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A common grip used to throw a slider

In baseball, a slider (also known as a yakker, a snapper, or a spinner) is a pitch that breaks laterally and down, with a speed between that of a curveball and that of a fastball.

The break on the pitch is shorter than that of a curveball. The release technique of a slider is between a curveball and a fastball. The slider is similar to the cutter, a pitch which is thrown as a fastball, but differs in the sense that a slider tends to be more of a breaking ball.

Slider continuum[link]

Depending on velocity, a pitch can fall anywhere on the continuum from "fastball" to "slider":

• fastball » cut fastball » hard slider » slider » slurve
• cut fastball: 3–5 MPH slower than fastball
• hard slider: 5–7 MPH slower than fastball
• slider: 7–9 MPH slower than fastball

The most notable difference between a slider and curveball is that the curveball delivery includes a downward yank on the ball as it is released, in addition to the lateral spin applied by the slider grip. The slider is released off the index finger while the curveball is released off the middle finger. If the pitcher is snapping his wrist as he throws, and the movement is more downward than sideways, then he is probably throwing a curveball or slurve, and not a true “slider”.^[1] When throwing a slider the pitcher should create a "dot" on the baseball. What this means is that as the ball approaches home plate the rotation of the ball is forming a dot. On a good slider the "dot" will be down where it is not noticeable for a hitter to pick up. From the batter's perspective this dot appears white, whereas the dot is red for a curve ball (created by the seam movement) allowing many skilled batters to immediately recognize the type of pitch. By having the dot on the bottom part of the ball the pitcher will create good depth to the pitch. A good hard slider has a slight break across the plate and a slight drop on its plane to the hitter.

It is important when throwing a slider, or any breaking pitch in baseball, not to come "around" the baseball. When the pitcher comes "around" the ball the pitcher puts extra tension on his pitching arm to throw that pitch. As mentioned earlier the pitcher should create a dot on the ball when throwing a slider, but the dot is not created by sweeping the arm around and spinning the ball. The dot will be created with a regular arm motion, just like a fast ball, then at the end the pitcher should turn their wrist so that their thumb is facing downwards. It is important that the dot is on the bottom half of the ball or else the slider will have little depth to it. To make sure that the dot is on the bottom the pitcher must ensure that the fingers stay on top of the ball until release. A good way to remember this is for the pitcher to tell himself to throw his fingers at the catcher. With the slider, or any pitch for that matter, it is important to follow through and finish the pitch.

Notable sliders[link]

Right-handed pitcher David Cone was famous for his devastating slider, which he was able to use many different ways, as was Bob Gibson of the Cardinals. To right-handed batters, Cone would throw it to hook sharply outside the strike zone, getting hitters to chase and miss it. He would also throw the pitch from various arm angles to further confuse the hitter. Cone's slider was also a strikeout pitch to left-handed hitters, throwing it to curve back over the outside corner and catch the hitter looking. Cone used the slider to great effect during his perfect game on July 18, 1999—the final out was recorded via a slider resembling a whiffle ball. In the first game of the 1988 World Series, Dennis Eckersley tried to strike out Kirk Gibson with a slider, but Gibson was sitting on that pitch and hit a game-winning home run. A notable slider was thrown by John Smoltz which would come in looking like a strike and then break out of the strike zone. Brad Lidge featured a devastating slider as his primary weapon in his perfect season as a closer in 2008, and used a slider to strikeout the final batter of the 2008 World Series for the Philadelphia Phillies. Closer Francisco Cordero also possesses a potent slider. Yet another notable pitcher who throws a slider is Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers who used the pitch to win a Cy Young Award in 1981.^[2][3] Another potent slider was thrown by Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks starter Randy Johnson, whose incredible lateral movement on the pitch eventually spawned its own nickname, "Mr. Snappy". At times, his slider was faster than most pitchers' fastballs. Hall of Fame pitcher Steve Carlton was known for his nearly unhittable slider. Mike Jackson (right-handed pitcher), who tied Paul Assenmacher with the most games pitched in the 1990s (644), also threw a great slider. Ron Guidry was famous for his devastating slider, he was taught by Sparky Lyle.

