Talk:T. Rex (band)

Lead- late October 2016- early November 2016
I wrote it a few months ago but it seems that someone who has got a lot of time on his hands has decided to change certain tracks mentioned in the lead. I chose to name the songs that went number one in the UK single charts: if these songs that are number one are not hits, which ones are. Woovee (talk) 00:58, 2 November 2016 (UTC)
 * Hello, it was I who made the edit and please don't worry about my spare time as I am a very fast typist.
 * As you say, the number one hits were Hot Love (six weeks), Get It On (four weeks), Telegram Sam (two weeks) and Metal Guru (four weeks). However Ride A White Swan, Jeepster, Children Of The Revolution and Solid Gold Easy Action all made it to number 2 (all of these except COTR being held from the top spot by a seasonal novelty record) and 20th Century Boy made it to number 3. These other top 3 hits are all equally considered major anthems in both Bolan's career and rock music at large (20CB in particular has been widely touted as a "classic rock anthem" since Bolan's death).  The Groover and a reissue of Tyrannosaurus Rex's Debora made it into the Top 10 at 4 and 7 respectively, while several lower-charting tracks are often cited as "Top Hits" of Bolan's, especially I Love To Boogie in the light of its revival as part of the Billy Elliot soundtrack.
 * However, as a compromise gesture, I have changed the text to specify number one hits rather than just the vague term "Their hits included ...". 95.151.169.47 (talk) 18:23, 11 December 2016 (UTC)

RfC on Disputed Reformations section
Myself and disagree about the inclusion of a short section in this article about the bands Mickey Finn's T-Rex and X-T. Rex (formerly Bill Legend's T. Rex) which feature former T.Rex members (and either currently or formerly featured members of the "classic" 1971-1973 lineup) and which both promote themselves as reunions of T.Rex. Woovee's opinion is that these bands should not be mentioned in the T.Rex article as they are irrelevant and an offence to the principle that there can be no T.Rex without the involvement of Marc Bolan and that such a section only serves to promote these two bands. My opinion is that these bands both have their own Wikipedia articles (and one of the two is undoubtely Wiki-notable, the other at least deserves a redirect) and so are significant spin-offs of the band regardless of their authenticity as T.Rex lineups, and that in any case "No Bolan No T.Rex" is a POV. Romomusicfan (talk) 08:15, 3 July 2019 (UTC)
 * Of course "No Bolan No T.Rex" is a POV. And they should be mentioned in the article for the same reason why the article about Queen doesn't end abruptly with Freddy Mercury's death or why the the article on Velvet Underground includes the album Squeeze. Go ahead and mention the skepticism of some fans regarding the "authenticity" of the bands if there are good sources to cite on the issue, but mention the bands and don't let musical purism leak into Wikipedia. PraiseVivec (talk) 11:21, 3 July 2019 (UTC)
 * The comparison between Queen and T. Rex is not relevant. --> All members of Queen wrote songs for each album, Queen had the same line-up during all their existence. Bolan was the only songwriter of Tyrannosaurus Rex / T. Rex. Bolan fired many musicians. Mickey Finn was fired in 1974, far before the end of the career of T. Rex.
 * User PraiseVivec is a newbee who has never edited/added a note to an article about music. This rfc should be discussed with longtime wiki users who contribute a lot on music articles.--Woovee (talk) 16:38, 3 July 2019 (UTC)
 * And user Woovee is a fanboy who is going to let his fanboyism get in the way of writing a proper encyclopedic article. I've edited several article about music, from Calypso Rose to Carlos Díaz "Caíto", if you really must know, but I never claimed that bands don't exist because the guy I like wasn't in them, so I really hope other editors won't stand for this kind of nonsense. PraiseVivec (talk) 13:04, 4 July 2019 (UTC)
 * The comparison you did with Queen is completely irrelevant and problematic and shows how little you know about the history of T. Rex. Sorry, but you haven't worked in depth on GA or FA music-related articles like I did, you made a few cosmetic changes. Woovee (talk) 15:40, 4 July 2019 (UTC)
 * I did include a source for this; the following interview quote from a prominent figure in Bolan fandom: "I know, being a fan myself, that most people in the UK would not accept any other band that call themselves T.Rex, and rightly so. How can there ever be a band called T.Rex when there is no Marc Bolan? Impossible! Marc was T.Rex!...Most fans would agree with me: no Marc Bolan, no T.Rex!" John Willans aka Danielz, lead singer of prominent T.Rex tribute band T.Rextasy interview 17 September 2010 by Claudia A, Music News, 21 September 2010 I do agree that sympathy for this position should not spill over into wiping any mention of MF'sTR (and X-T.Rex and any similar projects which may emerge in future) from the T.Rex article.62.190.148.115 (talk) 14:42, 3 July 2019 (UTC)

comment about this non-neutral Rfc:
According to wp:rfc, the current presentation above (as it appears at the moment @ the page Requests for comment/Media, the arts, and architecture), goes against our policies which are "Include a brief, neutral statement of or question about the issue in the talk page section". The presentation is biased and not impartial as the Rfc has to ask a simple question with different possibilites but this is not the case here. Worse, I and my view are pigeonholed --> "No Bolan No T.Rex" is a POV, words were put in my mouth whereas I didn't express my point of view in such a trivial primary way. Woovee (talk) 21:26, 11 July 2019 (UTC)
 * The line "...in any case, 'No Bolan No T.Rex' is a POV" - was a summary of MY viewpoint (or part thereof), not yours.
 * I summarised your viewpoint - in a very fair and neutral way too, I thought - in the sentence above: "Woovee's opinion is that these bands should not be mentioned in the T.Rex article as they are irrelevant and an offence to the principle that there can be no T.Rex without the involvement of Marc Bolan and that such a section only serves to promote these two bands." 2.24.71.107 (talk) 10:01, 12 July 2019 (UTC)
 * You don't get anything. The rfc like it is presented at Requests for comment/Media, the arts, and architecture is not neutral.  And I had adressed my comment to an administrator, not to you. Woovee (talk) 13:30, 12 July 2019 (UTC)

