You've got the universe reclining in your hair (T Rex) #404 - 405

T Rex Get It On/ There Was A Time; Raw Ramp  (Parlophone, NZP 3405, 1971)
T Rex Jeepster/ Life's A Gas (Parlophone, NZP 3414, 1971)

Dirty and sweet!? Too much so for my dear old mum. When she heard this she knew it was a sexual healing that Marc Bolan was calling for. Me - not so much but even I knew what was going down on the raw ramp B side.

Get It On was, back in 1971, one of my first single purchases. That guitar hook had me instantly and the vocal tics furthered my interest. The slightly risque subject matter was also a draw card. Listening to it now I realise how amazing Tony Visconti's production was. Those drums!

Jeepster was more of the sexual same: "I'm going to suck you" doesn't leave a lot to the imagination. No wonder my mother frowned on this teenage pop stuff.

Hidden gems: More Bolan depravity on the B sides. There Was A Time is a great intro (those sweeping strings!) to the wonderful Raw Ramp - complete with a great false ending - let's get the electric boogie on indeed.

This is one case where the youtube video/sound fails to do justice to the magnificence of this sound. Dig out that old vinyl and turn it up!!

From the flames you'll fly and feel the air (Mary Hopkin) #167 - 171

Mary Hopkin Que Sera Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)/ Fields Of St. Etienne (Apple, Apple 28, 1970 )

Mary Hopkin Think About Your Children/ Heritage (Apple, Apple 30, 1972 )

Mary Hopkin Let My Name Be Sorrow/ Kew Gardens (Apple, Apple 34, 1971)

Mary Hopkin Water Paper and Clay/ Jefferson (Apple, Apple 39, 1971)

Mary Hopkin Goodbye; Those Were The Days/ Water, Paper and Clay; Knock Knock Who's there (Apple, APEP 3001, 1972)

These Mary Hopkin A sides from the early seventies continued the pattern from my last posting - songs produced by Paul McCartney (Que Sera Sera); Mickie Most (Think About Your Children); and the rest by Tony Visconti (who she'd married in 1971).

The pattern of nice pleasant, non-threatening sounds continued too.

The EP, called Mary, collects four A sides together and is therefore rather special.

Only Water Paper and Clay appeared on a parent album (Earth Song/ Ocean Song in this case) at the time, although these A sides have been compiled since.

Hidden gems: Heritage, Kew Gardens, and Fields Of St Etienne all appeared on an Apple compilation called Those Were The Days but Jefferson appears to have only appeared as a B side. It's rather wonderful too. In fact it (along with Goodbye) would be my favourite songs by her. I love the little ar-har moment (the second video is the studio recording).