Marc Bolan

Marc Bolan: Top of the Guitar Parade

Guide by Steve Turner, Beat Instrumental, June 1972

BEHIND EVERY success story there’s a team of guitars. Marc Bolan decided to give his chosen few a taste of the publicity he’s been getting ...

The Cosmic Dancer: The Short, Brilliant Ride of Marc Bolan

Retrospective by Nicky Parade, Rock's Backpages, September 2001

IT IS LONDON, JANUARY 1970. A new pop decade has begun, and two of its budding stars are huddled together at the Trident recording studio, ...

Marc Bolan (1974)

Interview by John Pidgeon, Rock's Backpages Audio, 1974

Bolan looks back at Tyrannosaurus Rex and the British underground scene; turning electric and the Beard of Stars album; 'Ride a White Swan'; and ruminates on glitter, image and stardom.

File format: mp3; file size: 21.8mb, interview length: 23' 49" sound quality: ****

Marc Bolan, parts 1 & 2 (1975)

Interview by Keith Altham, Rock's Backpages Audio, 1975

Marc on life on the road, rock'n'roll literature, his image and clothes, guitars, "chicks", Elvis and a whole lot more

File format: mp3; Part 1: file size: 26.2mb; length: 28 minutes 37 seconds. Part 2: file size: 28.1mb; length: 30 minutes 43 seconds.Sound quality: ***

Marc Bolan: Knit Yourself A Pop Singer — Marc and Mike Will Tell You How

Report and Interview by Maureen Cleave, Evening Standard, October 1965

HUMILITY AMONG POP SINGERS used to be all the rage. "Mr. Presley," the interviewer would ask, "is it to luck or to talent that you ...

Marc Bolan

Profile and Interview by Steve Turner, Beat Instrumental, February 1971

AT THE DAWN of Britain's history Marc Bolan was a bard; in 1956 he served in the 2 I's coffee house to the skiffling rhythms ...

Marc Bolan: Energy Is What It's All About

Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, April 1971

MARC BOLAN is ready to take on the world following his incredible success with two maxi singles, 'Ride A White Swan' almost indecently closely followed ...

Marc Bolan: Hot Rods and Hot Love

Profile and Interview by Steve Turner, Beat Instrumental, November 1971

CAMOUFLAGED WELL enough to stand unnoticed in front of a rainbow, Marc Bolan sat crosslegged on his sofa and explained that "too much" had happened ...

Marc Bolan: Hendrix Said I'd Be Big, But I Don't Give A **** As Long As I Can Boogie

Interview by Danny Holloway, NME, February 1972

Outspoken Danny Holloway series ...

Marc Bolan: A Weird Kid With No Friends

Interview by Danny Holloway, NME, February 1972

Outspoken Danny Holloway series ...

Marc’s Music, Film & Future

Interview by Steve Turner, Beat Instrumental, October 1972

The following interview with Marc Bolan took place in a restaurant near Little Venice in London. Originally the meeting was to have taken place at ...

The Boogie Merchants: Marc Bolan

Interview by Caroline Boucher, Disc and Music Echo, December 1972

CAROLINE BOUCHER takes a bleary, cross-eyed view of Marc Bolan who started life as a Tooting Mod, pro­gressed to a flower child, bopped as an ...

Why Marc Won't Be Giving Up

Interview by Chris Welch, Melody Maker, September 1973

DESPITE the critical savaging that Marc Bolan regularly receives – he ain't gonna do a Jethro Tull and give up. Marc was accused of being ...

Marc Bolan: Bolan's Back!

Interview by Chris Welch, Melody Maker, January 1974

MARC BOLAN is a star. Still. However much heavy water has passed under the bridge of rock and roll sighs, Mr B. commands respect. And ...

Marc Bolan: Zinc Alloy And The Hidden Riders Of Tomorrow (EMI)

Review by Andrew Tyler, NME, March 1974

I WAS HOPING the spangled dwarf was going to pull off something approaching musical competence just so as I could do my small bit to ...

Fashion: The Politics of Flash

Report and Interview by Nick Kent, NME, April 1974

NICK KENT traces the Rise and Fall of The Satin Jacket...and generally walks it like he talks it into the land of 'Rock Chic.' ...