Historical facts

 * Whatever, here are a few historical facts concerning T. Rex:
 * Bolan was the only songwriter of Tyrannosaurus Rex/T. Rex (1967-1977). Bolan hired Mickey Finn in late 1969 for Tyrannosaurus Rex's fourth album A Beard of Stars, Bolan fired Finn in 1974. Similarly, Bolan hired Bill Legend in 1971 and fired him in 1974. T. Rex then kept on recording many albums far after the departure of both Finn and Legend.
 * One could compare the history of T. Rex to that of Robert Smith of the Cure or even Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins: Robert Smith was the only constant member of his band: most of the impetus came from him and no promoter could bill the Cure without Robert Smith on stage. T. Rex's case is even more emblematic; as Robert Smith shared the songwriting with several musicians. Bolan didn't, he wrote everything, all the songs. If our readers read the articles about Mickey Finn and Bill Legend, they'll learn that each one of them keeps on playing Bolan songs in concert. Concerning the Smashing Pumpkins, Corgan also wrote all the songs. The three remaining members of the Doors toured in the 2000s unde the umbrella of the Doors because no member had been fired of the group before Jim Morrison's death. Woovee (talk) 20:11, 3 July 2019 (UTC)
 * A statement beginning "One could compare ..." is not a fact.
 * Here's a fact, however: There were not "many" albums after Mickey Finn left; there were just two (and only three after Bill Legend left). 2.28.124.81 (talk) 23:48, 3 July 2019 (UTC)
 * You haven't addressed anything to the comparisons with The Doors and the Smashing Pumpkins.
 * The last two T. REX albums Futuristic Dragon and Dandy in the Underworld were both hailed by the press upon their release. Both albums also received favourable retrospective reviews as well. Those tribute bands that you'd like to see mentioned in the article, didn't bill any concert under the T. Rex moniker back then between 1975 and 1977 as they would have been sued by Bolan.
 * BTW, three ground breaking albums had been already released before the arrival of Finn in 1969. Bolan was the only constant member of the band in 10 years and the one and only writer of their music. Only Bolan chose the line-up and decided who could play with him in the group. Your information about those tribute acts belongs to the articles about Mickey Finn and Bill Legend. Woovee (talk) 00:10, 4 July 2019 (UTC)
 * Futuristic Dragon was savaged by critics and got just one week in the charts at #50. Even Marc distanced himself from it, saying that it was recorded quite some time back and he wished he'd made it heavier.
 * "Ground-breaking" - now look who's using "promotional" language, although I would agree to a fair extent (fans of the Incredible String Band might disagree)
 * Incidentally, Mickey Finn's T-Rex actually own the copyright to the T.Rex bandname, although they stopped using it due to public outcry. Apparently, nobody had actually bothered to register the trademark until they came along ...2.28.124.81 (talk) 00:19, 4 July 2019 (UTC)
 * This conversation leads nowhere: had you not recognized the historical value of the first three Tyrannosaurus Rex albums released before the arrival of Finn, this won't gonna work. Futuristic Dragon (1975) was a robust return to form, as Mojo journalist/Bolan historian Mark Paytress wrote it. Bolan TV show "Marc" in 1977 was a success, then Finn and Legend had been fired for a long time. You still haven't  addressed anything to the comparison made with the Doors and the Smashing Pumpkins. Woovee (talk) 00:40, 4 July 2019 (UTC)
 * "By no stretch of the imagination a great album" (Geoff Barton, Sounds, 1976) hardly sounds like a ringing endorsement and the line about Marc distancing himself from the album comes from one of Paytress's two biographies (IIRC the first). I do agree that this is leading nowhere, it has nothing to do with whether or not a short section on alleged reunions of the band should be included in the article.62.190.148.115 (talk)
 * "The album [Futuristic Dragon (1975)] comprised the strongest set of songs Bolan had assembled since The Slider, there was a real sense of passion on cuts like "Chrome Sitar" and "Dawn Storm", a depth of feeling [...]; and the return of Visconti-esque strings" (Mark Paytress Record Collector  magazine March 1984). "The album defies expectation, presenting a surprisingly consistent set of tunes" (Popmatters- [a retrospective review]), "Futuristic Dragon has enough winning moments to suggest an upturn". (Pitchfork [a retrospective review]).
 * "'Dandy in the Underworld'[1977] recaptures Bolan's former spiritedness, [...] the album finds a reinvigorated Bolan crafting some of his best hooks and calibrating his catchiest grooves in years." (Pitchfork, [retrospective review])  Woovee (talk) 18:08, 4 July 2019 (UTC)
 * Much of Paytress' work is hagiographic towards the memory of Bolan. Not that there is anything wrong with being a fam, but his retrospecitve reviews hardly prove the idea of a grand glorious run of creative and commerical success which vastly outlasted Finn and Legend's time in the band.62.190.148.115 (talk) 07:54, 5 July 2019 (UTC)
 * The favourable retrospective reviews of Popmatters and Pitchfork of Futuristic Dragon and Dandy in the Underworld were not written by Mark Paytress, weren't they. Do you agree? There are several journalists who rate those late T. Rex records, can we mention Alexis Petridis in The Guardian for instance, yes we do: here's what he wrotes: "Dandy in the Underworld was another solid effort".. You're trying to sell the idea that T. Rex discography is not interesting after what you dubbed "the classic T. Rex line-up with Finn and Legend" to justify a section with tribute acts including those musicians but this ain't gonna work. Woovee (talk) 13:23, 5 July 2019 (UTC)
 * Later writers rehabilitating these records do not make a grand and glorious continued run of success post-Finn/Legend taking in, as you put it, "many" albums.62.190.148.115 (talk) 14:19, 5 July 2019 (UTC)
 * Bolan is the only musician who contributed to the songwriting. He formed the band, released three albums before the arrival of Finn and Legend, and released two more albums after their departure. Bolan and Bowie did a duet in 1977 for a tv show, he was still recognized by his peers, and the new generation of punk musicians. ~
 * I'm asking the question once again: the Doors toured after the death of Jim Morrison using the Doors umbrella because there was only line-up during all the existence of their group and the Doors were formed by four members, no one had ever been fired (This is the same situation for Joy Division). Do you see the difference with T. Rex? Woovee (talk) 12:35, 4 July 2019 (UTC)
 * This is nothing to do with whether MF's T-Rex and X-T.Rex are authentic continuations of the band, it's about whether they are significant enough in the subject of T.Rex to merit a collective section on the T.Rex article. If we're going to go on about comparable cases then two better examples than the Doors would be Thin Lizzy and Lynyrd Skynyrd, both of which were reactivated years after the resepctivfe deaths of Phil Lynott and Ronnie Van Zant.  The Johnny Van Zant version of Skynryrd seems to be reasobaly accepted as a legimate continuation.  The post-Lynott version of Lizzy is treated as questionable by Thin Lizzy fans but not subjected to the same sheer venom Bolan fans reserve for the two "reunion" bands.  Nonetheless there is no call to scrub the articles on the original bands of any mention of the posthumous versions - in fact both articles treat the reunions as legitimate continuations.  I'm not even calling for that in T.Rex's case, just a brief section on the general subject with links to the reunion bands' articles. 62.190.148.115 (talk) 13:27, 4 July 2019 (UTC)
 * The comparison between Thin Lizzy and T.Rex is not relevant either as Thin Lizzy was formed by several members/songwriters whereas T. Rex once again was formed by only one person who was its one and only songwriter in 10 years.
 * The parallel with Lynyrd Skynyrd doesn't work either for the same reasons as there were several founding members in Lynyrd Skynyrd and several composers too. :::Peter Hook of Joy Division is doing at the moment a tribute act of Joy Division but this is not mentioned on the Joy Division article. There is a "Post-Thin Lizzy projects" section at the Thin Lizzy article because there were several founding members/songwriters. Woovee (talk) 16:08, 4 July 2019 (UTC)
 * Thin Lizzy and LS were both led by a single alpha indivisual whose identity dominated the band's orignal life time. Lynott and Van Zant could say "I AM the band!" without fear of any opposition.2.28.124.81 (talk) 05:56, 5 July 2019 (UTC)
 * Also although Marc was sole credited songwriter, the Bolan/Took lineup was largely portrayed to the public at the time as being an equal partnership and Took had a lot of input into the arrangement of songs - he created his own backing vocals and percussion parts around Bolan's songs. In theory Mickey Finn inherited Took's vote in the band although in practice his input was limited to his distinct bebop-influenced style of bongo playing which impacted on the beat and thus overall feel of many T.Rex tracks.62.190.148.115 (talk) 07:48, 5 July 2019 (UTC)
 * In the eyes of all non-fans, to paraphrase Mark E. Smith, if it was Marc Bolan and yer granny on bongos, it was T Rex. Ritchie333 (talk) (cont)  11:20, 5 July 2019 (UTC)
 * Perhaps, but there seem to be plenty of people prepared to pay to see a Bolan-less lineup that MF's T.Rex have made a 22 year career out of it (and who knows, the same may prove true of the Fall in good time.) Anyway, a lot of the controversy over these line-ups is actually the reason they merit a mention - the fuss over them has made them notable. 62.190.148.115 (talk)
 * By the way I notice with interest Ritchie that you have torpedoed Woovee's attempt to speedy delete both bands articles. What are your thoughts on a short section on these bands in general in the main T.Rex article? 62.190.148.115 (talk) 12:35, 5 July 2019 (UTC)
 * You don't get the message: there were many songwriters/founding members in those groups whereas there was only one songwriter and founding member for Tyrannosaurus Rex/T. Rex. Keep on putting smoke screens in this discussion if you want but a section about tribute acts is not relevant on the article about this present band.Woovee (talk) 13:51, 5 July 2019 (UTC)
 * There was mostly one songwriter in Thin Lizzy even if the sidemen occasionally chipped in with a contribution.14:19, 5 July 2019 (UTC)
 * Wrong, Eric Bell and Brian Downey wrote many songs with Phil Lynott whereas you won't find one original song of the T. Rex repertoire with a contribution of another musician apart Bolan. Indeed, Bolan composed all the original T. Rex material. Ip's comparisons (namedropping other bands), don't stand because the dynamics inside T. rex were different to that of those groups mentioned in this talk.  --Woovee (talk) 22:26, 11 July 2019 (UTC)
 * Lynott at least co-wrote everything that lineup did (except Whisky In the Jar obviously and The Farmer B-Side "I Need You") He singlehandedly wrote 8/10 of the first album, 3/4 of the New Day EP, 8/9 of the second LP, 5/8 of the third LP, the B-sides of Whisky and The Rocker (on of the three third LP co-writes) and the A-Side of Randoplph's Tango.  That works out to 28 out of 38 singlehandedly written by Lynott, just eight out of thirty eight co written with Bell and/or Downey and just two non Lynott songs one song written by the producer and one very famous cover.
 * It doesn't change much after Bell left (I shall restrict this to albums after this point.), Lynott singlehandly wrote 8/10 of Nightlife plus one co-write each with Downey and new guitarist Scott Gorham. One the fifth album Fighting it gets a bit more democratic, 4/10 solo Lynott songs, three co writes, a solo song each by Gorham and Robbo plus another cover.  By the sixth album Jailbreak though it's back to normal with Lynott alone writing 5 out of 9 and co-writing the other four.  On seventh album Johnny The Fox it's 5/10 with Lynott doing 5 single handedly and cowriting the other 5 with all sorts of combinations of the three bandmantes. Eight album (and Robbo's last) is the same as Jailbreak - 5 Lynott solo vs 4 co-writes.  Ninth album Black Rose is down to just 3/9 Lynott solo tracks but he still co-writes the other six.  Tenth album Chinatown is back to the same 5 solo vs 4 co-writes= 9 total formula. For the final two albums it's down to 3 Lynott solo vs 6 co-writes and 2 versus 7 and many critics attribute the band's "decline" at this point to it becoming more democratic.  Over the course of the twelve albums Lynott alone wrote the majority of songs.  Only two original band composition album tracks were written without his involvement.  I'd say that matches my previous comment about how Lynott was dominant songwriter and  "the sidemen occasionally chipped in with a contribution." 2.24.71.107 (talk) 10:54, 12 July 2019 (UTC)
 * T. rex was formed by Bolan whereas these bands were formed by "Several" founding members. I dunno why you keep on digressing namedropping these line-ups. This is just a bad tactics to dilute this discussion. -- Woovee (talk) 13:34, 12 July 2019 (UTC)
 * We were discussing comparable situations to T.Rex. I think your insistence on T.Rex being a unique case in terms of the dictatorship of the frontperson is overstated. 2.24.71.107 (talk) 22:52, 12 July 2019 (UTC)

