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T. Rex
From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist
T. Rex was the English band of the singer, guitarist and songwriter Marc Bolan. He began in 1967 in London with Tyrannosaurus Rex, an acoustic duo with long album titles full of fantasy imagery, such as My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair… But Now They're Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows (1968). Around 1970 Bolan shortened the name to T. Rex and switched to electric guitar.
Music and breakthrough
Big success came with that. With the albums Electric Warrior (1971) and The Slider (1972) and singles such as Get It On and Metal Guru, T. Rex became one of the most popular groups in England in the early 1970s. Bolan performed in glitter and eye-catching clothes and became one of the faces of glam rock. Later in the 1970s the success declined. Bolan was killed in a car accident in 1977.
Influence
The music of T. Rex was simple and direct: short rock songs with a stomping rhythm, boogie guitar and Bolan's soft, quavering voice. That simplicity continued to have an effect. Morrissey and The Smiths used the rhythm of Metal Guru for their song Panic, and the singer Gloria Jones, whose Tainted Love was later covered by Soft Cell, was Bolan's girlfriend.
Listening
Metal Guru · T. Rex, 1972Apple Music ↗
Discography
Studio albums
- 1968My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair… But Now They’re Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows
- 1968Prophets, Seers & Sages: The Angels of the Ages
- 1969Unicorn
- 1970A Beard of Stars
- 1970T·Rex
- 1971Electric Warrior
- 1972The Slider
- 1973Tanx
- 1974Light of Love
- 1974Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow
- 1975Bolan’s Zip Gun
- 1976Futuristic Dragon
- 1977Dandy in the Underworld
- 1982Billy Super Duper
- 1998Marc: Songs From the Granada TV Series (soundtrack)
- 2026Songs From "MARC"
In School of Rock
The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.
- Mixtape 7: The 1980sNL Reader