T.Rex was a primary force in glam rock, thanks to the creative direction of guitarist/vocalist Marc Bolan (born Mark Feld). Bolan created a deliberately trashy form of rock and roll that was proud of its own disposability, which stood in contrast to the low-key whimsical poetry of the earlier duo. T.Rex's music borrowed the underlying sexuality of early rock & roll, adding dirty, simple grooves and fat distorted guitars, as well as an overarching folky/hippie spirituality that always came through the clearest on ballads. While most of his peers concentrated on making cohesive albums, Bolan kept the idea of a three-minute pop single alive in the early 1970s. In Britain, he became a superstar, sparking a period of "T.Rextacy" among the pop audience with a series of Top Ten hits, including four number one singles. Over in America, the group only had one major hit -- the Top Ten "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" -- before disappearing from the charts in 1973. T.Rex's popularity in the U.K. didn't begin to waver until 1975, and they retained a devoted following until Marc Bolan's death in 1977. Over the next three decades, Bolan has emerged as a cult figure and the music of T.Rex has proved quite influential on hard rock, punk, new wave, and alternative rock.
Following a career as a teenage model, Marc Bolan began performing music professionally in 1965, releasing his first single, "The Wizard," on Decca Records. Bolan joined the psychedelic folk-rock combo John's Children in 1967, appearing on three unsuccessful singles before the group disbanded later that year. Following the breakup, he formed the folk duo Tyrannosaurus Rex with percussionist Steve Peregrine Took. The duo landed a record deal with a subsidiary of EMI in February 1968, recording their debut album with producer Tony Visconti. "Debora," the group's first single, peaked at number 34 in May of that year, and their debut album, "My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair...But Now They're Content to Wear Stars on Their Brow", reached number 15 shortly afterward. The duo released their second album, "Prophets, Seers & Sages, the Angels of the Ages", in November of 1968.
By this time, Tyrannosaurus Rex was building a sizable underground following, which helped Bolan's book of poetry, The Warlock of Love, enter the British best-seller charts. In the summer of 1969, the duo released their third album, "Unicorn", as well as the single "King of the Rumbling Spires," the first Tyrannosaurus Rex song to feature an electric guitar. Following an unsuccessful American tour that fall, Took left or as is often stated by people close to the band, was sacked. He was replaced by Mickey Finn, previously linked to the band Haphash and the coloured coat.(There are a few more artists using the name Mickey Finn, though that is where the connection ends)! The new duo's first single did not chart, yet their first album, 1970's "A Beard of Stars", reached number 21.
The turning point in Bolan's career came in October of 1970, when he shortened the group's name to T.Rex and released "Ride a White Swan," a fuzz-drenched single driven by a rolling backbeat. "Ride a White Swan" became a major hit in the U.K., climbing all the way to number two. The band's next album, T.Rex, peaked at number 13 and stayed on the charts for six months. Encouraged by the results, Bolan expanded T.Rex to a full band, adding bassist Steve Currie and drummer Bill Legend (born Bill Fifield). The new lineup recorded "Hot Love," which spent six weeks at number one in early 1971. That summer, T.Rex released "Get It On" (retitled "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" in the U.S.), which became their second straight U.K. number one; the single would go on to be their biggest international hit, reaching number ten in the U.S. in 1972. "Electric Warrior", the first album recorded by the full band, was released in the fall of 1971; it was number one for six weeks in Britain and cracked America's Top 40.
By now, "T.Rextacy" was in full swing in England, as the band had captured the imaginations of both teenagers and the media with its sequined, heavily made-up appearance; the image of Marc Bolan in a top hat, feather boa, and platform shoes, performing "Get It On" on the BBC became as famous as his music. At the beginning of 1972, T.Rex signed with EMI, setting up a distribution deal for Bolan's own T.Rex Wax Co. record label. "Telegram Sam," the group's first EMI single, became their third number one single.
"Metal Guru" also hit number one, spending four weeks at the top of the chart. The Slider, released in the summer of 1972, shot to number one upon its release, allegedly selling 100,000 copies in four days; the album was also T.Rex's most successful American release, reaching number 17. Appearing in the spring of 1973, Tanx was another Top Five hit for T.Rex; the singles "20th Century Boy" and "The Groover" soon followed it to the upper ranks of the charts. However, those singles would prove to be the band's last two Top Ten hits. In the summer of 1973, rhythm guitarist Jack Green joined the band, as did three backup vocalists, including the American soul singer Gloria Jones; Jones would soon become Bolan's girlfriend. At the beginning of 1974, drummer Bill Legend left the group and was replaced by Davy Lutton, as Jones became the group's keyboardist.
In early 1974, the single "Teenage Dream" was the first record to be released under the name Marc Bolan and T.Rex. The following album, Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow, was the last Bolan recorded with Tony Visconti. Throughout the year, T.Rex's popularity rapidly declined -- by the time "Zip Gun Boogie" was released in November, it could only reach number 41. Finn and Green left the group at the end of the year, while keyboardist Dino Dines joined. The decline of T.Rex's popularity was confirmed when 1975's Bolan's "Zip Gun" failed to chart. Bolan took the rest of the year off, returning in the spring of 1976 with "Futuristic Dragon", which peaked at number 50. Released in the summer of 1976, "I Love to Boogie," a disco-flavored three-chord thumper, became Bolan's last Top 20 hit.