Other active pitchers with good sliders include Sergio Romo, Joe Nathan, Joba Chamberlain, Cliff Lee, Johan Santana, Kerry Wood, Carlos Marmol, Josh Johnson, Scott Feldman, Brad Lidge, Clayton Kershaw, and Francisco Liriano. Armando Galarraga threw sliders 38.9 % of the time in 2008, more than any other starting pitcher in the majors, and Ryan Dempster threw them 32.9% of the time, more than any other NL starting pitcher.^[4] In 2008 CC Sabathia had the most effective slider, among major league starting pitchers.^[5] Zack Greinke won the AL Cy Young award in 2009 due in large part to his slider, one of the better pitches in all of baseball.^[6] In 2011, Clayton Kershaw won the Triple Crown by having a .117 average against his slider.^[7]

Improper throwing while pitching sliders is associated with pitching injuries and slider pitchers experience injuries at a rate slightly higher than that of other pitchers.^{[citation needed]}

History[link]

The innovator of the slider is debated, but some credit Chief Bender as the first to use the slider, also George Blaeholder was credited with using it with the St. Louis Browns then called a "nickel curve", in the 1910s.^[8] Bender used his slider to help him achieve a no-hitter and win 212 games in his career.^[9] Bender was the first pitcher to win six World Series games.^[8]

More recently, New York Yankee pitcher Ron Guidry mastered the pitch to great effect in 1978 when he went 25–3 and won the Cy Young Award. It is also the name of the Cleveland Indians mascot who was recently inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame.

References[link]

Marc Bolan (born Mark Feld; 30 September 1947 – 16 September 1977) was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist and poet. He is best known as the frontman of glam rock group T. Rex.

Biography[link]

Early life and career[link]

Plaque marking Marc Bolan's childhood home, 25 Stoke Newington Common, Hackney. (November 2005)

Bolan grew up in post-war Hackney, northeast London, the son of Phyllis Winifred (née Atkins) and Simeon Feld, a lorry driver. His father was Jewish (of Russian and Polish origin) and his mother was from a Christian background.^[1][2][3] Later moving to Wimbledon, southwest London, he fell in love with the rock and roll of Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, Arthur Crudup and Chuck Berry^{[citation needed]} and was considered a mod because of dress, hanging around coffee bars such as the 2 I's in Soho.^{[citation needed]} He appeared as an extra in an episode of the television show Orlando, dressed as a mod. At the age of nine, Bolan was given his first guitar and began a skiffle band. While at school, he played guitar in "Susie and the Hoops," a trio whose vocalist was a 12-year old Helen Shapiro. At 15, he left school "by mutual consent".^{[citation needed]}

He briefly joined a modelling agency and became a "John Temple Boy", appearing in a clothing catalogue for the menswear store. He was a model for the suits in their catalogues as well as for cardboard cut-outs to be displayed in shop windows. "TOWN" magazine featured him as an early example of the mod movement in a photo spread with two other models. Mark Feld had changed his stage-name to Toby Tyler when he met and moved in with child actor Allan Warren, who was to become his first manager. This fortuitous encounter afforded Bolan a lifeline to the heart of show-business, as Warren saw Toby Tyler's potential whilst the latter spent hours sitting cross-legged on Warren's floor playing his acoustic guitar. A series of photographs was to be commissioned with photographer Michael McGrath, who later recalls that Bolan "left no impression" on him.^[4] Warren also hired a recording studio and had Bolan's first acetates cut. One track was the Bob Dylan song "Blowin' in the Wind". A version of Betty Everett's "You're No Good" was later submitted to EMI for a test screening but was turned down.

Warren later sold Bolan's contract and recordings for £200 to his landlord, property mogul David Kirch, in lieu of three months' back rent. Kirch was too busy with his property empire to do anything for him. A year or so later, Bolan's mother pushed into Kirch's office and shouted at him that he had done nothing for her son. She demanded he tear up the contract and willingly he complied.^[5][6][7] The tapes produced during the Toby Tyler recording session vanished for over 25 years before resurfacing in 1991 and selling for nearly $8,000. Their eventual release on CD in 1993 made available the earliest of Marc's known recordings.

