I've always liked T Rex. The mixture of funky jangly guitar and Marc Bolan's breathy, hippy lyrics just make many of their songs bounce along .
They were a feature of my early years growing up and although they were considered pop, I always liked their funky guitar. I've mentioned it twice already.
The song, which was brimming with mythological references, is less than two minutes long and to extend the song to two and a quarter minutes, Tony Visconti looped Marc Bolan's "da da dee dee dah" vocal line at the end of the song, six times.
This is their first big hit, and it does have an interesting back story.
The song that "inadvertently founded glam rock? Don't ask me, I was only 6.
T-Rex headlined the first Glastonbury Festival in 1970, when tickets cost a mere £1, replacing The Kinks at the last minute.
It was then known as the ‘Pilton Festival’ and Marc Bolan arrived in a velvet covered Buick. According to legend when Michael Eavis stroked his car, Bolan barked ‘DON’T TOUCH MY CAR MAN!’ .
The song was played at the festival between the sets of other bands and this may have prompted it's success a few months later.
Bolan performed the song twice on TOTP, and at this point he had not yet started wearing Glam fashions onstage and instead wore dungarees for one performance.
It took 11 weeks to reach a peak position of number 2, and it was the novelty record, Clive Dunn – "Grandad" , which stopped "Ride a White Swan" from completing its climb to the top.
Anyway, I suggest it as essential because of its pioneer of glam rock status, and because it's a great pop song with that funky guitar (3rd time).
I've put 2 versions below. Please choose whatever telly you had in early 1971.
Black and White TV.
Colour TV.
