Biography
The folk duo Tyrannosaurus Rex predated the glam rock onslaught that T. Rex unleashed in the early 1970s. Although Marc Bolan, the flamboyant singer/guitarist/songwriter, fronted both acts, the earlier group stood in complete contrast to the sound that would later define his work. Formed in September 1967 as a duo after Bolan departed John's Children, Tyrannosaurus Rex paired him with percussionist Steve Peregrin Took, whom Bolan named after a Lord of the Rings character; the singer's fascination with the novels extended to the lyrical themes of the band's songs.
That same month, producer Tony Visconti discovered the duo at London's UFO club and promptly signed them to an EMI subsidiary—while A&M handled their releases in the United States—and oversaw production of their albums. Immediate commercial traction followed: the debut single "Debora" reached the U.K. Top 40, and the first album, My People Were Fair & Had Sky In Their Hair...But Now They're Content to Wear Stars on their Brows, climbed to number 15 on the U.K. charts in July 1968. Additional 1969 releases included the albums Prophets Seers & Sages: The Angels of the Ages and Unicorn, along with the singles "One Inch Rock" and "King of the Rumbling Spires," yet Took exited in October of that year.
Bolan, long the central figure, replaced him with percussionist Mickey Finn, and the revised lineup issued A Beard of Stars in March 1970. The group's direction had already begun shifting as Bolan wrote tighter material, adopted electric guitar, shortened the name to T. Rex later that year, expanded into a conventional rock quartet with the addition of a bassist and drummer, and, alongside fellow ex-folk artist David Bowie, helped ignite the glam rock movement. Bolan and T. Rex subsequently scored numerous Top Ten singles and successful albums. Any prospect of an original Tyrannosaurus Rex reunion ended with Bolan's death in a car accident on September 16, 1977; Took died of asphyxiation on October 27, 1980.
Tyrannosaurus Rex albums have since appeared in numerous repackaged editions, especially popular two-for-one sets in Europe. A 1995 Took anthology, The Missing Link to Tyrannosaurus Rex, was followed in 1996 by A BBC History, a set of late-1960s live-in-the-studio performances by Bolan and Took.
That same month, producer Tony Visconti discovered the duo at London's UFO club and promptly signed them to an EMI subsidiary—while A&M handled their releases in the United States—and oversaw production of their albums. Immediate commercial traction followed: the debut single "Debora" reached the U.K. Top 40, and the first album, My People Were Fair & Had Sky In Their Hair...But Now They're Content to Wear Stars on their Brows, climbed to number 15 on the U.K. charts in July 1968. Additional 1969 releases included the albums Prophets Seers & Sages: The Angels of the Ages and Unicorn, along with the singles "One Inch Rock" and "King of the Rumbling Spires," yet Took exited in October of that year.
Bolan, long the central figure, replaced him with percussionist Mickey Finn, and the revised lineup issued A Beard of Stars in March 1970. The group's direction had already begun shifting as Bolan wrote tighter material, adopted electric guitar, shortened the name to T. Rex later that year, expanded into a conventional rock quartet with the addition of a bassist and drummer, and, alongside fellow ex-folk artist David Bowie, helped ignite the glam rock movement. Bolan and T. Rex subsequently scored numerous Top Ten singles and successful albums. Any prospect of an original Tyrannosaurus Rex reunion ended with Bolan's death in a car accident on September 16, 1977; Took died of asphyxiation on October 27, 1980.
Tyrannosaurus Rex albums have since appeared in numerous repackaged editions, especially popular two-for-one sets in Europe. A 1995 Took anthology, The Missing Link to Tyrannosaurus Rex, was followed in 1996 by A BBC History, a set of late-1960s live-in-the-studio performances by Bolan and Took.
Albums
