T.Rex and Marc Bolan - making sense of the posthumous releases

Ah, if you listen closely, they are talking about the single release of "The Wizard" from 1965 & that is the version being played during the interview.
Bolan does mention it's on the LP but they are definitely talking about the single version which did feature session musicians.
So it is possible that Big Jim Sullivan & or Jimmy Page are on the track.

 

Are the "alternate" albums worth checking out? I know you guys have advised against the brickwalling from Edsel, but I'm talking from a content standpoint. Anything new or just stuff from Unchained, etc.?

T. Rex - Rabbit Fighter (The Alternate Slider)
T-Rex* - Left Hand Luke (The Alternate Tanx)

 

I am very happy with the sound of the Edsel releases and remember them getting rave reviews at the time for their sound.
I have got the 2CD packs of The Edsel albums Slider to Dandy but I rarely play the alternate albums. Be really careful with buying T.Rex as there are hundreds of CDs out there as mentioned before, much of it barrel scraping in my opinion.

 

I was hoping that would be the point of this thread. What's good, what's not, what's duplicated on various releases, etc.

 

I have those same sets, got them all when they first came out. Between the main albums and the alternate ones, I never thought to pick up any more of the archival releases.

 

No overlap with "Unchained".
"Unchained" was unreleased songs.
The alternate albums feature alternate versions [Rough Mixes, Home Demos, Radio Sessions] of already released songs.
There is one for each of the 72-77 albums and they were later packaged together with the corresponding album.
I enjoyed them when they were first released & still pull them out from time to time but as admitted previously, I enjoy just about any Marc I've gotten a hold of.

 

Awesome, thanks!

 

Does anyone know if the mastering on the 2cd Wax Co Singles A&B 1972-77 is the same as the singles box sets?

 

I don't think it's the same mastering, as I like the mastering on the single box sets better than the 2CD set.

Darryl

 

Is it safe to assume Messing with the Mystic (Marc Bolan & T. Rex - Messing With The Mystic - Unissued Songs 1972-1977 )
is like Work in Progress - another best of "Unchained?" The track times seem to match up.

 

I'll have to double check but I think there might be an exclusive song version or two...

 

Here's what I came up with:
1 Is It True 1:47 [Unchained cd2/track08 = 1:48]
2 Over The Flats 1:44 [Unchained 1/01 = 1:47]
3 Jet Tambourine 2:00 [Unchained 5/12 = 2.03]
4 Children Of The World 2:18 [Unchained 1/03 = 2:21]
5 Mr. Motion 1:06 [Unchained 2/04 = 1:09]
6 Hope You Enjoy The Show 3:34 [Unchained 3/07 = 3:34]
**7 All Of My Love 2:49 [Unchained 3/08 = 2:36; 4/01 = 2:57]
**8 Saturday Night 3:30 [Unchained 3/05 = 3:19; 4/18 = 3:48]
**9 Down Home Lady 1:43 [Unchained 3/06 = 1:39; 4/12 = 1:54]
10 Sky Church Music 4:16 [Unchained 3/18 = 4:18]
11 Plateau Skull 3:49 [Unchained 4/16 = 3:50]
12 Bolan's Zip Gun (Theme For A Dragon) 1:59 [Unchained 5/01 = 2:02]
13 (By The Light Of A) Magical Moon 3:05 [Unchained 5/14 = 3.07]
14 Bust My Ball 2:32 [Unchained 6/06 = 2:34]
15 Savage Beethoven 2:00 [Unchained 6/15 = 2:00]
16 Reelin' An' A Rockin' An' A Boppin' An' A Bolan 1:00 [Unchained 6/22 = 1:03]
**17 Christmas Bop 3:36 [Unchained 6/25 = 4:01]
18 Funky London Childhood 2:25 [Unchained 6/26 = 2:27]
19 Love Drunk 2:38 [Unchained 7/18 = 2:40]
20 Foxy Boy 2:15 [Unchained 7/19 = 2:17]
21 20th Century Baby 2:17 [Unchained 7/20 = 2:19]
22 Sing Me A Song 3:08 [Unchained 7/25 = 3:09]
23 Endless Sleep 2:53 [Unchained 7/24 = 2:54]
24 Messing With The Mystic 1:11 [Unchained 8/28 = 1:13]

Looks like 7,8,9,17 may be different takes. Also of note, Messing with the Mystic appears to have come first: 1994 vs. Unchained v1 1995].

 

I believe you are correct.
Using the Irving Campbell book, I have All Of My Love & Down Home Lady as Rough Mixes & Saturday Night as Take 1 and I'm pretty sure they don't appear anywhere else except maybe on Marc On Wax releases?
If I remember correctly , Christmas Bop is the Marc On Wax version and was only released on this compilation once Edsel took over the recordings.

 

They are a different mix (top is 2cd set, bottom is from the box):

Telegram Sam:


20th Century Boy:

 

Every time I turn around I find another amazing Marc Bolan collection. Just picked this one up and it's fantastic. He had the unique gift that even his most off the cuff, "throwaway" recordings are compelling to me.

 

Just say away from this one.

Marc Bolan - You Scare Me To Death



Darryl

 

It's actually worth buying for the amazing booklet.

 

The Demon and Edsel stuff sounds nothing like the vinyl records folks. The 2 CD EMI singles set is pretty awful in particular, in your face, with no depth to the sound. All voice and guitar due to the sizable mid hump.

Try this. Load up one of those EMI singles collection tracks. Using the parametric equaliser in Audition tick a box on the left and select 2500hz with a Q of 1.5. Now with the track playing move the amplitude slider down until you hear a better balance - you'll begin to hear the drums and bass more along with a better sense of depth.
Find an amplitude setting your happy with, process all the tracks, burn them and don't bother so much over whether they'll ever be officially released with decent mastering.

 

This arrived today. I haven't had a chance to listen to anything yet, but my copy is missing the dvd.
Marc Bolan The Home Demos 5 CD BOX SET

 

Each to their own, but this is exactly the kind of barrel scraping crap that I would run away from...

 

Mine is on the way, sir!

 

There is a note on either the Easy Action site or the Official Marc Bolan Merchandise site that says the DVD will ship later...

 

Yes - I just got a response to my email. There was an issue with the DVD and it will ship later.

 

Does anyone know of any website(s) that cover the posthumous releases of recordings that are not part of the official canon.

Once the overdubbed and remixed material started appearing I just got confused, and despite the fact that every time I play some Bolan it usually is thoroughly enjoyable and encouraging of 'more', I found navigating thru a minefield of releases just too hard. So I stopped buying.

This site's great for releases up to '77, it's post that I'm looking for. Something that is clear enough so duplication can be minimised and remixes and overdubbing avoided

Marc Bolan Lifetime Discography page 1

 

As far as I know no such site exists...