Marc Bolan (October 17, 1978) – “Marc Bolan Legend: The Flower Child With A Knife Up His Sleeve” Feature – Telegraph and Argus.
A little over a year after Marc Bolan’s death, the Telegraph and Argus revisits his life through the newly published book Marc Bolan: A Tribute. Written by Nick Kehoe, the feature concentrates on the personal recollections of those who knew Bolan, including Gloria Jones, June Bolan and Tony Visconti.
Publication: Telegraph and Argus
Date: October 17, 1978
Country: United Kingdom
Under the headline “Marc Bolan legend” and the striking sub-heading “The Flower Child With A Knife Up His Sleeve,” Nick Kehoe examines the newly published book Marc Bolan: A Tribute, issued by Essex House Publishing.
Rather than presenting a conventional chronological biography, the book is described as a collection of personal views and memories from people who knew Bolan closely.
Contributors mentioned in the feature include his partner Gloria Jones, former wife June Bolan, producer Tony Visconti, and friends including Elton John, Ringo Starr and Steve Harley.
The article recalls Bolan’s death in a car crash two weeks before his thirtieth birthday and considers how quickly the T. Rex star had become a rock legend. One particularly memorable description characterises Bolan as a “flower child with a knife up his sleeve,” referring to the determination behind his pursuit of success.
Tony Visconti recalls working with Bolan on what was intended to become a major work titled The Children Of Rarn, which Bolan never completed.
Visconti also describes discovering an old demo tape after Bolan’s death, recorded with Bolan accompanying himself only on acoustic guitar. Although the original recording quality was poor, studio techniques allowed the material to be cleaned up and supplemented before release on Cube Records.
The feature closes by noting that Marc Bolan: A Tribute contains music to many of Bolan’s songs and was priced at £2.95.
CONTEXT AND NOTES
The article presents Bolan through the memories of people who worked and lived alongside him rather than attempting to recount his achievements in conventional biographical form. This gives the feature a personal perspective on both his ambition and musicianship.
Particular attention is given to Tony Visconti’s recollections. The producer comments on Bolan’s limitations as a guitarist while also acknowledging his remarkable ability to create commercially successful music. The unfinished Children Of Rarn project and the rediscovered acoustic demo tape provide additional insight into material existing beyond Bolan’s familiar T. Rex recordings.
FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS
Event: Publication and review of Marc Bolan: A Tribute
Era: 1978 – Early posthumous legacy period
Tone: Retrospective, personal and candid
Photography: Large black-and-white photograph captioned “Marc Bolan taking a break from filming his TV show.”
WHAT THE CLIPPING SHOWS
• Headline: “Marc Bolan legend”
• Sub-heading: “The Flower Child With A Knife Up His Sleeve”
• Feature written by Nick Kehoe
• Coverage of the book Marc Bolan: A Tribute
• Memories from Gloria Jones, June Bolan, Tony Visconti and other friends
• Discussion of the unfinished Children Of Rarn
• Reference to an early acoustic demo tape later worked on in the studio
• Large photograph of Bolan taking a break during filming of his television show
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