Promotion?

 * Romomusicfan's edits fall under wp:promotion for an on-going project as they wrote, "former T.Rex members (and either currently or formerly featured members of the "classic" 1971-1973 lineup) and which both promote themselves as reunions of T.Rex". Woovee (talk) 20:11, 3 July 2019 (UTC)
 * The term '"classic" 1971-1973 lineup did not appear in the article. You have actually quoted from my summary above.  I used the term there and in an edit summary and see no big deal about this as the Bolan/Finn/Currie/Legend lineup is commonly referred to in similar terms - it having produced nine of the band's eleven Top 10 hits and all three albums to make the UK Top 5 on initial release.  Indeed, the four are given the top line treatment on the T.Rex template
 * Here is the actual final text for the Disputed Reformations section. I defy anyone to find anything "promotional" about it:

''Since Bolan's death there have been two attempts to reform the band with former members. Since Bolan was the only member to have appeared in every T. Rex lineup as well serving as the band's lead guitarist, lead singer and main songwriter, fans of the original band have generally rejected the authenticity of these line-ups, treating them at best as tribute bands.

''In 1997 former bongo player Mickey Finn formed Mickey Finn's T-Rex which also included former T. Rex guitarist Jack Green and drummer Paul Fenton who recorded and toured with the band briefly. This band has also included former Smokie guitarist Alan Silson and Saxon guitarist Graham Oliver. Following Finn's death in 2003 the band continued on as T. Rex (A Celebration of Marc and Mickey) until a petition signed by Bill Legend, Tony Visconti and David Bowie, among others, forced them to revert their name back to Mickey Finn's T-Rex with his family's blessing.

''In 2014, Legend put together his own version of T. Rex, initially known as Bill Legend's T. Rex but now known as X-T. Rex and also billed as T. Rex with Bill Legend and T. Rex with Bill Legend feat. Danny McCoy. This band has toured Europe and was expected to record a new album. Legend is the last surviving member of T. Rex's best-known lineup and indeed of any lineup of T. Rex or Tyrannosaurus Rex prior to its mid-1973 commercial decline (with the possible exceptions of July 1967 debut gig musicians Cartland and the unknown bassist, neither of whom has been traced and both of whom were reportedly considerably older than Bolan or Took).
 * 2.28.124.81 (talk) 23:48, 3 July 2019 (UTC)
 * Do you work to promote those tribute acts on wikipedia? It sounds like you do. You haven't added anything else on the article apart messing up with this section mentioning those tribute acts. Woovee (talk) 00:10, 4 July 2019 (UTC)
 * Have you got any evidence to support these baseless accusations of bad faith or are you just casting aspertions? 2.28.124.81 (talk) 00:21, 4 July 2019 (UTC)
 * You haven't replied by a no. What are your motives apart to desesperatly want to fill a section about those tribute acts ? You haven't added anything else on this article, you make wp:disruptive edits. Had you edited before and added historical content under your registred account, we could assume wp:good faith from your part. Woovee (talk) 00:31, 4 July 2019 (UTC)
 * If that's what you want, then no, I don't work to promote these acts. I didn't originally create that section either, although I did work on it to make it more encyclopedic and think that it should stay.  I've done plenty of other work on the article - see our 2016 discussion above.  I also worked on the timeline graphic (mainly combating vandalism to it) and the Tyrannosaurus Rex section in the past.2.28.124.81 (talk) 05:55, 4 July 2019 (UTC)
 * And since you're the one, Woovee, that is making all the accusations of promoting (and disruptive editing - which edits?) the onus is on you to provide hard evidence to support your claims.62.190.148.115 (talk) 07:25, 4 July 2019 (UTC)
 * "the onus is on you" :) you seem to know a lot about wikipedia for an user who has never been involved in discussions. Woovee (talk) 12:26, 4 July 2019 (UTC)
 * I've been editing since about 2009 and been on WP talk pages for pretty much as long, most of it logged out, some when necessary using the account (created 2011). This still doesn't explain where you base your claim that I am working as a promoter -  for two  bands which clearly are rivals for market share! 62.190.148.115 (talk) 13:14, 4 July 2019 (UTC)
 * And the community is supposed to trust an user who constantly changes of ips. "I did work on it to make it more encyclopedic and think that it should stay.". No, this section was not encyclopedic in any away and contains poor English words. This section would also be obsolete when these two tribute acts are no more. One of these tribute acts (X-T. Rex) is already dead for more than 5 years (the url of the website is dead) and the other one, is promoted by drummer Paul Fenton who only played one song on Bolan's Zip Gun (which is notoriously known to be the less attractive album of the T. Rex catalogue). This section is a farce. You did promote [Paul Fenton's] T Rex tribute act, de facto as you wanted to bring the section back in the article, this week. Woovee (talk) 19:41, 4 July 2019 (UTC)
 * I've been entirely open about the fact that these IPs are all me - it's not like I've tried to pretend to be several people - quite the opposite in fact. I'm in a hurry right now but I can post the link to the WP essay "Notability is not temporary." so it is irrelevant whether bands are still going or who has left. 2.28.124.81 (talk) 05:55, 5 July 2019 (UTC)
 * WP:NOTTEMPORARY - there. 62.190.148.115 (talk) 07:38, 5 July 2019 (UTC
 * I have entirely legitimate reasons for wanting to bring back that section (on ALL the "reunion" bands) because I think it is relevant and worthy of inclusion and should not be blanked out of Wikipedia to satisfy the POV of another editor regarding Bolan fan politics. (Indeed the controversy over these bands is in itsef a good reason for their meriting a short section. Tony Visconti doesn't get up out of his seat and join in just any old controversy in Bolan fandom.)2.28.124.81 (talk) 05:55, 5 July 2019 (UTC)
 * The point is not to forbid the existence of these tribute acts, the point is simply that it is not relevant to mention them in this article
 * You've been arguing that they don't belong on Wikipedia because "No Bolan No T.Rex" and that it's all just a plot to give them publicity.62.190.148.115 (talk) 14:15, 5 July 2019 (UTC)
 * This editor doesn't fool anyone about their motives. Otherwise they would have registred under a name to show the community all the edits they have made on this article and elsewhere on wiki. Woovee (talk) 12:41, 5 July 2019 (UTC)
 * I've had the Romomusicfan account since 2011 and I've been editing since around 2009. The article on Mickey Finn's T.Rex was created way back in 2006 and the one on X.TRex in 2014, both by user  who is most certainly NOT me!  (The original "Attempts at reunions" section was added to the T.Rex (band) article by another IP user in 2014.   It would be a simple matter for an admin to check up and prove that I was nothing to do with any of it. I'm getting rather tired of all these unsubstantiable insinuations - they just seem like a ploy to distract from the real debate. 14:15, 5 July 2019 (UTC)
 * This section was entirely made by you / or the entourage of those tribute acts under many ips. Woovee (talk) 12:55, 5 July 2019 (UTC)
 * I didn't even make the section or the articles. You appear to be saying that because I mostly don't log in to my account, it proves that I am therefore running a grand campaign of sockpuppetry. You are delving into total conspiracy theory territory in flagrant breach of WP:GOODFAITH and it can't be doing you or your case any favours in the eyes of other participants in the discussion.62.190.148.115 (talk) 14:26, 5 July 2019 (UTC)
 * I should have put probably. This is not the point anyway.  Woovee (talk) 14:58, 5 July 2019 (UTC)

