T.Rex (May 5 1973) Tanx Album Advert - Cashbox Magazine

Marc Bolan – T. Rex Tanx promotional image, Reprise Records and  Tapes, May 1973.

Publication: Cashbox Magazine   Date: May 5 1973

Country: United States Section / Pages: Album Promotion /  Feature 

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Title: T. Rex – Tanx (Album Promotion)

Overview

This Cashbox Magazine feature from May 5 1973 spotlights Marc Bolan and T. Rex during the promotional campaign for their album Tanx, released earlier that spring on Reprise Records and Tapes. The monochrome artwork presents Bolan in a commanding pose — seated behind a stylized mechanical tank — symbolizing both the album’s title and its fusion of glam‑rock bravado with futuristic imagery.

Tanx followed the success of The Slider (1972) and showcased Bolan’s evolving sound, blending rock, soul, and orchestral textures. The Cashbox spread reflected Bolan’s transatlantic popularity, with Tanx receiving strong coverage in both UK and US music press.

T. Rex – Tanx (1983 Japanese Reissue) Label: T. Rex – EMS‑50106  |  Series: Rock Greatest 1800  |  Format: Vinyl LP Album Reissue  |  Country: Japan  |  Released: 1983

Sources 

• Publication data sourced from Cashbox Magazine archives (1973)

• Promotional artwork credited to  Reprise Records and Tapes

• Historical context compiled from UK  and  US music‑press references

Album Details 

T. Rex Tanx

Artist: T. Rex

Label: Reprise Records and Tapes Catalogue: MS 2132 (US) / BLN 5002 (UK) Release Date: March 1973

Format: LP Vinyl

Genre: Glam Rock / Pop Rock

Side A

1. Tenement Lady — 2:55

2. Rapids — 2:48

3. Mister Mister — 3:29

4. Broken Hearted Blues — 2:02

5. Shock Rock — 1:43

6. Country Honey — 1:47

7. Electric Slim and the Factory Hen — 3:03

   
   

Side B

1. Mad Donna — 2:16

2. Born to Boogie — 2:04

3. Life Is Strange — 2:30

4. The Street and Babe Shadow — 2:18

5. Highway Knees — 2:34

6. Left Hand Luke and the Beggar Boys — 5:18

   
   

Design Notes

The Tanx artwork and promotional photography emphasized Bolan’s dual persona — part rock idol, part mystic visionary. The stark black‑and‑white aesthetic used in the Cashbox spread mirrored the album’s themes of power, motion, and transformation. Typography for the T. Rex Tanx logo adopted a bold, angular style, reinforcing the mechanical motif.

All magazine artwork, photographs, logos, and original text excerpts remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This Chronicle entry is a transformative, non‑commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference. No ownership of the original material is claimed or implied.

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