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🔘 RIDE A WHITE SWAN / SUMMERTIME BLUES – Single: Mar. 2014

  • Writer: T.Rex
    T.Rex
  • Mar 3, 2014
  • 4 min read

Updated: Mar 6

Label: A&M 534 731‑8

Date: March 3, 2014 (UK)

Tracklist: 2 tracks

Length: Approx. 6–8 min read


Two pivotal 1970 BBC performances pressed to vinyl during the 2014 A&M archival campaign.


A pair of essential 1970 BBC recordings from the dawn of T. Rex’s glam era.


Released on March 3, 2014, this limited A&M 7" single captures T. Rex at the turning point between underground folk‑psych and full glam ascendancy. The A‑side features the Top of the Pops performance of “Ride a White Swan” from November 12, 1970, the broadcast that helped propel the single into the UK Top 10 and cement Marc Bolan as a rising pop icon.


🔘 – Key Highlights

• Limited 2014 A&M archival release

• Features the iconic 1970 Top of the Pops performance

• Includes BBC Radio One session recording of “Summertime Blues”

• Pressed in small quantities with picture sleeve

• Highly sought‑after by collectors


🔘 – Overview

Released on March 3, 2014, this limited A&M 7" single captures T. Rex at the turning point between underground folk‑psych and full glam ascendancy. The A‑side features the Top of the Pops performance of “Ride a White Swan” from November 12, 1970, the broadcast that helped propel the single into the UK Top 10 and cement Marc Bolan as a rising pop icon.


The B‑side, “Summertime Blues,” comes from a BBC Radio One Dave Lee Travis Show session recorded on December 9, 1970. This spirited cover of the Eddie Cochran classic showcases the early electric T. Rex lineup in transition, still raw but unmistakably evolving toward the glam sound that would define the decade.


Issued in small quantities with a distinctive picture sleeve, the single forms part of the coordinated 2014 A&M archival series and remains a sought‑after collector’s item.


🔘 – The Story

This 2014 archival release forms part of A&M’s coordinated campaign to reissue key BBC and demo recordings from the early T. Rex catalogue. By pairing two 1970 performances, the single highlights the moment when Marc Bolan shifted from mystical folk‑psych to electric pop stardom.


The Top of the Pops performance of “Ride a White Swan” is widely regarded as the spark that ignited glam rock. Bolan’s appearance—glittering, charismatic, and utterly self‑assured—helped propel the song into the UK Top 10 and marked the beginning of a cultural shift.


“Summertime Blues,” recorded less than a month later for BBC Radio One, captures the band in a more informal, transitional mode. The performance is raw, energetic, and steeped in the electric boogie that would soon define the T. Rex sound.


The 2014 7" single, issued in limited quantities with a distinctive picture sleeve, preserves these two pivotal recordings in a format that appeals strongly to collectors and glam‑rock historians.


🔘 – Track List

UK 7" Single — A&M 534 731‑8

Ride a White Swan (BBC TV, Top of the Pops, November 12, 1970)

Summertime Blues (BBC Radio One, Dave Lee Travis Show, December 9, 1970)


🔘 – Variants (UK)

• UK 7" Single — A&M 534 731‑8

• Limited edition picture sleeve

• Barcode: 0600753473184

• No confirmed international variants


All variants physically verified.


🔘 – Chart Performance

This archival release did not enter the UK Singles Chart.


🔘 – Context & Notes

Artist: T. Rex

Label: A&M (UK)

Release Date: March 3, 2014

Format: 7" vinyl single

Catalogue: 534 731‑8

Community snapshot at release: 15 owners, 6 want


“Ride a White Swan” is widely regarded as the spark that ignited glam rock. These BBC recordings preserve the immediacy of that moment, capturing Bolan’s shift from mystical folk troubadour to electric pop visionary.





🔘 – Visual Archive

A colour sleeve showing Marc Bolan in the foreground holding a guitar, with Mickey Finn behind him. The right side features a maroon panel with bold yellow text reading “T. REX” at the top and “RIDE A WHITE SWAN” at the bottom.


🔘 – Caption

T. Rex — Ride a White Swan / Summertime Blues — UK 7" Picture Sleeve (2014).


🔘 – Related Material

• “Ride a White Swan” (1970 single)

• T. Rex (1970)

• BBC Sessions 1970–1971

• 2014 A&M Demo & BBC Series

• 2014 T. Rex Archival Campaign


See tabs at the foot of the post for navigation.


🔘 – Discography

“Ride a White Swan” (Original 1970 single)

“Summertime Blues” (BBC Session, 1970)

T. Rex (1970)


🔘 – Mini‑Timeline

November 12, 1970: “Ride a White Swan” performed on Top of the Pops

December 9, 1970: “Summertime Blues” recorded for BBC Radio One

March 3, 2014: BBC recordings issued on limited 7" single


🔘 – Glam Flashback

The Top of the Pops performance of “Ride a White Swan” is often cited as the moment glam rock was born. This single preserves that spark—Bolan poised between folk mysticism and electric stardom.


🔘 – Closing Notes

A beautifully curated archival 7" capturing two essential BBC recordings from the dawn of T. Rex’s glam era.


🔘 – Hashtags


🔘 – Sources

A&M Records (2014)

Spirit Music Publishing Ltd.

BBC Archives

Physical release verification


🔘 – Copyright Notice

All magazine scans, photographs, and original text excerpts referenced in this entry 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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