Audio Autopsy, 1971: Marc Bolan and T. Rex ⚡"Electric Warrior" LP

A glitter/glam rock linchpin, the 6th Bolan/T. Rex album inspired many who followed, and informed such diverse genres-to-come as punk, metal, and even disco fashion.

In 2000, T. Rex obtained a whole new audience of fans, as the motion picture, Billy Elliot (starring charismatic Jamie Bell as the dance-loving title character in his debut role), chose to feature many of the British band’s songs:

In fact, of the five T. Rex songs featured, three were originally stand-alone singles (“Ride a White Swan,” “I Love to Boogie,” and “Children of the Revolution”), and two were taken from the T. Rex (Marc Bolan and Mickey Finn) album, their sixth, Electric Warrior (Reprise/Warner Bros. Records/U.S., Fly Records/UK, 1971, produced by Tony Visconti).

“Cosmic Dancer” opened the Billy Elliot film (set in 1984 England) as the music bed underneath the title and credit sequence. “Bang a Gong (Get it On)” was the other EW song featured on the soundtrack.

Jamie Bell was 13 playing 11 when shooting commenced in the North of England in August 1999. Whatever Bell, himself, knew or thought about T. Rex at the time, I was 16 (and just starting my junior year in high school) when I first heard Electric Warrior upon its release in September 1971.

In fact, I had been on them since the year before, and the release of their self-titled album, their first with their newly-shortened (from Tyrannosaurus Rex) moniker.

The Warlock of Love

Such a fan was I, that I even acquired Marc Bolan’s now-rare poetry book, The Warlock of Love, and at 14, packed it along to a church youth group retreat the summer of 1969 (and understood not a word, but loved showing it off)!

In October 1972, I saw T. Rex’s concert at the Houston Music Hall, as they were touring to support their follow-up to Electric Warrior, The Slider. I believe the opening act was fellow Warner Bros. act, The Doobie Brothers: