T. Rex (November 29, 2024) – Tanx Picture Disc RSD Black Friday 2024

Tanx is the 1973 studio album by T. Rex and was the band's eighth album since their 1968 debut as Tyrannosaurus Rex, as well as their fourth released under the shortened T. Rex name.

Recorded during the height of "Bolanmania", the album captured Marc Bolan at a particularly creative point in his career. While still retaining elements of the glam-rock sound heard on The Slider, the record also demonstrated Bolan's increasing interest in soul, funk and gospel music.

The result was an album that expanded the musical range of T. Rex while maintaining the distinctive songwriting style that had propelled the group to major success.

Among the tracks highlighted from the album are Tenement Lady, Born To Boogie and Mad Donna, recordings that reflected the changing direction of Bolan's music during the early 1970s.

For Record Store Day Black Friday 2024, Demon Records issued a special picture disc edition of the album.

The release was created as a limited collector's edition and featured newly recreated artwork together with a previously unseen colour photograph of Marc Bolan.

RECORDING

Tanx was recorded during the peak period of T. Rex's commercial success and was produced by Tony Visconti.

The album represents a period when Marc Bolan was increasingly incorporating influences from soul, funk and gospel music into the T. Rex sound.

STYLE & THEMES

While Tanx retains connections to the glam-rock style associated with earlier T. Rex releases, it also demonstrates Bolan's growing fascination with American soul music, funk rhythms and gospel-inspired arrangements.

The album stands as a stylistic progression from The Slider, expanding the musical palette of the group while retaining Marc Bolan's distinctive melodic and lyrical approach.

RELEASE HISTORY

Tanx was originally released in 1973.

To coincide with Record Store Day Black Friday 2024, Demon Records issued a special one-LP Picture Disc edition of the album.

Limited to 3,000 copies worldwide, the release featured recreated artwork by the original designer John Kosh and included a previously unseen colour photograph of Marc Bolan taken by Peter Howe.

The release was marketed as a collector's edition for both T. Rex fans and vinyl enthusiasts.

PRODUCTION

Produced by Tony Visconti

Artwork recreation by John Kosh

Photography by Peter Howe

Label: Demon Records

TRACK-BY-TRACK NOTES

• Tenement Lady — Opening track of the album and one of its best-known songs.

• Rapids — Continues the album's mixture of melodic rock and evolving soul influences.

• Mister Mister — Representative of the record's increasingly diverse musical direction.

• Broken-Hearted Blues — Reflects the album's broader stylistic palette.

• Shock Rock — Builds upon the glam-rock foundation established by earlier T. Rex releases.

• Country Honey — Introduces additional musical textures into the album sequence.

• Electric Slim And The Factory Hen — One of the album's more distinctive compositions.

• Mad Donna — Frequently cited among the key tracks from the album.

• Born To Boogie — One of the best-known recordings associated with Tanx.

• Life Is Strange — Further explores the album's increasingly varied musical influences.

• The Street And Babe Shadow — Part of the album's extensive and varied second side.

• Highway Knees — Continues the album's exploration of groove and rhythm.

• Left Hand Luke And The Beggar Boys — Closing track on the original album.

RELEASE TABLE

Artist	Album	Label	Country	Catalogue	Date	Format
T. Rex	Tanx	Demon Records	UK	DEMREC1266	November 29, 2024	1LP Picture Disc (RSD Black Friday 2024)

TRACKLIST

Format	Catalogue	Tracklisting
LP Picture Disc NOTES • Record Store Day Black Friday 2024 release. • Limited to 3,000 copies worldwide. • Artwork recreated by original album designer John Kosh. • Features a previously unseen colour photograph of Marc Bolan taken by Peter Howe. • Picture disc format. • John Kosh is noted for artwork associated with Abbey Road and Who's Next. • Created as a collector's edition for T. Rex fans and vinyl collectors. • The artwork was recreated by the original designer specifically for this edition.	DEMREC1266	A1. Tenement Lady A2. Rapids A3. Mister Mister A4. Broken-Hearted Blues A5. Shock Rock A6. Country Honey B1. Electric Slim And The Factory Hen B2. Mad Donna B3. Born To Boogie B4. Life Is Strange B5. The Street And Babe Shadow B6. Highway Knees B7. Left Hand Luke And The Beggar Boys

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SOURCES Discogs, 45 World, Wikipedia, BBC Official Charts

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