Marc Bolan founded Tyrannosaurus Rex in July 1967, following a handful of failed solo singles and a brief career as lead guitarist in psych-rock band John's Children. History Formation and psychedelic folk (July 1967 – mid-1970) 1.3 Transition, decline and resurgence (January 1973 – September 1977).1.2 Glam rock and commercial success (July 1970 – December 1972).1.1 Formation and psychedelic folk (July 1967 – mid-1970).The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020. Rex have continued to influence a variety of subsequent artists. In 1977, founder, songwriter and sole constant member Bolan died in a car crash several months after the release of the group's final studio album Dandy in the Underworld, and the group disbanded. They blended rock with R&B influences, and occasionally incorporated disco elements in their music, on subsequent releases before returning to a stripped-down sound.
Rex's appeal began to wane, though the band continued releasing one album per year. Bolstering their style with soul music, funk and gospel, the band released Tanx in 1973 which reached the top 5 in several countries. The 1972 follow-up, The Slider, entered the top 20 in the US. The band's 1971 album Electric Warrior received critical acclaim, reached number 1 in the UK and became a landmark album in glam rock. They scored four UK number one hits, " Hot Love", " Get It On", " Telegram Sam" and " Metal Guru". Rex encountered a popularity in the UK comparable to that of the Beatles, with a run of eleven singles in the UK top ten. This development culminated in 1970 with the song " Ride a White Swan", and the group soon became pioneers of the glam rock movement.įrom 1970 to 1973, T. In 1969, while developing the style for the fourth album, Bolan began to change the band's style towards electric rock, and shortened their name to T.
The band was initially called Tyrannosaurus Rex, and released four albums under this name - three psychedelic folk and one mellow psychedelic rock. Rex were an English rock band, formed in 1967 by singer-songwriter and guitarist Marc Bolan.