Marc Bolan: T Rex Flashes Light of Love on America

Profile by Michael Gross, Circus, October 1974

EARLY IN 1972, Marc Bolan and T. Rex were the biggest, bestest and baddest rock band in England. Every one of their singles shot instantly ...

Marc Bolan

Report and Interview by Chris Welch, Melody Maker, November 1974

A MYSTERIOIUS lack of bubble seems to be affecting Master Marc Bolan's latest offering, the Zip Gun Boogie, as it is known to those who ...

Marc Bolan: Past, Present, and Future

Interview by Alan Betrock, Rock Scene, March 1975

IT'S A WEEKDAY night in New Jersey and there's another school day to face tomorrow. Yet the Joint in the Woods is packed to the ...

Marc Bolan: Son Of Magical Pouting Panache

Interview by Paul Morley, NME, March 1977

Yep, Here we go again. But this time it promises to be different. BOLAN MARC TWO makes his come-back on tour with The Damned, and ...

Bowie and Bolan Get It On

Report by Chris Welch, Melody Maker, September 1977

"OH THAT'S REALLY Polaroid! You've gotta keep the ending!" David Bowie rocked with laughter and Marc Bolan wiped away the tears that had threatened to ...

Marc Bolan: My Life Alone by Gloria Jones

Interview by Rosalind Russell, Record Mirror, November 1977

WHAT WERE you doing on the morning of September 16 this year? Were you, like me, numb with the shock of hearing that Marc Bolan ...

A Wizard, A True Star

Retrospective by Ira Robbins, Trouser Press, May 1980

Marc Bolan's brief blaze of glory ...

The NME Consumers' Guide To Marc Bolan, part 1

Retrospective by Paul Morley, NME, September 1980

INDEPENDENT TELEVISION are currently repeating five shows from the three year old Marc series. Marc Bolan was star in and presenter of a pop show ...

The NME Consumers' Guide To Marc Bolan, part 2: The Rise And Fall Of Bolanmania

Retrospective by Paul Morley, NME, September 1980

BOLAN WENT electric and it was deemed, astoundingly, that he'd 'sold out'. For wanting to reach young people with vibrant pop music at a time ...

Marc Bolan

Retrospective by Keith Altham, Gold, June 1994

PUTTING MARC BOLAN into any kind of historical perspective is still no easy matter, even though 17 years have passed since his death on Friday, ...

10 Great Glam Rock Albums

Guide by Barney Hoskyns, Harpers & Queen, 1998

TEN GREAT GLAM ROCK ALBUMS you cannot afford to live without... ...

Glam Revival

Comment by David Stubbs, Uncut, November 1998

Why the frightening prospect of a full-scale Glam revival fills David Stubbs with dread… ...

"Catch A Bright Star And Place It On Your Forehead": The Rise of Marc Bolan

Book Excerpt by Mark Paytress, Omnibus Books, 2002

An extract from Bolan: The Rise And Fall Of A 20th Century Superstar by Mark Paytress, first published by Omnibus Press in 2002. (378pp, currently ...

Marc Bolan 25 Years On

Retrospective by Barney Hoskyns, Daily Mirror, September 2002

A MONTH before the tragic car crash that killed him on September 16, 1977, a 29-year-old Marc Bolan told fellow pop star Steve Harley: "I'd ...

Marc Bolan: The Jurassic Years

Retrospective and Interview by Rob Chapman, MOJO, September 2002

IN DECEMBER 1967 The Observer devoted a large portion of its Sunday Colour Supplement to the London Underground. Complete with obligatory hip-speak glossary (an "A ...

John's Children

Retrospective and Interview by Mark Paytress, MOJO, September 2002

IT'S BEEN SAID THAT IN 1967 MANAGER SIMON Napier-Bell served Marc Bolan with an ultimatum: join The Yardbirds or John's Children. The very idea of ...

Reborn to Boogie: Marc Bolan

Retrospective by Barney Hoskyns, Uncut, February 2010

THERE IS ONLY one Starman in the room right now and his name is David Bowie. Flying high after his Top 5 astral novelty hit ...