T.Rex (June 4, 1977) Marc Bolan Cover & Feature – Record Mirror

Iconic front cover of Record Mirror featuring Marc Bolan in full theatrical royal regalia, marking the launch of his new weekly column in the magazine.

PUBLICATION: Record Mirror

Date: June 4, 1977 (on-sale Friday 3 June)

Country: United Kingdom

Section / Pages: Front Cover

Title: BOLAN – A Royal Wave to the New Wave

THE STORY

The striking cover shows Marc Bolan with dramatic wide-eyed expression, tongue out, wearing an elaborate jeweled crown, heavy ornate necklace, and Elizabethan-style costume. The cover promotes the start of Bolan’s personal column in the magazine along with other features including “Rock Follies – or Fact?” and a Boz Scaggs colour spread.

CONTEXT AND NOTES 

This cover appeared in the summer of 1977 during the transition between glam rock and the emerging punk/new wave scene. Marc Bolan was attempting a comeback and used Record Mirror as a platform with his own column. The theatrical, almost pantomime-style costume perfectly captured his flamboyant personality. Tragically, this period was near the end of his life — Bolan died in a car crash just three months later in September 1977.

FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS 

Event: Magazine Front Cover

Feature Era: Late Glam / Pre-Punk 1977 Tone: Playful, theatrical, eccentric Photography: Bold colour portrait with dramatic makeup and costume

WHAT THE CLIPPING SHOWS 

Full-colour front cover of Record Mirror with large “Record Mirror” masthead, prominent “BOLAN” headline, and Marc Bolan’s expressive face dominating the image. Classic folded music paper creases visible in the physical copy.

RELATED MATERIAL

• T. Rex (June 4, 1977) “Dandy in the Underworld” – New Maxi Single Advertisement – Record Mirror (UK).

All magazine scans, photographs and original text excerpts remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This entry is a transformative, non-commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference.

Record Mirror, Marc Bolan, 1977, Glam Rock, T. Rex