108-582: Steve Peregrin Took (born Stephen Ross Porter ; 28 July 1949 – 27 October 1980) was an English musician and songwriter, best known for his membership of the duo Tyrannosaurus Rex with Marc Bolan . After breaking with Bolan, he concentrated on his own singer-songwriting activities, either as a solo artist or as a frontman for several bands. Took was born Stephen Ross Porter in Eltham , London, on 28 July 1949, and attended Shooters Hill School . He took his name from
216-412: A Höfner 500/1 bass and a Chad Valley toy drumkit. In later years, when performing solo support gigs for Hawkwind, Took would often include his bongos as part of his equipment so that, later in the evening, he could guest with Hawkwind on a few songs in their set. Marc Bolan Marc Bolan ( / ˈ b oʊ l ə n / BOH -lən ; born Mark Feld ; 30 September 1947 – 16 September 1977)
324-540: A Soldier") have still only been given a limited official release in 2015 on seven-inch vinyl. Both songs are in a folk style reminiscent of Dylan and Donovan . A third song, "That's the Bag I'm In", written by New York folk singer and Dylan contemporary Fred Neil , was also committed to tape, but has not yet been released. In June 1966, a second official single was also released, with session-musician accompaniment, "The Third Degree", backed by "San Francisco Poet", Bolan's paean to
432-610: A car crash in 1977. A memorial stone and bust of Bolan, Marc Bolan's Rock Shrine , was unveiled at the site where he died in Barnes , London. His musical influence as guitarist and songwriter is profound; he inspired many later acts over the following decades. Bolan's March 1971 appearance on the BBC's music show Top of the Pops , wearing glitter on his face, performing the UK chart topper "Hot Love"
540-433: A clause that when it ends you're on your own – and that means financially, too." During an interview in 1975, Bolan was also asked about his sexuality, and said that he was bisexual. Bolan never learned to drive, fearing a premature death; he feared he would die before reaching 30 years old. Despite this fear, cars or automotive components are at least mentioned in, if not the subject of, many of his songs. He also owned
648-492: A cover of the Beatles ' version of Larry Williams ' " Slow Down " Took had one son in the early 1970s with partner Lou Tunstall, later the partner of Landau. Took's other girlfriends included chronologically, Angie (1969–1971), Tracy Inder (1974–1976), Gertrude de Freyne (1977–1978) and Valerie "Sam" Billiet (1979–1980). As well as his own son, Steve Took was stepfather to Lemmy 's son Paul Inder (to Tracy Inder), as he later
756-504: A documentary by Ringo Starr about T. Rex including a concert filmed at London's Wembley Empire Pool in March 1972. Mixed in were surreal scenes shot at John Lennon 's mansion in Ascot and a session with T. Rex joined by Ringo Starr on a second drum kit and Elton John on piano. At this time T. Rex record sales accounted for about six per cent of total British domestic record sales. The band
864-535: A duet of "Cosmic Dancer" at the Inglewood Forum in Los Angeles. In 1993, Guns N' Roses covered "Buick MacKane" on "The Spaghetti Incident?" , and their guitarist Slash has worn a t-shirt with an image of Bolan on the front. The main riff of Oasis ' 1994 hit " Cigarettes & Alcohol " is lifted from "Get It On". In 1993, Adam Ant covered the track live on his Persuasion tour. The song
972-432: A fascination with women's clothing, an unlikely characteristic for a British male rocker at the time. Bolan followed "Ride a White Swan" and T. Rex by expanding the group to a quartet with bassist Steve Currie and drummer Bill Legend , and cutting a five-minute single, " Hot Love ", with a rollicking rhythm, string accents and an extended sing-along chorus inspired somewhat by " Hey Jude ". Bolan performed "Hot Love" on
1080-467: A gig on 18 June 1978 at The Roundhouse , as part of "Nik Turner's Bohemian Love-In". Took felt the gig went badly, and decided to split up the band. The Pathway Studios session would be released on CD by Cherry Red in 2004, as Blow It!!! The All New Adventures of Steve Took's Horns , with the CD also featuring out-takes, remixes and fresh recordings of two other Took songs – "Ooh My Heart" and "Too Bad" – which
1188-430: A lifeline to the heart of show business, as Warren saw Bolan's potential while he spent hours sitting cross-legged on Warren's floor playing his acoustic guitar. Bolan at this time liked to appear wearing a corduroy peaked cap similar to his then -current source of inspiration, Bob Dylan . A series of photographs was commissioned with photographer Michael McGrath, although he recalls that Bolan "left no impression" on him at
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#17327768737681296-592: A live cover of "20th Century Boy" as the B-side to their single " Kurenai ". In 1990, Baby Ford did a cover of "Children of the Revolution" that appeared on the album Oooh, The World of Baby For . In 1991, Japanese rock band T-Bolan were named after T. Rex and Bolan. "It felt like he actually cast a spell. I've no doubt every aspect of how he presented himself was just an outpouring of his understanding that things could be magical, things could be heightened. Out in
1404-473: A live performer. "Tookie" appeared in frequent support slots for Hawkwind and the Pink Fairies, attracting some coverage in the UK music press and even performing a live session on Steve Bradshaw's Breakthrough programme on BBC Radio London . In December 1971, he headlined a three-date mini-tour of southwest England. He also performed at various benefit events, including the "Nasty Balls" benefits for
1512-470: A mix of new and established bands and performed his own songs. By this time Bolan had lost weight, appearing 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 and it was a big success. One episode reunited Bolan with his former John's Children bandmate Andy Ellison , then fronting the band Radio Stars . Bolan's longtime friend and sometimes rival David Bowie
