Bang A Gong

dedicated_follower · Post by **dedicated_follower** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 1:41 pm

Just had to mention that it was the 30th Anniversary of Marc Bolan's death today. I was not a big fan, but enjoyed much of his music.

lyle_from_minneapolis · Sun Sep 16, 2007 3:17 pm

I have grown into a huge admirer lately. His songs really packed a big punch in a small package, the pop musician's version of poetry. The words don't really matter...they're just a lot of dated, goofy lyrics. But the songs--the immediate hooks, the killer tone, the undeniable fun--no one was better at the style he embraced.

For awhile, my ringtone was the intro to "20th Century Boy"...

I often wonder if he would have made a comeback one day had he not died in the car crash. Anyway, I like his songs more and more, and when I play them, like's a gas.

RIP Marc Bolan.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 3:33 pm

Agreed, Mark, but I certainly can characterize "dirty-sweet" or (better yet) "hubcap diamond star halo" as sheer poetry.

longboard_ric · Post by **longboard_ric** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 12:16 am

Long time fan, and his stuff still gets played a lot here.

I went to see him in concert at good ol' Festival Hall in Melbourne, 1974 I think, a real fun night too !!!!!

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 5:18 am

I used to find Jeepster of your love mildly interesting (or whatever it was called).
They were your typical glam band to me, except I would rather have listened to The New York Dolls.
T-Rex. Some of my friends were into them, never did much for me. I bet they were good live though.

mgauction · Post by **mgauction** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 5:02 pm

Ringo Starr said he was the next "Big" thing in music.

beatlefreak · Post by **beatlefreak** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 6:01 pm

Oh, yeah - Ringo would be pompous and shamelessly self-promote himself like that! Probably just trying to get Marc to join his band! Jeez!

lyle_from_minneapolis · Tue Sep 18, 2007 6:31 am

He did get pretty darned big, at least in the UK. In 1972, "T. Rex record sales accounted for about 6% of total British domestic record sales. The band was reportedly selling 100,000 records a day..." (Wikipedia). "T.Rexmania" was a real, if short-lived, phenomenon.

And also it was somewhat of a balancing response to all the cerebral Prog Rock that was so popular...while YES were offering mindboggling, epic song structures and even new takes on Brahms, Bolan was reaching for simplicity and silly fun, rocking out in high heels and make-up, singing "I've got stars in my beard and I feel real weird, for you." I love both camps...but the latter is definitely more "rock and roll" at heart. Given all that, I'm surprised at how well a lot of his stuff stands up decades later. Probably not for everyone.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 2:55 pm

Yeah they were huge in Europe, didn't they sell something like 20,000,00 records?

shamustwin · Post by **shamustwin** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 3:49 pm

The cover of "Electric Warrior" is a classic.
Such a rock and roll image.
Yep, I had his (Bolan-T-Rex's) stuff along with my Yes albums.