Bolan released "Dandy in the Underworld" in the spring of 1977; it was a modest hit, peaking at number 26. While "The Soul of My Suit" reached number 42 on the charts, T.Rex's next two singles failed to chart. Sensing it was time for a change of direction, Bolan began expanding his horizons in August. In addition to contributing a weekly column for Record Mirror, he hosted his own variety television show, Marc. Featuring guest appearances by artists like David Bowie and Generation X, Marc helped restore Bolan's hip image. Signing with RCA Records, the guitarist formed a new band with bassist Herbie Flowers and drummer Tony Newman, yet he never was able to record with the group. While driving home from a London club with Bolan, Gloria Jones lost control of her car, smashing into a tree. Marc Bolan, riding in the passenger's seat of the car, was killed instantly.
While T.Rex's music was intended to be disposable, it has proven surprisingly influential over the years. Hard rock and heavy metal bands borrowed the group's image, as well as the pounding insistence of their guitars. Punk bands may have discarded the high heels, feather boas, and top hats, yet they adhered to the simple three-chord structures and pop aesthetics that made the band popular, as they still are today 30 years after Marc's death.
All My Love
T. Rex Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh yeah, oh yeah
Baby in the evening is a good thing
Good, good song makes my heart sing
I'm gonna give you all of my love
I'm gonna give you all of my love
Leather stud demon at my window
Sacrificial songs at my bedside
I'm gonna give you all of my love
Shadow on my pavement in the morning
Baby, baby it's a kind of warning.
I'm gonna give you all of my love
I'm gonna give you all of my love
Winter is a splinter from my dark days
Baby, it's a rock scene madness
I'm gonna give you all of my love
I'm gonna give you all of my love
Baby is a screamer and I love her
Baby is a screamer and I love her
Baby is a screamer and I love her
Baby is a screamer and I love her
Winter is a splinter from my dark days
Baby, it's a rock scene madness
I'm gonna give you all of my love
I'm gonna give you all of my love
Baby is a screamer and I love her
"All My Love" by T.Rex is a straightforward song filled with lyrics of love, passion, and devotion. The song is about a lover's intense feelings and emotions for someone special in their life, with the chorus emphasizing the singer's desire to give all his love to this person. The verses of the song further elaborate on the passionate nature of this love, with descriptions of leather studs, sacrificial songs at the bedside, and screams of passion. The song also features imagery of shadows and warning signs in the morning as if he were fully aware of the risks he was taking for this love. Overall, the song is a declaration of love and devotion to the person he is singing about, and a willingness to give everything to be with them.
Interestingly, "All My Love" was recorded by T. Rex in 1974, but was never released during the band's active career. It was only included as a bonus track on the 19th album re-issue of the band's album, "Bolan's Zip Gun" in the mid-โ90s. This was significantly after the death of the bandโs frontman Marc Bolan in 1977.
In addition, T. Rex's "All My Love" was inspired by the Velvet Underground song "Venus in Furs," which also features references to leather studs and demon lovers. The bass line in "All My Love" was later sampled by the hip-hop artists Beastie Boys in their 1994 song "Sure Shot."
Line by Line Meaning
Oh yeah, oh yeah
Expressing enthusiasm
Baby in the evening is a good thing
Spending time with the loved one is delightful
Good, good song makes my heart sing
Music fills me up with joy
I'm gonna give you all of my love
I will shower you with love
Leather stud demon at my window
Feeling a bit intimidated by external influences
Sacrificial songs at my bedside
Contemplating the dark side of life
Shadow on my pavement in the morning
Pessimism creeping up in my thoughts
Baby, baby it's a kind of warning
Feeling uneasy about something happening
Winter is a splinter from my dark days
The cold season brings back bad memories
Baby, it's a rock scene madness
The chaos of life is overwhelming
Baby is a screamer and I love her
My partner's passionate spirit is endearing
Contributed by Bella O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
7thWardCreole
40 years later, for the next generations...STILL super BADASS!!!
1stMistyMist1
FABULOUS !!!!
LoneAkita
great video my friend...supreme pics. great that your spreading the joy that is, Marc Bolan
David Weaver
Cool video and song ๐
Bluemoonofmemphis
Awesome Video!!! All The Stars***** and My Fave! Big Hugs and Smiles to you DL Phil x
Charles de Peer
great vid thanks for posting. I wish you rockin weekend!!!!!!
Jeslie
im gonna give u all of my love
Magdolna Bakos
Hi my sweet DL! Ohh...Awesome video, and song!***** Thank You So Much! Love and hugs! Magdi
Dave Henshall
Is it not shadow over london in the morning?
and my baby is a scooter and I love her?
Servoboy
My baby is a scooter and I love her. It would not work the same with โpush bikeโ