1620-614: A new band, Jolly Roger and the Crimson Gash, with Takahashi now on bass and two local musicians, Bryan East on drums and a guitarist called Phil. This band gigged locally and recorded at least four tracks, produced by Turner at his home studio in Westgate on Sea . By 1976, Took was back in London and using the band name Steve Took's Horns, so called after a horned pendant which he habitually wore. By mid 1977, this had solidified into
1728-465: A new incarnation of the Pink Fairies. (Wayne was quickly supplanted by Wallis, leading to the Kings of Oblivion era as detailed above). Took and Secunda, meanwhile, embarked upon a different approach. Took moved into a basement flat beneath Secunda's Mayfair offices, which he set up as a live-in recording studio to demo material at his own ease. The flat rapidly became a magnet for the cream of musicians on
1836-780: A number of times, reuniting with his old Horns sidemen; the last recorded dates being 16 June 1980 at London's Music Machine and sometime around 21 June 1980 at the Stonehenge Free Festival in Wiltshire – a festival frequented by other 'Festival Bands', most famously Took's old Ladbroke Grove cohorts Hawkwind. Bootleg recordings exist of the Music Machine show and also an open-air performance on 6 May 1980 at Meanwhile Gardens in Westbourne Park , on both of which Took can be heard performing lead vocals on
1944-517: A number of vehicles, including a white 1960s Rolls-Royce that was loaned by his management to the band Hawkwind on the night of his death. On 16 September 1977, Bolan was a passenger in a Mini 1275GT driven by Gloria Jones as they headed home from Morton's Club Restaurant in Berkeley Square , London. Both had been drinking alcohol , and after crossing a small humpback bridge near Gipsy Lane on Queens Ride, Barnes , South West London,
2052-497: A popularity in the UK comparable to that of the Beatles , with a run of eleven top ten singles, four of which reached number one: " Hot Love ", " Get It On ", " Telegram Sam " and " Metal Guru ". The 1971 album Electric Warrior , with all songs written by Bolan, received critical acclaim, reached number 1 in the UK and became a landmark album in glam rock. From 1973, he started marrying rock with other influences, including funk , soul , gospel , disco and R&B . Bolan died in
2160-476: A remake of Bolan's "Girl" from Electric Warrior , and has himself produced tracks for Bolan's son Rolan. In 1983, NWOBHM band Girlschool covered "20th Century Boy" on their Play Dirty . In 1984, the Replacements released a cover of "20th Century Boy" as a B-side to the single " I Will Dare "; it is also included on the reissue version of their album Let It Be . In 1985, Duran Duran splinter band
2268-498: A rhythm guitar with Took's electric bands, currently owned by Best. Both guitars feature prominently in Keith Morris ' early 1970s publicity photographs of Took. Previously as a member of Tyrannosaurus Rex, Took's percussion and other equipment included bongos, tabla, finger cymbals, African talking drum, kazoos, a Chinese gong and a Pixiphone (toy xylophone). As the duo reverted to electric music in early 1969, Took also played
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#17327768737682376-504: A set of (at least) four home demos, "Amanda", "Strange Sister", "Still Yawning Stillborn" and "Beautiful Deceiver", at Wallis's father's home studio in South London, which in the 1990s would be paired with the earlier electric studio session for limited edition vinyl release and later a CD album release in 2001. Wallis would later take over the leadership of the Pink Fairies for their Kings of Oblivion LP, substantially transforming
2484-436: A somewhat bizarre figure who materialises at concerts, armed only with an Epiphone guitar, and performs a freeform set of songs, raps, jokes and anything else that flashes through his mind." During this time, Took could also often be seen participating in jamming sessions during encores at Hawkwind and Pink Fairies concerts. His contributions to these jams were in the role of third drummer, and he also once played bass guitar for
2592-454: A steady line-up featuring, in what would be the first of several bands together over many years, Trevor Thoms and Ermanno Ghisio-Erba , later better known to Inner City Unit (ICU) fans as Judge Trev and Dino Ferari. This group, managed by Turner's friend since adolescence Tony Landau, recorded a session of three studio tracks – "It's Over", "Average Man" and "Woman I Need" – at Pathway Studios on 29 November 1977, before going on to perform
2700-504: Is cited as the start of the glam rock movement. Music critic Ken Barnes called Bolan "the man who started it all". The 1971 album Electric Warrior has been described by AllMusic as "the album that essentially kick-started the UK glam rock craze." Producer Tony Visconti , who worked with Bolan during his heyday, stated: "What I saw in Marc Bolan had nothing to do with strings, or very high standards of artistry; what I saw in him
2808-535: The NME in 1972 "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." This allowed the management to claim subsequently that it was Took's behaviour on stage which had caused
2916-558: The Nasty Tales magazine (whose editors, including Farren, were on trial for obscenity) as well as the 1972 Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament festival at Aldermaston , Steve's account of which was reprinted by Charles Shaar Murray in his book Shots From The Hip . Writing for the NME in 1972, Murray described Took and his stage act thus: "Most people know who Steve Peregrine Took is, but few people know what he does. A few more know him as
3024-427: The beat poets . Neither song made the charts. In 1966, Bolan turned up at Simon Napier-Bell 's front door with his guitar and proclaimed that he was going to be a big star and he needed someone to make all of the arrangements. Napier-Bell invited Bolan in and listened to his songs. A recording session was immediately booked and the songs were very simply recorded (most of them were not actually released until 1974, on
