Cosmic Dancer: The Life and Music of Marc Bolan
- ISBN-10
- 0956683401
- ISBN-13
- 9780956683403
- Category
- Rock music
- Pages
- 304
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2012-03-01
- Publisher
- Tomahawk Press (GA)
- Author
- Paul Roland
Description
Marc Bolan, the biggest pop star in post-Beatles Britain, was haunted by the fear that he would die before his 30th birthday. He repeatedly told friends, family and colleagues that he had foreseen his own death in a car crash and that the car would be a mini. He had alluded to the tragedy in several songs and a poem in which he named the tree that would become a shrine to his grieving fans. It is said that he had also known the date of his death, gleaned from a painting, titled 'The Sixteenth of September' by the Belgian surrealist Rene Magritte which foreshadowed an iconic image on the cover of his 'The Slider' album. Whatever the truth, it is a fact that on that very date in 1977, two weeks short of his 30th birthday, Bolan's morbid prophecy was fulfilled. In this definitive new biography Paul Roland chronicles the life and music of the vibrato-voiced glam rock idol and 20th century boy who created some of the most instantly appealing and enduring songs of the 70s -- 'Ride A White Swan', ''Hot Love', 'Get It On', 'Telegram Sam', 'Children of the Revolution' and 'Solid Gold Easy Action' -- in what appears to have been a fevered rush to cheat Fate. At the peak of his popularity in 1972 the Beatles acknowledged Bolan and his group T-Rex as their natural successor and Ringo Starr directed the film that brought the fan hysteria known as T-Rextasy to a stagnant British pop scene and which was to top the DVD charts 30 years after it original release. That year the former working class Hackney mod launched his own label and continued a run of number one hits that accounted for 3.5% of the total singles sales in the UK, outselling the combined singles sales of Jimi Hendrix and The Who. But just when Bolan was at the summit of his success it all went sour. This is the incredible story of Marc Bolan's roller-coaster rise to fame and his resurrection as the self-styled 'Godfather of Punk' that promised to put him back on top until the fatal accident which cut short his life and hopes of a comeback.
Get the book
Similar books
-
Goldmine's Rock'n Roll 45rpm Record Price Guide
By Neal UmphredGoldmine's Rock'n Roll 45rpm Record Price Guide
-
Jim Morrison
By Michael BurganA biography highlighting the life, career, and the impact of rock musician, Jim Morrison.
-
Encyclopedia of Rock
By Phil HardyEncyclopedic entries on solo artists, bands, musical styles, places, and historical events in rock and roll.
-
Mercury: The King of Queen
By Laura JacksonBiography of Freddie Mercury lead singer of the rock group Queen.
-
Rick Nelson: the last time around 1970 - 1982
By Todd EverettRick Nelson: the last time around 1970 - 1982
-
Rockin' in Time: A Social History of Rock and Roll
By David P. Szatmary, Lynsay RipleyThe text highlights the role that specific Canadian artists, songs, venues and issues have played in the social history of rock-and-roll within and beyond Canada's borders.
-
Rockin' in Time Plus MySearchLab with Pearson EText -- Access Card Package
By David P. SzatmaryRather than an exhaustive catalog of artists in rock history or a guide to learning musical notation, the book places rock-and-roll in the context of the social issues that surrounded and shaped it.
-
Bruce Hornsby and the Range - Scenes from the Southside (Piano - Vocal)
By Bruce HornsbyThe second sensational album from Grammy winners Bruce Hornsby And The Range. Nine great songs including the hit single "The Valley Road." Also features Bruce Hornsby's piano solos, complete lyrics, and photos.
-
Elvis - Word for Word: What He Said, Exactly As He Said It
By Jerry Osborne... Virginia, 14 North America, 77 Norvell, William R., 99 Norway, 119 Norwood, M/Sgt William A., 99 Norwood, Olley, ... 72 Hound Dog, 127 Mules, 127 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 76, 204, 225 Phillips, Dewey, 25, 26, 81, 83 Phillips, ...
-
30-Second Rock Music: The 50 Key Styles, Artists and Happenings Each Explained in Half a Minute
By Mike EvansPhillips would strike gold in 1954 when he recorded the 19-year-old Elvis for his Sun label, but back in 1951 Sam leased his recordings to other labels, and the songs recorded that day ended up with Chess Records of Chicago.