In 1972 Marc Bolan’s fortunes
were aflame, with T.Rex topping charts around the world; Marc Bolan defined
the post-Beatles pop scene. As the greatest star of his era, Bolan followed
in the grand tradition of Bill Haley, Elvis Presley, and the Beatles with
a natural progression to the silver screen.
The great Hollywood heroes had fired his boyhood imagination in the 1950s
and given him the self-belief to transform from Mark Feld to Marc Bolan, so
it made complete sense for him to immortalise himself in celluloid. Doing
so with a former Beatle made for the perfect recipe.
T.Rex’s autumn 1971 ‘Electric Warrior’ tour had witnessed
widespread fan mania, causing Marc’s management considerable security
headaches. In the UK in the 1960s and early ‘70s, bands seldom played
at venues with capacities larger than two or three thousand, but as demand
to see Bolan was clearly out-stripping supply, a large venue where his safety
could be guaranteed was required.
