T Rex and the Electric Awakening of “Elemental Child”
The video of T Rex performing “Elemental Child” captures a crucial and often overlooked turning point in the artistic journey of Marc Bolan. Long before glam rock fame and chart topping anthems, this performance documents the exact moment when Bolan’s folk rooted vision began to collide decisively with electric rock ambition. It is not merely a song performance. It is evidence of transformation in progress.
Originally emerging as Tyrannosaurus Rex, Bolan’s early work leaned heavily toward acoustic textures, poetic mysticism, and an almost pastoral intimacy. Yet Bolan’s love for early rock and roll never disappeared. As his confidence grew, so did his desire to expand the sound. This shift became visible when he introduced amplified guitar lines into the duo’s music, symbolized by his adoption of a white Fender Stratocaster adorned with a paisley teardrop motif. The instrument itself became a visual and sonic declaration of intent.
The personnel change from Steve Peregrin Took to Mickey Finn proved decisive. Finn’s steady rhythmic presence allowed Bolan greater freedom to explore electric expression without losing the hypnotic pulse that defined Tyrannosaurus Rex. This evolution reached its clearest statement on the album A Beard of Stars, the final record released under the Tyrannosaurus Rex name. Closing that album was “Elemental Child,” a song that quietly but unmistakably pointed toward the future.
In this video, “Elemental Child” unfolds with an atmosphere that feels both ritualistic and exploratory. What sets it apart is the extended electric guitar passage, clearly influenced by Jimi Hendrix, yet filtered through Bolan’s own melodic sensibility. Rather than virtuoso excess, the guitar break serves as a textural expansion, stretching the song outward while maintaining its trance like core. It is electric, but it is still intimate.
Watching this performance today, one can hear the seeds of what would soon become T Rex. The acoustic mysticism remains, but it is now infused with volume, sustain, and confidence. Bolan is no longer experimenting cautiously. He is asserting a new identity. The performance stands at the crossroads between underground folk poetry and the flamboyant rock star persona that would soon redefine British popular music.
“Elemental Child” matters because it captures an artist stepping into his power before the world fully noticed. It is a reminder that revolutions in music often begin quietly, in songs that feel transitional at the time but later reveal themselves as pivotal. This video preserves that moment with rare clarity, showing Marc Bolan not as a finished icon, but as a restless visionary on the edge of reinvention.