T. Rex
The 50 Best Albums of 1972
Last year, when helping assemble SPIN‘s 50 Best Albums of 1971, I wondered if that year could have been popular music’s absolute peak. Now I’m asking myself that same question all over again. As I built a spreadsheet for 1972, gathering our writers’ votes alongside my own weird choices, I was once again struck by how many bronze-cast classics came out that year: LPs from David Bowie, Al Green, Aretha Franklin, The Allman Brothers Band, Yes, Stevie Wonder, Roxy Music, and on and on. Run down basically every genre – glam, soul, prog, art rock, Southern rock, metal, folk, MPB — and you’ll find the very best shit, whether eternally famous or sadly obscure. (My poor spreadsheet, swelling each day, originally had hundreds of worthy records. But you have to start chopping eventually.) Here’s wher...
St. Vincent Covers Nine Inch Nails to Honor NIN’s Rock Hall 2020 Induction
In honor of the 2020 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony happening this weekend, Amazon Music just released a special series of covers honoring this year’s class of inductees. St. Vincent and Jehnny Beth of Savages put their flair on Nine Inch Nails’ “Piggy” and “Closer” respectively. Eyelids took on Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy the Silence” off 1990’s Violator, while Real Estate covered “What a Fool Believes” by the Doobie Brothers. And while T. Rex was honored with a tribute album of covers this year, The Kills will be covering their iconic track, “Cosmic Dancer.” To honor the late Whitney Houston, Brandy will be covering one of the singer’s tracks, which will release in 2021. In other Amazon Music news, the service re-released The Birth of Biggie on the&nbs...
David Bowie and Morrissey’s Cover of T. Rex Is Coming to Vinyl
In 1991, revered Brit superstars David Bowie and Morrissey performed a cover version of T. Rex’s “Cosmic Dancer” at a concert in Los Angeles; that live cover will finally officially be released Nov. 13. It arrives via digital download and streaming services, with a physical seven-inch single coming on Feb. 19. On the flip side of the single will be Morrissey’s take on The Jam’s “That’s Entertainment,” which is not, however, the same version of the song that Morrissey put out in 1993. Morrissey’s official website says that “Cosmic Dancer” will have an “upgraded and edited video made in Los Angeles by Tim Broad.” That will also drop on Nov. 13. The front and back photographs of David Bowie and Morrissey on the sleeve were taken in New York City by Linder Sterling. The ori...
Kesha Brings T. Rex’s ‘Children of the Revolution’ to Tonight Show
As the celebration of Angelheaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan and T. Rex.‘s release continues, Kesha has now brought her own glamorous performance of T. Rex’s “Children of the Revolution” to The Late Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Covered in silver paint and chainlinks, she gives the 1972 single an extraterrestrial look. And with the multitudes of Keshas appearing on the screen, it looks a lot like a video for the next James Bond single. “[O]ne of my most fave artists of all time and one of my favorite songs…. one of my fave performances ever!!!!! You won’t want to miss this silver extraterrestrial performance 👽👽👽,” she tweeted. Last week, Nick Cave performed “Cosmic Dancer” and Joan Jett played “Jeepster” on The Late Late Show with James Corden. Angelheaded Hipst...
Father John Misty Reinterprets T. Rex’s ‘Main Man’
AngelHeaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan and T. Rex is out today. And Father John Misty’s reinterpretation of T. Rex’s “Main Man” was released to mark the occasion. Misty’s version stays true to the original but has a bit more of a softer pop-rock tone that’s part of the singer-songwriter’s signature style. The compilation was one of the last projects famed SNL music producer Hal Willner worked on before passing from COVID-19 earlier this year. “Hal had a unique vision of Marc Bolan’s music, and working on AngelHeaded Hipster brought him great joy. Speaking for those closest to him, we will forever be heartbroken at the untimely loss of our beloved friend and irreplaceable creative engine,” Rachel Fox, supervising producer of AngelHeaded Hipster and longtime Willner collaborator, said ...
Kesha Shares Cover of T. Rex’s ‘Children of the Revolution’
Kesha has shared a cover of T. Rex’s “Children of the Revolution” on Wednesday, along with a video featuring iconic ’70s-era archival footage of singer Marc Bolan and the iconic group. The track, produced by Hal Willner for the upcoming star-studded compilation album Angelheaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan and T. Rex, showcases Kesha’s superstar vocals as she’s backed by an orchestra. “Through a stroke of luck, I met the incredibly talented and kind Hal Willner,” Kesha said. “We were in the same studio and he said he liked my red nudie suit, and then when he mentioned that he was working on a project that involved honoring Marc Bolan, I excitedly started rambling about how much T. Rex has influenced my music and my style.” Willner died of COVID-related complication...