3132-485: The "Pinks", substituting for Duncan Sanderson. During 1972, Took was approached by Tony Secunda , recently fired as manager for T. Rex, with a view to recovering royalties owed to Took from the Tyrannosaurus Rex years. Emerging from these conversations, Secunda became Took's manager, with a view to leading him to stardom to spite Bolan. Initially, Took attempted to rerecord as a single the song "Amanda" from
3240-512: The 1970s. Took worked with Syd Barrett on unreleased "Ramadan" tracks. While in Tyrannosaurus Rex, Took also appeared as a backing vocalist on a session for David Bowie , the results of which can be heard on the BBC sessions album Bowie at the Beeb . Eventually, Took donated two of his songs—"Three Little Piggies" and "The Sparrow Is A Sign"—to former Tomorrow and Pretty Things drummer Twink 's 1969 solo album, Think Pink . Consequently, before
3348-558: The 1971 acoustic Shagrat session (along with two other tracks, "Blind Owl Blues" and "Mr Discrete") with the assistance of the Pink Fairies' rhythm section of Sanderson and Russell Hunter, whose band was temporarily defunct following the departure of Paul Rudolph . During this session, former Junior's Eyes /Bowie guitarist Mick Wayne was recruited as guitarist. However, none of these tracks were ever completed to Took's satisfaction, due to what Wayne later described as " dope -induced thinking" and consequently, Wayne, Sanderson and Hunter formed
Steve Peregrin Took - Misplaced Pages Continue
3456-481: The BBC television show Top of the Pops wearing glitter on his face: the performance was later recognized as the foundation of glam rock. For the viewers, it was a defining moment: "Bolan was magical, but also sexually heightened and androgynous ". The song was number one in the UK Singles Chart for six weeks and was quickly followed by " Get It On ", a grittier, more adult tune that spent four weeks in
3564-729: The Electric Garden in London, Bolan and Took reduced the band to a duo, busking in subways on acoustic guitar and bongos , Took having been obliged to sell his full drum kit to pay the rent until paying gigs started to come in. The flower-power unit, championed by John Peel onto the club and stage circuit and thence into the record shops, released three albums and achieved two top 40 hits. Took contributed harmony backing vocals, which are more noticeable in live recordings than on studio recordings, and provided bongos, African drums, kazoo , pixiphone , and Chinese gong . Took's arrangements contributed to transforming Bolan's music from
3672-493: The Hidden Riders of Tomorrow showed that Bolan was attempting to create richer, more involved music than he had previously attempted with T. Rex. He expanded the line up of the band to include a second guitarist, Jack Green, and other studio musicians, and began to take more control over the sound and production of his records, including by then girlfriend Gloria Jones on keyboards as well as backing vocals. Eventually,
3780-532: The Horns had been rehearsing back in 1977–1978. Despite the break-up, Steve Took's Horns had made a considerable impression on Took's circle of acquaintances. Consequently, Nik Turner, having first drafted Ghisio-Erba/Ferari into his band Sphynx for a live festival LP recorded that August, went on in 1979 to incorporate the Thoms/Ghisio-Erba partnership into his new Inner City Unit. Took guested with ICU
3888-532: The Inner Circle). (Took, as a solo performer, was scheduled to have been the opening act on Bob Calvert 's cancelled 1974 Captain Lockheed UK tour.) As a singer songwriter, Took's two main guitars were an Epiphone acoustic guitar decorated with stickers (including one of Eddie Cochran ) used for solo work, last known to have been in the possession of Billiet, and an electric Rickenbacker used as
3996-468: The Ladybirds on backing vocals (later finding fame with Benny Hill ), and studio session musicians playing all the instruments. "The Wizard", Bolan's first single, was released on 19 November 1965. It featured Jimmy Page and Big Jim Sullivan , was produced by Jim Economides, with music director Mike Leander . Two solo acoustic demos recorded shortly afterwards by the same team ("Reality" and "Song for
4104-656: The Power Station , with Robert Palmer as vocalist, took a version of "Get It On" into the UK Top 40 and to US No. 6, the first cover of a Bolan song to enter the charts since his death. They also performed the tune (with Michael Des Barres replacing Palmer) at the Live Aid concert. In 1986, Violent Femmes covered the song "Children of the Revolution" on their album, The Blind Leading the Naked . In 1989, X released
4212-472: The UK Singles Chart. Regarded as one of the band's best songs, Paste and Billboard ranked it number one and three on their lists of the top 10 T. Rex songs. In 1972, he achieved two more UK number ones with " Telegram Sam " and " Metal Guru " taken from The Slider , and two number twos in " Children of the Revolution " and " Solid Gold Easy Action ". In the same year he appeared in Born to Boogie ,
4320-656: The UK from tax exile in the US and Monaco and to the public eye with a low-key tour. Bolan made regular appearances on the LWT pop show Supersonic , directed by his old friend Mike Mansfield and released a succession of singles, including "New York City" which reached the top 15. By then, Bolan was current with the music scene, incorporating disco elements in Futuristic Dragon and the single " Dreamy Lady ". The last remaining member of Bolan's halcyon era T. Rex, Currie, left
4428-548: The UK. Think Pink Think Pink is the debut album by English psychedelic musician Twink . Recorded in 1969, the album was released on Sire Records in the US in 1970 and Polydor Records in the UK in early 1971 (as a warm-up for the release of the Pink Fairies ' debut effort Never Never Land ). It was produced by Mick Farren and featured members of The Pretty Things , The Deviants , plus Steve Peregrin Took of Tyrannosaurus Rex . The final two tracks were
Steve Peregrin Took - Misplaced Pages Continue
