Hot Love (T. Rex song)
| "Hot Love" | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Cover of the original 7" vinyl single | |||||||
| Single by T. Rex | |||||||
| B-side |
"Woodland Rock" "King of the Mountain Cometh" | ||||||
| Released | 12 February 1971 | ||||||
| Format | 7" vinyl | ||||||
| Genre | Glam rock (not originally)[1] | ||||||
| Length | 4:53 | ||||||
| Label | Fly | ||||||
| Writer(s) | Marc Bolan | ||||||
| Producer(s) | Tony Visconti | ||||||
| T. Rex singles chronology | |||||||
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"Hot Love" is a song by English glam rock act T. Rex, released as a standalone single on 12 February 1971 by record label Fly. It was the group's first number one placing on the UK Singles Chart, where it remained at the top for six weeks beginning on 20th March 1971.[2]
The two performances of the song in March 1971 on Top of the Pops, which saw Bolan dressed for the first time in shiny satin stagewear and glittery make-up (the latter at the suggestion of his stylist Chelita Secunda) were a crucial trigger for the glam rock movement.[3]
Background and recording
"Hot Love" was recorded at Trident Studios on 21 and 22 January 1971. The single's B-sides, "Woodland Rock" and "The King of the Mountain Cometh", were recorded onto the same 16 track tape.[4]
The song marks the first time a full drum kit appeared on a T. Rex song, after Bill Fifield joined the group at Tony Visconti's suggestion. The single was issued and, due to its success, Fifield was invited to audition to join the band.[5]
"Hot Love" was the first song to feature Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman (ex-Turtles) on backing vocals.
Personnel
- Marc Bolan: Lead vocals, guitar
- Howard Kaylan & Mark Volman: Backing vocals
- Steve Currie: Bass guitar
- Mickey Finn: Handclaps
- Tony Visconti: String arrangement
- Bill Legend: Drums
Release
"Hot Love" was released as a single on 12 February 1971 by record label Fly.[6] It was the group's first number one placing on the UK Singles Chart, where it remained at the top for six weeks beginning in March 1971.[2] The single, however, did not fare as well in the US, where it only peaked at number 72 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #54 on the Cash Box Top 100.[7] The song reached number 47 in Canada in June 1971 and number 12 in South Africa.[8]
References
- ↑ Savage, Jon (1 February 2013). "The 20 best glam-rock songs of all time". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
- 1 2 Roberts 2006, p. 258–9.
- ↑ Mark Paytress, Bolan - The Rise And Fall Of A 20th Century Superstar (Omnibus Press 2002) ISBN 0-7119-9293-2, pp 180-181
- ↑ Campbell, Irving (2007). A guide to the outtakes of Marc Bolan (1964-1977). Wellington, N.Z.: Great Horse Productions. ISBN 978-0-473-12076-4.
- ↑ Paytress, Mark (2006). Bolan : the rise and fall of a 20th century superstar ([Rev.ed.]. ed.). London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 1-84609-147-0.
- ↑ Roberts 2006, p. 546.
- ↑
- ↑ Currin, Brian Currin. "South African Rock Lists Website – SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (T)". rock.co.za. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
- Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums. London, England: Guinness World Records Limited. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
External links
- "Hot Love" at Discogs (list of releases)
- Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
| Preceded by "Baby Jump" by Mungo Jerry |
UK Singles Chart number one single 20 March 1971 (6 weeks) |
Succeeded by "Double Barrel" by Dave and Ansell Collins |