Product Description

A Special Edition commemorating the 30th anniversary of Marc Bolan's untimely death. Containing extra material and revelations, including the long awaited uncloaking of Metal Guru. The father of glam rock, Marc Bolan, was renowned for glitter, make-up, camp clothes and performances. His music evolved from ethereal, Tolkenesque influences to stylistically original pop. He died at a time when his persona was still engulfed in the commercialisation of the pop character he had created, leaving the full enigma of his mind untold. Much has been written about Marc Bolan the Glam Rock King but little has touched on the person below the make-up. This book aims to do just that, inspired by a large selection of previously unpublished poetry of Bolan s, reflecting his earlier works in The Warlock of Love . It endeavours to delve into the corners of Bolan s mind that made him the charismatic, mystical icon who wrote apparently senseless lyrics and aspires to restore a depth of understanding to his words enhancing his credibility as an artist, a wordsmith and a musician. The poetry, written in Bolan s own hand, has been aesthetically reproduced from its original form with an edited translation of each poem giving an interpretation of what are perceived to have been Bolan s intended words. Enigmatic imagery, with some previously unpublished photographs of Bolan, depicting the naturally ethereal aura he possessed, punctuate the pages of this all encompassing, tactile probing into the roots of Bolan s thoughts that made him the intriguing Wizard like character who enchanted the music world with his lingual painting of mystical images. This book aspires to look into the eyes of Marc Bolan, un-glittered. Take a look at Tony Stringfellow's own collection of poetry too- Silent Solitudes- 'Truly thought provoking!'

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #264864 in Books
• Published on: 2007-09-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

Review
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It truly is a remarkable piece of work and Tony must be congratulated for his commitment and dedication. After reading this book- which is just as much a piece of art as Marc s works themselves - I came away feeling that I know more about Marc than I did previously. It is always a thrill for me to discover new things about Marc, especially Marc the man as opposed to Marc the Superstar and this book surely does that. It shows convincingly that he was aware of political struggles ( Sun Seals & Moon Eels ), popular science fiction ( Blue Seeker ), Alexander The Great ( Python ) and much, much more. It is absolutely fascinating to read, to inwardly digest and to understand the intricacies of Marc s mind. No one before has ever come close to achieving what Tony Stringfellow has managed to do with this book. Buy it, read it, enjoy it, absorb its content and then re-read it all over again. You won t be sorry, I wasn t. I just hope that Tony decides to tackle some of Marc s lyrics next- and there is always Warlock Of Love to get his teeth into! How about it Tony???? Barry Smith © 2005. --The Official Marc Bolan Fan Club

The Wizard's Gown - Rewoven - Beneath the glitter of Marc Bolan by Tony Stringfellow The man behind the glitter, the art behind the artist... A beautiful masterpiece by someone who truly understands Marc Bolan's work. The 'Wizard's Gown' is a journey into the inner corners of Bolan's talented imagination. It's just a foot in the door into a mind that has definitely been under-rated. In this book Tony Stringfellow dissects Marc Bolan's poetry, letting us into the secrets behind the metaphors that have been before misconstrued as simple random images. We also discover a man that was a sponge accumulating knowledge. Someone who had something to say about politics, world history and had a deep understanding of world mythology - a self educated "street punk from Hackney". We are also let in the personal life of one of the most legendary artists, and learn about his personal relationships with other legends of his time, as well as his love for anything artistic. We see a man that was born to rock, a poet that was born for fame. What this work also does is set Marc Bolan as a literary man, that should be regarded amongst the great British writers and rock legends. A man who's literary work should be studied at school along side writers like Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde, Tennessee Williams... On the other hand it proves that Tony Sringfellow is an artist that deserves the respect of a scholar. exposedeast.co.uk --Exposed East Literature

About the Author
Tony Stringfellow was born and educated in Wolverhampton, attending St. Chad s Grammar School. A well-known and respected artist/sculptor, working in the entertainment business for over 20 years. He has written books, many short stories and articles, and has been writing poetry since he was 13yrs old. Author of The Wizards Gown - Rewoven, Beneath the Glitter of Marc Bolan, now also writing and directing for his own production company. He lives with his family in Shropshire.

Customer Reviews

Interesting but not wholly convincing.
This book is a bit of a mixture, it has very deep analysis of Marc's poetry & (to an extent) song writing, as well as relating pertinent parts of his life & career.
There is a very interesting transcript of an interview with Riggs O'Hara, the actor who was such an influence on Marc in his early years & the author has obviously researched the subjects Marc refered to in his writing, in great detail & with obvious application.
However, whether everyone would agree with the assertions which are made in relation to the interpretations of Marc's writing, is debatable.
I am a huge fan of Marc Bolan & appreciate all aspects of the work he produced, throughout all stages of his career.
However, I am not convinced that the case the author presents in respect of Marc's understanding of, & the infered "deeper meanings" attached to, what he was writing, always hold water - the analysis, for example, of "Metal Guru", does not mirror Marc's own explanation of the lyrics (particularly the "All alone without a telephone" line), which he gives on the "Where's The Champagne ?" interview disc.
I do agree that Marc's writing is under rated & even under estimated by many, in terms of its sophistication but I feel the case for Marc being aware of some of the literary & historical references that the author alludes to & infers Marc was au fait with,is not wholly convincing.
I enjoyed this book,despite it being more of an "academic" kind of read than Carl Ewens (very good)comparable recent effort, to analyse Marc's songwriting & the author is obviously a man with deep seated affection for Marc who has been admirably meticulous in the research for this book -it's just that I'm not sure,when you listen to, or read interviews with people like Tony Visconti & June Child,talking about Marc's song writing, his influences & his interest in literature (or lack thereof, other than a bit of Blake or Tolkien), whether some of this is overplaying what Marc was doing - a good read but at times, for me, the analysis is a bit too deep.
That said, many Bolan fans might well read this book & think - "spot on Tony !" - certainly could be fuel for a good debate.Read it & see what you think !

A Brave Attempt to Revise Bolan's Reputation
I've heard a range of comments on this book from different Bolan fans. The criticisms often slam the book for failing to be a definitive account of his song-writing. In other words, they blame it for failing to do things it never attempted to do. Taken on its own merits 'Wizard's Gown' is a brave attempt to investigate the roots of Bolan's poetry and a work that throws new light and new research on the writing abilities of a man often over-looked as a wordsmith. By far the best work is the analysis of Bolan's most ambitious prose work and the biographical details that present facts where half-truths have previously been believed. So - for example - the glib assertion he loved the eco-fantasy work of writers like Tolkein is tackled head-on, revealing Marc to be much more at home in Narnia than Middle Earth, and taking the trouble to explain the reasons for this. This work is less impressive when the author analyses some of the better known songs and I'm not sure his reading of Metal Guru is accurate, but the main point here is to engage with Marc Bolan the writer and establish the level of skill, insight, ambition and accomplishment we can all find in his work. On that level much of 'Wizard's Gown' reads like a well-argued post-graduate thesis, and sustains itself throughout the argument.