4536-477: The age of nine, he was given his first guitar and began a skiffle band. While at school, he played guitar in "Susie and the Hula Hoops", a trio whose vocalist was a 12-year-old Helen Shapiro . During lunch breaks at school, he would play his guitar in the playground to a small audience of friends. At 15, he was expelled from school; according to one of his friends: "He'd done something wrong and he went to see
4644-475: The album The Beginning of Doves ). Only "Hippy Gumbo", a sinister-sounding, baroque folk-song, was released at the time as Bolan's third unsuccessful single. One song, "You Scare Me to Death", was used in a toothpaste advertisement. Some of the songs also resurfaced in 1982, with additional instrumentation added, on the album You Scare Me to Death . Napier-Bell managed the Yardbirds and John's Children and
4752-474: The backing vocals on " 20th Century Boy ", which peaked at number 3 in March, and mid-year "The Groover" which went to number four. Tanx , parts of which found him heading towards soul, funk and gospel, was both a commercial and critical success in several European countries. "Truck On (Tyke)" missed the UK top 10 reaching only No. 12 in December. However, " Teenage Dream " from the 1974 album Zinc Alloy and
4860-593: The band was brief. Following an ill-fated German tour with the Who , Bolan took some time to reassess his situation. Bolan's imagination was filled with new ideas and he began to write fantasy novels ( The Krakenmist and Pictures Of Purple People ) as well as poems and songs, sometimes finding it hard to separate facts from his own elaborate myth – he famously claimed to have spent time with a wizard in Paris who gave him secret knowledge and could levitate. The time spent with him
4968-468: The band's equipment had been repossessed by their label Track Records . Unperturbed, he rallied to create Tyrannosaurus Rex, his own rock band together with guitarist Ben Cartland, drummer Steve Peregrin Took and an unknown bass player. Napier-Bell recalled of Bolan: "He got a gig at the Electric Garden then put an ad in Melody Maker to get the musicians. The paper came out on Wednesday, the day of
5076-472: The band's record label, Fly , released the Electric Warrior track " Jeepster " without Bolan's permission. Outraged, Bolan took advantage of the timely lapsing of his Fly Records contract and left for EMI , who gave him his own record label, the T. Rex Wax Co. Its bag and label featured a head-and-shoulders image of Bolan. Despite the lack of Bolan's endorsement, "Jeepster" peaked at number two in
5184-640: The bulk of Bolan's fortune, variously estimated at between £20 and £30 million (approx $ 38 – $ 57 million), remains in trust. The T. Rex singer captivated generations with his strutting music and hyper-sexual charisma. — Alexis Petridis in The Guardian on "glam's greatest icon". Bolan strongly influenced artists of many genres, including glam rock, punk , post-punk , new wave , indie rock , Britpop and alternative rock . After seeing Bolan wearing Zandra Rhodes -designed outfits, Freddie Mercury enlisted Rhodes to design costumes for
5292-479: The car struck a fence post and then a tree. Bolan died at the scene. Jones was critically injured. The car crash site has become a shrine to his memory, where fans leave tributes beside the tree. In 2013, the shrine was featured on the BBC Four series Pagans and Pilgrims: Britain's Holiest Places . The site, Marc Bolan's Rock Shrine , is owned and maintained by the T. Rex Action Group. His funeral service
5400-655: The character Peregrin Took , a hobbit in J. R. R. Tolkien 's The Lord of the Rings . At the age of 17, having played drums for some months with a mod band named the Waterproof Sparrows (bass player John Rains, guitarists Pete Keen and Wally Woodcock), he answered an advert in International Times for Tyrannosaurus Rex , the electric band that Marc Bolan was forming following his departure from John's Children . After one disastrous concert at
5508-475: The character of Penny Lane, played by Kate Hudson . In 2000, Naoki Urasawa created a Japanese manga entitled 20th Century Boys that was inspired by Marc Bolan's song, " 20th Century Boy ". The series is a multiple award-winner, and has also been released in North America. The story was adopted into three successful live-action movies from 2008 to 2009, which were also released in the US, Canada and
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#17327768737685616-741: The complete package." The 1973 album Still by Pete Sinfield mentions Bolan by name in the title track: "Beatles and Bolans, raindrops and oceans". In December 1980, "Telegram Sam" was the fourth single released by British gothic rock band Bauhaus . Also in 1980, the Bongos were the first American group, with "Mambo Sun", to enter the Billboard charts with a T.Rex cover. Since then, Bongos frontman Richard Barone has recorded several other Bolan compositions ("The Visit," "Ballrooms of Mars"), worked with T.Rex producer Tony Visconti for his current solo album, Glow (2010, Bar/None Records ) that includes
5724-489: The court hearing on 5 October 1976, Deputy Judge Donald Ellison declared: "I am satisfied that the husband committed adultery with the co-respondent, and that the wife finds it intolerable to live with him", and granted a decree nisi. Twelve months after that date, it was to become a decree absolute, thus severing the Bolans' matrimonial ties. "The facts are that she initially left me, and we just grew apart," Bolan explained after
5832-489: The documentary Marc Bolan: The Final Word , Visconti opined that "Marc and Steve were a true 50:50 partnership. Steve was a remarkable musician, he could play many instruments. He played percussion, he could pick up a bass or a guitar. He would also sometimes play some cello parts. And then his backing vocals were great too." Took developed his own songwriting and in early 1969, with recording just complete on Tyrannosaurus Rex's third LP, Unicorn , Took suggested to Bolan that
