Tyrannosaurus Rex - Beard of Stars & Seas of Abyssinia

[bolanrules]

it's actually quite simple. Marc bolan was the originator of everything he ever did.

[bolanett]

I feel lucky to be able to bring up Marc anytime on my PC.

I 'm from another generation, Marc would be so pleased!

[actron]

Very cool, love his music forever. And I liked your video, the green deco shape/frames worked for me. 

[ItGirl666]

As someone who has always LOVED T-Rex ,and as someone who will always say the Syd Barrett era of Pink Floyd is FAR superior to their latter work. Tyrannosaurus Rex has officially become the most important personal musical discovery for me in years! I know the expression 'my mind is blown' is a cliche...but in this case its true. Marc Bolans genius has taken on a new dimension, and I look forward to exploring it further. Thanks for posting.

[LeeJuly4]

@ItGirl666

You summed up how I feel perfectly only I'd apply that to everything Bolan has done. I thought

I knew his music because I knew a few hits from the past. I knew shit. His music is one

huge revelation to me and I am loving every minute of discovering it all.

[wtfe20210]

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[supateton1]

素晴らしい！マーク・ボラン永遠に！

[ooohcheese]

MMmmm.

Very nice .

Cheesy.

[nerdelicious5]

T Rex is awesome!

[dourtan]

Bolan Lives!

[donnpatc]

Got my first Bolan last night, not by the route I would have predicted. Two Bolan songs heard prior: "Bang a Gong" and "Slider," which I wasn't even totally sure was T. Rex. Couldn't find "Electric Warrior," found tons of outtakes and collections. One that pulled me was "Tyrannosaurus Rex Live in Concert." Hmmm. Thought it was T. I hadn't an inkling of this phase. What a strange record; totally not what I'd expected. It's grown each listen. So here I'm Bolanizing. An original indeed.

[midnighttilldawn]

@donnpatc

It was originally Tyrannosaurus Rex, until they released an album called simply.. T.Rex, the follow up to A Beard Of Stars...it was released on the superb

Fly label...as were the first 4 T.Rex singles and the brilliant Electric Warrior album.

If you need any info about Marc Bolan , contact me..I've got all his releases.

[MacAggy]

@hgwaterholes I agree.

[andrewcramer13]

@hgwaterholes he was. i came out his asshole 

[reditch]

Why can't I play this video????

[midnighttilldawn]

@reditch

Maybe you got your computer from PC World lol

[andrewcramer13]

nobodies gonna believe me but marc was my dad

[DAVWAVE]

None like him before or since.

[ooohcheese]

MMMMmmmm, i wow an ' it's all pretty cool.

It's the biz baby and Rex.

Yeh.

Cheesy

[putocabe7788]

Fantastic wonderful.

[putocabe7788]

Fantastic wonderful.

[reditch]

priceless

[MrSainttyler]

Marc's just beautiful!

[reditch]

Hail to the rumbling spire the elf king!

Marc Bolan to me was Electric Sheakspere!

Beatles ??? Nursery songs for babies!

Marc Bolan's poetry, lyrics and unbelevable musical insight still blows me!

If you play guitar play these songs and you'll become Marc forca little while!

[DAVWAVE]

Ringo and Marc were friends of course.

[Raiderblack]

Awesome!! I used to have an album with Beard of Stars on it, and several others but I can never find it! There are a few newer compilations with some of the songs but it's not the one I had... It was chock full of great tunes...

[bolanett]

why are you comparing crap with marc? There will only be one of this unique man.

[DAVWAVE]

I think comparing Marc Bolan to other musicians is fair. My first love was the Beatles and he took his place on the my top shelf, right along side them. Marc was not mainstream, nor did Marc saturate the world like the Beatles, but for some reason, T-Rex and Marc Bolan did it for me. It was his unique sound. I liked him alot before I ever saw him or his band. His music had this texture that I did not get from other groups. I have other favorites, but he was it for me at that time.

[DAVWAVE]

Again, please bring on the comparisons. They are fascinating to consider, and valid opinions I might imagine.

I think with Marc you can compare periods of his own career that are hard to explain in some ways.

[hyacinthlady]

Lovely pictures. I remember.