IP User/User:Romomusicfan

 * Are Romomusicfan and the ip the same user ?
 * yes they are as Romomusicfan has never edited on the T. Rex article and they did not make a lot of edits on wikipedia.  Woovee (talk) 20:11, 3 July 2019 (UTC)
 * Not that it's really relevant but yes, I am Romomusicfan. I logged in on this occasion because, correct me if I am wrong, I believe you have to be logged in to start an RfC. As it says on my user page, I "Only generally uses this login when (I) really ha(ve) to and prefer just editing using an IP address."  No mystery here.
 * Incidentally, I'm also the same person who replied to you in 2016 in the thread about number one hits above this one on the talkpage. 2.28.124.81 (talk) 23:48, 3 July 2019 (UTC)
 * So you used two different ips and maybe even more to edit/revert on this article. From now, it would be better to edit under a registred account as many reverts were made on the article. Woovee (talk) 00:19, 4 July 2019 (UTC)
 * I edit from a variety of locations (home, work etc) and usually can't be bothered to log in. Big deal.00:23, 4 July 2019 (UTC)  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2.28.124.81 (talk)
 * FWIW I sometimes edit logged out to make minor edits when I'm away from my main computer, but I always log in to have a discussion, because it's otherwise impossible to keep tabs on who you're talking to. I don't really care if you call yourself "Shark Infested Custard Monster, Volume III" as long as the handle is consistent. Ritchie333 (talk)  (cont)  11:16, 5 July 2019 (UTC)
 * I'm taking the liberty of moving your remaining comments down to the other users section so I can reply to them there, but my general point is that I've always been totally honest about different IPs and the acount and anyway an accusation of malfeasance makes no sense if all the identities are claiming to be the same. If I was claiming to be three different people then that would be something substantial (i.e. sockpuppetry).  As it is, it just seems to me to be an attempt to personalise the issues and it still doesn't remotely prove that my unblanking of the Reunions section was somehow done to promote the band.62.190.148.115 (talk) 11:35, 5 July 2019 (UTC)

"Reunion" band articles

 * After reading Mickey Finn's T-Rex and X-T. Rex, any longtime wiki contributor would agree that those articles would be deleted. It is not because there is an article present on wikipedia that this article is worth to be included in an encyclopedia. Anyway, I'm gonna check out this case very closely as it is patent that the entourage of those tribute acts are doing lobbying on wikipedia, and so their views are biased. Woovee (talk) 20:11, 3 July 2019 (UTC)
 * Mickey Finn's T.Rex article passes WP:MUSIC on account of criteria #6 "Is an ensemble that contains two or more independently notable musicians," - there are several on there but for the purposes of this debate I shall restrict myself to (1) Mickey Finn (2) Jack Green.  Also, although the article could admittedly do with more references, there are three different sources, all independent of the band, mainly concentrating on the controversy surrounding the band, which are just barely enough to pass criteria #1 "Has been the subject of multiple, non-trivial, published works appearing in sources that are reliable, not self-published, and are independent of the musician or ensemble itself"
 * X-T.Rex, I have already conceded, should probably be a redirect to Bill Legend, but even then this would be a project by an important member in the history of the band, covering the band's former material and as such worthy of a brief mention in the main T.Rex article.
 * For what it's worth, I think there is a possible case also for throwing in a mention of the late Dino Dines's appearances with T.Rexstacy as part of the section. 2.28.124.81 (talk) 23:48, 3 July 2019 (UTC)
 * No the articles about these tribute bands should be deleted. They are not encyclopedic. Woovee (talk) 00:15, 4 July 2019 (UTC)
 * Then create AfDs on both of them and see where you get. (I would vote Keep for the MF's T.Rex article and Merge To Bill Legend for the X.T.Rex article) 2.28.124.81 (talk) 00:27, 4 July 2019 (UTC)

Ex band members deaths deleted?
Dates/circumstances of deaths of band members are a normal part of a band page. Blanking these details is pointless. As I have said, there is already a Marc Bolan page and there is no need to turn the T.Rex page into a second one. 16:41, 9 July 2019 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.190.148.115 (talk)
 * Those ex-members left the band far before the end of T Rex. This information belongs to the articles about these musicians. BTW, this is part of the present rfc as it concerns the same topic/section "see the revision 12:43, 3 July 2019".Woovee (talk) 19:05, 9 July 2019 (UTC)
 * For a start, Dino Dines was still in the band at the time of Marc's death. Blanking the dates/circumstances of deaths of band members from a band article is an extraordinary and weird step - this information is a normal part of band pages - for example The Beatles ended in 1970 but John Lennon's shooting and George Harrison's cancer are both listed on there.  The Small Faces article mentions the deaths of keyboardist Ian McLagen and shortlived SF mk2 guitarist Jimmy McCulloch, both after all band activity had ceased. Deleting basic details like this makes one wonder what you have planned next!  Like I said, this is the T.Rex (band) article and there is a separate Marc Bolan article; there is no need to turn this into a second Bolan article.62.190.148.115 (talk) 07:41, 10 July 2019 (UTC)
 * These comparisons don't work because The Beatles was a band with four individuals, constantly together for promotion. This is why the Beatles article included those information about the death of Harrison and Lennon obviously. Woovee (talk) 11:06, 10 July 2019 (UTC)
 * Bolan/Took and Bolan/Finn were certainly all together for promotion for the first five albums (and even with Electric Warrior, Mickey Finn got one whole side to himself of George Underwood artwork on the inner sleeve (with Bolan on the other side.) 62.190.148.115 (talk) 12:37, 10 July 2019 (UTC)
 * Come to think of it, I've never seen a single solo promotional photo of Bolan between late '67 and mid '71 unless it was one well known to be cropped down from a bigger picture. Both lineups of Tyrannosaurus Rex were presented, at least to the hippy public, as a band with two individuals, constantly together for promotion.2.24.71.107 (talk) 00:28, 11 July 2019 (UTC)