5940-527: The duo could perform some of his own material; Bolan refused. By this time, their lifestyles were in direct conflict. Bolan was living quietly with wife-to-be June Child, while Took was rapidly forging links with "revolutionary" underground acts, such as the Deviants and the Pretty Things . The relationship was deteriorating badly—Bolan barely tolerated Took's drug use, and Steve Mann recalled that it
6048-420: The duo's music, buying a white Fender Stratocaster decorated with a paisley teardrop motif from Syd Barrett . After replacing Took with Mickey Finn , he let the electric influences come forward even further on A Beard of Stars , the final album to be credited to Tyrannosaurus Rex. It closed with the song "Elemental Child", featuring a long electric guitar break influenced by Jimi Hendrix . Marc Bolan,
6156-464: The earliest of Bolan's known recordings. He signed to Decca Records in August 1965. At this point his name changed to Marc Bolan via Marc Bowland. There are several accounts of why Bolan was chosen, including that it was derived from James Bolam , that it was a contraction of Bob Dylan, and – according to Bolan himself – that Decca Records chose the name. He recorded his debut single "The Wizard" with
6264-487: The evening before Took died, they both injected themselves with the morphine. Took's death certificate records the cause of death as being asphyxiation after inhaling a cocktail cherry . Drugs were not listed as a contributory factor, even though Took's death is often listed as a "drugs misadventure". He was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery (Square 103, in the north-west quadrant of the infilled path around
6372-496: The fictional band the Flaming Creatures (performed by Placebo , reprised by Placebo and David Bowie at the 1999 Brit Awards ) in the 1998 film Velvet Goldmine . In every decade since his death, a Bolan greatest hits compilation has placed in the top 20 UK albums and periodic boosts in sales have come via cover versions from artists inspired by Bolan, including Morrissey . In 1991, Morrissey and David Bowie performed
6480-468: The first Tyrannosaurus Rex tour of America, Bolan and his management gave Took notice that they would be sacking him once the tour was complete. Another contributing factor was an incident at the launch party for the UK edition of Rolling Stone , where jugs of punch prepared for the event were spiked with the hallucinogen STP . Took had already earned himself the nickname "The Phantom Spiker" (in which he rejoiced) through previous similar pranks. Bolan
6588-405: The first disastrous electric gig, "He didn't have the courage to try it again; it really had been a blow to his ego... Later he told everyone he'd been forced into going acoustic because Track Records had repossessed all his gear. In fact he'd been forced to go acoustic because he was scared to do anything else." The original version of Tyrannosaurus Rex with Took released three albums; two reached
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#17327768737686696-400: The founder and leader of the psychedelic folk band Tyrannosaurus Rex, with whom he released four critically acclaimed albums and had one minor hit "Debora". Bolan had started as an acoustic singer-writer before heading into electric music prior to the recording of T. Rex's first single " Ride a White Swan " which went to number two in the UK singles chart. From 1970 to 1973, T. Rex encountered
6804-466: The gig. At three o'clock he was interviewing musicians, at five he was getting ready to go on stage.... It was a disaster. He just got booed off the stage." Following this concert, Bolan pared the band down to just himself and Took, and they continued as a psychedelic -folk rock acoustic duo, playing Bolan's songs, with Took playing assorted hand and kit percussion and occasional bass to Bolan's acoustic guitars and voice. Napier-Bell said of Bolan that after
6912-522: The group in late 1976. In early 1977, Bolan got a new band together, released a new album, Dandy in the Underworld , 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 barely five years previously. Later in 1977, Granada Television commissioned Bolan to front a six-part series called Marc in which he hosted
7020-625: The group's name to T. Rex. Bolan and his producer Tony Visconti oversaw the session for "Ride a White Swan", the single that changed Bolan's career which was inspired in part by Mungo Jerry 's success with " In the Summertime ", moving Bolan away from predominantly acoustic numbers to a more electric sound. Recorded on 1 July 1970 and released later that year, it made slow progress in the UK Top 40 , until it finally peaked in early 1971 at number two. Inspired by his muse, June Child, Bolan developed
7128-400: The headmaster, or the deputy headmaster, Mr Pearson. He said he was going to give him the cane and Mark said no. He told him to hold out his hand and Mark nutted him." He appeared as an extra in an episode of the television show Orlando , dressed as a mod . Bolan briefly joined a modelling agency and became a "John Temple Boy", appearing in a clothing catalogue for the menswear store. He
7236-527: The next Queen tour in 1974. Bolan was the early guitar idol of Johnny Marr , who later found fame as the guitarist of the influential indie rock band the Smiths . In 1979, Siouxsie and the Banshees released a cover of "20th Century Boy" as the B-side to the single " The Staircase (Mystery) ". The band had played the song live for several months and on the first anniversary of Bolan's death in 1978 played
7344-472: The only commercial release of any songs written by Took until 1990, ten years after his death. The track "Fluid" was sampled by Gnarls Barkley on their track "Would Be Killer" from the hit album The Odd Couple and Tyler, the Creator on the track “Boyfriend” from the physical release of his album Igor . All songs written by Twink , except where noted. This 1960s rock album–related article
7452-415: The ordinary world, he managed to cast a spell over all of us." — U2 guitarist The Edge on Bolan after watching him on the BBC's Top of the Pops in March 1971. " 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 featuring Brad Pitt , and was re-released, reaching No. 13 in the UK. The song was performed by
