Marc Bolan
From The Giant: The Definitive Obey Giant Site
Mark Feld (September 30, 1947 – September 16, 1977), better known as Marc Bolan, was a singer and songwriter for the band Tyrannosaurus Rex (later called T. Rex)[1], from 1967 until his death in a car crash in 1977. He is credited by many as having invented glam rock. Bolan's stage name possibly originated as a contraction of Bob Dylan's name or from an error on a Decca record label Mark Bowland. It is as likely to have been taken from James Bolam, the British actor with whom Marc shared a flat in the early 1960s. Known for his distinctive catlike wail and cascades of dark corkscrew hair, his influence on subsequent groups is incalculable, but still underrated.
Bolan's music was a massive influence on punk rock and the 1990s Britpop movement. In fact, many acts claim or have known to have, (allegedly) taken portions of T. Rex songs for use in "original" compositions. Notable examples include "Panic" by the Smiths (credited to Morrissey/Marr; core of the song is lifted from "Metal Guru"), "Me I Funk" by KMFDM takes the lyrics from "Ballrooms Of Mars" and "Cigarettes & Alcohol" by Oasis (credited to Noel Gallagher; allegedly plagiarizing "Get It On", a claim that almost led to legal action, so it has been said).
American acts of the late 1970s punk/new wave genres, such as the Ramones ("The KKK Took My Baby Away" has a stolen guitar riff from "Laser Love") have also cited Bolan's music as a heavy influence.
Marc Bolan is notable in the Obey art world for being featured on several of Shepard Fairey's works. Bolan is featured as the main design element of Shepard's 2004 Pretty Vacant, an image modelled after the cover to T. Rex's 1972 single "Children of the Revolution" (T. Rex also used the same picture on the 1972 picture sleeve of the single "Solid Gold Action/Born to Boogie," seen below, and several other releases through the years).
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