By the time Marc Bolan started work on T. Rex, in late spring 1970, The Beatles had split and there was a perceived crisis at the heart of pop. Bolan, too, had grown dissatisfied. The moment of epiphany came on July 1, 1970, when he nailed a new song, Ride A White Swan. The reward was a huge hit later that winter – only kept from the No. 1 spot by ‘Grandad’, a slice of seasonal schmaltz sung by popular TV figure Clive Dunn!
Everything had fallen into place by the time of T. Rex. The band’s name had shrunk but their fame had risen immeasurably, with sweet-faced Bolan an instant hit with the glossier pop magazines. Now including a version of Ride A White Swan specially recorded for Top Of The Pops among its bonus tracks, the T. Rex album reveals another side to Bolan’s so-called instant success. For despite the electrifying rock’n’roll Jewel, Is It Love? And neo-bubblegum Beltane Walk, there’s a surprising sweetness to much of the album, with songs such as The Visit and Seagull Woman likely inspired by new wife June. It’s little wonder that many aficionados, Morrissey among them, regard T. Rex as the best-kept secret in the Marc Bolan catalogue.