Publication: Worcester News Date: April 19 1968 Country: United Kingdom Section / Page: Page 7 Format: Small News Piece / Artist Profile The Story Behind It By April 1968, Tyrannosaurus Rex had become fixtures of London’s underground clubs, performing cross‑legged sets of hypnotic acoustic music. This Worcester News piece introduces them to regional readers as the latest avant‑garde discovery championed by John Peel, whose Perfumed Garden and Top Gear programmes had already m

The April 19, 1968 edition of the Widnes Weekly News profiles the rising underground duo Tyrannosaurus Rex (Marc Bolan and Steve Took), highlighting their unusual name and distinctive music style. Publication: Widnes Weekly News Date: April 19, 1968 Country: United Kingdom Location: Widnes Section: Music Feature THE STORY The article explains the origin of the band’s name (referencing the prehistoric reptile) and describes their unique acoustic sound. It covers their recent s

In the spring of 1968, Tyrannosaurus Rex released their debut single “Deborah” / “Child Star,” marking the official arrival of Marc Bolan’s new acoustic duo project with Steve Peregrin Took. This ethereal, folk-tinged 7" single on Regal Zonophone introduced the world to Bolan’s unique blend of mystical poetry, bongo-driven rhythms, and whimsical wordplay — a sound far removed from the beat-group era but already hinting at the magic that would later fuel T. Rex’s glam explosio

The April 19, 1968 edition of the Worcester News features a striking photo and profile of Tyrannosaurus Rex, positioning them as an essential act for anyone claiming to be even slightly avant-garde in the pop world, while highlighting their debut single “Debora” on Regal Zonophone. Publication: Worcester News Date: April 19, 1968 Country: United Kingdom Location: Worcester Section: Music Feature THE STORY The piece includes a prominent black & white photograph of Marc Bolan s

This broadcast represents one of the earliest professional captures of the embryonic Tyrannosaurus Rex sound, preserving the intimate, cross-legged club atmosphere that defined their underground reputation in 1968. Venue: BBC Radio 1 – Top Gear Date: Recorded March 11, 1968 Broadcast March 24 & May 5, 1968 Country: United Kingdom Format: Six-Track Session with Spoken Chat Overview A rare surviving BBC session capturing Marc Bolan and Steve Peregrin Took at their earliest and

In early 1968, Tony Visconti walked into Middle Earth and saw a duo unlike anything he had encountered in London’s psychedelic underground. Marc Bolan and Steve Peregrin Took sat cross‑legged on the floor, weaving strange, hypnotic songs over hand‑drummed rhythms. That night, Visconti approached Bolan, offered his card, and unknowingly set the stage for one of the most important producer‑artist relationships of the era

A detailed newspaper profile from the Evening Sentinel dated 30 September 1967, capturing John Peel at the pivotal moment of his transition from pirate radio to the BBC. John Peel – Evening Sentinel feature on Perfumed Garden and BBC Radio 1 transition, 30 September 1967. SOURCE DETAILS Publication: Evening Sentinel Date: 30 September 1967 Country: United Kingdom Section / Pages: Page 4 / Music Feature Title: John Peel’s Garden May Bloom Once More Author: Alan Jones THE STORY

On July 22 1967, Marc Bolan officially formed Tyrannosaurus Rex after leaving John's Children. Initially conceived as a four‑piece electric rock band, the group played its first and only show at the Electric Garden in Covent Garden, London - a performance so chaotic that it prompted an immediate reformation into the acoustic folk duo that would define Bolan's early career. THE STORY Following his departure from John's Children, Marc Bolan assembled a new band under the name T

The July 15, 1967 edition of Melody Maker announces a new single by John’s Children titled “Come And Play Me In The Garden”, noting that singer and songwriter Marc Bolan has recently left the group to form his own band, Tyrannosaurus Rex Publication: Melody Maker Date: July 15, 1967 Country: United Kingdom Section: News / Singles Announcement The short news item reports the upcoming release of John’s Children’s new single and informs readers that Marc Bolan has departed the b

Born: Stephen Ross Porter, Eltham, London Known for: Member of Tyrannosaurus Rex (with Marc Bolan), later solo artist and frontman for several underground bands Early Life & Tyrannosaurus Rex Took was born Stephen Ross Porter on 28 July 1949 in Eltham, London. He attended Shooters Hill School and took his stage name from Peregrin Took, a hobbit in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. At 17 he played drums with the mod band the Waterproof Sparrows before answering an advert