More input from others
Okay, you've all read Woovee and myself going at it, but what we need is more input from other editors to gain a wider consensus on the issue. Over to the rest of you ... 62.190.148.115 (talk) 07:32, 4 July 2019 (UTC)

... Anyway, reliable sources such as the Guinness Book of 70s music (just to pull the first random one off the shelf) state that T. Rex ended with Marc Bolan's death, and while tribute bands featuring former members or sideman can be mentioned if they are documented in such sources, they are still tribute bands. For another example, the current touring incarnation of Thin Lizzy stresses it is a tribute band, will not record any new material as it would be disrespectful to Phil Lynott and indeed have recorded together under another name instead. The 21st Century Schizoid Band is a more interesting example as Robert Fripp was neither the lead singer or principal songwriter in the original King Crimson line-up, he was just the one that held onto the name and became the musical director. Ritchie333 (talk) (cont)  11:16, 5 July 2019 (UTC)
 * Good points made, but neither of the T.Rex "reunion" bands play their own music under their own name either. Also Wikipedia has the Lynott Lizzy and the post-Lynott Lizzy all on one article and treats them all as the same band, which is actually a more hardline position than I am advocating (i.e. a short section acknowledging the controversy and linking to pages where these offshoots can be dealt with in more depth - as things were before Woovee blanked the section.) 62.190.148.115 (talk) 11:44, 5 July 2019 (UTC)
 * "I am advocating (i.e. a short section)". here are the motives of this person. Woovee (talk) 12:59, 5 July 2019 (UTC)
 * Yes I am advocating that the short section which there was on the article be kept. And? 62.190.148.115 (talk) 14:26, 5 July 2019 (UTC)
 * Another interesting case in point - Hawkwind. During the Noughties, there was an almighty great legal dispute betweek Dave Brock and Nik Turner over the latter using the Hawkwind name or even anything that hinted at Hawkwind for his splinter band.  However as far as I am aware, there has never been any suggestion, even from the most fanatical Brock fans that Turner's X-Hawkwind etc projects should be deleted from the Hawkwind article.62.190.148.115 (talk) 12:19, 5 July 2019 (UTC)
 * Sorry but there are four founding members in the band Hawkwind, your defence doesn't work. And the content of other articles are not wiki rules. Woovee (talk) 12:55, 5 July 2019 (UTC)
 * Why do you namedrop in this discussion those other bands formed by several founding members ? Their situation can not be compared to the present case. The history of Marc Bolan and Tyrannosaurus Rex/T. Rex is completely different. Woovee (talk) 12:48, 5 July 2019 (UTC)
 * You made some suggestions for comparable situations, so did I.62.190.148.115 (talk) 14:26, 5 July 2019 (UTC)
 * This was a question for Richie333. Woovee (talk) 14:34, 5 July 2019 (UTC)

To save you time, I invite people who join us in this discussion, to read the first line of the lead of this article plus the very first line of the first section. Make a mental note with the name of the person mentioned at each time. Then read the leads of the articles about Thin Lizzy or Hawkwind the other bands namedropped above, count all the names mentioned in those leads. You'll notice that there are several founding members for each one of those bands, that's why there were many legit later incarnations after those bands called it a day. Finally re-read the lead of this T Rex article, is there any further need to explain why this discussion is pointless and the claim of ip doesn't stand ? Woovee (talk) 23:10, 5 July 2019 (UTC)
 * That first line was rewritten in 2011 from a previous first-line of "fronted by Marc Bolan". (There's a good case that it should say Bolan and Took, but never mind.) It still doesn't explain why there should be no mention in the T.Rex article of the MF's T.Rex or X-T.Rex projects or other similar projects.2.28.124.81 (talk) 00:37, 6 July 2019 (UTC)

Sent here by a bot for the RfC. I admit that I haven't made many (if any) non-gnomish edits on music articles, but having had a look over the page as it stands, and the talk page, I see no reason why these tribute acts from former members cannot be mentioned in the Influence and Legacy section. As somebody who is not a hardcore fan, this is the sort of info I would expect to see there. --Killer Moff (talk) 09:44, 11 July 2019 (UTC)
 * Interesting idea. Possibly the band member deaths should go in there two.  Both these two things as subsections perhaps?
 * In fairness to Woovee, he/she/other has done a fair amount of work on that section - perhaps that should also be given its own sub-header.2.24.71.107 (talk) 17:11, 11 July 2019 (UTC)
 * Of course you have read the leads of the articles about Thin Lizzy or Hawkwind and took note that these bands were formed by several founding members like the Doors. Question; do you know that Bolan formed Tyrannosaurus Rex and hired and fired all the musicians as he pleased, during 10 years ? Do you know that the tribute act Mickey Finn's T. Rex includes in its line-up, hold on, as the only former T. rex member, Paul Fenton -- a percussionist who actually recorded only one song for T. Rex !!! and it was on the less interesting T. Rex album ? If T.rex was formed by several musicians at the start and kept the same line-up, it would be relevant to mention those reincarnations but those groupes are not continuations of T. Rex, they are just tribute acts. I note that you have never contributed at any music related article, which is rich. Woovee (talk) 21:21, 11 July 2019 (UTC)
 * Mickey Finn's T-Rex did previously include Mickey Finn himself (until he died) and Jack Green. Under WP:NOTTEMPORARY any wiki-notability from that period of MFTR's history applies to the whole of MFTR's lifetime.2.24.71.107 (talk) 11:06, 12 July 2019 (UTC)
 * Sources? I'm afraid that the IP doesn't know how wikipedia works. Only reliable sources matter, "the wiki-notability" means nothing. Woovee (talk) 13:10, 12 July 2019 (UTC)
 * MFTR easily passed WP:MUSIC under criterion #6 due to Finn and Green and Fenton being in the band. Under WP:NOTTEMPORARY MFTR still passes even though Green left and Finn died, so your point about there only being Paul Fenton left nowadays is irrelevant.2.24.71.107 (talk) 23:04, 12 July 2019 (UTC)
 * I never said they were continuations of the band, and I noted myself that I'm not a contributor to music articles. I wasn't aware that this has any bearing on the weight of my input. In simple terms, I believe that any notable act which performs the music of T. Rex, has members who have performed with T. Rex and in some cases calls themselves a variation of 'T. Rex' should probably be regarded as part of the legacy of T. Rex. I'm more than happy to have noted that some (the majority?) of fans consider these groups controversial, but don't believe it's in any way wrong to put the information on an overview of the group's career. Many people, like myself, who are not familiar with the history of the group would expect to see this. If it's its own section, separate from legacies, I also don't have a problem. And what's rich is telling somebody who was invited to comment that they are not qualified to comment. --Killer Moff (talk) 08:34, 12 July 2019 (UTC)
 * None of this is encyclopedic. Being "not familiar with the history of the group" like you are, is a problem, it means that you are unable to see the differences between the dynamics inside this band and the dynamics.history of a group like the Doors for instance. You were not invited by me, I would have ever pinged an editor who is inexperienced at music related articles (no contribution on a music related article in Killer Moff's all wiki history, no involvement in any talk of a music-related article but they go, coming from nowhere. I guess that writing "This rfc should be discussed with longtime wiki users who contribute a lot on music articles" was a red flag for attracting people liek you who are not experienced and do nothing on music related articles, my mistake. --Woovee (talk) 13:16, 12 July 2019 (UTC)
 * More to the point, the controversy over the authenticity of these bands as "reunions"/"continuations" not only contributes to their own notability but also is a significant occurrence in the post-history of T.Rex itself. It got Bolan himself back in the headlines.2.24.71.107 (talk) 11:06, 12 July 2019 (UTC)
 * IP's keeps on digressing. Controversy, this is only their view, but wikipedia is not a forum. Reliable sources, anyone ?. --Woovee (talk) 13:02, 12 July 2019 (UTC)
 * See above quote from Danielz. A senior figure in Bolan fandom driven to rant at length about MFTR.    The negative reaction has generated press coverage which are sources enough.2.24.71.107 (talk) 23:00, 12 July 2019 (UTC)
 * Perhaps at's what the section Killer Moff is proposing should be called - "Post-history." As well as "reunions" and band members' deaths, other stuff that could go in there include memorials at the tree and at Golders Green Crematorium, posthumous chart success (20th Century Boy going Top 15 in '91, the Ultimate Collection going Top 5 a year later) and the issues raised in the "Who got Marc Bolan's Missing Millions" TV docu. 2.24.71.107 (talk) 11:10, 12 July 2019 (UTC)
 * "include memorials at the tree". --> This is typically the kind of information that belongs to the Marc Bolan article. IP's lack of constancy is baffling and they said earlier this article should be different from that about Bolan. -- Woovee (talk) 13:02, 12 July 2019 (UTC)
 * There are actually memorials to individual band members (plus June Child) on the steps leading up to the tree site, although I'll conceded memorials probably do belong on the Bolan page. I stick with my/KM's general suggestion for a Post history section, however ... 2.24.71.107 (talk) 23:00, 12 July 2019 (UTC)

