Get It On (T. Rex song)

"Get It On"
Single by T. Rex
from the album Electric Warrior
B-side	"Raw Ramp"
Released	1971
Format	7" vinyl
Genre	Glam rock
Length	4:25
Label	Fly (UK), Reprise (U.S.)
Writer(s)	Marc Bolan
Producer	Tony Visconti
T. Rex singles chronology
"Hot Love" (1971) "Get It On" (1971) "Jeepster" (1971)

"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 number of the same name by the group Chase. It is T. Rex's best-known song.^{[citation needed]}

History

Bolan claimed to have written the song out of his desire to record Chuck Berry's "Little Queenie", and said that the riff is taken from the Berry song. In fact, a line (And meanwhile, I'm still thinking) of "Little Queenie" is said at the fade of "Get It On".

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 has created confusion among many listeners of the song, causing them to believe that John was a member of the group (although he did play on the studio versions of other songs as a guest musician).^{[citation needed]}

The piano glissando on the record was performed by Rick Wakeman. Wakeman, who was desperate for work at the time to pay his rent, had bumped into Bolan in Oxford Street, who offered him the session. Wakeman pointed out to Tony Visconti that the record did not actually need a piano player. Visconti suggested that he could add a gliss; Wakeman said that Visconti could do that, to which Bolan replied, "you want your rent, don't you?" Wakeman did and earned £9 for his efforts.

In March 2005, Q magazine placed "Get It On" at number 36 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.^{[citation needed]}

Track listing

• US: Reprise / 1032
• UK: Fly Records / BUG 10
• Germany: Ariola / 10 327 AT
• Denmark: Stateside / 6E 006-92700
• France: Columbia / CBS 7393

1. "Get It On" (Marc Bolan) – 4:25
2. "Raw Ramp" – 4:14

Chart performance

While it only spent four weeks at the top in the UK, starting 24 July 1971 ("Hot Love" was number one for six weeks from March to May), it was the group's biggest hit overall, selling nearly a million copies in the UK^{[citation needed]}. It peaked on the U.S. Billboard Pop Singles chart at number ten in January 1972, becoming the band's only major U.S. hit. The song reached #12 in Canada in March 1972.

Chart (1971/1972)	Peak position
UK Singles Chart	1
Canadian RPM Top Singles	12
German GfK chart	13
Dutch Top 40	15
Irish Singles Chart	1
Norwegian Singles Chart	6
Swiss Singles Chart	3
U.S. Billboard Pop Singles	10

Preceded by "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" by Middle of the Road	UK number-one single 24 July 1971 (1971-07-24) – 14 August 1971 (1971-08-14) (4 weeks)	Succeeded by "I'm Still Waiting" by Diana Ross
Preceded by "Sometimes" by Red Hurley	Ireland number-one single 12 August 1971 (1971-08-12) – 19 August 1971 (1971-08-19) (2 weeks)	Succeeded by "Never Ending Song of Love" by The New Seekers

Power Station version

"Get It On (Bang a Gong)"
Single by Power Station
from the album The Power Station
B-side	"Go to Zero"
Released	29 April 1985
Format	7" vinyl, 12" vinyl
Recorded	1984
Genre	Rock
Length	3:43 (45 Mix) 5:31
Label	Parlophone
Writer(s)	Marc Bolan
Producer	Bernard Edwards
Power Station singles chronology
"Some Like It Hot" (1985) "Get It On (Bang a Gong)" (1985) "Communication" (1985)

"Get It On" was covered by the Power Station in 1985. Their version – titled "Get It On (Bang a Gong)" – was released as their second single from their debut album. The track was a hit in both the UK, reaching number 22 on the UK Singles Chart, and the U.S., where the song peaked at number nine (one place higher than the original) on the Billboard Hot 100. When Robert Palmer heard that the other Power Station members had recorded demos for "Bang a Gong", he asked to try out vocals for it. Before long, the band had decided to record the entire album with Palmer. This single, along with "Some Like It Hot", became the Power Station's signature songs.

The dancer in the video is Sara Carlson.

