T. Rex – (May 26, 2023)T. Rex 1973: Whatever Happened To The Teenage Dream? LP Box
T. Rex 1973: Whatever Happened To The Teenage Dream? forms part of the acclaimed "Year" series documenting the work of Marc Bolan and T. Rex. This instalment focuses on 1973, a period of considerable transition and experimentation in Bolan's career, during which he spent significant time recording in studios across both the United States and Europe.
The collection captures a creative period that followed the peak of T. Rex mania and documents Bolan's continuing evolution as a songwriter, performer and producer. The set brings together the major studio work released during the year alongside contemporary singles, B-sides, demos, outtakes and rarities.
Central to the collection are the studio albums Tanx and Zinc Alloy, both representing different stages in Bolan's musical development. Alongside these albums are a series of non-album singles that chronicled some of T. Rex's most successful and enduring recordings from the period.
The set also explores Bolan's growing interest in soul music and includes material connected to an abandoned album project written and produced for Sister Pat Hall. As a result, the collection presents a broader picture of Bolan's creative activities during 1973 than the original album releases alone could provide.
RECORDING
The collection documents a period when Marc Bolan was particularly active in recording studios throughout Europe and the United States.
LP4 gathers demos and studio outtakes originating from the Tanx and Zinc Alloy recording periods.
LP5 focuses on Bolan's exploration of soul music and includes highlights drawn from the unreleased project he developed for Sister Pat Hall.
STYLE & THEMES
The material demonstrates the wide stylistic range Bolan was exploring during 1973.
While Tanx continued elements of the glam-rock approach that had defined T. Rex's commercial breakthrough, Zinc Alloy revealed a stronger interest in soul, rhythm and blues and broader musical experimentation.
The inclusion of major singles such as "Children Of The Revolution", "Solid Gold Easy Action", "20th Century Boy", "The Groover", "Truck On (Tyke)" and "Teenage Dream" highlights Bolan's continuing ability to combine commercial appeal with creative reinvention.
The collection also documents his developing fascination with soul music through material connected to the Sister Pat Hall recordings.
TRACK-BY-TRACK NOTES
TANX
• Tenement Lady — Opening track from Tanx.
• Rapids — Included on the original Tanx album.
• Mister Mister — Studio recording from the Tanx sessions.
• Broken Hearted Blues — Album track from Tanx.
• Shock Rock — Included on the original album.
• Country Honey — Featured on Tanx.
• Electric Slim And The Factory Hen — One of the album's key studio recordings.
• Mad Donna — Represents the evolving direction of Bolan's songwriting.
• Born To Boogie — Included on the original album sequence.
• Life Is Strange — Album track from Tanx.
• The Street And Babe Shadow — Featured on Tanx.
• Highway Knees — Included on the original album.
• Left Hand Luke And The Beggar Boys — Closing track from Tanx.
NON-ALBUM SINGLES
• Children Of The Revolution — Major standalone single from the period.
• Solid Gold Easy Action — Contemporary hit single.
• 20th Century Boy — One of Bolan's signature recordings.
• The Groover — Non-album single included in the collection.
• Truck On (Tyke) — Included among the standalone releases.
• Teenage Dream — Key recording from the era.
RELEASE HISTORY
The collection was released by Demon Records on May 26, 2023.
Available as a 5LP orange vinyl box set, the release presents Marc Bolan's 1973 recordings in expanded form through a combination of studio albums, hit singles, B-sides, demos, outtakes and previously harder-to-find recordings.
Exclusive copies ordered through the Official T. Rex Store included an A4 print reproducing Tony Visconti's original score for "Whatever Happened To The Teenage Dream".
The same bonus was available with both the 5LP and 4CD editions.
A substantial 12-inch by 12-inch booklet accompanies the set, containing a newly written 16,000-word essay by Mark Paytress, together with previously unpublished photographs by Keith Morris and a selection of period memorabilia.
Marc Bolan — vocals, guitar, songwriter, producer
T. Rex — performances throughout the collection
Keith Morris — photography
Mark Paytress — essay author
Tony Visconti — original score reproduced as exclusive print
NOTES
• Exclusive Official T. Rex Store editions included an A4 print reproducing Tony Visconti's original score for "Whatever Happened To The Teenage Dream".
• The collection focuses exclusively on Marc Bolan and T. Rex activity during 1973.
• Includes the albums Tanx and Zinc Alloy.
• Includes major singles from the period and their associated B-sides.
• LP4 is dedicated to demos and outtakes.
• LP5 explores Bolan's interest in soul music.
• Features highlights from the abandoned Sister Pat Hall album project.
• Includes a newly commissioned 16,000-word essay by Mark Paytress.
• Contains previously unpublished Keith Morris photographs.
• Includes period memorabilia and archive material.
RELEASE VARIANTS TABLE
Artist | Album | Label | Country | Catalogue | Date | Format |
T. Rex | T. Rex 1973: Whatever Happened To The Teenage Dream? | Demon Records | UK | DEMRECBOX84 | May 26, 2023 | 5LP Orange Vinyl Box Set |
T. Rex | T. Rex 1973: Whatever Happened To The Teenage Dream? | Demon Records | UK | EDSL1973 | May 26, 2023 | 4CD Box Set |
TRACKLIST TABLE
Format | Catalogue | Tracklisting |
5LP Orange Vinyl Box Set | DEMRECBOX84 | LP1: Tanx LP2: Zinc Alloy LP3: Non-album singles and B-sides including Children Of The Revolution, Solid Gold Easy Action, 20th Century Boy, The Groover, Truck On (Tyke) and Teenage Dream LP4: Demos and outtakes from Tanx and Zinc Alloy LP5: Soul recordings and Sister Pat Hall project highlights |
4CD Box Set | EDSL1973 | Contains the same 1973 collection programme including Tanx, Zinc Alloy, singles, B-sides, demos, outtakes and Sister Pat Hall recordings |
SOURCES Discogs, 45 Worlds, Wikipedia, BBC Official Charts, Demon Records, Official Marc Bolan archives
All album artwork, photographs, labels, 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.
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