Marc Bolan (1979) Life’s a Gas – Cube Records Fan‑Club Release

A promotional advertisement for a special commemorative 12‑inch single produced by Cube Records for the Official Marc Bolan Fan Club, featuring four of Bolan’s most celebrated recordings.

Writer: Cube Records Advertisement

Artist: Marc Bolan

Date: 1979

Length: 3 min read

The advertisement announces a limited‑edition 12‑inch single containing four tracks, including Life’s a Gas and Find a Little Wood. The release was available exclusively by mail order through the Marc Bolan Fan Club, with only 15,000 copies pressed, making it a collector’s item. The single came with a full‑colour picture sleeve featuring an unissued photograph and sleeve notes by Beep. Orders were accepted until October 20 1979, priced at £1.65 including postage. The record was officially launched at the M.B.F.S. Convention on September 29 1979.

PUBLICATION

Publication: Fan‑Club Advertisement (Cube Records)

Date: 1979

Country: United Kingdom

Section / Pages: Promotional Notice

Title: Marc Bolan – Life’s a Gas

FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS

Event: Limited‑edition fan‑club release

Era: 1979 – Posthumous commemorative period

Tone: Promotional and nostalgic

Photography: Duo portrait of Marc Bolan and Steve Currie

Audience: Marc Bolan Fan Club members and collectors

Specially produced by Cube Records for the Official Marc Bolan Fan Club.

THE STORY BEHIND IT

Two years after Marc Bolan’s passing, Cube Records and the Official Fan Club issued this commemorative single to celebrate his musical legacy. The release reflected the enduring devotion of Bolan’s fan community and the continued interest in his catalogue. The inclusion of Life’s a Gas, one of Bolan’s most poignant songs, underscored the emotional connection between artist and audience. The advertisement’s tone blends professionalism with affection, typical of late‑1970s fan‑club communications.

Only 15,000 copies are available which makes it a collector’s item.

WHAT THE CLIPPING SHOWS

Event: Cube Records advertisement for Life’s a Gas

Era: 1979

Tone: Warm and commemorative

Photography: Bolan and Currie with guitar

Audience: Fan‑club members and collectors

CONTEXT AND NOTES

This release stands as one of the earliest posthumous tributes to Marc Bolan, bridging the gap between official record‑label activity and fan‑driven preservation. The limited pressing and exclusive distribution through the fan club highlight the grassroots dedication that sustained Bolan’s legacy into the 1980s. The advertisement’s design, with its elegant typography and sepia tone, evokes both nostalgia and reverence.

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SOURCES

Cube Records Fan‑Club Advertisement 

(1979)

Publication verified from archival fan‑club materials

Context cross‑checked with discography and press documentation

External anchors: Discogs / Wikipedia (where applicable)

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

All magazine scans, photographs, and original text excerpts remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This Chronicle entry is a transformative, non‑commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference. No ownership of the original material is claimed or implied.

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