Four classic albums from Marc Bolan’s Tyrannosaurus Rex and T. Rex catalogue will be released on 3 March 2014 by Universal Music Catalogue/Polydor and by Demon Music on their Edsel label.
The release of A Beard of Stars, T.Rex, and a double CD set including Tanx and Zinc Alloy And The Riders of Tomorrow/A Creamed Cage, come just prior to the national tour of 20th Century Boy, a new musical inspired by the life of the rock legend who continues to captivate each and every generation with his catalogue of hits and classic tracks.
Universal Music Catalogue/Polydor turn back the clock for the earliest of the releases – A Beard of Stars (1970) and T.Rex from 1971, each with a bonus disc of rarities unmask Bolan on the threshold of success. A Beard of Stars, a more accessible and streamlined outing than previous Tyrannosaurus Rex releases turned out to be Bolan’s farewell to his late ’60s hippie duo and was the first to feature photogenic new sidekick, the bongo-playing Mickey Finn.
The tie-in single, By The Light Of A Magical Moon, was as charming as its title, and the entire set is woven with mysticism and melody. A Beard Of Stars also marked the first real stirrings of electricity, with album closer Elemental Child clocking in at five-a-a-half-minutes, thanks to some extended Hendrix-style guitar soloing.
A bonus disc of outtakes, many previously unreleased, has been handpicked by T. Rexpert Clive Zone - who also provides memorabilia for the booklet. A Beard of Stars will also be available on download, single CD and limited edition double vinyl LP.
