The Encyclopaedia Britannica defines Glam Rock as “A musical movement that celebrated the spectacle of the rock star and concert. Male musicians took the stage in women’s makeup and clothing, and mounted glamorous musical productions frequently characterized by space-age futurism”. In 1972 Marc Bolan was all these things and so much more.
Having risen to superstardom with tracks such as Ride A White Swan (UK #2), Hot Love (UK #1), Get It On (UK #1) & Jeepster (UK #2), and the album Electric Warrior (1971- eight weeks at UK #1), 1972 saw Marc & T.Rex attain dizzy heights with two more #1’s and two #2’s with Telegram Sam, Metal Guru, Children of The Revolution and Solid Gold Easy Action as well as the album The Slider. 1972 truly was the year of ‘T. Rextasy’, as the press dubbed the frenzy that took over the UK’s music fans.
T.REX 1972 celebrates that year over two box sets, 5CDs & 6LPs and a 2LP highlights package, that for the first time brings together the 1972 studio recordings, broadcasts and performances made by Bolan and his band, T. Rex. T.REX 1972 puts the listener into the shoes of a T. Rex fan that year with singles, albums, live concerts, radio broadcasts, a film soundtrack and more.
The T.REX 1972 boxsets include The Slider album, Live At Wembley The Matinee Show – plus two previously unreleased 1972 mixes from The Evening Show, Born To Boogie The Soundtrack Album, issued in full for the first time, Marc Bolan’s US Radio Sessions, T. Rex on the BBC in 1972, featuring a rare version of Telegram Sam from the Christmas Top Of The Pops, which is being released 50 years to the day that the original single appeared, the 1972 B-sides and the T. Rex Fan Club 1972 Christmas flexi disc.
The accompanying booklet contains a specially written 1600-word introduction by legendary producer Tony Visconti, and a brand new 12,000-word essay by acknowledged Bolan authority Mark Paytress, the author of the definitive Bolan biography. Also featured are many previously unpublished photos taken by Keith Morris during 1972.
Bolan started 1972 with a brand-new single on his own brand-new record label; The T. Rex Wax Co. Telegram Sam swiftly reached the number 1 spot, which was his third chart-topper in under a year. In March, T. Rex played two sell-out concerts at Wembley’s Empire Pool which later featured in “Born To Boogie”, a feature film directed by Ringo Starr that included guest performances from Elton John and Ringo. May saw the release of another number 1, Metal Guru, followed in July by the classic album, The Slider.
The band toured the US twice in 1972, and Bolan took the opportunity to perform solo acoustic sessions for local radio stations. The band featured regularly on the BBC throughout the year, recording special sessions for Radio 1 and Top Of The Pops. T. Rex ended the year with the singles Children Of The Revolution and Solid Gold Easy Action and the T. Rex Fan Club 1972 Christmas Record Flexi Disc, which is included in the boxsets in its entirety.
T.REX 1972 charts Bolan’s manic year as he toured the world. He was a ubiquitous figure in concert halls, at press conferences, on radio stations, television and throughout the press. Now, for the 50th anniversary of his peak, the full breadth of his artistry is revealed via classic hits, contemplative ballads, and rare recordings.
T.REX 1972 50th ANNIVERSARY TRACKLISTING
T.REX 1972
50th Anniversary
Deluxe 5 CD Box Set
5 x CDs in wallets in lift-off lid box, with 44-page book
CD 1:
THE SLIDER
1. Metal Guru
2. Mystic Lady
3. Rock On
4. The Slider
5. Baby Boomerang
6. Spaceball Ricochet
7. Buick Mackane
8. Telegram Sam
9. Rabbit Fighter
10. Baby Strange
11. Ballrooms Of Mars
12. Chariot Choogle
13. Main Man
CD 2:
LIVE AT WEMBLEY: THE MATINEE SHOW
1. Rosko’s Intro [Emperor Rosko]
2. Cadilac
3. Jeepster
4. Baby Strange
5. Spaceball Ricochet
6. Girl
7. Cosmic Dancer
8. Telegram Sam
9. Hot Love
10. Get It On
11. ‘One More Time?’ [Emperor Rosko]
12. Summertime Blues
Bonus tracks:
Alternate mixes with 1972 overdubs, from The Evening Show*
13. Baby Strange [alternate mix]
14. Hot Love [alternate mix]
CD 3:
BORN TO BOOGIE THE SOUNDTRACK ALBUM
1. Marc Bolan – Marc’s Intro
2. T. Rex Jeepster
3. T. Rex Baby Strange
4. Marc Bolan Electric Wind’ [poem]
5. Elton John, Ringo Starr & T. Rex Tutti Frutti
6. Elton John, Ringo Starr & T. Rex Children Of The Revolution
7. Marc Bolan & Ringo Starr ‘Look To The Left’
8. Marc Bolan – Spaceball Ricochet
9. Marc Bolan & Ringo Starr ‘Some People Like To Rock’
10. T. Rex Telegram Sam
11. Marc Bolan & Ringo Starr ‘Some People Like To Roll’
12. Marc Bolan & Mickey Finn Cosmic Dancer
13. Geoffrey Bayldon ‘They’ve Come, Tis Said’
14. Marc Bolan & String Quartet Tea Party Medley:
Jeepster / Hot Love / Get It On / The Slider
15. Geoffrey Bayldon ‘Union Hall’
16. T. Rex Hot Love
17. T. Rex Get It On
18. T. Rex Chariot Choogle [soundtrack mix of studio recording]
19. Marc Bolan Marc’s Outro
20. Children Of The Revolution [strings reprise]
CD 4:
MARC BOLAN’S 1972 US RADIO SESSIONS
1. Spaceball Ricochet
2. Jeepster
3. Cosmic Dancer
4. Main Man
5. Ballrooms Of Mars
6. Mystic Lady
7. Girl
8. Baby Strange
9. Left Hand Luke
10. The Slider
11. Spaceball Ricochet
CD 5:
T. REX ON THE BBC IN 1972
1. Metal Guru
2. The Slider
3. Mystic Lady
4. Rock On
5. Main Man
6. Children Of The Revolution
7. Solid Gold Easy Action
8. Telegram Sam [Christmas Top Of The Pops]*
1972 A and B-SIDES
9. Cadilac
10. Thunderwing
11. Lady
12. Children Of The Revolution
13. Jitterbug Love
14. Sunken Rags
15. Solid Gold Easy Action
16. Xmas Riff – Born To Boogie
17. T. Rex Fan Club 1972 “Christmas Record” Flexi Disc
Previously unreleased.
