Jurassic Classic

On the 50th anniversary of Electric Warrior, producer Tony Visconti discusses the genius of T. Rex guitarist Marc Bolan

- By Mark Mcstea

In a year of notable anniversaries, 2021 sees the 50th anniversary of the release of Electric Warrior in 1971, for many the ultimate T. Rex album and the perfect encapsulation of Marc Bolan’s genius. Having spent years toiling away on the club and festival circuit with his acoustic duo, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Bolan fully embraced the sound of electric guitar and the spirit of rock ’n’ roll to score his first hit with “Ride a White Swan” in 1970. Its massive success turned Bolan into a global superstar, with incredible hit singles appearing every three months for the next three years. Most of the planet was in the grip of T. Rextasy, likened at the time to the fevered devotion of Beatlemania.

While the world was swooning over Bolan’s pin-up looks and killer hooks, the U.S. was strangely resistant, with Bolan’s only notable success being “Bang a Gong” in 1971. Bolan’s run of hits started to dry up in the mid-Seventies as the punk era dawned in the U.K., but his influence was immense, to the point that he was one of the few acts that wasn’t subject to the “year zero”-style condemnation of so much that had preceded punk.

Electric Warrior, like most of Bolan’s best albums, was produced by Tony Visconti, who was also working closely with David Bowie around the same period. Visconti’s role in the success of T. Rex can’t be overstated; his string arrangements were a key element of the distinctive T. Rex sound, and he knew how to get the very best out of Bolan in the studio. His memories of working with Bolan make for fascinating reading. [His interview in the December 2020 issue of