[tysonmofka]

Prove ite. D:

[smw73videos]

Marc started off with quite rudimentary guitar skills but by this stage was becoming quite proficient on his Les Paul guitar. He could see that the folk era was coming to a close and was at this stage moving more fully into electric. Loved his electric work with T-Rex but he also had some beautiful, ethereal acoustic music.

[HIPandiDONTmeanHOP]

why are you guys talking about van halen?

Bolan= cool as fuck

van halen= mild decency with excessive cheesyness... yeah, i said it, decent, get over it, van halen is only as good as you pretend they are...

[rickhorror]

AGREED

[ooohcheese]

@HIPandiDONTmeanHOP

Yeh! without doubt , it's not how fast you can play it's how it sounds , where's it gone.

There will only be one Marc.

Peace out.

[IAmPlaysWithSquirrel]

@HIPandiDONTmeanHOP Bolan is cool as fuck, I totally agree, but why oh why do people feel the need to bash other talents just to praise Marc? I don't mind people saying he's a better artist than Van Halen (in fact I agree), but Eddie is a great guitarist in his own right, whether you like his style or not. And no, not because he is technically proficient, but he definitely has his own style and sound.

[PAULLONDEN]

@HIPandiDONTmeanHOP INfuckingDEED. Now let that be the end of it, and not desecrate this site any further...;] It's all about magic.

Bolan was no saint though, for me, he lost it around '75.Although ,recently caught up with his later work . Some nice surprises there.

[Ibroadcastmyself17]

you like van halen with sammy hagar?!?! van hagar is nonexistant to me...its all about david lee roth and eddie...

anyways eddie is the original in the genre so I like him the best...then malmsteen and gilbert and thats it...

Bolan is my idol(after freddie mercury) but its not necesseraly because of his guitar playing but because of the great showman he was...as well as his music of course

[MacAggy]

All I'm tryin' to say is that Bolan had a 'Magic Touch' with the guitar on his recorded solos...something that can't be attained by all the practice in the world. He can't touch the kind of guitar players you're talking about playing live and thrilling a crowd. But on his own recordings the little things he did were magic to me. I think Eddie and the like would have overdone it on his material. In other words to me Bolan guitar was meant for Bolan songs and no one else could have done it better.

[MrClearlight]

The same for me Claudine

[MehrerPerformances]

marc bolan was great with tyrannosaurus rex and when he went solo in the 70's with t. rex. he was trully great.

[DAVWAVE]

This guy came out with fascinating tunes that varied wildly.

[rayholtz]

I get so tired of people always associating intricateness with GREATNESS. A complicated, flamboyant guitar solo is just that...complicated and flamboyant. It isn't necessarily GREAT. GREATNESS has to do with a lot of different aspects. Same with singers...there's a common notion among a lot of folks that being able to squeeze in a million notes per measure and being a hot dog with your voice makes you GREAT...sorry folks...complicated in the singin' category don't always make you GREAT either.

[saffyminty]

Oh amen! I so agree with everything you said rayholtz.

[rayholtz]

It's funny how some guitarists think Bolan wasn't that great of a guitarist. All the guys who we forever here people brag about Eddie Van Halen, Clapton, Vai etc...not one of 'em have I ever heard play a little guitar song like this that actually sounds magical. They all sound normal to me...Bolan is like the only guy who I've ever heard that could make something so simple sound so great. He can play a guitar solo like this one and make you feel like it's coming from some mystical, magical land.

[Ibroadcastmyself17]

i think bolan sounds better than all the other guitarist because you, like me, are greatly affected by how cool he looks...he looks better holding a guitar than anybody...but dont say eddie is not as great of a guitar player...hes an absolute, and humbled, guitar pioneer

[rayholtz]

Eddie is fantastic as far as 'faster is better' 'more is better' etc. is concerned. I just love the way Bolan could make something so simple sound magical and bigger than life...to me it don't have nothin' to do with the way he looks. 'A Beard Of Stars' is incredible. Eddie would ruin something like that because he would throw too many flashy unnecessary things in it. They're two different kettles of fish and can't be compared. I'm just sick of the 'more and faster is better' mass opinion.

[rayholtz]

To me it's like if Eddie played 'A Beard Of Stars' everyone would go "WOW" If Bolan played it everyone would go "That was totally beautiful" Though of course I realize my opinion is just another opinion in an endless sea of opinions.

