Electric Warrior

For the DC Comics character and series, see Electric Warrior (comics).

Electric Warrior
Studio album by T. Rex
Released	September 24, 1971
Recorded	March–June 1971 Trident Studios, London; Advision Studios, London; Wally Heider Studios, Los Angeles; Media Sound Studios, New York
Genre	Psychedelic rock, folk rock, protopunk, hard rock
Length	39:02
Label	Reprise (US) ; Fly (UK)
Producer	Tony Visconti
T. Rex chronology
T. Rex (1970) Electric Warrior (1971) The Slider (1972)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
BBC Music	(favorable)
Pitchfork Media	(9.5/10)
Q
Robert Christgau	B
Rolling Stone	(favorable)

Electric Warrior is the sixth album by British rock group T. Rex (being the second album under that name with the first four billed as by Tyrannosaurus Rex). Electric Warrior reached number thirty-two in the US Billboard 200; it went to number one for several weeks in the UK Albums Chart, becoming the biggest selling album there in 1971. In 2003, it was ranked number 160 in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

The album contained two of T. Rex's most popular songs, "Get It On" and "Jeepster." In the United States, "Get It On"'s title was modified to "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" to distinguish it from Chase's song "Get It On," which was also released in late 1971. (The printing of the song title "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" on the back cover of original Reprise Records U.S. copies of Electric Warrior is obviously in a different typefont from the surrounding text, with the song's original title retained when printing the lyrics.) "Get It On" was T. Rex's biggest selling single and their only US hit reaching #10 in the Billboard Hot 100.

Bolan, in a 1971 interview contained on the Rhino Records reissue, said of the album "I think Electric Warrior, for me, is the first album which is a statement of 1971 for us in England. I mean that's... If anyone ever wanted to know why we were big in the other part of the world, that album says it, for me."

The sleeve was designed by British art design group Hipgnosis. In the November 2001 issue of Vanity Fair American musician Beck chose it as one of his 50 favorite album sleeves.

Track listing

All songs written by Marc Bolan.

1. "Mambo Sun" – 3:40
2. "Cosmic Dancer" – 4:30
3. "Jeepster" – 4:12
4. "Monolith" – 3:49
5. "Lean Woman Blues" – 3:02
6. "Get It On" – 4:27
7. "Planet Queen" – 3:13
8. "Girl" – 2:32
9. "The Motivator" – 4:00
10. "Life's a Gas" – 2:24
11. "Rip Off" – 3:40

A Cube Records Production Licensed from CNR released this title under BR Originals on CD with, "Hot Love" - 4:55, added before "Mambo Sun".

Rhino Records reissue bonus tracks

1. "There Was a Time" – 1:00
2. "Raw Ramp" – 4:16
3. "Planet Queen" (acoustic version) – 3:00
4. "Hot Love" – 4:59
5. "Woodland Rock" – 2:24
6. "King of the Mountain Cometh" – 3:57
7. "The T. Rex Electric Warrior Interview" – 19:35

30th Anniversary Special Edition bonus tracks

1. "Rip Off" [Work in Progress] – 2:30
2. "Mambo Sun" [Work in Progress] – 3:57
3. "Cosmic Dancer" [Work in Progress] – 5:15
4. "Monolith" [Work in Progress] – 4:47
5. "Get It On" [Work in Progress] – 4:43
6. "Planet Queen" [Work in Progress] – 0:56
7. "The Motivator" [Work in Progress] – 4:19
8. "Life's a Gas" [Work in Progress] – 3:14

Chart positions

Chart	Year	Peak position
UK Albums Chart	1971	1
	1972

Preceded by Led Zeppelin IV by Led Zeppelin The Concert for Bangladesh by George Harrison & Friends

UK Albums Chart number-one album 18 December 1971 - 29 January 1972 5 February 1972 - 19 February 1972

Succeeded by The Concert for Bangladesh by George Harrison & Friends Neil Reid by Neil Reid

Personnel

• Marc Bolan – vocals, guitars
• Mickey Finn – conga drums, bongos
• Steve Currie – bass guitar
• Bill Legend – drums
• Howard Kaylan – backing vocals
• Mark Volman – backing vocals
• Rick Wakeman – keyboards on "Get It On"
• Ian McDonald – saxophone
• Burt Collins – flugelhorn

• Roy Thomas Baker – music engineer
• George Underwood – artwork, photography

Cover versions

• American rock band The Bongos released a cover of "Mambo Sun" in 1982.
• "Get It On" was a hit single for rock supergroup The Power Station in 1985.
• American band Elysian Fields' cover of "Life's A Gas" appeared on the compilation album Great Jewish Music: Marc Bolan (Tzadik Records) in 1998.