Glam Racket

Last updated: 12/10/2006 - 11:51

Following a limited theatrical release THE T Rex concert film - gets a release. Boogie on!

It’s time to enter boogie wonderland as a 1972 T Rex concert film - featuring rare performances and hours of never-before-seen material - gets a DVD and CD release.

Born to Boogie by T Rex

The original 1972 T Rex motion picture featuring concert performances and hours of rare & never-before-seen material gets a DVD – and accompanying CD – release. Boogie on!

Sanctuary Visual Entertainment announce arguably the most significant T Rex event in over twenty-five years. Eagerly awaited by Marc Bolan, T Rex and Beatles fans alike, the DVD release includes Ringo Starr's legendary 1972 feature film Born to Boogie – along with the only two full concerts ever recorded with T Rex and a wealth of extra material.

In the early 70's Ringo's Born to Boogie was shown at cinemas on both sides of the Atlantic, and had a limited VHS release in the early 90's. Since then the film's fate has been the source of much speculation. Featuring Ringo Starr (from you-know-who), Marc Bolan and Elton John with a cameo from Geoffrey Bayldon (TVs Catweazle), only a few well-used 35mm cinema prints of the completed film were thought to survive. Having lain scattered and undiscovered for over 30 years, Born to Boogie finally brings together all the extra material from the filming of Ringo's epic 1972 rock 'n' roll motion picture.

At over 5 hours, the Born to Boogie DVD is a mighty showcase of T Rex at the height of their success, bringing Ringo's visionary film back to its true colour and vibrancy, and revealing hours of material never used in the final cut.

Painstaking Restoration

A stunning sound and vision experience, Born to Boogie has been painstakingly restored and remixed from the original 16-track recordings and original colour film negative. Cleaned, repaired and transferred to high definition video the picture is presented in the best possible condition. The original audio recordings have been remastered by legendary music producer and close friend of Marc's Tony Visconti (production credits include Thin Lizzy & David Bowie) at his NY studio and encoded in Dolby Digital 2.0 and 5.1 Surround Sound, and the new dts 96/24 format. The DVD also includes further rare, never before seen footage throughout the 2 discs and DVD menus.

Almost two years in the making, the DVD and CD are a unique opportunity to rediscover the true T Rex sound.

Tony Visconti says of the live T Rex experience: "[He made] this great music in the spirit of every great rock and roller like Chuck Berry or Little Richard or Elvis, (Bolan) was one of them. He was one of the icons. In the new millennium there are T Rex sounds everywhere. Every so often you get a new group coming out and 'oh it's a T Rex sound', it's not glam rock, it's T Rex...glam rock was something else."

DVD extras stretch to over 90 minutes and are presented by Marc's only son, Rolan Bolan. They feature newly recorded interviews with the sole surviving member from the '72 T Rex line-up - drummer, Bill Legend.

Also interviewed are Tim Van Rellim (Producer of Born to Boogie and now a Hollywood Exec, responsible for films including A Knights Tale), Tony Visconti, Geoffrey Bayldon, Radio institution Bob Harris, photographer Keith Morris, Wembley Compere Emperor Rosko, Mick Gray (Roadie) and fans of T Rex.

Also included is unique home movie camera (cine-8) footage recorded by Marc of T Rex on the road, plus equally unique footage of Marc and Ringo backstage between performances at the Wembley gigs.

Tony Visconti continues: "When I first knew [Marc] we were walking around with holes in our jeans...and I stuck with him through all those times and having those concerts filmed by Ringo Starr was the apex of my career and I know his. This is everything we worked for came true...it was such an exciting time for all of us; it was the beginning of a new era... No one quite had the impact since then.... Marc was definitely one of those people who changed things forever...things were never the same after that."

Tony Visconti

Excerpts from the evening concert at Wembley formed the base of Ringo's film; the DVD restores this concert to its original length and order, including three extra tracks: Cadillac, Girl and Edie Cochran's Summertime Blues. The matinee performance has not been seen since T Rex performed it in front of 10,000 screaming fans in 1972. It is presented here for the first time ever. Original T. Rex producer Tony Visconti recorded both gigs from a truck outside the Wembley venue. "This was the ONLY time I recorded them live", says Tony.

The precious original multi-track recordings lay gathering dust for over thirty years until being rediscovered for this project after months of searching. Visconti was the natural choice to re-mix the audio for this DVD, a job lovingly undertaken at the NY studio he shares with David Bowie.

Released simultaneously release, the Born to Boogie 2 CD set, includes the restored soundtrack for Ringo's film, the previously unheard matinee concert from 18 March 1972, as recorded and remixed (over 30 years apart) by Tony Visconti. Also included is a 12 minute ultra-rare interview with Marc from late 1971, not included on the DVD.

T Rex, Thin Lizzy and David Bowie became renowned worldwide for breaking new musical ground at a time when 'flower power and check shirts weren't working for anybody anymore'. Considering Marc's departure overseas in the mid-70s and untimely death in 1977, the story of the success of T Rex is all the more remarkable. At the height of their success in 1972, newspapers famously referred to T Rex as being "Bigger than the Beatles". By 1972, the band was reportedly able to sell up to 100,000 records per day.

DVD Extras

While their work in the studio created an unmistakable sound, the live experience was transforming. In concert, T Rex displayed a raw power that would have stunned anyone who had only previously heard the gentle sounds of Marc's previous band - Tyrannosaurus Rex. Taking the opportunity to bring something new to fans, in concert Marc loved to turn electric songs into acoustic numbers and transform studio recordings in to raw rock 'n' roll experiences.

Born To Boogie - The Motion Picture: 2-Disc DVD set contains:

  • Ex-Beatle drummer Ringo Starr's original 1972 legendary feature length picture – fully restored and remastered

  • Audio options include original and remastered soundtrack and commentary with Tim Van Rellim (Original Producer) and Mark Allen (DVD Director)

  • Tracks include: Jeepster, Baby Strange, Tutti Frutti, Children of the Revolution, Spaceball Ricochet, Telegram Sam, Cosmic Dancer, The Slider, Hot Love, Get It On and Chariot Choogle

  • The Wembley Evening Concert, 8.30pm - 18 March 1972. Tracks include: Cadilac, Girl and Summertime Blues.

  • Born To Boogie Trailer

  • Original 1972 Born To Boogie theatrical Trailer with original sound

  • Wembley Matinee Concert, 5.30pm - 18 March 1972 (61 minutes duration)

  • Cosmic Rock - When T Rex Ruled The World (a 47 minute documentary, presented by Rolan Bolan feat. Interviews with Tony Visconti, Radio and TV ‘disc jockey’ Bob Harris, Emperor Rosko and many more…)

  • Re-Born To Boogie - Restoration Documentary (a 15 minute review of the restoration of Born To Boogie)

  • Outtakes and Deleted scenes

  • 'The Eater of Cars' - Airfield outtakes & deleted footage

  • 'More Tea, Anyone?' - Tea Party outtakes

  • 'Apple Outtakes' - Extra Apple Studio sessions

  • Video and Audio demonstrations

  • Multi-Cam, Multi-Audio options

  • 'Before and After' video and audio tracks , plus much more rare, never before seen footage and hidden ‘Easter Eggs’

  • Audio Dolby Digital 2.0 and 5.1; dts 96/24

  • Picture 16:9 Anamorphic, Full Colour - PAL and NTSC


  • Born To Boogie - The Motion Picture is out now, as a 2-Disc DVD, with a total running time of 5 hours 25 minutes! Simultaneously released is the Born To Boogie double-CD collection. Both are releases from Sanctuary Visual Entertainment.

    More information available in DVD / Home Video, Music

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