7560-493: The other ex-Deviants then formed a new band called the Pink Fairies (mark 2), without Took or Farren. In February 1970, Farren and Took headhunted guitarist Larry (or "Lazza") Wallis and bassist Tim Taylor from their underground band, the Entire Sioux Nation. A month later, Farren dropped out, leaving Took in the role of bandleader for the first time in his career. With the addition of drummer Phil Lenoir, Shagrat
7668-468: The pixie prince of glam rock , remains a huge influence in music and fashion. — Adam Sweeting , The Telegraph . Becoming more adventurous musically, Bolan bought a modified vintage Gibson Les Paul guitar (featured on the cover of the album T. Rex ), and then wrote and recorded his first hit " Ride a White Swan ", which was dominated by a rolling hand-clapping back-beat, Bolan's electric guitar and Finn's percussion. At this time he also shortened
7776-505: The ruling. "There were no great scenes, no smashing things up. It just suddenly happened one day. We weren't a couple anymore." He also used the opportunity to shed a little light on his sexuality. "Anyway, I'm gay," he only half-jested. "I can't say I was a latent homosexual – I was an early one. But sex was never a great problem. I'm a great screwer". Asked about the institution of marriage, he replied: "Gloria doesn't want to get married and neither do I. If I ever marry anyone again, I'll put in
7884-447: The sacking. Bolan replaced Took with Mickey Finn , and after one further album renamed the duo T. Rex, later expanding to a full band again. After being sacked by Bolan, Took formed a prototype version of the Pink Fairies with Twink and Mick Farren , recently ousted from his own band, the Deviants. This band was named in honour of a drinking club of the same name the three had formed earlier that year, along with other leading lights of
7992-474: The second with guitarist Hiroshi Kato and future Hawkwind bassist Adrian Shaw . The latter line-up recorded a session of four tracks in summer 1974, including Flophouse Blues (previously recorded twice in the 1972 Secunda sessions). For some time around 1975, Took lived in the Kent towns of Canterbury and Margate , where he took on local musician and promoter Les Best as his manager. While down there, Took formed
8100-430: The session tapes were eventually released by Cleopatra Records in 1995, as The Missing Link To Tyrannosaurus Rex . A new version of the 1971 acoustic Shagrat song "Beautiful Deceiver" is tracklisted on the CD as "Syd's Wine" and a credit for guitar and other noises is given to one Crazy Diamond, an allusion to the 1975 Pink Floyd track " Shine On You Crazy Diamond ", written in tribute to Barrett. Stripped down versions of
8208-555: The song as the encore when they performed at Aylesbury Friars. Emerging in the New Romantic movement in the early 1980s, Boy George spoke of the impact Bolan and Bowie had on him: "They represented a kind of bohemian existence that I – at that point – could only imagine living. I loved the music. The first time I ever saw Marc Bolan really, properly was singing 'Metal Guru' and just loved him. I don't think you can separate an artist from what they wear or what they sing – it's kind of
8316-451: The sound and style of the band. He and Took would work together again at various intervals in 1972, 1975–1976 and 1977. With Wallis and Bidwell otherwise committed to UFO and Savoy Brown respectively, the acoustic Shagrat was effectively reduced down to just Took himself performing solo on an acoustic guitar, usually sitting on a stool interspersing his songs with jokes and other onstage monologues. In this format, Took made some headway as
8424-447: The straightforward rock 'n roll it had previously been into an exotic brew of musical styles designed to appeal to Bolan's new audience of hippies . Towards the end of his time in the band, as Bolan began returning to the electric guitar, Took returned to a full drum set and also contributed some bass guitar parts. The band's producer Tony Visconti credited Took with much of the sound and success of Tyrannosaurus Rex. In an interview for
8532-489: The style of his youthful hero, Cliff Richard , the "English Elvis"), which was later released posthumously by Danielz and Caron Willans in 2008 as a very limited edition seven-inch vinyl after the original tape recording was passed onto them by Delaroy-Hall. This track is one of Bolan's first professional recordings. Bolan then changed his stage name to Toby Tyler when he met and moved in with child actor Allan Warren , who became his second manager. This encounter afforded Bolan
8640-599: The time. Warren also hired a recording studio and had Bolan's first acetates cut. Two tracks were later released, the Bob Dylan song " Blowin' in the Wind " and Dion 's "The Road I'm On (Gloria)". A version of Betty Everett 's " You're No Good " (still unreleased) was later submitted to EMI for a test screening but was turned down. Warren later sold Bolan's contract and recordings for £200 to his landlord, property mogul David Kirch , in lieu of three months' back rent, but Kirch
8748-509: The top fifteen in the UK Albums Chart. They also had a top 40 hit "Debora" in 1968. They were supported with airplay by BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel . One of the highlights of this era was when the duo played at the first free Hyde Park concert in 1968. Although the free-spirited, drug-taking Took was fired from the group after their first American tour, they were a force within the hippie underground scene while they lasted. Their music
8856-615: The top spot. The song, re-titled "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" when released in the US, reached No. 10 in the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1972. Dressed in a satin sailor suit, but also – and most importantly – with the glittery gold teardrops beneath his eyes. This performance is often acknowledged as the birth of glam. His androgynous style has been an enduring influence on fashion. From Gucci to Saint Laurent, fashion has long drawn inspiration from his style. He knew how to subvert gender norms into fantastical new shapes. In November 1971,