After changing his name again to Marc Bolan (via Mark Bowland) while with Decca Records he released his first single "The Wizard". According to Danny Baker speaking on QI Series G, episode 15 on BBC television, Bolan is a contraction of Bob Dylan.^[8][9] In early 1967, manager Simon Napier-Bell added him to the pop art/mod band John's Children, which achieved some success as a live band but sold few records. A John's Children single written by Marc Bolan called "Desdemona" was banned by the BBC for its line "lift up your skirt and fly." His tenure with the band was brief. Bolan claimed to have spent time with a wizard in Paris who gave him secret knowledge and could levitate. The time spent with him was often alluded to but remained "mythical"; in reality the wizard was probably U.S. actor Riggs O'Hara with whom Bolan made a trip to Paris in 1965. His song-writing took off and he began writing many of the neo-romantic songs that would appear on his first albums with Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Tyrannosaurus Rex[link]

When John's Children collapsed (amongst other problems, the band were stunned to discover their equipment had been stolen from a studio, according to a Bolan biographer), Bolan and Steve Peregrin Took created Tyrannosaurus Rex, a psychedelic-folk rock acoustic duo, playing Bolan's songs, with Took playing assorted hand and kit percussion and occasional bass to Bolan's acoustic guitars and voice.

This version of Tyrannosaurus Rex released four albums and four singles, flirting with the charts, reaching as high as number fifteen and supported with airplay by Radio 1 DJ John Peel. One of the highlights of this era was when the duo played at the first free Hyde Park concert in 1968. Although the free-spirited, drug-taking Took was fired from the group after their first American tour, they were a force to be reckoned with in the hippy underground scene while they lasted. Their music was filled with Marc's otherworldly poetry, a book of which he published in 1969, 'The Warlock Of Love'. In keeping with his early rock and roll interests, Bolan began bringing amplified guitar lines into the duo's music, buying a vintage Gibson Les Paul guitar (later featured on the cover of the album T. Rex in 1970). After replacing Took with Mickey Finn, he let the electric influences come forward even further on A Beard of Stars, the final album to be credited to Tyrannosaurus Rex. It closed with the song "Elemental Child," featuring a long electric guitar break influenced by Jimi Hendrix.

Bolan, by now married to his girlfriend June Child (a former secretary to the manager of another of his heroes, Syd Barrett), shortened the group's name to T. Rex and wrote and recorded "Ride a White Swan", dominated by a rolling, hand clapping back-beat, Bolan's electric guitar and Finn's percussion.

T. Rex and glam rock[link]

Bolan and his producer Tony Visconti oversaw the session for "Ride a White Swan", the single that changed Bolan's career. Recorded on 1 July 1970 and released later that year, it made slow progress in the UK Top 40, until it finally peaked in early 1971 at number two.

Bolan took to wearing top hats and feather boas on stage as well as putting drops of glitter on each of his cheekbones. Stories are conflicting about his inspiration for this—some say it was introduced by his personal assistant, Chelita Secunda, although Bolan told John Pidgeon in a 1974 interview on Radio 1 that he noticed the glitter on his wife's dressing table prior to a photo session and casually daubed some on his face there and then. Other performers—and their fans—soon took up variations on the idea.

The glam era also saw the rise of Bolan's friend David Bowie, whom Bolan had come to know in the underground days (Bolan had played guitar on Bowie's 1970 single "Prettiest Star").

Bolan followed "Ride a White Swan" and T. Rex by expanding the group to a quartet with bassist Steve Currie and drummer Bill Legend, and cutting a five-minute single, "Hot Love", with a rollicking rhythm, string accents and an extended sing-along chorus inspired somewhat by "Hey Jude". It was number one for six weeks and was quickly followed by "Get It On", a grittier, more adult tune that spent four weeks in the top spot. The song was renamed "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" when released in the United States, to avoid confusion with another song of the same name by the American band Chase. The song reached #10 in the United States in early 1972, the only Top 40 single the band had in America.

