Electric Warrior

Electric Warrior is the second studio album by English rock band T. Rex, released on 24 September 1971. It marked a significant shift in the band’s style from their earlier folk-oriented sound to a more flamboyant, pop-friendly glam rock. The album reached number one on the UK Albums Chart, becoming the best-selling album of 1971 in the UK. The single “Get It On” also contributed to the album’s success, reaching the top ten on the US Billboard Hot 100. In the US, the single was retitled “Bang a Gong (Get It On)” and became the band’s only North American hit. Electric Warrior is acclaimed as a pivotal release in the glam rock movement and has had a lasting influence on musicians across various genres.

The album was recorded during a period of significant success for T. Rex, following the success of their singles “Ride a White Swan” and “Hot Love”. The recording sessions for Electric Warrior began in March 1971 at Trident Studios in London, with initial work on tracks such as “Planet Queen”, “Mambo Sun”, and “Cosmic Dancer”. Subsequent sessions took place in the United States, where the band worked with producer Tony Visconti at Wally Heider Studios in Hollywood and Mediasound Studios in New York City. The recording process was marked by the use of innovative sonic techniques and contributions from various session players, which contributed to the album’s distinctive sound.

The cover art for Electric Warrior was designed by the English art design group Hipgnosis, featuring a photograph of Marc Bolan taken by Kieron “Spud” Murphy at a T. Rex concert in Nottingham on 14 May 1971. The original UK and German issues featured this image in metallic gold on a matte black background. Additional promotional material included a poster featuring a photograph of the band relaxing at Bolan’s flat, included with the first issues in the UK and Germany.

T. Rex promoted Electric Warrior extensively through tours, interviews, and television appearances, both in the UK and Europe. The album was followed by a successful UK tour and a US tour in early 1972. Electric Warrior was released by Fly Records in the UK and Reprise Records in the US, where it peaked at number 32 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album remained in the UK chart for 44 weeks and achieved notable success with singles “Get It On” and “Jeepster”. The former became T. Rex’s biggest-selling single, while “Jeepster” reached number 2 in the UK despite Bolan’s reluctance to promote it.