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Marc Bolan at the BBC / 6CD box set

Marc Bolan at the BBC / 6CD box set

Universal Music will issue Marc Bolan at the BBC, a new six-CD box set of BBC recordings, on 26 August 2013.

This set is said to combine all of the surviving BBC recordings with previously unreleased sessions taken from BBC Transcription Discs, off air recordings made on reel-to-reel tape recorders and the occasional cassette tape.

The box contains 16 previously unreleased Tyrannosaurus Rex tracks, and over 20 T.Rex tracks never before issued. There are also a dozen interviews many of which have never been commercially available.

The 117 track box set kicks off with some June 1968 John’s Children recordings and the curtain closes at the end of disc six with a couple of T.Rex tracks broadcast on the David Hamilton show, less than a month before Bolan’s untimely death.

The box presentation echoes the Kinks at the BBC box set, which its retro Radio Times (BBC TV and Radio listing mag) design. That box was robust and put together with care and attention, so that bodes well for this Bolan box.

International bargain hunters should check out the Amazon UK price which is – at the time of writing – massively cheaper than everywhere else.

Marc Bolan at the BBC: Full track listing:

DISC ONE – John’s Children and Tyrannosaurus Rex

  • John’s Children – BBC Radio One – Saturday Club : TX 17-6-1968
  • 01: Jagged Time Lapse ( 2:38 )
  • 02: Interview with John Hewlett ( 0:53 )
  • 03: The Perfumed Garden of Gulliver Smith ( 2:46 )
  • 04: Daddy Rolling Stone ( 2:12 )
  • 05: Hot Rod Mama ( 3:11 )
  • 06: Top Gear jingle – ( 0:12 )
  • BBC Radio One – Top Gear : Recorded 30-10-1967
  • 07: Highways with chat ( 1:54 )
  • 08: Dwarfish Trumpet Blues with chat ( 2:36 )
  • 09: Scenescof with interview ( 2:18 )
  • 10: Child Star with chat ( 3:02 )
  • 11: Pictures of Purple People with interview ( 2:50 )
  • 12: Hot Rod Mama with interview ( 3:00 )
  • BBC Radio One – Top Gear : Transmitted 24-3-1968
  • 13: Knight with chat ( 2:30 )
  • 14: Frowning Atahuallpa with chat (4:41 )
  • 15: Strange Orchestras ( 1:53 )
  • 16: Afghan Woman with chat ( 2:04 )
  • 17: Deborah with chat ( 3:18 )
  • 18: Mustang Ford with chat ( 3:17 )
  • BBC Radio One – Top Gear : Transmitted 14-7-1968
  • 19: Stacey Grove with chat ( 1:53 )
  • 20: One Inch Rock with chat ( 1:43 )
  • 21: Salamanda Palaganda with chat ( 2:11 )
  • 22: Eastern Spell with chat ( 1:35 )
  • 23: Wind Quartets with chat ( 2:59 )
  • BBC Radio One – Voice of Pop : Transmitted 21-9-1968
  • 24: Juniper Suction – Poem ( 0:31 )
  • 25: Juniper Suction – song with interview ( 1:46 )
  • BBC Radio One – Top Gear : Transmitted 10-11-1968
  • 26: The Friends with chat ( 1:23 )
  • 27: Conseuala with chat ( 2:24 )
  • 28: The Seal of Seasons with chat ( 1:40 )
  • 29: Evenings Of Damask with chat ( 2:25 )
  • 30: The Travelling Tragition ( 1:47 )