In November 1971, the band's record label, Fly, released the Electric Warrior track "Jeepster" without Bolan's permission. Outraged, Bolan took advantage of the timely lapsing of his Fly Records contract and left for EMI, who gave him his own record label, the T. Rex Wax Co. Its bag and label featured an iconic head-and-shoulders image of Bolan. Despite the lack of Bolan's endorsement, "Jeepster" peaked at number two.

In 1972, Bolan achieved two more British number ones with "Telegram Sam" and "Metal Guru" (the latter of which stopped Elton John getting to the top with "Rocket Man") and two more number twos in "Children Of The Revolution" and "Solid Gold Easy Action". Bolan told Gloria Jones the track "Metal Guru" would be "the smoothest song in history".

In the same year he appeared in Ringo Starr's film Born to Boogie, a documentary showing a concert at Wembley Empire Pool on 18 March 1972. Mixed in were surreal scenes shot at John Lennon's mansion in Ascot and a session with T. Rex joined by Ringo Starr on second drum kit and Elton John on piano. At this time T. Rex record sales accounted for about 6 percent of total British domestic record sales. The band was reportedly selling 100,000 records a day; however, no T. Rex single ever became a million-seller in the UK, despite many gold discs and an average of four weeks at the top per Number One hit.

In 1973, Bolan played twin lead guitar alongside his friend Jeff Lynne on the Electric Light Orchestra songs "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" and "Dreaming of 4000" (originally uncredited) from On the Third Day, as well as on "Everyone's Born To Die", which was not released at the time but appears as a bonus track on the 2006 remaster.

Bolan played guitar on the track "Have You Seen My Baby (Hold On)" on Ringo Starr's album Ringo.

By late 1973, his pop star fame gradually began to wane, even though he achieved a number three hit, "20th Century Boy", in February and mid-year "The Groover" followed it to number four. "Truck On (Tyke)" missed the UK Top 10 reaching only #12 in December. However, "Teenage Dream" from the 1974 album Zinc Alloy And The Hidden Riders of Tomorrow showed that Bolan was attempting to create richer, more involved music than he had previously attempted with T. Rex. He expanded the line up of the band to include a second guitarist, Jack Green, and other studio musicians, and began to take more control over the sound and production of his records.

In 1974, Bolan played guitar for Ike & Tina Turner. He appeared on "Nutbush City Limits", "Sexy Ida (Part II)", and "Baby Get It On". Tina Turner confirmed this in a BBC Radio 1 interview.^{[citation needed]}

Eventually, the vintage T. Rex line-up disintegrated. Legend left in 1973 and Finn in 1975 and Bolan's marriage came to an end because of his affair with backing singer Gloria Jones. He spent a good deal of his time in the U.S. for much of the next three years, continuing to release singles and albums which, while less popular to the masses, were full of unusual lyrics and sometimes eccentric musical experiments. Although Bolan's health began to fail as he put on weight, the former glam rock icon cleaned up and continued working, producing at least one UK chart hit every year until his death in 1977.

Resurgence[link]

Gloria Jones gave birth to Bolan's son in September 1975, whom they named Rolan Bolan (although his birth certificate lists him as 'Rolan Seymour Feld'). That same year, Bolan returned to the UK from tax exile in the U.S. and Monaco and to the public eye with a low-key tour. Bolan made regular appearances on the LWT pop show Supersonic, directed by his old friend Mike Mansfield and released a succession of singles, but he never regained the success of his glory days of the early 1970s. The last remaining member of Bolan's halcyon era T. Rex, Currie, left the group in late 1976.

In early 1977, Bolan got a new band together, released a new album, Dandy in the Underworld, and set out on a fresh UK tour, taking along punk band The Damned as support to entice a young audience who did not remember his heyday. Granada Television commissioned Bolan to front a six-part series called Marc, where he introduced new and established bands and performed his own songs. By this time Bolan had lost weight, appearing as trim as he had during T. Rex's earlier heyday. The show was broadcast during the post-school half-hour on ITV earmarked for children and teenagers; it was a big success.^{[citation needed]} One episode reunited Bolan with his former John's Children-bandmate Andy Ellison, then fronting the band Radio Stars. The last episode featured a unique Bolan "duet" with David Bowie during which Bolan fell off the stage just as the singing was commencing.^[10] With no time for a retake, this occurrence was aired and Bowie's amusement was clearly visible.

