Tyrannosaurus Rex: "My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair... But Now They're Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows" Album (1968)

Tyrannosaurus Rex’s My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair... But Now They're Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows was released as an LP album in the UK by Regal Zonophone (catalog number SLRZ 1003) on July 5, 1968.

Marking the beginning of Marc Bolan’s journey as a distinctive voice in the British underground music scene.

Background:

After leaving the mod-influenced band John's Children in June 1967, Marc Bolan formed Tyrannosaurus Rex. Initially a four-piece electric band, their debut gig at the Electric Garden club on July 22, 1967, was a disaster, prompting Bolan to reconfigure the group as an acoustic duo with Steve Peregrin Took on backing vocals, bongos, Chinese gong, pixiphone, and percussion. The duo gained traction in London’s underground circuit,

performing at hippie venues like Middle Earth and building a relationship with influential DJ John Peel, who featured them on his BBC program *Top Gear* in the fall of 1967.

The album’s creation followed failed negotiations with Track Records and producer Joe Boyd, who recorded early acetate versions of songs like “Highways,” “Child Star,” “Dwarfish Trumpet Blues,” and “Chateau In Virginia Waters” in late 1967. In March 1968, producer Tony Visconti discovered the duo and secured a contract with EMI’s Regal Zonophone label.

Recording:

The album was recorded over four days in early April 1968 at Advision Studios in London, with two days for recording and two for mixing, on a tight budget. Advision was one of the first UK studios with an eight-channel Scully Recording Instruments model 280, offering greater flexibility than standard four-track recorders. However, Bolan later criticized the studio’s inexperience with the new equipment, describing the stereo mix as “thin and nasty.”

Preparatory demo sessions took place at Visconti’s London flat in late March, where the duo ran through their setlist, with Visconti occasionally joining on bass.

The album is entirely acoustic, featuring Bolan on vocals and guitar, Took on backing vocals and various percussion instruments, and a guest appearance by John Peel, who narrates a Bolan-penned children’s story on the closing track, “Frowning Atahuallpa (My Inca Love),” which also includes a Hare Krishna chant—one of the earliest in British pop music, predating George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord” by two years.

Label: Regal Zonophone Country: UK Catalogue: LRZ 1003

The original 1968 vinyl release

(Regal Zonophone, SLRZ 1003) includes 12 tracks,

all written by Marc Bolan:

1. Hot Rod Mama

2. Scenescof

3. Child Star

4. Strange Orchestras

5. Chateau In Virginia Waters

6. Dwarfish Trumpet Blues

7. Mustang Ford

8. Afghan Woman

9. Knight

10. Graceful Fat Sheba

11. Weilder of Words (sometimes spelled “Wielder of Words”)

12. Frowning Atahuallpa (My Inca Love)

Expanded editions:

The 2004 and 2014 releases, include bonus tracks like alternate takes, demos, and additional songs such as “Highways,” “Pictures of Purple People,” and “Debora.” The 2004 Expanded Edition has 28 tracks, while the Deluxe Edition includes up to 49 tracks, incorporating interviews and alternate versions.

Label: Universal Country: Europe Catalogue: 982 250-9

CD Expanded Edition: 2004

1 Hot Rod Mama - Mono

2 Scenescof - Mono

3 Child Star - Mono

4 Strange Orchestras - Mono

5 Chateau In Virginia Waters - Mono

6 Dwarfish Trumpet Blues -Mono

7 Mustang Ford - Mono

8 Afghan Woman - Mono

9 Knight - Mono

10 Graceful Fat Sheba - Mono

11 Weilder Of Words - Mono

12 Frowning Atahuallpa (My Inca

Love) - Mono

13 Debora (Bonus Track)

14 HotRod Mama - Stereo (Bonus)

15 Scenescof - Stereo (Bonus Track)

16 Child Star - Stereo (Bonus Track)

17 Strange Orchestras - Stereo (Bonus Track)

18 Chateau In Virginia Waters - Stereo (Bonus Track)

19 Dwarfish Trumpet Blues - Stereo (Bonus Track)

20 Mustang Ford - Stereo

(Bonus Track)

21 Afghan Woman - Stereo (Bonus

Track)

22 Knight - Stereo (Bonus Track)

23 Graceful Fat Sheba - Stereo (BT)

24 Weilder Of Words - Stereo (Bonus Track)

25 Frowning Atahuallpa (My Inca Love) - Stereo (Bonus Track)

26 Child Star - Take 2 (Bonus Track)

27 Chateau In Virginia Waters - Take 2 (Bonus Track)

28 Debora - Take 2 (Bonus Track)

2 CD Deluxe Edition: 2015

1-1 Hot Rod Mama

1-2 Scenescof

1-3 Child Star

1-4 Strange Orchestras

1-5 Chateau In Virginia Waters

1-6 Dwarfish Trumpet Blues

1-7 Mustang Ford

1-8 Afghan Woman

1-9 Knight

1-10 Graceful Fat Sheba

1-11 Weilder Of Words

1-12 Frowning Atahualpa (My Inca Love)

1-13 Highways

1-14 Scenescof

1-15 Child Star

1-16 Dwarfish Trumpet Blues

1-17 Pictures Of Purple People

1-18 Hot Rod Mama

1-19 Knight

1-20 Afghan Woman

1-21 Frowning Atahuallpa

1-22 Strange Orchestras

1-23 Deborah

1-24 Mustang Ford

2-1 Highways (Take 4)