8964-544: The track "Syd's Wine" reveal a second guitarist in the room and audible vocal noises. After splitting with Secunda, Took worked with a number of Hawkwind members, most notably Robert Calvert , Adrian Wagner, and Nik Turner . Took was scheduled to be the support act for Calvert's cancelled " Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters " tour. He and Bidwell formed at least two bands, the first with guitarist Eisuke Takahashi,
9072-503: The underground days (Bolan had played guitar on Bowie's 1970 single "Prettiest Star"; Bolan and Bowie also shared the same manager, Les Conn, and producer, Tony Visconti) but their friendship was also a rivalry, which continued throughout his career. Bowie's 1972 song " All the Young Dudes " name-checked T. Rex. Bowie's song " Lady Stardust " is generally interpreted as alluding to fellow glam rock icon Bolan. The original demo version
9180-485: The underground scene, who would contribute to the recordings while visiting Took. As well as old colleagues from Hawkwind and the Pink Fairies, Secunda reported that Took received visits from Syd Barrett, who at the time was living in Cambridge, but would shortly relocate back to London. From Secunda's account, it would appear likely that Barrett is on the recordings done in the flat by Took and his friends. Highlights of
9288-552: The underground scene. Together with Twink's girlfriend Silva Darling, they performed what Farren would later describe as "less of a gig than a protracted harangue" at the University of Manchester in October 1969, which rapidly dissolved into chaos. Took appeared prominently on Farren's first solo album Mona – The Carnivorous Circus (recorded December 1969, released 1970) on which he was credited as Shagrat The Vagrant. Twink and
9396-559: The vintage T. Rex line-up disintegrated. Bolan's marriage came to an end because of his affair with backing singer Jones, which began in July 1973. He spent a good deal of his time in the US during this period, continuing to release singles and albums, putting R & B influences with rock on Bolan's Zip Gun . In September 1975 Gloria Jones gave birth to Bolan's son, whom they named Rolan Bolan (although his birth certificate lists him as 'Rolan Seymour Feld'). That same year, Bolan returned to
9504-762: Was a former secretary to his then managers, Blackhill Enterprises , also the managers of another of his heroes, Syd Barrett , who June had previously dated. She was also influential in raising her new husband's profile in the music industry. Bolan's relationship with June was tumultuous; he engaged in several affairs over the course of their marriage, including one with singer Marsha Hunt in 1969, and another with artist Barbara Nessim while recording in America in 1971. The couple separated in 1973, after June found out about Bolan's affair with his backing singer Gloria Jones . After Bolan's death, June revealed that she had abortions during their marriage because she believed Bolan
9612-471: Was a model for the suits in their catalogues as well as for cardboard cut-outs to be displayed in shop windows. In 1962 Town magazine featured him under the name Mark Feld as an early example of the mod movement in a photo spread orchestrated by Evening Standard columnist Angus McGill . In 1964, Bolan met his first manager, Geoffrey Delaroy-Hall, and recorded a slick commercial track backed by session musicians called "All at Once" (a song very much in
9720-483: Was an English guitarist, singer-songwriter and poet. He was a pioneer of the glam rock movement in the early 1970s with his band T. Rex . Bolan strongly influenced artists of many genres, including glam rock, punk , post-punk , new wave , indie rock , Britpop and alternative rock . He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020 as a member of T. Rex. In the late 1960s, he rose to fame as
9828-402: Was at first going to slot Bolan into the Yardbirds. In early 1967 he eventually settled instead for John's Children because they needed a songwriter and he admired Bolan's writing ability. The band achieved some success as a live act but sold few records. A John's Children single written by Bolan called " Desdemona " was banned by the BBC for its line "lift up your skirt and fly". His tenure with
9936-486: Was clear they "cordially detested each other". In addition, Took's friendship with Bolan's idol Syd Barrett had also developed through their shared interests in both LSD and "strange musical noises". Mick Farren , in his memoir Give The Anarchist A Cigarette , recalled that Took would "drag a bemused Syd Barrett along" to events in Ladbroke Grove in the late 1960s; Took remained friends with Barrett well into
10044-415: Was clearly visible, and the band stopped playing after a few seconds. With no time for a retake, the occurrence was aired. Bolan began his first serious romantic relationship, with Teresa Whipman, in 1965. They broke up in 1968 when Bolan met June Ellen Child. The pair immediately fell in love and moved into a flat together after knowing each other for only a few days. They married on 30 January 1970. She
10152-595: Was entitled "He Was Alright (A Song for Marc)" In 1973, Bolan played twin lead guitar alongside his friend Jeff Lynne on the Electric Light Orchestra songs " Ma-Ma-Ma Belle " and "Dreaming of 4000" (originally uncredited) from On the Third Day , as well as on "Everyone's Born to Die", which was not released at the time but appears as a bonus track on the 2006 remaster. For the following recording sessions, he recruited soul female singers for
10260-603: Was filled with Bolan's otherworldly poetry. In 1969, Bolan published his first and only book of poetry entitled The Warlock of Love . Although some critics dismissed it as self-indulgence, it was full of Bolan's florid prose and wordplay, selling 40,000 copies and in 1969–70 became one of Britain's best-selling books of poetry. It was reprinted in 1992 by the Tyrannosaurus Rex Appreciation Society. In keeping with his early rock and roll interests, Bolan began bringing amplified guitar lines into
