Bolan's Zip Gun

Bolan's Zip Gun is the tenth studio album and a UK-only release by T. Rex, released in 1975. It did not chart in the United Kingdom, and Marc Bolan would not chart again successfully until 1976's Futuristic Dragon. The album was produced by Bolan, having dispensed with the services of previous producer Tony Visconti. The album contains two contemporary single releases: "Light of Love" (UK Chart position #22) and "Zip Gun Boogie", T. Rex's least successful release. Although the sound of the album was very stark and the lyrics very simple and direct, Bolan had tried to go beyond the rock format of the previous T. Rex sound and reflect his recent immersion in the US soul scene. His new partner Gloria Jones and other recent American friends, such as Gloria's brother Richard and backing singer Pat Hall, had helped influence Bolan's music, and he was experimenting with soul inflections all through this period at MRI Studios in Hollywood where the album was recorded. Several of the songs had a very futuristic tone, especially "Space Boss", "Think Zinc", and "Golden Belt", Bolan being a great fan of science fiction. The band on this album also featured a twin-drum sound on some tracks, notably "Solid Baby", provided by Davy Lutton and Paul Fenton. Experimentation in sound was very much the order of the day on this album.