I have arrived here after following a RfC which peaked my interest, having been a T.Rex enthusiast since the 1970s (when I saw them several times) and an editor interested in music topics, esp. old punk rock, and T.Rex was an influence for numerous punk bands and musicians. I've read thru much of this fragmented version of a WP:WALLOFTEXT on this talk page, and would like to offer a suggestion: WP:LETITGO. To my eyes and mind, editor Woovee is pushing their WP:POV, and assuming good faith, their enthusiasm has escalated to the point of WP:WINNING and perhaps a enabled a sense of WP:OWN to the degree of being disruptive - examples being their attempts to speedy delete two T.Rex tribute (reformation) bands: Mickey Finn's T.Rex and X-T.Rex. That was not necessary. This article is about the band, T.Rex, not about Marc Bolan's omnipotent importance. There is no reason not to include information on the deaths of ex-members of the band, nor to mention tribute bands; these are facts that belong in an encyclopedia. On the other hand, it IS indeed confusing to have a conversation with another editor who uses more than one IP addresses as well as a log-in name - esp. when responding to an RfC; that situation could make a new editor feel out-numbered and defensive. So no wonder there are misunderstandings here! Here's a thought...maybe cool the jets for a while and agree that the article is about the band and it's legacy, not about being personally right? The article needs a WHOLE LOTTA work and a LOT more citations; with so much unsourced info it is bordering on original research WP:OR. Maybe some of this energy could be channeled in that direction? Just a thot... Netherzone (talk) 03:43, 16 July 2019 (UTC)
 * A Rfc lasts 30 days. Hopefully, experts in music-related articles like myself will give their opinions. But this answer above is pretty low and really doesn't bring anything to the article bar discrediting my view/person and throwing hot oil to my face. As it is common exercise to discredit someone in a talk who doesn't express the same view, I put a few instances of my work on wikipedia on my profile with links. Everyone will see that my work is diverse. I wish the leeches who discredit my person had done 5% of my researches but unfortunately it is always the little ones who bark. Another thing, it takes a lot of guts to give lessons whereas the user hasn't ever contributed to this article. Woovee (talk) 21:15, 16 July 2019 (UTC)
 * If you mean me by that, I have made loads of contributions to this article over the years. The thread above this contains a discussion between you and I over one such edit.2.24.71.107 (talk) 13:07, 3 August 2019 (UTC)
 * The Legacy section that I have done contains tons of sources. Saying that this article is close to OR is rich: if you put a tag at the top of the article, it will be withdrawn in 2 seconds. Wiki works with consensus between editors and a majority of votes: so spare me the "own" flag. Woovee (talk) 21:15, 16 July 2019 (UTC)
 * Hot oil and leeches, that's hysterical! Your "researches" win. Netherzone (talk) 00:13, 17 July 2019 (UTC)

Canvassing "is notification done with the intention of influencing the outcome of a discussion in a particular way, and is considered inappropriate. This is because it compromises the normal consensus decision-making process, and therefore is generally considered disruptive behavior." The ip wrote a non neutral message at the talk of Netherzone. For this reason, the vote/comment of Netherzone can't be counted in the end. Woovee (talk) 00:36, 17 July 2019 (UTC)
 * The ip now makes wp:Canvassing:
 * Woovee, thank you. You win. How circumspect and considerate of you for copying my entire talk page in the link you provided. BTW, I did not vote, but rather simply submitted a comment based on observation - see the edit summary if you need to prove this to yourself. Netherzone (talk) 01:34, 17 July 2019 (UTC)
 * Woovee, I took the liberty of reading through WP:CANVASSING and it includes the following "Appropriate Notification: An editor who may wish to draw a wider range of informed, but uninvolved, editors to a discussion can place a message at any of the following: *On the user talk pages of concerned editors. Examples include: **Editors who have made substantial edits to the topic or article" We could sit here all day debating what constitutes "substantial" but did make some edits to the article prior to her participation in this discussion, in particular tagging your key statement about Bolan's death being the end of the band with a Citation Needed tag.  Furthermore although I did mention your conduct on this debate in my message to Netherzone, I said nothing either way about the central issue of whether or not MF'sTR and X-T.Rex should be mentioned in this article (or T.Rex band members' death dates.) I left it up to Netherzone to express her opinion and for all I know she could have turned out to be quite scathing of those bands and indeed she was critical of my use of multiple IPs and a login (fair enough, although I've given my reasons).  Perhaps you should try to engage with the points these editors are making rather than simply try to find technicalities to shut debate down.62.190.148.115 (talk) 07:31, 17 July 2019 (UTC)

Expired
This RfC has expired. Since is doing some work on the page, I'll let the* decide if the wants to re-input the section or not. .* ( not sure btw, if the accusative declension of "the" should be them or ther or thim or whatever so just used the nominative to avoid offence.) 2.24.71.107 (talk) 10:47, 3 August 2019 (UTC)
 * "Them" is fine. Thanks, 2.24, no offense taken. Netherzone (talk) 15:35, 3 August 2019 (UTC)

Other members, citations
I've added information + citations on members of the band (other than Bolan). Some sections of the article could benefit from additional references. Netherzone (talk) 16:01, 28 July 2019 (UTC)
 * Thanks, but I don't think Woovee will be a happy bunny about this - he/she deleted exactly this content from the page and then reverted my reverting of him/her. (This was after the deleting of the content relating to band reunions.) 62.190.148.115 (talk) 11:22, 29 July 2019 (UTC)
 * Thank you for your concern, but I'm here to contribute to the accuracy of the encyclopedia, not to prove a point. The RfC was about whether or not to include the Disputed Reformation Bands (DRB). It seems that your material (on the deaths of other members) may have been deleted in reaction to the discussion of the DRBs. (Since two articles on notable T.Rex reformation bands were put up for deletion at that time (and reverted)). This article is on the T.Rex BAND itself. There were indeed other members of the band who are notable enough have their own WP articles and they died. I see no reason not to include that in this article along with short descriptions of their deaths, with citations. I'm not adding this back to ruffle anyone's feathers, or to please anyone, but rather because it adds value to the encyclopedic content of this article. If someone wants to open up a different RfC about whether the article should or should not include the deaths of other band members, they have a right to do that, however I would question the motivations of doing so. Netherzone (talk) 14:33, 29 July 2019 (UTC)
 * You're welcome, I was just warning you to be ready to face the wrath of Woovee! By the way, yes, this was actually discussed in the RfC. In fact, it had its own section. 62.190.148.115 (talk) 15:22, 29 July 2019 (UTC)
 * From my perspective, and I am no expert, the RfC spun out of control for a number of reasons. Firstly, it was not worded in a neutral tone but rather framed as a personal dispute. It could have been worded in a tone that did not put other editors on the defensive. For example like this: "Should this article contain information on Reformation Bands?" That possibly would have attracted more editors to submit a neutral yes or no and a wider range of productive comments. Secondly, those who felt targeted could have refrained from accusations of COI/promotion, sockpuppetry and canvassing and stayed on topic. So in my opinion the discussion was globally unproductive. To link the facts (dates and causes) of other band members deaths with whether or not reformation bands belong in this article further muddied the waters. That could have been a completely different discussion starting with something like: "Should this article contain information on the deaths of band members other than the founder Marc Bolan?" I'm not about to start that RfC because it is illogical since this article is about the band (which is inclusive of all members throughout the years). I know you are both more experienced editors than I, but am hoping this helps the situation. What we all agree on is that T.Rex was an incredibly important band in the 20th c. and their music continues to be relevant, and to influence and inspire others fifty years later. How awesome is that?! IMO there are huge blocks of text in the History section that could use better sourcing. That will go on my to-do list. BTW, I prefer "The" (not she). Ever onward...The Netherzone (talk) 16:23, 29 July 2019 (UTC)


