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🔘 Zip Gun Boogie – Single: Nov. 1974

  • Writer: T.Rex
    T.Rex
  • Nov 1, 1974
  • 4 min read

Label: EMI Records

Catalogue Number: MARC 9

Format: 7" Vinyl Single (Four‑Prong Centre / Solid Centre; Promo & Commercial)

Released: November 1, 1974 (UK)


A glam‑rock gunshot of swagger and bounce — Marc Bolan firing off a riff‑driven, high‑energy single that marked his final charting moment of 1974.



Released in the UK on November 1, 1974, “Zip Gun Boogie” backed with “Space Boss” appeared as a 7-inch vinyl single on EMI Records (MARC 9). Although issued under the **T. Rex** name on the label, the single was promoted in the UK and parts of Europe as a **Marc Bolan** release, reflecting his increasing desire for personal branding during the mid‑’70s. Written and produced by Bolan, the track delivered a playful, riff‑heavy return to his early glam roots, while the B-side “Space Boss” previewed the funk‑leaning textures of the forthcoming album *Bolan’s Zip Gun*. Despite its energy, the single peaked at No. 41 on the UK Singles Chart and remained for three weeks. Housed in the distinctive blue‑and‑red EMI T. Rex Wax Co. sleeve, it stands as a cult favourite from Bolan’s transitional mid‑’70s period.


🔘 Track List


UK 7" Single — EMI Records – MARC 9 — 1974


A. Zip Gun Boogie

Written by: Marc Bolan

Produced by: Marc Bolan


B. Space Boss

Written by: Marc Bolan

Produced by: Marc Bolan


Recorded at MRI Recording Studio, Hollywood

Published by Wizard Publishing Ltd.


🔘 Key Highlights

• Released November 1, 1974

• A-side: Riff‑driven glam rocker written & produced by Marc Bolan

• B-side: “Space Boss,” later included on *Bolan’s Zip Gun*

• Chart debut: No. 50 (Nov 10–16, 1974)

• Peak position: No. 41 (Nov 17–23, 1974)

• Chart run: 3 weeks

• Issued in the EMI T. Rex Wax Co. sleeve

• UK release credited to Marc Bolan in some territories


🔘 The Story

By late 1974, Marc Bolan was navigating a shifting musical landscape. Glam rock’s commercial peak had passed, and Bolan was experimenting with funkier, more futuristic textures that would define *Bolan’s Zip Gun*. “Zip Gun Boogie” emerged as a bridge between eras — a punchy, guitar‑driven throwback to his early‑’70s swagger, but with hints of the sleeker, American‑influenced production he was developing in Hollywood.


The single’s release under the **Marc Bolan** name in several European markets reflected his growing desire to separate his personal identity from the T. Rex brand. Meanwhile, the B-side “Space Boss” showcased Bolan’s fascination with sci‑fi imagery and rhythmic minimalism, foreshadowing the stripped‑down sound of his mid‑’70s work.


Although “Zip Gun Boogie” did not break into the UK Top 40, its modest chart run belies its later cult status. Fans and collectors regard it as a transitional moment — a glam‑rock spark fired during a period of reinvention. The EMI T. Rex Wax Co. sleeve, the Hollywood MRI studio recording, and the Wizard Publishing credits all anchor the single firmly within Bolan’s evolving creative world.


The release also sits within a fascinating sequence of 1974 singles:

• **“Think Zinc”** (Germany only) credited to Marc Bolan / Marc Bolan & T. Rex

• **“Light of Love”** credited to T. Rex

• **“Zip Gun Boogie”** credited to T. Rex but promoted as Marc Bolan in some regions

This shifting crediting underscores Bolan’s transitional artistic identity during the mid‑’70s.


🔘 Variants (UK)

• 7", 45 RPM, Single, Promo — EMI – MARC 9 — UK — 1974

• 7", 45 RPM, Single, Four‑Prong Centre — EMI – MARC 9 — UK — 1974

• 7", 45 RPM, Single, Solid Centre — EMI – MARC 9 — UK — 1974

• All issued in the EMI T. Rex Wax Co. sleeve


🔘 Chart Performance


UK — Official Singles Chart

50 — November 10–16, 1974

41 — November 17–23, 1974

49 — November 24–30, 1974


Total Weeks: 3


🔘 Context & Notes

• A-side: Glam‑rock throwback with Hollywood‑recorded production

• B-side: “Space Boss,” later included on *Bolan’s Zip Gun*

• Production: Marc Bolan; engineered by Gary Ulmer

• Sleeve: Blue & red EMI T. Rex Wax Co. design

• Historical placement: Third single associated with *Bolan’s Zip Gun*

• Country variations: Austria, Belgium, Germany, Greece, New Zealand, France (1975), Japan (1975)


🔘 Visual Archive

T. Rex — “Zip Gun Boogie” (1974), issued on EMI Records as MARC 9.



🔘 Related Material

• “Think Zinc” (1974, Germany only)

• “Light of Love” (1974)

• *Bolan’s Zip Gun* (1975)

• “Space Boss” (album track, 1975)


🔘 Discography

Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow — 1974

Zip Gun Boogie — 1974

Bolan’s Zip Gun — 1975

Futuristic Dragon — 1976


🔘 Mini‑Timeline

✦ 1974 — “Think Zinc” and “Light of Love” precede the single

✦ Nov 1, 1974 — UK release of “Zip Gun Boogie”

✦ Nov 10–30, 1974 — Charts for 3 weeks, peaking at No. 41

✦ 1975 — Appears on *Bolan’s Zip Gun*


🔘 Glam Flashback

A swaggering glam shot from Bolan’s Hollywood period — “Zip Gun Boogie” fires off riffs, attitude, and a playful wink at his early‑’70s glory, even as he steers T. Rex into stranger, funkier territory.



🔘 Hashtags


🔘 Sources

Primary reference sources:

Wikipedia • Discogs • 45cat • BBC / Official Charts Company


🔘 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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