Marc Bolan Discography

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Mark Feld (September 30, 1947 – September 16, 1977)
The son of a Jewish van driver/caretaker, Bolan grew up in post-war Hackney in East London. He was then taken to his first home, 25 Stoke Newington Common. He was the beloved son to Simeon and Phyllis Feld and younger brother to Harry Feld. Marc attended Northwold Road Primary School, Stoke Newington and later The William Wordsworth Secondary Modern School, Wordsworth Road, London.
Marc left school at the age of 14, claiming to have been expelled, as he didn`t think they were teaching him the things he wanted to know. He had a huge interest in poetry and romantic literature, and was influenced by Dylan Thomas and Rimbaud. He formed his first group in 1959, and called it Suzie And The Hula-Hoops. Singer Helen Shapiro was a member of this band, and rehearsals were held in Marc`s front room. Two performances were given, one at a local cafe and the other at a local school.
He fell in love with the rock and roll of Gene Vincent and Chuck Berry at an early age and became a Mod, hanging around coffee bars such as the 2 I`s in Soho (featured in an early 1960s BBC documentary about Mods). He appeared in an episode of Orlando as a mod extra.
Marc reputedly met up with record producer Joe Meek in 1963, in an attempt to launch his singing career. Although one song, `Mrs Jones` was recorded,a record deal did not result.

In 1964 Marc did some modelling work for Littlewood`s catalogue and John Temple`s brochure.

Marc had his first proper demo session at the end of 1964 and his second in January 1965, where multiple take of `Blowin` In The Wind` and `The Road I`m On (Gloria)` were recorded. It is around this time that Marc assumed the name Toby Tyler. On the 16th February 1965, Marc attended a demo session for Columbia Records, but was rejected. He was later signed up by Decca Records in August 1965, and his first proper recording session took place in September, where the songs `The Wizard`, `Beyond The Rising Sun` and `That`s The Bag I`m In` were recorded. By now Marc was known as Marc Bolan. `The Wizard` was released as a single, but was a commercial flopdespite tv appearances to promote it. The follow up singles, `The Third Degree` and `San Francisco Poet` also failed to chart.
In 1965, Bolan made a trip to Paris and spent time with a wizard who allegedly gave him secret knowledge and could levitate. The time spent with him was often alluded to but remained "mythical”.
After releasing his debut solo single, "The Wizard," and its follow-ups, "The Third Degree" and "Hippy Gumbo," on Decca Records in the U.K. in 1965-1966.
He briefly became a model, then in early 1967 he joined the protopunk band John`s Children, which achieved some success as a live band but sold few records. A John`s Children single written by Marc Bolan called "Desdemona" might have had some chart success but was banned by the BBC for its line "lift up your skirt and fly". His songwriting took off, and he began writing many of the neo-romantic songs that would appear on his first albums with Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Bolan used to busk his songs on the streets of London, earning enough money for the fare home.
In 1966 Marc met up with record producer Simon Napier-Bell, by turning up on his doorstep with his guitar, and actually performing his songs for him. Napier-Bell was able to secure a one off single deal with Parlophone, a subsidiary of EMI, and `Hippy Gumbo` was released as a single. This w