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Tyrannosaurus Rex

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After leaving John's Children in 1967, Marc Bolan forms the acoustic duo Tyrannosaurus Rex with percussionist Steve Peregrin Took. The duo signs a recording deal with producer Tony Visconti, for release on EMI's Regal Zonophone label. Following a poorly received US tour, Steve Took leaves and is replaced by Mickey Finn (3). 

The most underrated of Tyrannosaurus Rex's four albums, Prophets, Seers & Sages was recorded just six months after their debut and adds little to the landscapes which that set mapped out. There is the same reliance on the jarring juxtaposition of rock rhythms in a folky discipline; the same abundance of obscure, private mythologies; the same skewed look at the latest studio dynamics, fed through the convoluted wringer of the duo's imagination -- the already classic pop of the opening "Deboraarobed" is further dignified by its segue into the same performance played backwards, a fairly groundbreaking move at a time when even the Beatles were still burying such experiments deep in the mix. But if the album itself found the duo rooted to the musical spot, still it delivered some of Marc Bolan's most resonant songs. The nostalgia-flavored "Stacey Grove" and the contrarily high-energy "Conesuela" were as peerless as any of Bolan's more feted compositions. Equally intriguing is the confidence which exudes from "Scenes of Dynasty," a successor of sorts to the last album's "Scenesof," but presented with just percussion and some strange vocal noises to accompany Bolan's singing -- at a time when "singing" was maybe not the term a lot of listeners would employ for his vocals. The excited "one-two-three-four" count-in only adds to the dislocation, of course. Finally, the owlishly contagious "Salamanda Palaganda" offers a first-hand peek into the very mechanics of Bolan's songwriting. Other composers stuck for a rhyme either reach for the thesaurus or abandon the lyric altogether. Bolan simply made one up, and in the process created a whole new language -- half nonsense, half mystery, but wholly intoxicating. Just like the rest of the album, in fact.

Tyrannosaurus Rex ?– My People Were Fair And Had Sky In Their Hair... But Now They're Content To Wear Stars On Their Brows

Label:

Regal Zonophone ?– SLRZ 1003

Barcode and Other Identifiers

• Matrix / Runout (A-side runout): R YCARX 43-1G
• Matrix / Runout ( B-side runout): R YCARX 44-1G
• Matrix / Runout (A-side label, bracketed): YCARX.43
• Matrix / Runout (B-side label, bracketed): YCARX.44
• Rights Society: Mecolico. BIEM. NCB
• Other (Printer): 6807 TPS (Date code)

Format:

Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo 

Country:

UK

Released:

Jul 1968

Genre:

Rock

Style:

Folk Rock

 Images

Tyrannosaurus Rex ?– 

TracklistHide Credits

Companies, etc.

• Record Company – The Gramophone Co. Ltd.
• Produced For – Straight Ahead Productions Ltd.
• Published By – Cromwell Music Ltd.
• Printed By – Garrod & Lofthouse Ltd.
• Made By – Garrod & Lofthouse Ltd.

Credits

• Cover [Front Cover] – George Underwood
• Engineer – Gerald Chevin
• Liner Notes – John Peel
• Producer – Tony Visconti
• Vocals, Bongos, Percussion [Assorted], Gong [Chinese], Pixiephone – Steve Peregrine Took*
• Vocals, Guitar – Marc Bolan
• Written-By – Marc Bolan

Notes

Released in a front laminated 'flipback' cover with lyric insert. 

Sleeve: 
? 1968 
Regal Zonophone Regd. Trade Marks of The Gramophone Company Ltd. A company of the EMI group 

E.M.I Records (The Gramophone Company Ltd) Hayes • Middlesex • England 
Made and printed in Great Britain 
6807 TPS Printed and made by Garrod & lofthouse. Patents Pending 

Labels: 
Made in Gt. Britain 
? 1968 
Sold in the U.K. subject to resale price conditions, See price lists 

Insert: 
© All lyrics reproduced by arrangement with Cromwell Music Ltd.

(  MULTIPLE PURCHASES...25%- postage cost FOR EACH ADDITIONAL LP )