To commemorate what would have been Marc Bolan’s 78th birthday, English Heritage have today unveiled a blue plaque at Bolan’s former home at 31 Clarendon Gardens, Maida Vale, London.
The occasion has also been marked by the release of “I’m Dazed”, a completely unheard T. Rex song recorded in 1975, and recently discovered on studio tapes from the period.
The track was first laid down at Château d’Hérouville studios near Paris in March 1975, and T. Rex recorded a second version on April 22 at Musicland Studios in Munich. Produced by Bolan and engineered by Reinhold Mack, it features the classic mid-‘70s T. Rex lineup of Bolan, Steve Currie, Gloria Jones, Davey Lutton and Dino Dines. Listen below:
Martin Barden, consultant to Demon Music, who discovered the tracks, says: “While cataloguing some old T. Rex tapes, I spotted tracks I’d never heard before. When we played the reel and Marc’s voice came through, it was magical. To unearth this completely unheard track, ‘I’m Dazed’, after 50 years, feels like finding hidden treasure and is a true gift for fans. This song was recorded when Marc was living an itinerant life, hopping across borders and continents – and producing some of the most innovative music of his life. It is such a pleasure to be sharing new music after all these years.”
“I’m Dazed” has been mixed from the master tapes by Steven Wilson and will be released as a limited edition 7” single on November 7, backed with an unearthed studio take of Bolan rarity “Billy Super Duper”. Pre-order the single here.