| T. Rex - Electric
Warrior
Released on the 23rd April are new editions
of T. Rex's monumental ELECTRIC WARRIOR album.
These new editions are crammed with previously
unreleased demos and out-takes - the centrepiece of which is original
producer Tony Visconti's re-mastered version of Electric Warrior.
Electric Warrior was T. Rex's second album,
released in September 1971. This was the year Marc Bolan broke big, and
thanks to a touch of glitter under his eye when performing "Hot Love"
on the March 10th edition of Top Of The Pops, he was to herald a new pop
era, Glam or Glitter Rock. By the end of 1971 Bolan and Rexmania was as
close as anyone had come to Beatlemania since 1963.
The centrepiece is original producer Tony
Visconti's re-mastered version of Electric Warrior, which is presented
with four bonus tracks - the non-album single, "Hot Love" (No.
1 in February 1971) plus the B-sides "There Was A Time / Raw Ramp",
"King Of The Mountain Cometh" and "Woodland Rock".
The second disc in the Deluxe and Super-Deluxe
editions opens with Marc Bolan reciting a previously unreleased poem titled
"The Electric Warrior" which was recorded for a US Radio promo
that is featured in full at the end of the album.
This is followed by an alternative version
of the Electric Warrior album comprised from previously unreleased demos
and out-takes. In addition there are unreleased demos recorded in London
and New York of a recently discovered untitled instrumental from the "Hot
Love" sessions and a T. Rex cover of Carl Perkins' rockabilly classic
"Honey Don't".
The Limited Edition Super Deluxe Edition of
Electric Warrior will be housed in a lavish box set which will contain
the two CDs plus a DVD of rare and unreleased TV performances and promos
by the group, and a wealth of additional items - alongside a 32-page hardback
book featuring a brand new essay from Bolan biographer Mark Paytress (including
new interviews with those who were close to Marc). The box also includes
reproductions of rare photos and memorabilia: a poster including a timeline,
three photographs, a coaster and a vintage press release.
The DVD includes the only two surviving Top
of the Pops performances from the BBC archive of T Rex's Electric Warrior-era
hits - "Hot Love" and "Get It On", the latter featuring
Elton John. The DVD also includes the previously unseen Blue Screen versions
of "Jeepster" and "Life's A Gas" from Germany's Beat
Club plus the actual broadcast versions of "Jeepster" and "Life's
A Gas". The rarely seen official promo videos for "Get It On"
and "Jeepster" are also included, plus live performances of
"Girl" and "Cosmic Dancer" which were recorded at
the performance of T. Rex's historic Wembley Empire Pool concerts on March
18th 1972. These were not included in the concert film Born To Boogie
which used none of the matinée concert footage.
Tony Visconti's re-mastered version of the
album will be released on vinyl for the very first time as a double LP.
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