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.
Seal of Seasons
T. Rex Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Love
Upon the Orkney oceans face
Love
She swam and moved
Just like a prancer
A gypsy dancer
A salty shimmered shell of foam
Out of the depths she stood before me
One breath and shells grew on my nut tree
It swayed and swum
Just like a prancer
A gypsy dancer
A salty shimmered shell of foam
Her night it came and then she hooked her head
Unto the fleeing sun and then she fled
And flew whou
Just like a prancer
A gypsy dancer
A salty shimmered shell of foam
The lyrics of T. Rex's song The Seal of Seasons are quite cryptic and open to interpretation. However, the overall theme of the song appears to be one of beauty, mystery, and nature. The "seal of seasons" is a metaphor for the changing of the seasons as well as the ebb and flow of life. The seal, which represents nature, moves with grace "upon the Orkney oceans face", symbolizing the inherent beauty of the natural world.
As the song continues, the singer describes how the seal "swam and moved/ just like a prancer/ a gypsy dancer/ a salty shimmered shell of foam". This description further emphasizes the beauty and grace of the natural world, as well as the mystical and magical qualities that are often associated with it. This image is expanded upon in the following verse, where the singer encounters the seal face to face and notes how "shells grew on [his] nut tree". This could be interpreted as a metaphor for how the natural world can transform and enrich our lives.
The final verse sees the seal moving on, "unto the fleeing sun", once again emphasizing how nature is constantly changing and moving forward. The seal is described once more as moving "just like a prancer/ a gypsy dancer/ a salty shimmered shell of foam". Overall, the lyrics of The Seal of Seasons suggest a deep appreciation for the beauty and mystery of the natural world and the way it impacts our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
The seal of seasons moved with grace
The creature that represents the changing seasons moved with elegant movements.
Love
An expression of emotion and adoration.
Upon the Orkney oceans face
The seal was swimming on the surface of the Orkney sea.
She swam and moved
The seal was swimming and performing different movements.
Just like a prancer
The seal was moving around gracefully, similar to how a horse moves.
A gypsy dancer
The seal had a free-spirit and playful demeanor, much like a gypsy dancer.
A salty shimmered shell of foam
The seal's appearance was characterized by the sea foam and salt that coated its fur.
Out of the depths she stood before me
The seal emerged from the sea and approached the person telling the story.
One breath and shells grew on my nut tree
The person telling the story was so amazed by the seal that shells mysteriously appeared on their trees after the animal took one breath near them.
It swayed and swum
The seal was moving back and forth and swimming around.
Unto the fleeing sun and then she fled
The seal swam away towards where the sun had set.
And flew whou
The seal swam away with such speed and grace that it appeared to be flying through the water.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: MARC BOLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Chantelle Adlington
Unicorn is such a fantastic album, definitely one of my favourite of Marc's. He looks gorgeous in this too! Marc and Steve were a great pair
MareShoop
Steve was gorgeous, too. The cover of Unicorn for example ❤
drew kinninmont
A favorite of mine too.
altclut
Unicorn is my favourite!
Neil Saunders
Steve Took was a superb musician. Listening to the early Tyrannosaurus Rex albums recently I was struck by how very assured both he and Bolan were, and how subtle the arrangements.
MrParisienWalkways
Beautiful melody, Marc’s head was full of them, he wrote so many and yet he was gone so soon. A genius of a songwriter.
Robi Clark
So ❤so true 😢 luv him
Лилия Райхерт
Шедевральные песни! 👍👍❤️👍
David Marks
I still have my double album vinyl 'Unicorn' 'Beard of Stars'. This for me is his best era musically.
Patricio Riveros
Si, creo que asusta peregrin en este video, parece tener una mirada perdida, maravillosa canción por cierto ⚡💜