Death[link]

Bolan's shrine, on what would have been his 60th birthday, 30 September 2007.

Bolan died on 16 September 1977, two weeks before his 30th birthday.^[11][12] He was a passenger in a purple Mini 1275GT (registration FOX 661L) driven by Gloria Jones as they headed home from Mortons drinking club and restaurant in Berkeley Square. Jones lost control of the car and it struck a sycamore tree after failing to negotiate a small humpback bridge near Gipsy Lane on Queens Ride, Barnes, southwest London. Richard Madeley of daytime TV fame informed fans that it was low tyre pressure that contributed to the fatal crash.^[11]

Bolan died instantly, while Jones suffered a broken arm and broken jaw and spent time in hospital; she did not learn of Bolan's death until the day of his funeral. Bolan's home, which was less than a mile away at 142 Upper Richmond Road West in East Sheen, was quickly looted. Fans quickly turned the site of the crash into a shrine and in 2007 the site was officially recognised as Bolan's Rock Shrine.

At Bolan's funeral, attended by James Stroud, David Bowie, Paul Davis and Rod Stewart, a swan-shaped floral tribute was displayed outside the service in recognition of his breakthrough hit single. His funeral service was at the Golders Green Crematorium which is a secular provision in North London. Bolan himself stated that he was Jewish, the religion of his father. However, because his mother was not Jewish he would be considered a gentile under Orthodox Jewish law (Halakha). His ashes were buried at Golders Green Crematorium.

Bolan never learned to drive, fearing a premature death. Despite this fear, cars or automotive components are at least mentioned in, if not the subject of, many of his songs. He also owned a number of vehicles, including a famed white Rolls-Royce, which had been lent by his management to Hawkwind on the night of his death.

Fellow T. Rex member Steve Currie also died in a car crash less than four years later.

Equipment[link]

Guitars

Electric: Marc Bolan was mostly seen playing Gibson Les Pauls. His main guitar, a Les Paul Standard (fitted with a Les Paul Custom replacement neck after the original neck was broken) was refinished in a translucent orange to resemble Gretsch guitars played by one of his heroes Eddie Cochran. He was also seen playing a black Gibson Flying V with tremolo and a late 1960s model Olympic White Fender Stratocaster. One with both an eye and ear for the unusual, Bolan also played various models of visually striking guitars from smaller independent companies, among them a Veleno aluminium guitar, and the Burns Flyte.

Acoustic: Bolan favoured the Epiphone and Gibson brands. Most notably the Gibson Hummingbird and Gibson J-160E models.

In 2011, Gibson Guitar Corporation issued a specification-correct model of his main Gibson Les Paul guitar as part of their Signature series.

Amplification

While Bolan was known to use makes as diverse as Vox, Orange, HH Electronics and Marshall, he is perhaps most associated with the short-lived Vampower line of British amplifiers. Used through 1970–1973, the model MK1A Vampower 100 watt stack was present and utilised on the T. Rex tours and recordings of that period.

Signal processors

Dallas-Arbiter Fuzz Face, Electro-Harmonix Screaming Tree, MXR Blue Box, Vox wah.

Legacy[link]

In 1979, Siouxsie and the Banshees released a cover of "20th Century Boy" as the b-side to the single "The Staircase (Mystery)".

In December 1980, "Telegram Sam" was the fourth single released by British gothic rock band Bauhaus.

Also in 1980, The Bongos were the first American group, with "Mambo Sun," to enter the Billboard charts with a T.Rex cover. Since then, Bongos frontman Richard Barone has recorded several other Bolan compositions ("The Visit," "Ballrooms of Mars"), worked with T.Rex producer Tony Visconti for his current solo album, Glow (2010, Bar/None Records) that includes a remake of Bolan's "Girl" from Electric Warrior, and has himself produced tracks for Bolan's son Rolan.

