Live on 'The Midnight Special', 1971. Written by T. Rex lead singer Marc Bolan, this song is all about sex, but with imagery so comically vague it would be hard for even the most prudish listeners to take offense. 

Bolan's delivery is feral, and he does keep calling the girl "Dirty and sweet," but you really have to stretch to find sexual connotations in a "Hubcap diamond star halo" or a "Cloak full of eagles." The biggest suggestion is in the title.

This song was written and recorded when T. Rex was touring America in 1971.

The group had made inroads in their native UK with their 1970 self-titled album, but were little-known in the US.

Marc Bolan wanted to change that by coming up with something that would strike to the heart in America.

According to T. Rex drummer Bill Legend, he and Bolan worked out the rhythm one day in Bolan's hotel room, and when the tour got to Los Angeles, the group reconvened with members of the team that worked on their first album.

Producer Tony Visconti worked with backup singers Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman, who were members of The Turtles and recorded as Flo & Eddie.

At Kaylan's home in Laurel Canyon, they spent all night working up the song, and the next day, they recorded it at Wally Heider Studios in LA.

When they got to the studio, they had the chorus, the rhythm, and the "you're dirty and sweet" line, but Bolan had to come up with the other lyrics on the spot, indicating he wasn't thinking too hard about them.

This is a great example of "Glam rock," which was characterized by outrageous costumes, nonsensical lyrics, driving beats and very theatrical stage shows.

In the UK, this hit #1 on July 24, 1971, giving T. Rex their second chart-topper there, following "Hot Love."

Get It On !!!!

Comments:

MrTired666

Rock 'n' Roll Chaos! Love it. Bolan looks like he hasn't slept in a year, tambourines are abused and used to play guitar solo's, the back-up singers are enthusiastic to the point of speaking in tongues. This is magic !!!

phillipdavies1081

Live performance at its finest, utterly raw. Not like a studio recording at all and that's exactly the point. Those two backing vocalists are wild man.

onefrequencydown4749

This is one of the finest examples of chaotic rock n roll. Absolute classic.

mbcolburn7088

Midnight Special was great.  A show that allowed musicians to perform without absurd time limits on them for the next commercial. Damn there were some great moments of shear creativity ,creative freedom  and expressionism.

leecoops2002

Ahead of his time, brilliant and exciting. It's easy to see why Marc Boland and David Bowie were such good friends.

bluesborn

I love the frenetic energy coming off that long ago stage. You didn't have to be a virtuoso to play classic rock you just had to  believe in it's power and let your love flow.

theseustoo

Probably the best live T-Rex jam session  ever recorded! :D

mikenine1962

Man he killed it, Marc the showman.

MrDeengels

I love early 70’s rock, it was fun, explosive, performance art was bringing rock into a new era.

florenciode

That's the way a rock band should play live. 

brahmburgers

Bolan was a maestro who showed the way to great R&R performers who followed;  Prince, Page, Jackson, and others.

earthling8585

Raw talent. I feel lucky to have grown up with it. A rare breed indeed.

jer2xjim

incredible... the synchronicity with the backup singers is unsurpassed.

tortoise5687

This is raw and energetic - pure glam rock in excess and joy!! Ahhh, the days when real musicians played LIVE :-)

margretmeade1

No lip sync and rocking hard !

sheilacirioni4676

Great live performance!!!

petergambaccini7396

He's a revelation and he's timeless.

jerryturner3997

Wow put a big smile on my face..way ahead of his time. Mr T. Rex in his PRIME... EXCELLENT !!

ladyspace8815

If this song don't make you feel good I don't know what will.

garyastrein5192

Unbelievably great, rock n roll out of control