[Ibroadcastmyself17]

faster is better is by no means mass opinion...in fact shredders have lost great respect because they are just considered a trend of the eighties...who have no soul in their music...but eddie is so much more than what you considered him as...he created the style and influenced every guitarist after him...but like you said they are two different things...

I love Bolan more...but in terms of guitar playing...I like them both the same...you should too

[rayholtz]

Faster is better may no longer be but more is better I think pretty much is...more fancy tricks etc. Anyway I like Eddie...it's just that if I want to be impressed by all that kind of stuff I'll just go and listen to Steve Vai. You ever checked out Vai playing 'Zombie Wolf' with Zappa? Maybe I would have loved Eddie if he would have been in another band. I do like the stuff with Sammy Hagar. The original band sorta blew it with me with too much showing off. I know...as if Bolan didn't. :)

[xwsftassell]

@rayholtz I totally agree.

[reditch]

@rayholtz yeah man took me years to play like Bolan, Jimy Hendrix was easier to play! Bolan has a very unique way of playing as he almost speaks or thinks through his fingers! You have to become the song sort of shit it's really a trip! He's all emotion not techicality and very very clever repetitive off beast riffs! My greatest influence in my musical carrier!

[hamdelsun]

@rayholtz....finding Marc Bolan only recently....ABSOLUTELY BLOWN AWAY BY HIS POETRY AND GUITAR......so many of the bands i listen to, borrow heavily from him, i had no idea...well, it's just like me to go backwards done the numberline....Marc is Simply Celestial.....

[HIPandiDONTmeanHOP]

Why can't i find pre T. Rex Mark Bolan tabs anywhere? Beard of stars would be easy enough if i wasn't so lazy, but i can't figure out what chord progression or tuning is used for abyssinia...

[xwsftassell]

Fabulous. If I sat down and racked my brains for an hour, I couldn't think of a more unusual talent.

[Zzxhing]

You wracked your brain for A WHOLE HOUR!!!!!

;)

[orunia1]

Nice musical work.

[nerdelicious5]

Wow... that 2nd track really takes you somewhere else

[DAVWAVE]

Doesn't it? What an out of site song. Does anyone miss Gloria on this one?

[BART51258]

Abyssinia is beautiful, there's no other way to describe it.

[claudine121]

yep once the intro to Abyssinia starts i get goosebumps. something ethereal about it.

[hushy12000]

When i hear these tracks i almost freez, so haunting, listened to them a million times and still do. Had a compition with a mate to see who could get the most Bolan material, not sure who one, not advised past 1973.

[MysticalGuitar]

Honeysprite-you're videos are fantastic. I've loved Marc since I first saw him on TV in 1972, when I was four years old. These videos really capture the sprit. Thanks.

[RAWRAMP1]

so many memories brought back,thanx honey x

[Traumatoast]

God i miss those days. This is one of my favs.

[DAVWAVE]

To groundhog1955;s comment below...Hey, you represent a group of people who felt the same way at the time. Thanks for being honest.

[RAWRAMP1]

excellent...

[bobbyorc]

i LOVE this ,the seas of abyssinia and find a little wood ,i love playing on my guitar marc knows how to write fantastic songs with magical words ,i miss him bit time love bobby xx

[DAVWAVE]

June kept the angel in his eyes.

[ORALORALSEX]

fully agree x

[saracrazychild]

utterly beautiful

[hushy12000]

Mega, mega mega, music which goes straight to my heart, listened to it endlissly as my older sister played it every night in the sixties.

[kdgfg]

Marc could pull out such a dark goth vibe on some songs. totaly cutting edge

[codnchips]

Thanks for the great memories. Honey8012's note brought me back. I "discovered" them in 1968 also at 14, when I avidly listened to John Peel's "Top Gear", became a huge fan; I soon knew all the words (after I got the album inserts);I was fascinated with the 'otherness' of the words and Marc's unique voice and presentation.

I saw them in concert 3-4x. Support act was David Bowie! But he did a mime act so I never heard him! Incredible! They live on in their music, will always be unique.

[starfiremale]

Probably £250 now. I asked why he didn't have a copy himself. He told me only twenty copies were ever pressed and he couldn't get a copy. I wonder how much it's worth now. I also used to by his records on the day of release. The Red Album. All the words were printed backwards. By 1pm all the discs were recalled. I must be one of a very few to have bought it.