In 1981, Department S released a cover of "Solid Gold Easy Action" as the b-side to the single "Is Vic There?".

In 1984, The Replacements released a cover of "20th Century Boy" as a B-side to the single "I Will Dare"; it is also included on the reissue version of their album Let It Be.^[13] In 1993, Adam Ant covered the track live on the Limed Edition live disc of his Antmusic: The Very Best of Adam Ant collection.

In 1985, Duran Duran splinter band Power Station, with Robert Palmer as vocalist, took a version of "Get It On" into the UK Top 40 and to US #6, the first cover of a Bolan song to enter the charts since his death. They also performed the tune (with Michael Des Barres replacing Palmer) at the U.S. Live Aid concert.

In 1986, the Violent Femmes performed "Children of the Revolution" on their third album The Blind Leading the Naked, for which they also recorded a music video.

In 1989, X released a live cover of "20th Century Boy" as the B-side to their single "Kurenai".

In 1990, Baby Ford did a cover of "Children of the Revolution" that appeared on the album Oooh, The World of Baby Ford.

In 1993, Guns N' Roses covered "Buick MacKane" on 'The Spaghetti Incident?" but it was mislabelled on the album as "Buick Makane".

In 1994, Billy Idol wore a t-shirt reproducing The Slider album cover in his popular video supporting the song "Speed". That was a clear homage to Marc Bolan, who helped Generation X to rise at the very beginning of their career.

Also in 1994, A House covered "Children of the Revolution" as a B-side on their "Here Come the Good Times" single alongside tracks originally by Bolan's erstwhile support band, The Damned, and by Donna Summer.

In 1995 Darryl Read released "Teenage Dream" as a single and Bill Legend of T. Rex drums on this version - for the second time round. This single was reissued in 2009 along with a promotional video filmed at the Roundhouse London - featuring Read and Legend with T. Rex fans.

In 2003 Depeche Mode's Martin Gore recorded a cover of "Life Is Strange", and included it as a b-side of the single "Stardust".^[14]

In 2006 Def Leppard released their album Yeah which contains covers of their favourite bands while growing up, the first song on this album is "20th Century Boy". Joe Elliott wanted to sing "Metal Guru" while Vivian Campbell wanted "Telegram Sam" but end up agreeing to "20th Century Boy". It's not the first time that Def Leppard has sung a T.Rex song; there is a live version of Get It On.

"Children of the Revolution" was similarly performed by Elton John and Pete Doherty of The Libertines at Live 8, 20 years later. U2's Bono and Gavin Friday also covered "Children of the Revolution" on the Moulin Rouge! soundtrack.

In 2000, Naoki Urasawa created a Japanese manga entitled 20th Century Boys that was inspired by Marc Bolan's song, "20th Century Boy". The series is a multiple award-winner, and has also been released in North America. The story was adopted into three successful live-action movies from 2008 to 2009, which were also released in the US, Canada and the UK.

"20th Century Boy" introduced a new generation of devotees to Bolan's work in 1991 when it was featured on a Levi's jeans TV commercial featuring Brad Pitt, and was re-released, reaching the UK Top 20. The song was performed by the fictional band The Flaming Creatures (performed by Placebo, reprised by Placebo and David Bowie at the 1999 BRIT Awards) in the 1998 film Velvet Goldmine. In every decade since his death, a Bolan greatest hits compilation has placed in the top 20 UK albums and periodic boosts in sales have come via cover versions from artists inspired by Bolan, including Morrissey and Siouxsie and the Banshees. Similarly, "I Love to Boogie" was briefly used on an advert for Robinson's soft drink in 2001, bringing Bolan's music to a new generation. Mitsubishi also featured "20th Century Boy" in a 2002 car commercial, prompting Hip-O Records to release a best-of collection CD titled 20th Century Boy: The Ultimate Collection.

His music is still widely used in films, recent notable cases being Breakfast on Pluto, Death Proof, Lords of Dogtown, Billy Elliot, Jarhead, Moulin Rouge!, Herbie: Fully Loaded, Breaking-Up, Hot Fuzz, Click, School of Rock & Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Bolan is still cited by many guitar-centric bands as a huge influence (Joy Division/New Order's Bernard Sumner has said that the first single he owned was "Ride a White Swan".) However, he always maintained he was a poet who put lyrics to music. The tunes were never as important as the words.