The song was performed live on the Miami Vice episode "Whatever Works", with Michael Des Barres on vocals, where all of the then-touring group had cameos.

Track listings

7" vinyl single

• U.S.: Capitol Records / B-5479
• UK: Parlophone / R 6096
• Australia: EMI / A1510
• Europe: EMI / 20 0632 7

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Get It On"	Marc Bolan	3:43

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Go To Zero"	Guy Pratt, Robert Palmer	4:57

12" vinyl single

• U.S.: Capitol Records / V8646
• UK: Parlophone / 12R 6096
• Europe: Parlophone / 1C K 060 20 0631 6
• Canada: Capitol Records / V 75107

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Get It On"	Bolan	5:31

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Get It On" (45 Mix)	Bolan	3:43
2.	"Go To Zero"	Pratt, Palmer	4:57

Chart performance

Chart (1985)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	9
U.S. Billboard Top Rock Tracks	19
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales	47
Irish Singles Chart	12
UK Singles Chart	22

Other cover versions

• In 1971, British band Top of the Poppers covered "Get It On" on their Top of the Pops, Volume 18 album.
• The 2001 reissue of Blondie's classic 1978 album Parallel Lines included a live recording of the song (from 1977 or 1978) as a bonus track.
• In 1979, studio disco group, Witch Queen, had a disco version of the song, simply titled, "Bang A Gong". It peaked at number eight on the disco charts.
• Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry included a cover of "Bang a Gong" on Once a Rocker, Always a Rocker, a 1983 album by his side project, aptly named The Joe Perry Project.
• Canadian remixers The Boomtang Boys released a version in 1999 on their album "The Boomtang Boys Greatest Hits, Vol. 1"
• Los Bunkers a rock band from Chile included a studio version on their album Vida de Perros (2005).
• Ministry covered "Bang a Gong" on their 2008 covers album Cover Up.
• German glam rock band Cinema Bizarre covered "Bang A Gong" on their 2009 album ToyZ.
• Japanese rock band Porno Graffitti covered the song for a Pepsi commercial in 2010
• Carlos Santana covered the song on his 2010 covers album Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time. This version features Gavin Rossdale of Bush on lead vocals.
• In 2000, Bus Stop, credited as "London Bus Stop," recorded a cover version that was featured in the movie G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.

Live cover performances

• During the late seventies and early eighties, New York City-based New Wave band Blondie played it at many of their concerts.
• The 1980s British "sophisti-pop" band The Blow Monkeys performed the song live; two such performances are documented on the DVDs Animal Magic and Live in London.
• The song was covered by Howard Stern's band The Losers on his radio show.
• The song was performed by X-factor competitor Jamie Archer on Week 1, series 6 of the British television music talent show The X Factor.

Sampling

British dance act Bus Stop (known in the U.S. as "London Bus Stop") sampled the vocals from the T. Rex original in their 2000 pseudo-cover of the song, which charted at #59 in the UK.

Appearances in other media

• The song was featured in many films, including The Stoned Age (1994), Blue Juice (1995), Billy Elliot (2000), The Trip (2002), Meet the Fockers (2004), Flying Boys (2004), Jarhead (2005), The Bank Job (2008) and Barney's Version (2010).
• A cover of the song is available as a downloadable content for the music video game series Rock Band.
• In the mid-1990s, the channel Sony Entertainment Television showed promo videos that followed this song's tune; the lyrics, however, were changed to "Turn It On."
• The song is featured in the opening scene of the season two premiere of Friday Night Lights, "Last Days of Summer."
• The song was used in the 2008 ABC series Life on Mars and the 2006 BBC version, Life on Mars.
• The song was used for a promo for the Australian show Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation in 2011.
• The song was used in the trailer for the 2012 Tim Burton film Dark Shadows

Influence on other music

The opening and riff of the song are similar to that of the Oasis song "Cigarettes & Alcohol". Joan Jett said, on her Sirius radio program, that this was one of the songs she learned to play guitar with. The opening and riff of the Rolling Stones' 1974 song "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)" also bears a distinct similarity.