Marc Bolan's Rocking Horse
T H E S T O R Y
Marc Bolan was one of the biggest rock stars of the 70’s. With his band, T.Rex, he was the originator of ‘Glam Rock’. Since his untimely death in 1977 many of his belongings have come under the hammer. As a long standing fan I consider myself very lucky to have been able to purchase one of them - a rocking horse that had been part of the furnishings of Marc’s (T.Rex) office at 69 New Bond Street, London. I saw the horse for myself when I visited the office whilst making a recording with Herbie Flowers (Marc's bass player at that time). I came very close to meeting Marc but, only several weeks after my visit to his office, he was killed in a car crash.
In 2001 I saw an article in a Marc Bolan fanzine advertising the sale of 'Marc's rocking horse' and detailing some of its history. Fortunately the horse was being held in an antique shop in Sidmouth, Devon, England - where my father lives. I asked my father to view the horse straight away and was lucky and quick enough to put in a successful bid.
I requested written documentation of it's history from the sellor, Duart Perrin, and this I duly received. A local newspaper, The Sidmouth Herald, also ran several articles detailing the sale of 'a rocking horse once owned by glam rocker Marc Bolan'. With Duart's account sent to me by letter and with help from Danielz (of T.Rextasy) I was also able to obtain information from Tony Howard (Marc's manager between 1972-77), thus completing the main history of the horse.
After Marc’s death the horse was kept in the office until Tony decided to vacate in 1982. He sold the horse to Duart (who worked as Pink Floyd's copyright & royalties manager in the same building).
Duart later moved to Australia where he married and set up an equestrian centre. The horse was kept in an attic at his sister's house in Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, England. Duart told me in his letter that he had intended to keep the horse. However his sister, having stored it for 13 years, wanted the space back in her house (the horse is quite big!). Not having any children, and with the expense of shipping the horse to Australia being prohibitive, Duart became duty bound to sell it. It was transported to the antique shop in Sidmouth where his mother worked. It helped the shop win a window display competition during the Christmas of 2000 and I purchased it in April 2001.
I was so pleased to have acquired it but also saddened to find the horse with a certain amount of damage - mainly chipped paintwork and some red marker pen marks on the neck, as if made by a child. I met Gloria Jones at the first screening of the 'Born To Boogie' DVD in 2005 and asked her about the horse. She remembered it well, but didn't think that Rolan (Marc's son) had ever played or sat on it. She did say that Marc had wanted to bring it to their house but that Tony Howard had wanted it kept at the office. The horse itself is made of moulded fibreglass and is mainly hollow inside. When I got it home I had to get rid of a huge infestation of 100's of spiders living it!!
I sought the advice of a specialist carousel horse restorer who immediately spotted the design as being in the style of a famous carousel horse maker. She did a first class job repairing the horse (only where needed) leaving most of the original paintwork. The result is stunning. It is a beautiful artefact. A great piece of furniture and a slice of Marc's history now kept in its former glory.
I have been a huge fan of Marc's since I first saw him perform 'Hot Love' on 'Top of the Pops' in 1970. I followed his every move through until his death. He had a huge impact on me personally and in my own song writing. I attended his funeral and, although I never actually met him, I certainly felt like I knew him and I miss him to this day. So in case you are wondering - I am keeping the horse!
About The Horse Maker:
The horse is a copy of those created by Haley Anderson who's trade mark included the four pointed flower on the side of the head. Ian Hunt (carousel horse specialist) has informed me that Marc's horse would have been made by Arthur Jackson who was producing these types of fibre-glass horses during the 60's and 70's. Marc's horse was was most likely to have been painted by a man called Derek who was the foreman at Jackson's. During the summer months, when Jackson's were less busy, Derek was known to earn some cash on the side by painting and making the odd rocking horse. I am told he always sprayed without using a mask, he often added glitter (as is the case with Marc's horse) and always worked with a cigar in his mouth!
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