An altogether less welcome legacy for his friends and family is the ongoing row about his fortune. Bolan had arranged a discretionary trust to safeguard his money. His death left the fortune beyond the reach of those closest to him and both his family and journalists have taken an active interest in investigating the situation, so far with little result other than bringing the story to wider attention. A small, separate Jersey-based trust fund has allowed his son to receive some income. However, the bulk of Bolan's fortune, variously estimated at between £20 and £30 million pounds (approx $38 – $57 million), remains in trust. As of 2007, Bolan's family is supposed to have a house paid for by the trust, and Rolan is supposed to receive an allowance.^[15]

Bolan returned to the top of the UK charts in 2005 when the remastered, expanded Born to Boogie DVD hit No. 1 in the Music DVD charts.

Steve Kilbey – a self-confessed Marc Bolan fan and singer for renowned Australian art-rock group The Church – performed Bolan's "One Inch Rock" on the Steve Kilbey Live DVD, released in January 2008.^[16]

In 2006, it was revealed that English Heritage had refused to commission a blue plaque to commemorate Bolan, as they believed him to be of "insufficient stature or historical significance".^[17] There is, however, an existing plaque dedicated to Bolan at his childhood home, put there by Hackney Council.

There are also two plaques dedicated to his memory at Golders Green Crematorium in North London. The second one to be displayed was placed there by the official Marc Bolan fan club and fellow fans in September 2002, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of his passing. The inscription on the stone, which also bears his image, reads '25 years on – his light of love still shines brightly'. Placed beneath the plaque there is an appropriate ceramic figure of a white swan.

In 2006, TV series Life on Mars, William Matheson portrays Marc Bolan, circa 1973, in a bar in Manchester. Time-travelling Sam Tyler recognises him, has a fan boy moment, and warns him to be careful of riding in Minis. In the American version of the series, the character is replaced by that of Jim Croce, who died later that year in a plane crash, and Sam warns him. However, the T. Rex version of "Get It On" is played in the New York dance club in that scene.

One of Bolan's guitars, a Gibson Flying V, recently^[when?] turned up on Antiques Roadshow in the hands of a private collector. The appraiser estimated the value of the guitar to be approximately £50,000–60,000.

A school is planned in his honour, to be built in Sierra Leone: The Marc Bolan School of Music and Film.^{[citation needed]}

The Cameron Crowe-created movie "Almost Famous" features a scene where a Black Sabbath groupie is telling aspiring journalist William Miller (said to be created in Crowe's own image) about how, "Marc Bolan broke her heart, man. It's famous," regarding the character of Penny Lane, played by Kate Hudson.

My Chemical Romance's song "Vampire Money" taken from their album Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys released on 22 November 2010 features the lyric 'glimmer like Bolan in the morning sun', referencing Marc Bolan.

A musical, 20th Century Boy, based on Bolan's life, and featuring his music, premiered at the New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich.^[18] in 2011.

Discography[link]

Singles

• Nov. 1965 The Wizard/Beyond The Rising Sun. Decca F 12288.
• June 1966. The Third Degree/San Francisco Poet. Decca F 12413.
• Dec. 1966. Hippy Gumbo/Misfit. Parlophone R 5539.

John's Children:

• May 1967. Desdemona/Remember Thomas A Beckett. Track 604 003.
• July 1967. Midsummer's Night Scene/Sara Crazy Child. (Track 604 005, withdrawn; very few copies exist)
• Aug. 1967. Come And Play With Me In The Garden/Sara Crazy Child. Track 604 005.
• Oct. 1967. Go Go Girl/Jagged Time Lapse (B side not with Bolan). Track 604 010.

