T. Rex ‘Stable Gold Simple Motion’ paintings – Courtesy: Demon Music
Marc Bolan most likely wouldn’t have anticipated that his rivals for the UK’s prestigious Christmas No.1 spot in 1972 would come with a former Beatle or a novelty disc by a 46-year-old rock’n’curler. Or that the T. Rex single, John & Yoko’s “Happy Christmas (War Is Over),” and Chuck Berry’s “My Ding-A-Ling” would all lose out to a nine-year-old.
Little Jimmy Osmond might have received that battle with “Long Haired Lover From Liverpool,” however Bolan and co’s “Solid Gold Easy Action” received a permanent place within the T.Rex catalog, after coming into the chart on December 9.
Runners-up once more
“Solid Gold Easy Action” thus turned the second consecutive single by Bolan and the band to peak at No.2 in lower than three months. “Children Of The Revolution” had been held off the highest spot by first Slade’s “Mama Weer All Crazee Now” after which David Cassidy’s “How Can I Be Sure.”
4 of the six earlier T.Rex singles had gone to No.1; the exceptions have been the No.7 reissue of Tyrannosaurus Rex’s “Debora”/“One Inch Rock,” and “Jeepster,” additionally stored at No.2 the yr earlier than. That, too, suffered by the hands of a novelty hit that turned the Christmas No.1, Benny Hill’s “Ernie (The Fastest Milkman In The West).”
An ELO connection?
Such have been the eccentricities of the UK singles chart, however “Solid Gold” was a vigorous addition to a canon that, surprisingly, would solely produce two extra Prime 10 singles earlier than Bolanmania started to subside considerably. In line with the jefflynnesongs.com web site, the Electrical Mild Orchestra frontman performed guitar on the only, written by Bolan and produced as regular by Tony Visconti.
There was one other, lesser-known contender for the Christmas charts that yr, within the type of Visconti himself. The American producer and his spouse of the time, Welsh singing star Mary Hopkin, recorded the normal “Mary Had A Baby” simply earlier than she did certainly give delivery to their son Delaney (who later modified his title to Morgan). It was launched as a festive single, however didn’t bother the chart compilers.
Hearken to the very best of T.Rex on Apple Music and Spotify.
