“From Darling Of The Underground To Dandy In The Underworld” - A Brief Bolan Biography
Part One

“Superstar-To-Be” Marc Bolan (nee Mark Feld) entered the 20th Century via the maternity ward of Hackney Hospital, East London on 30th September 1947 and was the second son to Simeon and Phyllis Feld, and brother to Harry. His first home was 25 Stoke Newington Common, a small flat within an old Victorian townhouse, from where he firstly attended Northwold Road Primary School in Stoke Newington and later The William Wordsworth Secondary Modern School in Wordsworth Road, London. Leaving school at the age of 14, and claiming to have been expelled, Marc later explained that he didn't think they were teaching him the things he wanted to know.

However, he was still a schoolchild when his Dad mistakenly bought him a Bill Haley record, instead of one by Bill Hayes (of “Ballad Of Davey Crockett” fame), and his interest in music was ignited and then encouraged by his devoted parents. From this very early age Marc knew that he wanted to be a star and it wasn’t too long before he took his first steps on his long journey to fame, having been bought his first guitar by his Mum.

Forming his first “group” in 1959, along with schoolmate and later ‘60’s teenage singing star Helen Shapiro, and Stephen Gould, who also enjoyed ‘60’s chart success himself, he called it “Suzie And The Hula-Hoops”. Rehearsals were held in the front rooms of their homes and two public performances were given, one at a local cafe and the other at a local school.

Unfortunately these appear to have been the sum achievement of the band and it subsequently disbanded. Down, but not out, Marc then shifted his focus on to his appearance and clothes and he soon became known as “The Face” around his locality. Sporting an impressive wardrobe of sharp suits and expensive shoes it wasn’t long before the media noticed him, fascinated by the newly emerging Mod Movement. In 1962 the top men’s magazine “Town” interviewed Marc and his fellow Mod friends for an in-depth article, but it was Marc who came through as the main subject with a number of photographs of him liberally illustrating the pages.

This fascination with his image stayed with him and Marc enjoyed the prestige that came with being the coolest lad around his locale, a situation that only changed when the family later upped sticks and moved to Summerstown. However, Marc’s sights were still firmly set on a musical career and in 1963 he reputedly met up with record producer Joe Meek in an attempt to launch his singing career. Although a record deal did not result a very scratchy acetate of a song called “Mrs Jones” has since been discovered and, although it boasts distinctly Bolan style vocals, documentary evidence that it is indeed Marc has not been discovered- yet! If it is ever proved that it is Marc’s vocals then the subject names of his two earliest recordings – Jones and Gloria- are an eerie and spooky coincidence in the light of later developments…………………

The following year, 1964, Marc carried out some modelling work for Littlewood's catalogue and for a brochure for menswear retailers John Temple. He is reported as saying that he was also a cutout model for the John Temple shop window displays too. Later that same year, Marc secured his first proper demo recording session, details for which are scant, and a second in January 1965, when takes of “Blowin' In The Wind” and “The Road I'm On (Gloria)” were recorded. It is around this time that Marc assumed the name Toby Tyler (possibly taken from a Disney film of the same name) and it is this name that appeared on the acetate and master tapes.

Yet again a recording deal was not forthcoming and the recordings were consigned to the “No” pile until their eventual release some 30 years later. However, on February 16th 1965, Marc attended another demo session, this time for Columbia Records, but was unfortunately once again rejected for a record deal. His luck soon changed though as in August 1965 he was signed to Decca Records and his recording career started in earnest. His first proper recording session for Decca took place in September, where the songs “The Wizard”, “Beyond The Rising Sun” and “That's The Bag I'm In” were laid down. By now Marc was known as Marc Bolan and his first single, the atmospheric “The Wizard” b/w “Beyond The Rising Sun” was released in November that year. Supposedly written about a mystic whom Marc had encountered on his visit to France it was a commercial flop, despite several television appearances, including “Ready Steady Go”, to promote it as well as favourable critical reviews.

The follow up single, “The Third Degree” b/w “San Francisco Poet' released in June 1966 also failed to chart, a strange occurrence as it was an infectious, raucous, upbeat song that, like it’s predecessor, had gained critical acclaim and deserved chart status perhaps even more so than “The Wizard”. Marc was later to claim that he had no knowledge that the song was to be released and considered it to be more of a demo. However, the superb production of the track doesn’t really fit in with this view and Marc’s viewpoint was probably a typical Bolan-esque one – don’t acknowledge the downs, just the ups!