 * >Some sections of the article could benefit from additional references
 * Have already started work on this - replaced a ref in the Formation and psychedelic folk section, replacing the Steve Took website with a Record Collector column by Luke Haines on the same subject which covers all the salient points.2.24.71.107 (talk) 11:03, 3 August 2019 (UTC)
 * Great, I'll jump in with some referencing when I find a moment. Netherzone (talk) 15:37, 3 August 2019 (UTC)

It was never "eastern" influenced
"...the two began performing acoustic material as a duo with a repertoire of folk-influenced Bolan-penned songs with an eastern flavour, an obvious homage to Indian musician Ravi Shankar." This remains unattested in the article because it never happened. I have every album Tyrannosaurus Rex ever recorded before they became T. Rex, and during that acoustic phase, Bolan was immersed in Celtic and European folk culture and myth, and his songwriting reflected this. None of it was ever "eastern"-oriented either lyrically or musically, and none of it sounded even remotely like Ravi Shankar. That this Wikipedia article asserts this spreads misinformation and does a grave injustice to both Bolan and Shankar. rowley (talk) 22:40, 19 September 2019 (UTC)
 * Can you or other editors find reliable sources to support or deny the fact that Eastern music influenced TRex? Netherzone (talk) 23:01, 19 September 2019 (UTC)
 * I don't have to provide sources to support the contention that there is no basis for claiming Tyrannosaurus Rex's music was EVER "...an obvious homage to Indian musician Ravi Shankar." The claim itself is unsupportable, and the burden of proof rests on the claimant; there is no such influence. Bolan's musical influences at this time were American rock & roll, rendered with mostly acoustic instruments, and his subject matter was British, Celtic, Western European, and Persian myth and folklore. There is, and never was, any Indian musical influence in his ouevre, and most especially, no direct (or "obvious") "homage" to Ravi Shankar. rowley (talk) 03:42, 27 September 2019 (UTC)
 * I got curious enough to do a google search: Marc Bolan Eastern influence. As it turns out, it was actually written about in several sources and at least one book that describe an Eastern influence.,, , , In Phillip Auslander's book, Performing Glam Rock: Gender and Theatricality in Popular Music, it is written on page 92: "It was Ravi Shankar's performance of Indian music...That really tripped Marc's mind." (quote from Paytress Bolan 89). Auslander goes on to say: Tyrannosaurus Rex fully adopted Shankar's performance style, including the carpet, the incense, the seated posture, and even the reverential audience." In the footnote it is stated that the influence was the performer's style, but that Bolan & Took were "never as seriously interested in Eastern music, culture, religion or philosophy as George Harrison." So it seems the influence exists enough that it has been written about (I only looked at the first few hits on google). Netherzone (talk) 12:34, 27 September 2019 (UTC)
 * Because some web commentator perceived (or imagined) a commonality (one that one must note in passing that many others have affected at one time or another), that doesn't make it an "obvious homage" — or even an "influence." To assert it as a fact, when it has never been more than some third party's opinion (while making it seem, spuriously, like a musical influence) is contrary to Wikipedia's mandate to present factual data. rowley (talk) 18:31, 27 September 2019 (UTC)
 * Not sure what you mean by "some web commentator perceived". It is written in both Mark Pantress' book, "Bolan: The Rise and Fall of a 20th Century Superstar" and in Phillip Auslander's book, Performing Glam Rock: Gender and Theatricality in Popular Music that Shankar was indeed an influence. Those are both RS's. Netherzone (talk) 20:06, 27 September 2019 (UTC)
 * As you quoted, above, though, while Bolan may have adopted some superficial aspects (what amounts to stage dressing) of the performance of traditional Indian music, it had no influence on the music, itself. This needs to be clear in the article text. rowley (talk) 00:40, 28 September 2019 (UTC)
 * I understand the nuance you are pointing out, rowley. What do you think about this suggested reworking of the text: Subsequently, Bolan retained the services of Porter, who switched to percussion under the name Steve Peregrin Took, and the two began performing acoustic material as a duo with a repertoire of folk-influenced Bolan-penned songs. After seeing an influential performance by Ravi Shankar, the band adopted a stage manner resembling the performance of traditional Indian music. Netherzone (talk) 12:09, 28 September 2019 (UTC)
 * I have modified the text to reflect the content in the two book citations re: Ravi Shankar's influence. Netherzone (talk) 13:52, 12 October 2019 (UTC)
 * That sounds accurate. Thank you. rowley (talk) 00:37, 19 November 2019 (UTC)

Timeline changes
Musical Doodle You have recently made several changes to the T.Rex band timeline. These types of changes normally undergo a discussion on the talk page. In the future please post an inquiry or suggestion on the talk page, and wait until consensus is reached among editors. Netherzone (talk) 18:18, 20 September 2019 (UTC)

December 2019
This edit is constantly reverted by a user. Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, there is no need to put a string of sources at the end of a sentence, looking like this [4], [5], [6] whereas one can gather many different sources within only one reference using the <br /. Those three sources are still present with all their links under only one reference btw. A third user also said in their edit that the <br / are useful for this reference. The references are presented that way at many featured articles, like Pink Floyd. Woovee (talk) 14:12, 16 December 2019 (UTC)
 * Constantly? Constanty (sic)? A nonsensical exaggeration. BTW, there was another editor who also reverted the ganging of the references. MOS suggests gaining consensus before changing the style of refs. Netherzone (talk) 21:41, 16 December 2019 (UTC)
 * Other <br / commands had already been included to tidy the references in this article. In the "Influence and legacy" section, [at the date of 19 July 2019 which is the very first contribution of the user who is against the <br / on this article], one sees that the reference appearing behind the name of Devendra Banhart includes many sources under the reference 41. so, gaining consensus before changing the style of refs doesn't apply as older users had already chosen the '<br /' style before. Woovee (talk) 00:29, 17 December 2019 (UTC)
 * Sounds like this detail is important to you Woovee. Have a good holiday season. Netherzone (talk) 03:04, 17 December 2019 (UTC)
 * I did reinstate Wpovee's edit once . I personally thought tidying the refs was a good idaa (and it's rare that I agree with Woovee over something on here), but the consensus was against it so I didn't make any more of a fight over it.Romomusicfan (talk) 01:01, 5 January 2020 (UTC)

A note/reference about T. Rex after Bolan's death: was it still a band
Regarding this edit,. User Romomusicfan sounds like a relative of one of the musicians who worked with Bolan. So the wp:onus is on them to demonstrate that T.Rex was not entirely relying on Bolan's figure and add sources showing how these musicians could have carried on singing under T. rex Banner. Good chance. Mediocrity at best Woovee (talk) 17:51, 2 January 2023 (UTC)

Regarding this other edit, wp:wikipedia is not a forum / blog for user's opinions. Woovee (talk) 18:08, 2 January 2023 (UTC)