2-2 Child Star (Take 2)

2-3 Dwarfish Trumpet Blues (Take 2)

2-4 Chateau In Virginia Waters (Take 3)

2-5 Mark Bolan Interview (About Dwarfish Trumpet Blues)

2-6 Hot Rod Mama

2-7 Scenescof

2-8 Child Star

2-9 Strange Orchestras

2-10 Chateau In Virginia Waters

2-11 Dwarfish Trumpet Blues

2-12 Mustang Ford

2-13 Afghan Woman

2-14 Knight

2-15 Graceful Fat Sheba

2-16 Weilder Of Words

2-17 Frowning Atahuallpa ( My Inca Love )

2-18 Deborah

2-19 Puckish Pan

2-20 Dwarfish Trumpet Blues

2-21 Knight

2-22 Scenescof

2-23 Knight (With Bass Guitar)

2-24 Lunacy's Back

2-25 Marc Bolan Interview (With Deborah)

Musical Style and Themes:

The album is a quintessential product of the late 1960s British psychedelic underground, characterized by its whimsical, folk-inflected sound and fantastical lyrics. Unlike the electric, glam-rock style T. Rex later embraced, this record is stripped-down, relying on Bolan’s acoustic guitar and Took’s eclectic percussion (bongos, pixiphone, Chinese gong, glockenspiel). The instrumentation creates a delicate yet dynamic sound, which AllMusic described as blending “perfectly with the bizarre, almost Eastern-sounding instrumentation.” Reviewer Dave Thompson noted the duo’s ability to make minimal instruments sound like “the heaviest rock & roll band on the planet.”

Bolan’s lyrics are steeped in mythological and fairy-tale imagery, drawing from influences like Lewis Carroll, Kenneth Grahame, and J.R.R. Tolkien. Songs evoke a dreamlike world of magical elves, sorcerers, and medieval landscapes, with titles like “Graceful Fat Sheba” and “Frowning Atahuallpa” reflecting the era’s “faux mysticism.” The album’s dedication to “Aslan and the Old Narnians” (a nod to C.S. Lewis’s *The Chronicles of Narnia*) and John Peel’s poetic back-cover note about the band rising “out of the sad and scattered leaves of an older summer” underscore its whimsical, countercultural spirit.

Lyric Insert

Packaging and Artwork:

The album was released with a front-laminated cover featuring a lyric insert printed over a fearsome Tyrannosaurus Rex by artist George Underwood. The back cover included John Peel’s evocative story, enhancing the album’s mystical aura. Early UK mono and stereo pressings included a manuscript with the lyric insert.

April 15, 1972: Melody Maker Advert

1972: Doubleback Tape Cassette

Reception:

Upon release, the album reached number 15 on the UK Albums Chart. Its commercial success grew in 1972 when it was re-released as a double album with Prophets, Seers & Sages: The Angels of the Ages (1968), titled Tyrannosaurus Rex: A Beginning ( in the US). This double album hit number one on the UK Albums Chart, notable for having the longest title of any chart-topping album in the UK. Reviews have been largely positive. AllMusic praised its unique approach and Bolan’s vocal delivery, while Dave Thompson called it “an irresistible affair” despite its psychedelic context.

Paul Stewart of the Sunday Express gave it five stars, describing it as “varied and vibrant” and a precursor to “chill out” music. However, producer Tony Visconti later criticized the album’s thin sound, attributing it to the low budget and rushed recording process.

Fans on platforms like Amazon have celebrated its fairytale-like quality, with one reviewer noting its “Vth form poetry” and “musical flow” as enduringly captivating, despite its lack of hit singles. Others have found its acoustic, demo-like quality a stark contrast to T. Rex’s later glam-rock hits like “Metal Guru” or “Jeepster,” but still compelling for its authenticity.

Legacy:

My People Were Fair is a foundational work in Marc Bolan’s career, showcasing his early songwriting style and the psychedelic folk roots of T. Rex. It captures the late-1960s underground scene and Bolan’s shift from the electric sound of John’s Children to a more introspective, acoustic approach. The album’s influence is evident in its cult following and its role in establishing Bolan as a visionary artist before his glam-rock reinvention with albums like *Electric Warrior* (1971).

1972: A Beginning 2 LP Gatefold Sleeve A&M Records – SP 3514

Retrospective:

The album has been reissued multiple times (1985, 2004, 2014, 2015), with expanded editions offering demos, alternate takes, and interviews that provide insight into its creation. Its ranking as the top Tyrannosaurus Rex album on BestEverAlbums.com (8,084th overall, 109th in 1968) reflects its enduring appeal among fans of psychedelic and folk music.

Critical Analysis:

While celebrated for its creativity, the album’s raw production and niche appeal can be polarizing. Some listeners, expecting the polished glam sound of later T. Rex, find its lo-fi, acoustic nature jarring, as noted in reviews comparing it to demo recordings. Bolan’s whimsical lyrics, while charming to some, have been criticized by detractors as overly fanciful or lacking depth. Yet, its authenticity as a product of the psychedelic underground and its influence on Bolan’s evolution make it a significant artifact.

Sources Information is drawn from various sources, including Wikipedia, AllMusic, Spotify, Discogs, and fan reviews, ensuring a well-rounded perspective.