PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
The word genius surely applies to Marc Bolan ( Mark Feld ),best known as founder/lead singer/lead guitarist for T.Rex but also a successful solo artist. He also had his own television show,a feat that many so called glam rock artists of today cannot aspire to! He had the diversity to rock out with the best of them and also to compose the most beautiful acoustic numbers you have ever heard.
So Universal Music will be releasing a remastered version of the Electric Warrior album on April 23rd 2012,fittingly produced by Tony Visconti as he did the same for the original release on Sep.24th 1971. It was the 6th full length album but only the 2nd under the name T.Rex,the 1st 4 being under Tyrannosaurus Rex. Electric Warrior topped the UK charts twice between Dec. 1971 and Feb.1972 and Marc was quoted as saying ” I think Electric Warrior for me is the 1st album which is a statement of 1971 for us in England. I mean thats if anyone ever wanted to know why we were big in the other part of the world,that album says it for me”.
Electric Warrior will be released in deluxe,super deluxe and digital formats featuring many previously unreleased demos and out-takes. Prior to the album release there will be a 4 vinyl 7″ single box set out on April 21st for Record Store Day. CD1 is the remastered album with 5 bonus tracks: the non album single Hot Love with it’s B sides There Was A Time/Raw Ramp, King Of The Mountain Cometh and Woodland Rock.
CD2 features the Electric Warrior album albeit comprised from previously unreleased demos/out-takes + unreleased demos of an untitled instrumental from the Hot Love sessions, a cover of Carl Perkin’s Honey Dont and a poem called The Electric Warrior recited by Marc at the start of the cd recorded for a U.S radio promo and the cd closes with the poem followed by the full radio promo.
The limited edition super deluxe edition is a lavish box set with both cd’s + a dvd of rare and previously unreleased television performances and promos + a 32 page hardback book featuring a brand new essay from Marc Bolan biographer Mark Paytress + new interviews with close friends of Marc. The box set also includes reproductions of rare photos and memorabilia + a poster,timeline,3 photos a coaster and a vintage press release,all of which can be seen at the top of this page. Electric Warrior will also be released on double vinyl for the 1st time.
This release is a dream for all Marc Bolan fans. Not only is the Electric Warrior album remastered but the studio out-takes,acoustic home demos,single vocal mixes,work in progress and instrumental versions of said songs give an insight to the end result of the material. Some of the songs have 3 different versions. CD1 track Cosmic Dancer has the album version,single version and a single vocal mix with Marc’s voice sounding almost nervous. Another personal highlight for me is the stripped down Electric home demo version of Jeepster,a vast difference to the album version. The working version of Life’s A Gas is preceeded by Marc tuning his guitar in the studio. The instrumental edit of Mambo Sun is another gem along with the working version of Monolith,another song a far cry from the finished article. Probably the best example of song alteration is Planet Queen, the Electric home demo is sung in a higher key than the album track whereas the vocals on the working acoustic version are almost spoken.
Band line up for Electric Warrior :-
Marc Bolan- Vocals/guitar.
Mickey Finn- Conga drums/bongo.
Steve Currie- Bass guitar.
Bill Legend- Drums.
Howard Kaylan- Backing vocals..
Mark Volman- Backing vocals.
Rick Wakeman- Keyboards on Get It On.
Ian McDonald- Saxophone.
Burt Collins- Flugelhorn.
Track Listing :-
Disc 1 cd-Original Electric Warrior album + A/B sides.
Mambo Sun.
Cosmic Dancer.
Jeepster.
Monolith.
Lean Woman Blues.
Get It On.
Planet Queen.
Girl.
The Motivator.
Life’s A Gas.
Rip Off.
Bonus Tracks :-
There Was A Time/Raw Ramp- Hot Love B sides .
Hot Love – A side.
King Of The Mountain Cometh -B side .
Woodland Rock -B side .
Disc 2 cd-Electric Warrior demos and out-takes.
Electric Warrior Poem- Rare U.S radio promo.
Mambo Sun- Instrumental edit.
Cosmic Dancer- Single vocal version.
Jeepster-Single vocal version.
Monolith- No backing vocals version.
Lean Woman Blues- Single guitar track w.i.p.
Get It On- Full length version.
Planet Queen- Acoustic version.
Girl- New York demo.
The Motivator- W.i.p.
Life’s A Gas – Studio out-take.
Rip Off – Instrumental version.
Raw Ramp – London demo version.
Electric Boogie – London demo version.
Honey Dont – Studio out-take,w.i.p.
Planet Queen – Acoustic solo/ London demo version.
Girl – Acoustic solo / London demo version.
Jeepster – Electric home demo version.
Get It On – Acoustic home demo version.
Untitled instrumental from Hot Love studio session a.k.a ” a lot of rubbish “.
Electric Warrior poem + full U.S radio advert.
All tracks are previously unreleased apart from Raw Ramp.
Disc 3 dvd – Rare and previously unreleased television performances :-
Hot Love – Top Of The Pops March 24th 1971,1st time on dvd.
Get It On- Top Of The Pops Dec.20th 1971,with Elton John.
Jeepster – Beat Club,Germany,previously unseen blue screen version.
Life’s A Gas – Beat Club,Germany,previously unseen blue screen version.
Girl – Live from Wembley Pool March 18th 1972.
Get It On – Official promo video.
Jeepster – Official promo video.
Jeepster – Beat Club,Germany,broadcast version.
Life’s A Gas – Beat Club,Germany,broadcast version.
Record Store Day Electric Sevens 7″ vinyl singles box set :-
Vinyl single 1 – A1 :- Hot Love – Single version.
– B1 :- Un-named instrumental a.k.a ” a lot of rubbish “.
– B2 :- Hot Love – No strings version.
Vinyl single 2 – A1 :- Get It On – Single version.
– B1 :- Raw Ramp – London demo version,previously unreleased.
– B2 :- Get It On – Acoustic demo,previously unreleased,previously unreleased.
Vinyl single 3 – A1 :- Jeepster – Single version.
– B2 :- Life’s A Gas – Electric demo,previously unreleased.
– B2 :- Jeepster – Electric demo.
Vinyl single 4 – A1 :- Sailors Of The Highway,BBC Radio 1 club,Aug.3rd 1971.
– B1 :- Girl,BBC Radio 1 club,Aug.2rd 1971.
– B2 :- Electric Boogie,BBC Radio 1 club,July 20th 1971.
I award the Electric Warrior remasters 10/10.