Tyrannosaurus Rex:

• April 1968. Debora/Child Star.(34). Regal Zono RZ 3008.
• Aug. 1968. One Inch Rock/Salamada Palaganda.(28). Regal Zono RZ 3011.
• Jan. 1969. Pewtor Suitor/Warlord Of The Royal Crocodiles. Regal Zono RZ 3016.
• July 1969. King Of The Rumbling Spires/Do You Remember.(44). Regal Zono RZ 3022.
• Jan. 1970. By The Light Of A Magical Moon/Find A Little Wood. Regal Zono RZ 3025.
• March 1970. Debora/One Inch Rock/Woodland Bop/Seal Of Seasons.(7). Magnifly ECHO 102.

Dib Cochran and the Earwigs:

• 1970. Oh Baby/Universal Love/Deep Summer. Bell 1121.

T. Rex:

• Oct. 1970. Ride a White Swan/Is It Love/Summertime Blues. Fly BUG 1.
• Feb. 1971. Hot Love/Woodland Rock/King Of The Mountain Cometh. Fly BUG 6.
• July 1971. Get It On (Bang a Gong)/There Was A Time/Raw Ramp. Fly BUG 10.
• Nov. 1971. Jeepster/Life's A Gas. Fly BUG 16.
• Jan. 1972. Telegram Sam/Cadillac/Baby Strange. T.Rex Wax 101.
• May 1972. Metal Guru/Thunderwing/Lady. EMI Marc 1.
• Sept. 1972. Children of the Revolution/Jitterbug Love/Sunken Rags. EMI Marc 2.
• Dec. 1972. Solid Gold Easy Action/Born To Boogie. EMI Marc 3.
• March 1973. 20th Century Boy/Free Angel. EMI Marc 4.
• June 1973. The Groover/Midnight. EMI Marc 5.

Electric Light Orchestra:

• Jan. 1973. On the Third Day – Marc Bolan played twin lead guitar on the track "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" and 5 other songs.

Big Carrot:

• Aug. 1973. Blackjack/Squint Eye Mangle. EMI 2047.

T. Rex:

• Nov. 1973. Truck On (Tyke)/Sitting Here.(12). EMI Marc 6.
• Jan. 1974. "Teenage Dream"/"Satisfaction Pony".(13). EMI Marc 7.

Marc Bolan:

• June 1974. Jasper C. Debussy/Hippy Gumbo/The Perfumed Garden Of Gulliver Smith. Track 2094 013.

T. Rex:

• July 1974. Light Of Love/Explosive Mouth.(22). EMI Marc 8.
• Nov. 1974. Zip Gun Boogie/Space Boogie.(41). EMI Marc 9.
• July 1975. New York City/Chrome Sitar.(15). EMI Marc 10.
• Sept. 1975. Dreamy Lady/Do You Wanna Dance?/Dock Of The Bay.(30). EMI Marc 11.
• Nov. 1975. Christmas Bop/Telegram Sam/Metal Guru.(Scheduled for release but cancelled). EMI Marc 12.
• Feb. 1976. London Boys/Solid Baby.(40). EMI Marc 13.
• April 1976. Hot Love/Get It On. Cube BUG 66.
• June 1976. I Love To Boogie/Baby Boomerang.(13). EMI Marc 14.
• Sept. 1976. Laser Love/Life's An Elevator.(41). EMI Marc 15.

Marc Bolan and Gloria Jones:

• Jan. 1977. To Know Him Is To Love Him/City Port. EMI 2572.

T. Rex:

• March 1977. The Soul Of My Suit/All Alone.(42). EMI Marc 16.
• May 1977. Dandy In The Underworld/Groove A Little/Tame My Tiger. EMI Marc 17.
• Aug. 1977. Celebrate Summer/Ride My Wheels. EMI Marc 18.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Marc Bolan Signature Les Paul from Gibson
• Born to Boogie: a site dedicated to Marc Bolan and T.Rex in the Ringo Starr-produced film and its redux release in 2005
• Marc Bolan and T. Rex information website
• Marc Bolan School of Music and Film
• Marc Bolan Myspace
• Marc Bolan and T. Rex information website
• Morton's Club, Berekeley Square, London W1J
• Marc Bolan at the Internet Movie Database
• Marc Bolan at Find a Grave