Disc 2 –Tyrannosaurus Rex

  • BBC Radio One – Top Gear : Transmitted 16-2-1969
  • 01: Pewter Suitor with chat ( 1:21 )
  • BBC Radio One – Top Gear : Transmitted 11-5-1969
  • 02: Interview with Brian Matthews ( 1:33 )
  • 03: Chariots of Silk ( 2:32 )
  • 04: Once Upon The Seas of Abyssinia with chat ( 2:29 )
  • 05: Nijinsky Hind with chat ( 2:23 )
  • 06: The Misty Coast of Albany with chat ( 2:27 )
  • 07: Iscariot with chat ( 2:03 )
  • BBC Radio One – Night Ride : Recorded 11-6-1969
  • 08: A Star of Youth – Poem with Interview ( 1:04 )
  • 09: A Ship of Rhythm – Poem with Interview ( 1:36 )
  • 10: The Winged Man With Eyes Downcast To The Moon – Poem with interview ( 0:54 )
  • BBC Radio One – Top Gear : Transmitted 17-11-1969
  • 11: Interview with Brian Matthews ( 0:57 )
  • 12: Fist Heart Mighty Dawn Dart ( 2:37 )
  • 13: Pavilions Of Sun ( 2:52 )
  • 14: A Day Laye ( 2:01 )
  • 15: By The Light Of A Magical Moon ( 2:47 )
  • 16: Wind Cheetah ( 2:33 )
  • BBC Radio One – In Concert – Recorded 1-1-1970 ( complete with chat )
  • 17: Hot Rod Mama – Live ( 2:17 )
  • 18: Deborah – Live ( 3:44 )
  • 19: Pavilions Of Sun – Live ( 3:36 )
  • 20: Dove – Live ( 4:27 )
  • 21: By The Light of the Magical Moon – Live ( 3:49 )
  • 22: Elemental Child – Live ( 7:05 )
  • 23: The Wizard – Live ( 9:21 )

Disc 3 – T.Rex

  • BBC Radio One – Top Gear : Recorded 26-10-1970
  • 01: Ride A White Swan ( 2:04 )
  • 02: Jewel ( 3:34 )
  • 03: Elemental Child ( 7:46 )
  • 04: Sun Eye ( 2:01 )
  • BBC Radio One – Sounds of the 70s : Transmitted 16-11-1970
  • 05: My Baby’s Like a Cloud Form ( 1:25 )
  • 06: Funk Music – Jam ( 1:46 )
  • BBC Radio One – Dave Lee Travis show : Recorded 9-12-1970
  • 07: Summertime Blues ( 3:35 )
  • 08: Jewel ( 3:21 )
  • 09: Hot Love ( 3:10 )
  • BBC Radio One – In Concert : Transmitted 20-12-1970 ( complete and different )
  • 10: Debora ( 5:36 )
  • 11: Elemental Child ( 8:54 )
  • 12: Woodland Bop medley with Woodland Bop / Conesuala / The King Of The Mountain
  • Cometh / Woodland Bop ( 7:29 )
  • 13: Ride A White Swan ( 3:10 )
  • 14: Jewel ( 7:53 )

Disc 4 – T.Rex

  • BBC Radio One – Radio One Club : Recorded 9-3-1971
  • 01: Woodland Rock with chat ( 2:28 )
  • 02: Beltane Walk ( 2:23 )
  • 03: Seagull Woman – Backing Track ( 2:20 )
  • 04: Hot Love ( 2:49 )
  • 05: Interview with Keith Altham ( 3:53 ) – 16th April 1971
  • BBC Radio One – Radio One Club : Recorded 20-7-1971
  • 06: Jeepster ( 3:11 )
  • 07: Get It On ( 4:41 )
  • 08: Electric Boogie with chat ( 1:55 )
  • BBC Radio One – Sounds of the 70s with Bob Harris : Recorded 3-8-1971
  • 09: Bob’s On – jingle
  • 10: Sailors of The Highway
  • 11: Girl
  • 12: Cadilac with chat
  • 13: Jeepster
  • 14: Life’s A Gas
  • 15: Christmas Is A Good Time – Jingle ( 0:18 )
  • 16: Interview with Tony Norman ( 9:44 ) – 4th December 1971
  • 17: Telegram Sam ( 2:50 ) – Peter Powell show – 29th January 1972
  • 18: Interview with Keith Altham ( 15:38 ) – 5th February 1972

Disc 5 –T.Rex (all mixes done specifically for the BBC )

  • 01: Metal Guru ( 2:08 )
  • 02: Interview with Andrew Salkey – 13th May 1972 ( 7:01 )
  • 03: The Slider ( 3:29 )
  • 04: Mystic Lady ( 3:07 )
  • 05: Rock On ( 3:18 )
  • 06: Main Man ( 4:14 )
  • 07: Interview with Johnny Moran – 26th August 1972 ( 14:35 )
  • 08: Children of the Revolution – transcription September 1972 ( 2:29 )
  • 09: Solid Gold Easy Action ( 2:06 )
  • 10: 20th Century Boy ( 3:41 )
  • 11: Free Angel ( 2:13 )
  • 12: Interview with Nick Horne – 6th March 1973 ( 7:35 )
  • 13: Rapids ( 2:47 )
  • 14: Mad Donna ( 2:16 )
  • 15: The Grover – David Hamilton show – June 1973 ( 3:00 )
  • 16: Midnight ( 3:04 )

