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Any love for Steve Currie (T. Rex)?
- Thread starter billoetjen
- Start date
i gave him a 3. i liked his playing fine, but marc bolan was such a monster big figure in front of that band that it was always hard for anyone else to be noticed, or to play anything that would get them noticed.
I just wiki'd him---I was T Rex fan back in the day--the first LP I bought with my own money was Electric Warrior (or maybe it was Led Zep II---well, it was ONE of those . . .).
Funny, I had the idea that Herbie Flowers played on most of the albums, but alas, I guess I was mistaken!
Funny, I had the idea that Herbie Flowers played on most of the albums, but alas, I guess I was mistaken!
The record is pretty clear that Steve Currie used exclusively Fender Precision, particularly a slab with split P pickups.
Anybody know what Currie used for strings... flats, rounds...?
How about amplification?
Cabs?
Anybody know what Currie used for strings... flats, rounds...?
How about amplification?
Cabs?
Herbie was a member of T-rex from about sept 76 untill marcs death in sept 77.The only album he appears on is the "Dandy in the underworld " album from 1977
Playing exclusively Precisiions earns him bonus points in my book. 
I give him a 3. He was good, but I don't think he let his full potential shine
I give him a 3. He was good, but I don't think he let his full potential shine
I always thought Steve was a great bass player, very underrated. He went on to play for Wreckless Eric after leaving T. Rex. He died in a car accident in Portugal in the '80's.
I remember Andy's in Denmark Street were selling his white slab precision a few years back for £7000. It had a Musicman pickup added to it as well as the original pbass pickup.
I remember Andy's in Denmark Street were selling his white slab precision a few years back for £7000. It had a Musicman pickup added to it as well as the original pbass pickup.
^^^This. It took me three viewings of the "Get It On (Bang A Gong)" video to realize it was Elton John on piano!
Steve Currie was also known for playing a Hayman 20/20 bass earlier on in his career too.
Although he'll be best known for playing on the hits of T.Rex, can recommend you check out some of the album tracks and b-sides he appeared on such as Spaceball Ricochet and Jitterbug Love.
And yes I am a die hard Marc Bolan/T.Rex fan of nearly 40 years now.
Yep. Love pretty much anything and everything that has to do with Bolan and Rex. Huge an since I was a wee tyke.
Cannot fathom how they were essentially a one-hit-wonder in America while such a phenomenon in the UK.
Cannot fathom how they were essentially a one-hit-wonder in America while such a phenomenon in the UK.
They said the same about Canada-We loved T Rex in Canada-I still watch the YouTube vids & listen to their music I always liked to watch Steve Currie because he always looked mellow/cool/stoned?? But I like how he looked when he first started playing intro into a song. There was an issue in Victoria BC-I went to see their concert & I was so let down because apparently their equipment didn't get across the border and they had to use the opening bands equip & Marc Bolan got PO'd & apperatley gave a poor performance.
He always struck me as a guy who was a solid player who knew all the prerequisite moves on bass, but was a bit confined by the relative simplicity of the material(and I AM a T-Rex fan). If I recall correctly from the Rhino expanded version of "Electric Warrior", photos of the tracking sessions show him playing through a Kustom 200 and two matching 2x15" tuck'n'roll cabs(Marc through an AC30). Live, Orange, HH, Hayman(?), Vamp(?).
Steve was one of my original bass heroes, and a white P with a black pick guard and maple fretboard is still my favorite looking P bass. Paul Simonon of The Clash got one to resemble Steve Currie.
He was quite clear that T.Rex was Marc's band playing Marc's music, and that Marc came up with the bass lines. Steve just played them in that cool way.
He was quite clear that T.Rex was Marc's band playing Marc's music, and that Marc came up with the bass lines. Steve just played them in that cool way.
There never was a band by the name of T. Rex
T.Rex was Marc Bolan. Period. He brooked no challenges to the throne. And he never shared the spotlight.
I think Steve Currie, like Noel Redding, was an excellent bassist who did as much as he was allowed to do for the 'god' he was working for. Which is to say nowhere near what he was capable of doing.
I think with Steve it was more the era and the bandleader rather than the bassist.
The fact he was able to work in that environment - and survive it as long as he did - speaks volumes to me about the sort of musician he is.
For the record, I like the music of T. Rex. And I have no problem acknowledging Marc Bolan's huge influence on everything from the music of the era, to what became the established "look" and stage manner of thousands of rock guitarist-frontmen ever since. And that's despite how many of his melodic bits, chord progressions, and guitar riffs Marc saw fit to recycle over and over.
What can I say? They were a good group.
T.Rex was Marc Bolan. Period. He brooked no challenges to the throne. And he never shared the spotlight.
I think Steve Currie, like Noel Redding, was an excellent bassist who did as much as he was allowed to do for the 'god' he was working for. Which is to say nowhere near what he was capable of doing.
I think with Steve it was more the era and the bandleader rather than the bassist.
The fact he was able to work in that environment - and survive it as long as he did - speaks volumes to me about the sort of musician he is.
For the record, I like the music of T. Rex. And I have no problem acknowledging Marc Bolan's huge influence on everything from the music of the era, to what became the established "look" and stage manner of thousands of rock guitarist-frontmen ever since. And that's despite how many of his melodic bits, chord progressions, and guitar riffs Marc saw fit to recycle over and over.
What can I say? They were a good group.
I don't think this is necessarily the point you were trying to make, but I've always held to the belief that some bands simply aren't democracies. They exist to fulfill the musical vision of one main person. And that's okay. Sometimes you sign up for that. Sometimes one person writes most everything and calls all the shots and the band are more or less hired gun appendages.
I've played in some bands like that and it was fine because I knew that was the deal going in.
Other times it's nice when everyone gets to contribute and create together.
Again, I'm not saying you are calling Bolan out for being an a-hole or anything--T.Rex was just one of those bands that was not a democracy.
No argument from me on that point. You know (or should know) what you're signing yourself on for.
I don't harbor any animosity towards Bolan for how he ran his band. Absolute dictatorship works as well as a fully collaborative arrangement does in some groups. And if you're smart, you go with whatever works.
I think what I was trying to say is that T. Rex isn't what I'd consider a band in the usual sense. I always saw it more as a church. If you ever saw them live you'd get the overwhelming feeling that there was something much more going on than just a rock concert.
What was going on was Marc Bolan. One of rock's dark angels if there ever was one.
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Old thread but was watching the Glam Rock episode of Rock Legends seeing T-Rex playing live in '72 seeing Steve Currie playing a Sunburst P Bass with what looks like a J pickup, or, a foam mute. I didn't know Fender made such a pickup configuration that early.
