on Cream (listen to Marc sing "You're dirty sweet and you're my girl and Prince sing "U're filthy cute and baby u know it" ) I guess it could be an Homage to another genius.
- I felt that I could hear shades of Get it on when I first heard Cream back in 1991 and then when I heard Prince sing it at the O2 recently I could hear it even more strongly. In fact did Get it on provide some inspiration for Alphabet Street? When I first saw the video I remember saying to a friend that it definately had a glam vibe to it and the guitar riff was very '73. Sorry if this has been done before but I keep meaning to bring it up and yes I am a massive Bolan too!

I've ran a few threads on T-Rex over in the Non Music forum in the past. I've definately mentioned Bolan's influence on P. And not just his Cream song either. I believe P was influenced by Glam in general. And being Marc was the godfather of Glam, he was somebody P obviously dug. I think Marc influenced P visually more so than musically. Just Marc's overall freedom with the He/She thing. And Bolan's vocals, in a sense, P has echoed at times.

I thought you meant T. Rex the dinosaur.

Prince seems to be inspired a lot by the English language, don't he?
once in awhile he'll do something different tho
i respect him for that

wlcm2thdwn said:

I thought that real quick also!

"Inspired" is one way of looking at it, yeah.

100% yes, loved seeing the recent documentaries especially T-Rex live, Bolan was a good guitar player as well. Shame he chased fame and sales more than the music though.

I've always thought Prince was inspired by T.Rex, even though they weren't that famous in the USA.

T.Rex wasn't really a group, it's just Marc Bolan and whoever his backing musican's were. For some reason Marc Bolan never thought he'd be successful if he appeared to be a solo artist, when the fact it T.Rex is just as much a solo alter ego as David Bowie as Ziggy Starduct, and Prince as Prince & The Revolution.

I think he lifted from T-Rex.... the actual song was made very very popular by The Power Station, check it out...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZUc629OcQPo

My Godmother used to go out with Marc Bolan and he GAVE her original hand-painted album covers... and she lost them

ufoclub said:

I'd be willing to bet the Power Station is the only exposure Prince had to Bolan. I doubt he's ever heard a T.Rex album.

the androgyny glam look for sure. cream is pure t-rex.

Cream and Get it on are definately alike. Sometimes I sing lyrics to
Cream when I play Get it on on guitar. Glam Slam and Metal Guru are also
kinda similar in my opinion.

Two weeks ago I posted a thread about the 30th anniversary of Marc Bolan's
death.Only three people replied

Prince early 80s is quite T Rex ish from the clothes to the makeup i think he may have been a secret fan!!

Joyinrepatition said:

I can hear the glam sound in Cream, but I really think thats a coincidence. If memory serves, Prince wasn't even overly familair with the Beatles until 85 or so, therefore, I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't even who was Bolan was/is.

Wall said:

Do you think he lived in some kind of bubble or something of course he had heard of Marc Bolan Ps my first car was a 1275 GT...this could be the start of a new thread what was your first car? sorry off topic!!

You all are hilarious thinking that Prince was ignorant of mianstream popular rock. Prince grew up in Minneapolis listening to the radio, and originally did covers of classic rock songs and current pop hits...

He was said to impress other kids (Andre Cymone?) because he could play the solo from a Chicago song.

He will often revise his stated influences to fit the current line up of his band or sound, but don't for an instant think he wasn't familiar with the Beatles or even T-Rex, Bowie, etc. He even said he looked up to Led Zepplin for being able to come up with so many different songs...

And Cream is a direct "style sample" "re-imagining" of "Bang a Gong", no doubt, everyone knew that when it was a single in '92.

Well, you're dirty and sweet
Clad in black, don't look back, and I love you
You're dirty and sweet, oh yeah
Well, you're slim and you're weak
You got the teeth of the hydra upon you
You're dirty, sweet and you're my girl

Well, you're built like a car
You got a hubcap diamond star halo
You're built like a car, oh yeah
Well, you're an untamed youth
That's the truth, with your cloak full of eagles
You're dirty, sweet and you're my girl

Well, you're windy and wild
You got the blues in your shoes and your stockings
You're windy and wild, oh yeah
Well, you're built like a car
You got a hubcap diamond star halo
You're dirty, sweet and you're my girl

Well, you're dirty and sweet
Clad in black, don't look back, and I love you
You're dirty and sweet, oh yeah
Well you dance when you walk
So let's dance, take a chance, understand me
You're dirty, sweet and you're my girl

ufoclub said:

Agreed. But does anyone else also hear a slight nod to "96 Tears" by ? and the Mysterions? Or is that just me?

ufoclub said:

I doubt he lived in a bubble, but I don't think Bolan had or has the following in America that he does in the UK or Europe.

As far as the Beatles go, obviously he was familiar with them, but there was, I believe, an interview with a Revolution member who noted how dense Prince was in regards to the Beatles until they played him a bulk of their work. Perhaps someone here knows what I'm speaking of, as it's foggy in my mind.

The Chicago bit doesn't surprise me. Chicago and Joni Mitchell, yes. Bolan and Bowie? Doubtful.

True about Bolan in the US. Even his own son has said as a kid he knew his father was a famous musician, but he didn't know just how famous or loved he was until he came to Europe.

I really think Prince often has been quite ignorant in the past about what was happening in the 'musical world' outside him.

Prince himself said he hated to listen to top 40-music in the early eighties, because he had been in a top-40 coverband for a few years in the late seventies.

He also stated once in an interview that he mostly listens to his own music, when he is....well... listening to music.

I personally think a lot of the influences from other artists on his music, are a result of his bandmembers and associates letting him listen to new things.
I mean, i read in a biography that Prince did get to know the music of Joni Mitchell and Janis Ian, because the wife of his manager, Chris Moon, listened to that type of music.
I also could imagine Dez Dickerson making Prince enthousiastic for rock and new-wave bands in the early eighties.
I think a lot of the beatlesque sounds on ATWIAD and Parade are the result of Wendy and Lisa introducing him to the Beatles.
I can also see how Prince did get enthousiastic about jazz and fusion when Eric Leeds and Matt Blistan did get into his band (listen to Lovesexy and the Madhouse albums).

Another thing that strengthens me in my opinion is that the music he did create mostly by himself in the nineties and this millenium, often seems a bit dated because he seems to grab back to his earliest influences from his teenage years:James Brown, Sly Stone, George Clinton, Hendrix, Philly soul and the kind of now very dated sounding AOR that was popular in the late seventies (listen to A million days or Cinnamon girl, for example)

mistymeadows said:

Marc Bolan doesn't get the credit he deserves in the music world.

Isolar said:

Agreed! I was saying the same to someone last week - Just watch footage of Bolan live and you can see a force of nature at work - unfortunately he kinda got swept up in the mass of glam blands like mud and wizard instead of being recognised as a brave composer - Ride a white Swan was great example of trying something new.