 

Disc 6 – T.Rex

  • 01: Interview with Anne Nightingale – June 26th 1973 ( 4:50 )
  • 02: Black Jack – Big Carrot ( 3:21 )
  • 03: Truck On ( Tyke ) ( 3:11 )
  • 04: Sitting Here ( 2:19 )
  • 05: Teenage Dream ( 5:19 )
  • 06: Interview with Michael Wale- January 11th 1974 ( 12:23 )
  • 07: Light of Love ( 3:29 )
  • 08: Explosive Mouth ( 2:32 )
  • 09: Zip Gun Boogie ( 3:21 )
  • 10: Space Boss ( 2:57 )
  • 11: New York City ( 3:33 )
  • 12: Dreamy Lady – David Hamilton Show – 23rd September 1975 ( 3:09 )
  • 13: Do You Wanna Dance – 23rd September ( 2:34 )
  • 14: Interview with David Hamilton for Insight ( 3:34 )
  • 15: : Interview with Anne Nightingale for Insight ( 5:49 )
  • 16: I Love To Boogie– David Hamilton Show – 18th June 1976 ( 2:17 )
  • 17: Celebrate Summer – David Hamilton Show – 19th August 1977 ( 2:12)

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28 Comments

28 thoughts on “Marc Bolan at the BBC / 6CD box set

  1. Clive

    Just wondering if the material you mention was from a certain B.W ?
    Because he sent me a photo of his tapes.
    said he had asked for a donation to the tree site. …?
    Said he spoke to J.B.

  2. Just wondering if the material you mention was from a certain B.W ?
    Because he sent me a photo of his tapes.
    said he had asked for a donation to the tree site. …?
    Said he spoke to J.B.

  3. The Marc and Cilla version of Lifes a Gas was from The Cilla Black show recorded by the BBC and can be found on the CD “T.Rex – Hits from the Box “

  4. Beeb Boxset delivered today…

    Was hoping Marc Bolan & Cilla Black – Life’s A Gas would be included;
    but after initial disapointment, realised it was most probably an ITV performance.

    So, what are the future prospects of a CD collection
    of misc non beeb recordings ?

    I remember an official CD set of USA radio performances back in the 90s
    [but can’t recall if I ever aquired it].

    Yeah, I’m sure it would be an extortionate legal rights nightmare
    but is some kind of collection of decent sound quality worldwide TV & radio tracks
    ever likely to be feasible ????

  5. After giving this little lot a good play and then playing some of the early stuff to death I have to say what an amazing job everyone involved in this project has made.

    It’s great that we are now only 20 tracks short of the full set of Bolan at the BBC. It’s very frustrating to know that someone is still holding out on something and not allowing us to get closer to completing the set.

    Highlights of this set for me are the newly discovered Tyrannosaurus Rex material and the missing track from T Rex In Concert, Woodland Bop Medley. I tracked this song down myself some time ago but not in this great quality.

    There has been mention from a few people who have commented on tracks that were not good enough quality for the box set but are unreleased versions of songs. Could they not be put up somewhere for collectors to download?

    I have been collecting this BBC stuff for many years now and remember getting my first lost tracks from the guy who used to run the Marc Bolan Appreciation Society. I still have some of the CDR’s to this day. I think he has sadly passed away now, or so I’ve been told. He would have been very happy to see this new stuff discovered I’m sure.

  6. Yeah that certain person should be ashamed of himself as these recordings deserve to be heard…..until the NEXT box set it seems then….incidentally I do have alt versions of tracks but alas the quality is not so great BUT as someone said earlier…. tis better to have,than never to have at all…great set btw…im buying it!