T.REX 1972
50th Anniversary
Deluxe 6 LP Box Set
6 LPs on 180g coloured vinyl in inner sleeves
In lift-off lid box, with 24-page 12×12 booklet
LP 1:
THE SLIDER
Side A
1. Metal Guru
2. Mystic Lady
3. Rock On
4. The Slider
5. Baby Boomerang
6. Spaceball Ricochet
7. Buick Mackane
Side B
1. Telegram Sam
2. Rabbit Fighter
3. Baby Strange
4. Ballrooms Of Mars
5. Chariot Choogle
6. Main Man
LP 2:
LIVE AT WEMBLEY: THE MATINEE SHOW
Side A
1. Rosko’s Intro [Emperor Rosko]
2. Cadilac
3. Jeepster
4. Baby Strange
Side B
1. Spaceball Ricochet
2. Girl
3. Cosmic Dancer
4. Telegram Sam
LP 3:
LIVE AT WEMBLEY: THE MATINEE SHOW [continued]
Side A
1. Hot Love
2. Get It On
Side B
1. ‘One More Time?’ [Emperor Rosko]
2. Summertime Blues
Bonus tracks: Alternate mixes with 1972 overdubs, from The Evening Show*
3. Baby Strange [alternate mix]
4. Hot Love [alternate mix]
LP 4:
‘BORN TO BOOGIE’ THE SOUNDTRACK ALBUM
Side A
1. Marc Bolan – Marc’s Intro
2. T. Rex Jeepster
3. T. Rex Baby Strange
4. Marc Bolan ‘Electric Wind’ [poem]
5. Elton John, Ringo Starr & T. Rex Tutti Frutti
6. Elton John, Ringo Starr & T. Rex – Children Of The Revolution
7. Marc Bolan & Ringo Starr ‘Look To The Left’
8. Marc Bolan Spaceball Ricochet
9. Marc Bolan & Ringo Starr ‘Some People Like To Rock’
10. T. Rex Telegram Sam
11. Marc Bolan & Ringo Starr ‘Some People Like To Roll’
Side B
1. Marc Bolan & Mickey Finn Cosmic Dancer
2. Geoffrey Bayldon ‘They’ve Come, Tis Said’
3. Marc Bolan & String Quartet Tea Party Medley: Jeepster / Hot Love / Get It On / The Slider
4. Geoffrey Bayldon – ‘Union Hall’
5. T. Rex Hot Love
6. T. Rex Get It On
7. T. Rex Chariot Choogle [soundtrack mix of studio recording]
8. Marc Bolan Marc’s Outro
9. Children Of The Revolution [strings reprise]
LP 5:
MARC BOLAN’S 1972 US RADIO SESSIONS
Side A
1. Spaceball Ricochet
2. Jeepster
3. Cosmic Dancer
4. Main Man
Side B
1. Ballrooms Of Mars
2. Mystic Lady
3. Girl
4. Baby Strange
5. Left Hand Luke
6. The Slider
7. Spaceball Ricochet
LP 6:
T. REX ON THE BBC IN 1972
Side A
1. Metal Guru
2. The Slider
3. Mystic Lady
4. Rock On
5. Main Man
6. Children Of The Revolution
7. Solid Gold Easy Action
8. Telegram Sam [Christmas Top Of The Pops]*
T. REXTRAS
Side B
1. Cadilac
2. Thunderwing
3. Lady
4. Jitterbug Love
5. Sunken Rags
6. Xmas Riff – Born To Boogie
7. T. Rex Fan Club 1972 “Christmas Record” Flexi Disc
Previously unreleased.
T.REX 1972
50th Anniversary
2 LP in widespine sleeve with inner sleeves, pressed on 140-gram white vinyl
SIDE A
LIVE AT WEMBLEY MARCH 1972
1. Jeepster
2. Telegram Sam
3. Cosmic Dancer
4. Hot Love
5. Summertime Blues
SIDE B
1972 US & UK RADIO SESSIONS
1. Spaceball Ricochet
2. Main Man
3. Baby Strange
4. Metal Guru
5. Mystic Lady
6. Solid Gold Easy Action
SIDE C
WATCH ME NOW
1. Tutti Frutti [Elton John, Ringo Starr & T. Rex]
2. Children Of The Revolution [Elton John, Ringo Starr & T. Rex]
3. Tea Party Medley: Jeepster/Hot Love/Get It On/The Slider
4. Baby Boomerang
5. Ballrooms Of Mars
6. Chariot Choogle
SIDE D
T. REXTRAS
1. Cadilac
2. Thunderwing
3. Jitterbug Love
4. Sunken Rags
5. Born To Boogie
6. Telegram Sam [TOTP Xmas ’72]