[honeysprite]

Nice rarity!

[ooohcheese]

@starfiremale

Everything is down to monetary value man!

Some things like MARC are beyond that man.

Non existant supreme being forgive the greedy bastards.

Cheesy.

[honey8012]

I'm only 14.. i've never been able to share the feeling of being a real t.rex fan with anyone my age

because i really am a fan.. and i'm so gutted that i wont be able to see Marc perform live.. i would have so loved to be a close friend.

I wish in a way.. that him and June never devorced, i think he relied on her a lot..and they had a deep understanding of one another.. from what i've read.

[claudine121]

honey- i was about your age when i first discovered T Rex back in the early 80s and i wished then that Id been born a couple of decades earlier and cld have been part of it all. Its great to see that 25 years later teenagers like you are still in to Marc and his music.

[honey8012]

thankyou very much, that ment a lot :)

[pants189]

im 14 and love it too:)

[ORALORALSEX]

hey man i am the same i am 15 and all my mates are into trivium and all that crap

i think being 15 and never seeing marcs split with june when it happend u can really see a change in his work and direction after 73

[honey8012]

Yeah i know, i completely agree with you (:

[hearditman]

hate to say it but you and dav are agreeing with a 15 year old kid. FFS. His/her

take on Bolan is pure fantasy. Where do u come in?

[DAVWAVE]

It hit me like a brick wall when it happened.

[honey8012]

deffo. its like 3rd person- but yeah, music really changed, it seemed to have more substance to it before they broke up, more of his oppinions and his beliefs, i kind of prefered his music that way. But i guess things have to change sometimes

[heavenishotbabe]

The cover pic was actually chosen by June!!!

[starfiremale]

I was a friend of Marc. He told me some things that were never reported.

[honeysprite]

Do share!

[pants189]

thats a bit disrespectful to his personal life dont you think?

[bluesrus1]

like what

[starfiremale]

On one occasion I was with Marc I told him I had a DJ friend who also promoted new artists. His name, Pete Waterman. Yes, that Pete Waterman. Me and Pete were in a friends car when Pete said, You're in to this Bolan guy arn't you? I said yes then he pulled a single out of a box of singles we were taking to a disco. Side one was called Sanfranciscan Poet. Side two was he Third Degree. I told Marc I had this single and he was thrilled to bits and asked if I would sell it to him. He offerd me £40

[heavenishotbabe]

Oltime classic!

[PAULLONDEN]

Fairystories held me high

[meganfleurphillips]

A Beard Of Stars - the album that turned me into a fan - thanks for posting.

[HotMaSherry]

So many beautiful pictures,...pictures that melt my heart. Beautiful Marc, beautiful man.

[starfiremale]

He was a wonderful man. I knew him well.

[jmedia1]

And the myth ROCKS on!

[andiibinz]

omg thank you so much...

[emeraldecity]

Nice piece, nice pics, love the guitar, Thanks. Hugs and kisses for his upcoming memorial. EV

[starfiremale]

I plyaed both of his guitars. He really was special.

[bolanbabe]

this is on of my faves!! tanxs honey!!! x x x

[starfiremale]

Marc told me many things the world is not aware of. I loved him too.

[DAVWAVE]

There are so many vastly talented singers in the world, Bolan is one of my favorites. He holds a special place in my consciousness. I wonder how many songs he wrote while with June? I would like to know that...Any guesses. Wow, this is another great song. I am loving this.

[julierex]

Another great one honeysprite!I agree Zip...i'm sure Marc would be thrilled that he is so loved!

[Ray1966]

i have such good,good memories of this song lol...respect

[Zipgun1]

Love it that we all so still love Marc i'm sure he would be so so so happy that we have not forgot him.

[eddysteele]

i just love this programe nice one

Eddy

[boogiestarman]

Tanx honeysprite, that was wonderful of you. Great pics marc and micky kev

[Zipgun1]

Another one of my favs in th Tyranno period. Nice pics of Marc looking so pure

[PAINTEROO7]

is there anything you carn't do princesss...

[ZipDrumBoogie]

NICE

[PAINTEROO7]

great video....

[delflord]

beautiful

Delf and Kaz x