***I feel like this is an every other week announcement but lately, it has been crazy at work. I’m traveling on Sunday and won’t be back until Friday so I won’t be posting until I return. I’ll be too busy to comment back so I’ll hold off.***
Since I took a week and dedicated it to the UK a few months ago I’ve been listening to T-Rex quite a bit. The songs were commercial but very good commercial.
America missed the boat on T-Rex. The only substantial hit they had here was Bang a Gong. This song was their second release as T. Rex…it peaked at #1 in the UK, #7 in New Zealand, #47 in Canada, and #72 on the Billboard 100 in 1071. The song was a non-album single. It was written by Marc Bolan and produced by Tony Visconti who would go on to produce Bowie, Badfinger, Gentle Giant, The Moody Blues, and The Boomtown Rats among others. He also scored the orchestral arrangements for Band on the Run by McCartney.
This was the band’s second big hit single and it gave Marc Bolan what he had always dreamed of… his first No.1 hit. Bolan was influenced by Elvis Presley’s Heartbreak Hotel and the coda repeating structure from The Beatles Hey Jude. Bolan was smart with this song, he kept the rhythm simple and didn’t deviate from that.
T. Rex was huge in the UK starting around 1970 but then declining in 1974. They did have a documentary made about them produced and directed by Ringo Starr called Born to Boogie. Bolan has been credited with starting Glam Rock.
Bolan went on to host a musical TV show called Marc in which he hosted a mix of new and established bands and performed his own songs. Marc’s final show was recorded on September 7, 1977, with special guest David Bowie…who was a friend of Bolan. I have a video of this appearance at the bottom of the post.
Bolan would die in a car wreck 9 days later on September 16, 1977.
Marc Bolan: “I know it’s like a million other songs, but I hope it’s got a little touch of me in it too.”
Hot Love
Well, she’s my woman of goldAnd she’s not very old, a-ha-haWell, she’s my woman of goldAnd she’s not very old, a-ha-haI don’t mean to be bold, a-but a-may I hold your hand?
Well, she ain’t no witchAnd I love the way she twitch, a-ha-haWell, she ain’t no witchAnd I love the way she twitch, a-ha-haI’m a laborer of love in my Persian gloves, a-ha-ha
Well, she’s faster than mostAnd she lives on the coast, a-ha-haWell, she’s faster than mostAnd she lives on the coast, a-ha-haI’m her two penny prince and I give her hot love, a-ha-haTake it out on me, mama
Aw!Aw!Oh!
Well, she ain’t no witchAnd I love the way she twitch, a-ha-haWell, she ain’t no witchAnd I love the way she twitch, a-ha-haI’m her two penny prince and I give her hot love, a-ha-ha
La la la, la-la-la laLa la la, la-la-la laLa la la, la-la-la laLa la la, la-la-la laOoh, oh, do what you do
La la la, la-la-la laLa la la, la-la-la laLa la la, la-la-la laLa la la, la-la-la laOoh, lay it all down
La la la, la-la-la laLa la la, la-la-la laLa la la, la-la-la laLa la la, la-la-la laOoh
La la la, la-la-la laLa la la, la-la-la laLa la la, la-la-la laLa la la, la-la-la laOoh, lay it all down
La la la, la-la-la laLa la la, la-la-la laLa la la, la-la-la laLa la la, la-la-la laOoh, jetzt kommt sie doch
La la la, la-la-la laLa la la, la-la-la laLa la la, la-la-la laLa la la, la-la-la laOoh, ba-ba-ba
La la la, la-la-la laLa la la, la-la-la laLa la la, la-la-la la (yeah)La la la, la-la-la laOoh, yeah
…
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I’m not totally sold on this one but no question they had more than one good song we should have heard here.
It’s cool this was his first number 1… the more I listen to him the more I’m liking his songs…we should have had these songs here.
T-Rex came on my radar thanks to the Powerstation release. T-Rex had a good run for a bit
Yea in the UK they were HUGE….
New to me, but very good. I never got into glam rock.
I managed to collect all of those emi T.Rex 45’s with Marc’s head on the label. Also bagged a dozen German 45’s all with p/s. Yes, I really dug T.Rex.
We only heard one song for the most part and later on 20th Century Boy on commercials….
Always have enjoyed Bang a Gong, but not familiar with his other stuff.
Yea they didn’t get played over here.
I don’t see the Bowie video on Marc’s show at the bottom of the post? I think I’ve seen it before. T-Rex had something special and it’s a real shame he was another casualty of the 2 ton metal death machine. The music maven guy I babysat for way back when had the T.Rex album with Bang a Gong on it, and I listened to it and many other first class albums through headphones on his exquisite sound system.
Thanks Lisa….I put it on there now. I have to wonder what he would have done…I would say a T-Rex revival was coming.
Wow, David looks so butch there! I think he assimilated Bolan’s style and maybe kinda took over for him after Bolan passed?
I think he was inspired by him somewhat…a lot of respect there. Bowie always looked over Bolan’s child and either girlfriend or wife after he died.
You always have these little tidbits that I appreciate. I didn’t think I could adore Bowie any more, but…
I also love this song by him:
https://youtu.be/LxRWgVlWi2Q?si=qmQh3AqcM0hdufrE
I like that one! I’ll get it next. I have his entire catalog to go through….I’ve only done around 3 of his songs. I really like that one as well.
While “Hot Love” didn’t exactly reinvent rock & roll, I’ve always dug it. I think it’s fair to say that also applies to other T. Rex songs. But it never bothered me. They were just a cool band.
Very catchy….most of their songs.
It’s so simple (no disrespect here, thats its charm) the whole song becomes the hook. Chorus, verse, it doesn’t matter one just rolls into the other. Love the lyrics too; ‘nah nah nah na na na na, etc.’ Another brit band that was bloody big over here.
I was going through their catalog…this is not the best but it was likable right off the bat.
The ghost of Elvis for sure. Not a bad thing.
Not a bad thing at all… hope it’s the 50s version!
You know how much I love T Rex. This isn’t my favourite, but the lalalas are iconic, and lyrics like She ain’t no witch, But I love the way she twitch… are pure Bolan: brilliant nonsense. One thing you touched on in your post – the fact that he always wanted a #1, and to be huge. I love how shamelessly fame-hungry he was, when many artists would pretend otherwise.
I did like that about him as well…he made him more authentic. I have most of his catalog to go over… all of this is new to me.
Hot Love is so so good
It really is a shame T. Rex weren’t more popular in America. I like just about everything I’ve heard by them, and loved that many of their songs were featured in the 2000 film Billy Elliot.
That’s me also… I’ll be cover a lot more from them.
Love Hot Love. Got back from 2 years living in singapore and my Aunty Ann aged 15 had bought this single which I hadnt heard before, so I played it a lot while we stayed with my grandparents. The long sing-out is very Hey Jude..
I thought of Hey Jude also…I am discovering them and I’ve loved what I’ve heard.