Marc Bolan

I could easily have gone down another route than following Slade - I liked the music of Marc Bolan.

Alongside Slade I bought all the T. Rex singles from "Get It On" right up to "Celebrate Summer" when Marc died in 1977.

I met Marc twice; at Top Of The Pops in 1974 when I was in the audience when he performed "Teenage Dream" and outside Capital Radio in 1976 (when he was appearing on Maggie Norden's "Hullabaloo" - with Rolf Harris. Rolf let me play his didgeridoo on his way in!).

I saw him live in concert only once, at the Lyceum in London, also in 1976.

Slade battled Bolan between 71-73 for chart supremacy - and Slade won.

Slade fans were a totally different breed to Bolan fans. Slade's crowd was mainly male (boozy, working class - including me) and the few girls that liked Slade were of the type, as my Dad used to say, "Never shy at coming forward". Bolan's fans were mainly female, dreamy girls, with flowing locks and hippy smocks. The few guys that used to follow Marc were often intellectual, arty types, into the inner meanings of the lyrics and Marc's style and image.

I decided to follow Slade. But I really liked Marc (I still bought virtually all his singles and albums and religiously watched the "Marc" TV shows).

I don't know whether Bolan and Slade got on. I would have imagined that Marc would have resented Slade's success and Dave Hill latching on to the "glitter tear" he put on his cheeks - and taking it a step further (glitter on the forehead and hair). I know that Marc once listed his Top Ten favourite people in the music mag Disc and included Nod. However, I was never aware of them "hanging out" together (maybe because Marc was very much based in London, were as Slade at their height resided in the Midlands).

I was shocked by his car crash death in September '77. His funeral took place in Golder's Green - five minutes on the bus from where I lived. I bunked off sport at school and went in the afternoon. I thought that Slade might attend (David Bowie and Rod Stewart did) - but Chas's secretary said they had other commitments that they couldn't get out of. They sent a bouquet of white lillies though.

I often spoke to Jim about Marc's music. I was blunt with Jim - I thought Bolan's material was really well produced by Tony Visconti (and has stood the test of time). Chas's production of Slade was too flat. Chas always just turned up the bass and drums. I think that Jim himself had better results at production when he took control years later.

On 27 October 1978 Slade were playing a gig at Guildford University. I was backstage with Jim before the gig discussing Marc. He was interested in a fan's biography book ("Marc Bolan - A Tribute") that I had with me - I gave it to him.

It was with surprise that during the gig, and during a natural break, Jim played "Hot Love" on bass, singing the lyrics. The crowd sang along. Jim repeated the sequence on the remaining tour dates for the rest of the tour...

 Marc Bolan RIP.  "Our lives are merely trees of possibilities".