorium.

Bolan never drove a car or learned to drive, as he feared he would die driving like James Dean. Despite this, cars or automotive components are at least mentioned in, if not the subject of, many of his songs. He also owned a number of vehicles, including a famed white Rolls Royce.

[edit] Legacy

In 1985, Duran Duran splinter band Power Station, with Robert Palmer as vocalist, took a version of Get It On into the UK Top 40, the first cover of a Bolan song to enter the charts since his death. The also performed the tune at the US Live Aid concert. Children Of The Revolution was similarly performed by Elton John and Pete Doherty at Live 8, 20 years later.

20th Century Boy introduced a new generation of devotees to Bolan's work in 1991 when it was featured on a Levi's jeans TV commercial and was re-released, reaching the UK Top 20. In every decade since his death, Bolan has placed a greatest hits compilation in the top 20 UK albums, and periodic boosts in sales have come via cover versions from artists inspired by Bolan, including Morrissey and Guns 'n' Roses.

His music is still widely used in films, recent notable cases being Billy Elliot, Jarhead and Moulin Rouge. Bolan is still cited by many guitar-centric bands as a huge influence (Joy Division/New Order's Bernard Sumner has said that the first single he owned was Ride a White Swan.) However, he always maintained he was a poet who put lyrics to music. The tunes were never as important as the words.

"Bolan used to hang around in our office and sit on the floor, strumming his guitar, flirting with our secretary, June, who, of course, he later married. He was a great Syd fan. I was quite fond of him. He was a big pain in the arse, of course, very full of himself. I always liked that thing where he called himself the Bolan child, this magical, mythical name. It was really from his doorbell in Ladbroke Grove. It had his name, and our secretary's surname, Child, so it read Bolan Child and fans used to think, wow, he is the Bolan Child!" - Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour.

An altogether less welcome legacy for his friends and family is the on-going row about his fortune. Bolan had cleverly arranged a discretionary trust to safeguard his money. His death left the fortune beyond the reach of those closest to him, and both his family and journalists have taken an active interest in investigating the situation, so far with little result other than bringing the story to wider attention. A small, separate Jersey-based trust fund has allowed his son to receive some income. However, the bulk of Bolan's fortune, variously estimated at between £20 and £30 million pounds (approx $38 - $57 million), remains in trust. it is believed that Rolan Bolan is now benefitting directly from the main trust (as of 2007).

Bolan returned to the top of the UK charts in 2005 when the remastered, expanded Born to Boogie DVD hit No.1 in the Music DVD charts.

Bolan's music was a massive influence on punk rock and the 1990s Britpop movement. In fact, many acts claim, or are known, to have (allegedly) taken portions of T. Rex songs for use in "original" compositions. Notable examples include "Panic" by the Smiths (credited to Morrissey/Marr; core of the song is lifted from "Metal Guru"), "Me I Funk" by KMFDM takes the lyrics from "Telegram Sam", and "Cigarettes & Alcohol" by Oasis (credited to Noel Gallagher; plagiarizing "Get It On", to which Gallagher later admitted).

American acts of the late 1970s punk/New Wave genres, such as the Ramones ('The KKK Took My Baby Away' has a slightly similar guitar riff to 'Laser Love'), have also cited Bolan's music as an influence. Punk group Radio Stars (ironically featuring John's Children vocalist Andy Ellison) recorded a cover of "Horrible Breath" on the B-side to their 1978 top 40 song "Nervous Wreck".

There are many tribute bands and artists influenced by Marc's music: Danielz and T.Rextasy, Mickey Finn's T. Rex, and Lady Stardust and Veloci Raptor.

Bolan was the first member of the T. Rex heyday line-up to die. Currie and Finn have also since died, leaving Legend as the only living T. Rex member during the period when they were having hits.

In 2006, it was revealed that English Heritage had refused to commission a blue plaque to commemorate Bolan, as they believed him to be of "insufficient stature or historical significance".^[1] There is, however, an existing plaque dedicated to Bolan at his childhood home, put there by Hackney Council.

[edit] Solo discography

Singles

• "The Wizard" / "Beyond the Rising Sun" (November 1965)
• "The Third Degree" / "San Francisco Poet" (June 1966)
• "Hippy Gumbo" / "Misfit" (December 1966)

[edit] See also

• Blackhill Enterprises (Peter Jenner and Andrew King)
• David Bowie
• John's Children
• Simon Napier-Bell
• T. Rex

[edit] References

2. Riggs O'Hara interview, Record Collector Magazine, September 1997

[edit] External links

• Website concerning the Marc Bolan/Ringo Starr Apple films 1972 movie, Born to Boogie.
• MarcBolan.net Marc Bolan and T-Rex chat room, lyrics, pictures, forum and more.
• website concerning Marc Bolan's TV and film appearances.
• Metal Guru.de, A Marc Bolan & T. Rex Tribute with News, History, Discography and much more...
• Marc-bolan.com, The official Marc Bolan fan club
• The ULTIMATE Bolan VideoDRAMA #II,Lyrics rare combination of six various Bolan sites into one
• Till Dawn a Decade on the net-, a place where the fans are also part of the Bolan community through their Member list -
• Marc-bolan.org, an extensive fan page
• The Marc Bolan webring
• Marc Bolan at Internet Movie database
• T-Rex on Top of The Pops
• Website for the Official Tribute Band for Marc Bolan & T.Rex

T. Rex

Marc Bolan • Mickey Finn • Steve Currie • Bill Legend

Steve Peregrin Took • Miller Anderson • Herbie Flowers • Jack Green • Gloria Jones • Davy Lutton • Tony Newman • Dino Dines

Discography

As Tyrannosaurus Rex: My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair... But Now They're Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows | Prophets, Seers & Sages – The Angels of the Ages | Unicorn | A Beard of Stars

As T. Rex: T. Rex | Electric Warrior | Bolan Boogie | The Slider | Tanx | Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow | Light of Love | Bolan's Zip Gun | Futuristic Dragon | Dandy in the Underworld

Related articles

John's Children • Born to Boogie • Blackhill Enterprises • Bolan's Rock Shrine • Marc (TV series) • Mickey Finn's T. Rex

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