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"Get It On" is a song by the British glam rock group T. Rex, featured on their 1971 album Electric Warrior. Written by frontman Marc Bolan, "Get It On" was the second chart-topper for T. Rex on the UK Singles Chart. In the United States, the song was retitled "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" to avoid confusion with a song of the same name by the group Chase.
This was the song that virtually ended the once-solid friendship between Bolan and John Peel, after Peel made clear his lack of enthusiasm for the song on air after playing his advance white label copy. Bolan and Peel only spoke once more before the former's death in 1977.
During a December 1971 Top of the Pops performance, Elton John mimed a piano on the song. This performance is usually the video clip for the song which has aired on various music-video outlets such as VH1 Classic.
"BANG A GONG (GET IT ON)"
ReplyDeleteComposer: Marc Bolan
Original Artist: T-Rex
Label: Reprise Records; Recording: Reprise #1032 (45)
Release Year: 1972; Chart: #10 Billboard Hot 100
Cover Artist: Power Station
Label: Capitol Records; Recording: Capitol #5079 (45)
Release Year: 1985; Chart: #9 Billboard Hot 100
"Bang a Gong (Get It On)" was inspired by the Chuck Berry song "Little Queenie," especially the line "Meanwhile, I'm still thinking." It was written by Marc Bolan (who also performs lead vocals), and the single was released on New Year's Day 1972. It peaked at number 1 in the United Kingdom and made Top 10 in the United States. Background vocals were provided by Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan (Flo and Eddie) of the Turtles. The song was included on T-Rex's Electric Warrior album (Reprise #6466).
The second time around, under the title "Get It On," it was recorded by a supergroup known as Power Station consisting of Andy and John Taylor of Duran Duran, Tony Thompson of Chic, and Robert Palmer. Their eponymous Power Station album (Capitol #12380) yielded "Some Like It Hot" and the hit remake of the T-Rex classic in 1985. The Power Station remake attained a higher position on the charts than the original (number 9). Sadly, Marc Bolan wasn't around to enjoy the royalties—he died in a car crash on September 16, 1977.