    1. Hey guys I couldn’t agree more. Marc’s music has been with me for 46 years. The greatest crime is; 1 He died way too young, and 2; He should have been bigger than he got, and he’s still underrated….Hopefully that will be rectified in our life time…Rock On
      Colin x

  7. This 6CD set looks amazing!
    Like Mike, I bought all the best BBC collections as well as many bootlegs.

    I had the following Bolan BBC CD’s :

    1) BBC Radio 1 Live In Concert (released in 1993 by Windsong International)
    – the full John Peel’s Sunday Show, Paris Theatre, January 4, 1970

    2) A BBC History (released in 1996 by Band Of Joy)
    – a great collection with early Tyrannosaurus Rex

    3) The BBC Recordings 1970-1976 (2CD released in 1997 by New Millenium Communications Ltd.)
    – picking up where “A BBC History” left over, this is another great collection which also featured the alternate mixes done specifically for the BBC

    4) Bolan At The Beeb (3CD released in 2007 by Polydor)
    – an excellent job on this set! First release of the thought-to-be-lost gem “My Baby’s Like a Cloud Form” (but wrongly listed as “Cloudfall”) !

    I am VERY EXCITED about this 6CD set! And again like Mike, I didn’t expect another Bolan BBC release after the Polydor set. I was also wondering why it has since been deleted – and then the announcement of this set came.

    Thank you very much to colin Allen for his contributions! From Bolan fans and collectors around the world – THANK YOU!
    As for that individual who actually REFUSED to lend out any recordings, well fuck them! Marc would be pissed!

    ROCK ON! KEEP A LITTLE MARC IN YOUR HEART!

    * SPACE BOSS *

  8. YES!!! you lucky people will have the most comprehensive collection of Bolan’s BBC work…I contributed to this set, and it’s got a lot of things missing, some of which were too poor to consider including, and somethings that a certain individual REFUSED to lend out, although we offered him an amazing deal…If you have anything not on this BOX, please get in touch….NIGHTRIDE 1968, SOUNDS OF THE 70’s for starters, Raw Ramp from 71….PLEASE FEEL FREE TO GET IN TOUCH…

    1. Coming from one of those collectors that likes to get everything. How about some kind of a bonus disc made up of all the material that is not up to the quality standard?

      I know a lot of people don’t think as I do but from a collectors point of view I’ve always gone for the idea that it’s better to get it in any quality than not at all.

      Great work by the way. I was under the impression that after that last, edited, box set it was highly unlikely anything else would ever turn up.

      1. Hi Mike, I considered that idea, but we felt that the critics would pick up on the lesser quality material, and it would get panned…Instead people generally accepted the set for its BRILLIANCE, and that’s good enough, anyway, dude, there’s enough stuff coming out to keep you happy later this , and certainly, EARLY next year…..
        Rock On Colin…PS all you dudes, thanx for your comments..

    2. I do have a version of VISIT which is from the Bob Harris Show. It features Marc playing Electric Wah Wah guitar which is interesting. My version is in terrible condition and features radio wave interference plus interview in which Marc promised Bob Harris he would come in and do the whole Children of Rarn Suite very soon. Do you know about this? It is from the same session that features My Baby is like a Cloudfall/form? Its in the loft where it belongs sadly. Others must have a better copy surely!

      1. Hi Darryll,
        I’m fascinated to hear of your recording of the Visit from the Bob Harris show with a brief interview. Any chance of digging it out and allowing me a listen of it, and did you happen to get the other songs from that show ?

        best wishes

        Clive X

  9. Bolan still remains one of the most major influences for musicians worldwide, since his death. Only recently has his legacy been recognised and appreciated. How many modern films and T.V. adverts play his music? Lots and lots.
    Quite simply, the music is timeless and inspirational.

  10. I’ve bought all the best BBC collections as well as many bootlegs. The last box set was the most extensive but the makers deleted much of the between song chat which was a real crime, just to save a bit of space.

    This collection seems to have put all that straight and add a number of tracks that were not thought to exist any longer. Some of this collection will come from off air sauces as the BBC have long since committed the criminal act of wiping some of this material. I’ve heard some of the previously unreleased stuff in bootleg form and it’s really worth having. Lets hope the makers may have found some better quality versions. Really looking forward to this release.

    Marc will always be a part of my life, his music will always live on.

  11. Quite simply the greatest influence on my life. Marc Bolan was/is the ultimate rocker who wrote some of the greatest songs ever, he wrote the most beautiful love songs that most people never heard. His legacy and legend is second to none, his following is greater than ever before (WORLDWIDE). And almost 40 years since we lost him, he lives on!

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