Bolan In His Own Write Cover: 1974

Disc, cover and one-page feature in January 26, 1974.

The Marc Bolan Page

I'VE BEEN in the business seven years now and during that time I've had to take an awful lot of slagging, but let it be understood it's gonna take a hell of a lot of brain-washing by the media in order to get rid of me Marc Bolan!

It's a nice idea for artists to be allowed to write their own columns occasionally, be-cause you get the chance to talk about things that are important to yourself. Like, this month is a pretty important time in my life, because I'm going back out on the road to face British audiences again after two years. I know a lot of my fans have thought that I've neglected them, but I really don't think I have, because there was "Born To Boogie' for one thing and plenty of singles and albums released over that period.

Just at the moment I'm pretty busy planning the tour, which is gonna be quite a thing. I sat down the other night to write out a list of the songs I wanted to play and ended up with more than 40 of them. What I'll do is play a bit of everything ranging from the early days to a medley of hits and about three or four of my new songs, which'll be featured on my new album "Zinc Alloy.

Later this month my new single Teenage Dream will be released. I cut it in America some time back and to be honest I reckon it's one of the best singles I've done. Truck On, I have to admit wasn't one of the Bolan greats, but it was still a good single.

The band we've got together is a pretty incredible one. There's Carmen's drummer Paul Fenton specially joining us and I'm bringing in two sax players, two chick singers as well. At the moment we're still getting everything together. We're a lot more visual these days and a hell of a lot more violent and I think we're gonna give a show that won't be beaten this year by any band. The Pink Floyd's lighting engineer is now working for me and his ideas are pretty lavish I can tell you.

I don't know what kind of audience to expect, but I guess they'll be the same fans as before. They mustn't expect to see the T. Rex they saw in the past because now we're completely different. I decided on a change when I was in America and now we're extremely funky. I know that, bar-ring a few tickets the whole tour has sold out, which obviously pleases me and I'm told the kids who are buying the tickets are between 12 and 17. It proves that I'm not in the same kind of bag as Donny because his audiences start from about the age of six upwards.

My tans are the most important thing in my life, but they have to dig me for what

I'm doing. I don't, and never have, gone out of my way to please them. I stopped

playing in Britain because there were so many other things to be done like taking on America for instance. The lack of British appearances and the changes I made when I was touring in other countries did me a lot of good, and now I'm really looking forward to playing again. I've not gone out of my way to buy special clothes for this tour or anything like that. Now Marc Bolan is Me and whatever I give comes naturally. I've changed I really have! David Bowie used to have to change clothes about 25 times during a performance, Gary Glitter has to dress himself all up, but I don't have to do it.

I've always been aware that I owe everything to the kids and for that reason I always try and please them in any way I possibly can. They look upon me as being a glamorous pop idol and that's what I try to be, but understandably there are times when I feel out of my head and physically and mentally worn out, and when I get like that, I don't want the kids to see me.

After this tour, I'll be blasting back to the States, and there's the Bolan solo album and possibly a few solo con-certs after that. I've been thinking for a while now about gradually phasing the band name of T. Rex out, because that's really where I'm at. Now it's me with a few backing musicians and that's how the whole Bolan thing should be developed. Perhaps later, I'll do concerts backed by strings and various musicians who want to work with me as I want to work with them.

You know, even before I entered the music business, I quite expected all the fan adulation that I've received over the last few years. Mentally I was prepared for the things that happened before they actually did. I don't have time anymore to think, "WOW!! I'M MARC BOLAN". I honestly don't know what it's like to be Marc Bolan. I believe the ultimate star is the star who makes it by just being themselves. Rod Stewart is an example, I mean he really likes football and that kind of thing. I'm just as people think I am, as well. I'm all things real to those who dig me.

Money! You know I've made a hell of a lot of the stuff, but I never think about getting it, but I do think about keeping it.

But I'm a business man there again I have to be, I employ a lot of people to work for me and their livelihoods are upon my shoulders. The office I'm writing this from in Bond Street costs me thousands.

I never really socialise with other people in the business apart from my own set. I don't

function very well when I lock myself away in my house and try and get things together. I have to exhibit what I feel within my own surroundings and that helps me build the confidence I need to take m music and ideas further.

I know that nothing is lasting and I don't deliberately go out of my way to plan things for the future. Bolan is alive today, but he might well get knocked down by tomorrow and that would be it. a car Who knows what's gonna happen tomorrow anyway? I

could lose all my money, and the thought of that doesn't particularly worry me. 1 wouldn't be happy being penniless- I do like luxuries, but it wouldn't break my heart.

But Marc Bolan does go through a lot of personal emotional type things, but I don't think I should lay my problems on my fans. Kids have to moan about some-thing, so why shouldn't they moan about me sometimes. When I don't play gigs for a long time they are entitled to moan, because they aren't aware of what I'm trying to do.

I know a lot of my fans think they created me, but they didn't. Everybody goes through changes, me included, and as opposed to being created, you just grow and mature as you go along. I've done enough to never be for-gotten.

Well time's running short on me again, so I guess I better wrap this up. I hope you enjoy reading my ramblings. Look forward to seeing you during the tour. Be writing to you again. Bye.