10368-605: Was formed (named after an orc in The Lord of the Rings ). They recorded three tracks, "Peppermint Flickstick", "Boo! I Said Freeze" and "Steel Abortion", at Strawberry Studios and played live at the Phun City festival, before Lenoir and Taylor left. Took and Wallis continued with drummer Dave Bidwell, rehearsing with various bass players and eventually forming an acoustic trio of Took on vocals and guitar, Wallis on acoustic bass and Bidwell on tambourine . This line-up recorded
10476-559: Was held on 20 September 1977 at the Golders Green Crematorium in North London . Bolan's ashes were later buried under a rose bush. Bolan's funeral was attended by David Bowie , Rod Stewart , Tony Visconti and Steve Harley among other musicians. Bolan had arranged a discretionary trust to safeguard his money. A small, separate Jersey -based trust fund has allowed his son to receive some income. However,
10584-611: Was included on a private preview show on 21 February 1993 in Burbank, Los Angeles which was recorded and released, complete with the cover version, as a live bonus CD with 1994 pressings of his Antmusic: The Very Best of Adam Ant collection. The Cameron Crowe-created movie Almost Famous features a scene where a Black Sabbath groupie is telling aspiring journalist William Miller (said to be created in Crowe's own image) about how, "Marc Bolan broke her heart, man. It's famous," regarding
10692-442: Was introduced by his personal assistant, Chelita Secunda, although Bolan told John Pidgeon in a 1974 interview on Radio 1 that he noticed the glitter on his wife, June Child's dressing table prior to a photo session and casually daubed some on his face there and then. Other performers – and their fans – soon took up variations on the idea. The glam era also saw the rise of Bolan's friend David Bowie , whom Bolan had come to know in
10800-460: Was not mature enough to be a father. Bolan and Gloria Jones were in a committed romantic relationship from 1973 until his death in September 1977. The couple had a son together in September 1975 and the three of them lived together for nearly two years until Bolan's death. At the end of June 1976, June Bolan sued for divorce on the grounds of adultery, citing Gloria Jones as the third party. At
10908-464: Was of East End Ashkenazi Jewish origin, and of Russian and Polish ancestry, while his mother was English, originally from Fulham . Moving to Wimbledon , southwest London, he fell in love with the rock and roll of Gene Vincent , Eddie Cochran , Arthur Crudup and Chuck Berry and hung around coffee bars such as the 2i's in Soho . Bolan was a pupil at Northwold Primary School, Upper Clapton. At
11016-408: Was often alluded to but remained "mythical". In reality the wizard was probably American actor Riggs O'Hara with whom Bolan made a trip to Paris in 1965. Given time to reinvent himself, after John's Children, Bolan's songwriting took off and he began writing many of the poetic and neo-romantic songs that appeared on his first albums with T. Rex . Bolan left John's Children when, among other problems,
11124-495: Was raw talent. I saw genius. I saw a potential rock star in Marc – right from the minute, the hour I met him." Bolan was born at Hackney Hospital and grew up at 25 Stoke Newington Common, in the borough of Hackney , east London, the second child of Simeon ("Sid") Feld (1920-1991), a cosmetics salesman and former lorry driver, and Phyllis Winifred (née Atkins; 1927-1991), who ran a stall at Berwick Street Market in Soho . His father
11232-509: 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 number one hit. No T. Rex record was certified until 1985, as the record company had to pay for it, which Bolan's did not in the 1970s. Bolan took to wearing top hats and feather boas on stage as well as putting drops of glitter on each of his cheekbones . Stories are conflicting about his inspiration for this – some say it
11340-403: Was severely affected by the spiked drink and considered Took to be the prime suspect. Took was contractually obliged to go on the US tour, but his heart was not in it and he attempted to cope through taking drugs. Additionally, the acoustic duo were overshadowed by the loud electric acts they were billed with. To counter this, he drew from the shock rock style of Iggy Pop ; as Took explained to
11448-424: Was the final guest on the last episode of Marc . Bowie's solo song "Heroes" was the show's penultimate song; Bolan signed off, naming some of the musicians: "All the cats; you know who they are"; they then began to play a bluesy song, over the closing credits. After four words of Bowie's vocals, however, Bolan stumbled forward, and off the stage, but managed to grab the microphone, and find a smile. Bowie's amusement
11556-541: Was to Billiet's daughter. Steve Took died on Monday 27 October 1980 at 14 Clydesdale House, 255 Westbourne Park Road, Notting Hill, London, aged 31, in the maisonette he shared with Billiet and her young daughter. As a consequence of intervention by Best, now once again Took's manager, royalty cheques for the Tyrannosaurus Rex 'Blue Thumb' American releases had been arriving periodically and Took had received one that week. The day prior to his death, Took purchased morphine and hallucinogenic mushrooms for himself and Billiet, and
11664-534: Was too busy with his property empire to do anything for him. A year or so later, Bolan's mother pushed into Kirch's office and shouted at him that he had done nothing for her son. She demanded he tear up the contract and he willingly complied. The tapes of the first two tracks produced during the Toby Tyler recording session vanished for over 25 years before resurfacing in 1991 and selling for nearly $ 8,000. Their eventual release on CD in 1993 made available some of
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