Now free of the Decca contract, Marc took his career back into his own hands, having dispensed with former managers/publicists Allan Warren and Mike Pruskin. Cheekily phoning record producer Simon Napier-Bell at home and requesting an audition, he then turned up on Napier-Bell’s doorstep a few minutes later, guitar in hand, to perform his songs for him there and then. His story to Napier-Bell of having demo tapes for him to listen to was not true and he blagged his way into the flat to play a set of songs to the bemused- and amused – manager.

Suitably impressed with what he heard, Napier-Bell was able to secure a one off single deal with Parlophone, and “Hippy Gumbo” was released as a single, selected from a slew of songs laid down in the studio at the time. Marc was so convinced of his imminent stardom that he told Napier-Bell that all that was needed were photographs of him displayed prominently for all to see, and the world would fall at his feet! In spite of a lavish production, another “Ready Steady Go” appearance (the same programme that Jimi Hendrix debuted on) and more good reviews, it proved to be another commercial flop. However, all was not lost as it was this record that was to be instrumental in introducing the DJ John Peel to the music of Marc Bolan.

The disappointing performance of the single forced a re-think by Napier-Bell, who had to convince Marc that the world was not yet ready for his take-over. Amongst Napier-Bell’s band roster was a band that had almost seen chart action in Britain and had a minor hit in the USA – Johns Children. The departure of the bands guitarist left a gap for Napier-Bell to slot Marc into, the intention being to use his song-writing abilities to enhance the band’s somewhat limited range as well as to use them as a platform for the British public to accept Marc’s distinctive vocals.

Marc duly became a band member around February/March 1967 and stayed with them until June the same year. During his time with them he wrote their most memorable track, the single “Desdemona” which claimed the honour of a BBC ban owing to the “risqué” line “Lift Up Your Skirts And Fly” – good old Auntie Beeb - ever the prude! The single almost hit the British Top 50 and doubtless would have done so if were not for the BBC ban which restricted its radio airplay. Bolan also toured with the band when they supported legendary rockers “The Who” in Germany and also penned more Johns Children recorded tracks. “Midsummer Nights Scene” was pressed as a single but it was withdrawn before hitting the shops owing to Marc’s resignation from the band over his dissatisfaction with the production.

The b-side track - another Bolan penned gem called “Sara Crazy Child” - was re-used on the quickly issued follow-up single “Come & Play With Me In The Garden” but the single bombed, as did the subsequent one “Go Girl”, a Bolan track that was re-worded in an attempt to cash in on the 60’s club-girl craze.

Marc had not been happy with being a mere band member and the affair over his material had only served to emphasise the point. He wanted to be in control. Placing an advert in Melody Maker for band members for his new group, Marc initially recruited four musicians. However, following a disastrous debut gig at “The Electric Garden” (later “Middle Earth) and the repossession of Marc’s instruments by Track Records who still owned them under his Johns Children contract, the five piece band, named “Tyrannosaurus Rex”, was reduced to a duo.

Marc’s dreams of world domination had taken a bashing but undeterred he and Steve “Peregrin” Took continued the band as an acoustic hippy duo. With limited instrumentation such as guitar, bongos, pixiephone and tables they recorded some demos for Napier-Bell and Track Records but did not obtain a contract.

The duo started to gig extensively, for little money, and slowly but surely started to gain devoted following amongst the hippies and students of Great Britain. Around this time John Peel belatedly discovered Marc’s “Hippy Gumbo” single and played it a few times on his radio show. Marc wrote to thank him and the two struck up a friendship that paid dividends for Tyrannosaurus Rex as Peel then ensured that the band was booked to appear at venues where he was appearing as DJ/Maitre’D. Marc and Steve gained an even wider audience for their unique style of music and Marc’s dream of stardom was on the road to becoming a reality. In 1968 Tyrannosaurus Rex were spotted at a gig by USA record producer Tony Visconti, and following talks and a home demo session at Visconti’s home, they were signed to Straight Ahead Productions and “Regal Zonophone” as the label’s “token underground group”.

Simon Napier-Bell withdrew as their manager sensing that he could do no more with them and they signed a new management deal with Blackhill Enterprises, where Marc met his future wife June Child. Their first single, “Debora” saw chart action, peaking at no. 34 in April and their first album, 'My People Were Fair And Had Sky In Their Hair, But Now They're Content To Wear Stars On Their Brows', recorded on a slim budget and released in July, proved to be a success charting as high as no 15 in the album charts. However their second album, 'Prophets, Seers, And Sages, The Angels Of The Ages' was not so successful although the second single “One Inch Rock” bettered the chart high of “Debora” and breached the Top Thirty at no. 28.