T. Rex

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Country of origin: United Kingdom

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500 Greatest Album Sleeves! (307 items)
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Published 13 years, 4 months ago

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If the School Of Rock Was Real... (295 items)
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The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (420 items)
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Published 3 years, 6 months ago

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British Music Artists (112 items)
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Published 10 years, 1 month ago

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Best Alternative Christmas Music Vol. I (41 items)
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Published 11 years, 6 months ago

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Description: Marc Bolan founded Tyrannosaurus Rex in August 1967. After a solitary performance as a four-piece at the Electric Garden in Covent Garden, the group immediately broke up. Bolan retained the services of percussionist Steve 'Peregrine' Took and the duo began performing acoustic material with occasional homages to Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran. The combination of Bolan's acoustic guitar and distinctive vocal style with Took's bongos and assorted percussion—which often included children's instruments such as the Pixiphone—earned them a devoted following in the thriving hippy underground scene. BBC Radio One Disc jockey John Pee Marc Bolan founded Tyrannosaurus Rex in August 1967. After a solitary performance as a four-piece at the Electric Garden in Covent Garden, the group immediately broke up. Bolan retained the services of percussionist Steve 'Peregrine' Took and the duo began performing acoustic material with occasional homages to Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran. The combination of Bolan's acoustic guitar and distinctive vocal style with Took's bongos and assorted percussion—which often included children's instruments such as the Pixiphone—earned them a devoted following in the thriving hippy underground scene. BBC Radio One Disc jockey John Peel championed the band early in their recording career. 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, glam rock phase.

By 1968, Tyrannosaurus Rex had become a modest success on radio and on record, and had released three albums. While Bolan's early material was rock and roll-influenced pop music, by now he was writing dramatic and baroque songs with lush melodies and surreal lyrics filled with Greek and Persian mythology as well as creations of his own. The band became regulars on Peel Sessions on BBC radio, and toured Britain's student union halls.

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

Took also began writing his own songs, and wanted the duo to perform them, but Bolan strongly disapproved of his bandmate's efforts. In response, Took contributed two songs as well as vocals and percussion to Twink's Think Pink album. 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 acoustic duo were overshadowed by the loud electric acts they were billed with. To counter this, Took drew from the shock rock style of Iggy Pop; Took explained, "I took my shirt off in the Sunset Strip where we were playing and whipped myself till everybody shut up. With a belt, y'know, a bit of blood and the whole of Los Angeles shuts up. 'What's going on, man, there's some nutter attacking himself on stage.' I mean, Iggy Stooge had the same basic approach."

As soon as he returned to the UK, Bolan replaced Took with percussionist Mickey Finn. and they completed A Beard of Stars, the final album under the Tyrannosaurus Rex moniker. Meanwhile, after helping found the Pink Fairies and appearing on Mick Farren's solo album Mona – The Carnivorous Circus, Took would spend the 1970s working mostly on his own material, either solo or fronting bands such as Shagrat (1970-1971) and Steve Took's Horns (1977-1978). Unlike Took, Finn had no songwriting aspirations; Tony Visconti commented he was not as talented as Took: "Mickey wasn't as inventive as Steve. Mickey's backing vocals weren't strong, so Marc would double-track them with his own voice for reinforcement". ... (more)

Tags: Rock (4), UK (3), Glam (2), England (1), Pop (1), Superb (1), Glam Rock (1), Bolan (1), Get It On (1), Children Of The Revolution (1)

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The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (420 music items)

"CLASS OF 2020PERFORMERST. REXMarc Bolan - Mickey Finn - Steve Currie - Bill Legend● GLAM ROCK ● ROCK AND ROLL ● HARD ROCK ● PSYCHEDELIC ROCK ●MARK FIELD Born: 30 September 1947 Died: 16 September 1977MICHAEL NORMAN FINN Born: 3 June 1947 Died: 11 January 2003STEVE CURRIE Born: 19 May 1947 Died: 28 April 1981WILLIAM ARTHUR FIFIELD Born: 8 May 1944RIAA CERTIFICATIONS- = STUDIO ALBUMS = - ► Gold: 1 ◄KEY SONGSGet It On (1971)- selected for 'The 660 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll'Cosmi"

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