 * Please no personal attacks or personal accusations here or in edit summaries. Civil conduct is an official WP policy requiring that users "always treat each other with consideration and respect." Focus on edits not on contributors. Wikipedia is a collaborative project. Courtesy ping since you are discussing his edit. Netherzone (talk) 01:03, 3 January 2023 (UTC)


 * Thank you . Woovee if you have the slightest scrap of evidence other than vague intimations that I or anyone else is "related" to anyone involved then I defy you to escalate your claims via the relevant channels and procedures. (For what it's worth I have met the late Mickey Finn and Bill Legend once each, both long ago and saw Finn's band (after his death) one time in 2009 at the 100 Club in London.  Also for what it's worth I thought they were OK but have no issue with anyone rating them as "Mediocrity at best".  After all there are plenty of mediocre - even downright HORRID - bands who are nonetheless without doubt elligible for mentions or even full articles on Wikipedia.) Romomusicfan (talk) 09:14, 3 January 2023 (UTC)


 * This user didn't address anything regarding the rule "wp:wikipedia is not" a forum / blog for user's opinions, which applies against this note /reference in this edit . The wp:onus is on them to demonstrate that T.Rex was not entirely relying on Bolan's figure and add sources showing how these musicians could have carried on singing under T. rex Banner. Woovee (talk) 05:45, 3 January 2023 (UTC)


 * There was a much simpler problem with that edit, namely the fact that you have vaguely indicated a particular book as your source (presumably Mark Paytress's 2003 biography "Bolan - The Rise and Fall of a 20th Century Superstar") but have failed to provide a page number or a quote from the text to show what particular content in this book - if any - verifies the claim that Bolan's death was the final end of this band.Romomusicfan (talk) 09:14, 3 January 2023 (UTC)


 * I was under the impression that we cleared up this matter some time ago. The band did not "ultimately end" when Marc Bolan died. The aleged opinion of one writer Mark Paytress, who may or may not have made that statement (it does not matter either way); does not make it "true", as various other band members went on to develop at least two tribute/spinoff bands, X-T.Rex and Mickey Finn's T-Rex. is correct. -  Netherzone (talk) 19:04, 9 January 2023 (UTC)

Further discussion as requested by WP:DRN volunteer
1) I have had a look through WP:NOT and cannot find any reference to how WP:FORUM - as you claim - prohibits comments containing divering viewpoints on Reason notes on tags such as Citation Needed or Neutraility disputed.  It would be unreasonable to expect neutralty to be challenged without stating the opposing viewpoint. 2)In any case stating that bands exist containing former members, whose premise is that they are reactivations of T.Rex, is not an opinion. Furthermore I put in my notes how such claims are vocally rejected by many including yourself. 3)If anything, considering (2) above, it is the bald statement that Bolan's death consituted the final end of T.Rex that is the Opinion if it cannot be specifically supported by a reference (other than an unspecified report of a mention *somewhere* in a very long book).Romomusicfan (talk) 17:31, 8 January 2023 (UTC)


 * Reiterating what I have stated above, is correct. The band did not "ultimately end" when Marc Bolan died. The aleged opinion of Paytress, who may or may not have made that statement (it does not matter either way); does not make it "true". After Bolan's death other band members went on to develop at least two tribute/spinoff bands, X-T.Rex and Mickey Finn's T-Rex. Netherzone (talk) 19:07, 9 January 2023 (UTC)


 * Additionally, Paytress only alegedly made that statement as it is not verifiable that he actually made that claim at all; an extensive search of the book does not verify it. Verifiablily is a key policy of the encyclopedia. Even if it were found that Paytress made that statement, that is only one point of view which gives undue weight to a single source. NPOV states that "neutrality requires that mainspace articles and pages fairly represent all significant viewpoints that have been published by reliable sources". Billboard magazine clearly states: "But in 1997, after band members received a rapturous reception at a public performance to commemorate Bolan’s 1977 death, the group reformed with Finn, original band member Paul Fenton, and several new musicians. They performed all over Europe and were particularly popular in Germany. The group recorded an album, “Renaissance,” in 2000." If we are to achieve balance, then both viewpoints should be included in the article, per "when reputable sources contradict one another and are relatively equal in prominence, describe both points of view and work for balance." Netherzone (talk) 01:44, 10 January 2023 (UTC)

Dispute Resolution Noticeboard conclusion
Hi Woovee. (Cc to your talk page)

In your absence the DRN thread has concluded with consensus between Netherzone and myself under moderator guidance to include a short paragraph about the "reunion" bands. As per the duscussion, should you disagree with our connsensus about - or should you choose to unilaterately revert or significantly modify - the text as we have agreed it, we will proceed to a Request For Comment discussion board topic about this article.

The thread is currently located at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Dispute_resolution_noticeboard#T.Rex_(band). I will post a reply with an updated URL once the discussion is archived.
 * EDIT: Here is the updated URL for the archived thread: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Dispute_resolution_noticeboard/Archive_227#T.Rex_(band). Romomusicfan (talk) 21:41, 23 January 2023 (UTC)

Here is a copy of the thread, with only formatting modifications with regard to subheader heirarchy:

T.Rex (band)
Have you discussed this on a talk page?

Yes, I have discussed this issue on a talk page already.

Location of dispute Users involved Dispute overview

Circa 2019 Woovee deleted sections relating to T.Rex reuinion projects Mickey Finn's T-Rex and X-T. Rex (formerly Bill Legend's T. Rex) and input a statement in the article that "As Bolan had been the only constant member of T. Rex and also the only composer and writer, his death ultimately ended the band." It was Woovee's stated view that the possible validity of such reunion bands was a fringe/minority viewpoint underserving of coverage. I tagged Woovee's statement for CN and recently added a neutrality disputed tag and input an IMHO even-handedly worded reason in both tags relating to the controversies relating to such projects. Woovee deleted the tags, stating that the reasoning given amounted to "introducing opinions" into the article in contravention of WP:NOT and insinuating that I must be motivated by somehow being related to the musicians involved (I am not!)

How have you tried to resolve this dispute before coming here?

Talk:T. Rex (band) Talk:T. Rex (band)

How do you think we can help resolve the dispute?

Immediate resolution is required about the validity of my tags of Woovee's statement including the Reason given. In the long term, resolution is required about whether the subject of these reunion bands should be covered in the T.Rex article or not.

Summary of dispute by Woovee
Please keep it brief - less than 2000 characters if possible, it helps us help you quicker.

Summary of dispute by Netherzone
Please keep it brief - less than 2000 characters if possible, it helps us help you quicker. The timing of this is not great for me as I am travelling and in the middle of a vacation, and it is difficult (and unpleasant) for me to concentrate on a dispute at this time. I thought we cleared up this matter some time ago, and was surprised it has resurfaced. Briefly, my position is that the band did not "ultimately end" when Marc Bolan died. That the opinion of the writer Mark Paytress, who alegedly made that statement, does not make it "true" as various other band members went on to develop at least two tribute/spinoff bands, X-T.Rex and Mickey Finn's T-Rex. I believe that the position of the editor who opened this discussion is correct the article should not make the claim that the band ultimately ended when Mark Bolan died, or that both POVs (the band ended/the band did not end) should be included and each be reliably sourced (with page numbers if applicable). Note: I re-read the DRN rules and have modified the sentence above so as to comment solely on content, and not on contributors. Netherzone (talk) 04:13, 10 January 2023 (UTC)
 * I'm not even sure Paytress made such a statement, particularly in his second Bolan book as briefly cited. (If a page number and quote can be provided for authentication, that would be fair enough.) Romomusicfan (talk) 12:30, 9 January 2023 (UTC)

I added the word "alegedly" to my statement above because it is not verifiable that Paytress actually made that claim at all; an extensive search of the book does not verify it. Even if it were found that Paytress made that statement, that is only one point of view. Would that not give undue weight to a single source? NPOV states that "neutrality requires that mainspace articles and pages fairly represent all significant viewpoints that have been published by reliable sources". Billboard magazine clearly states: "But in 1997, after band members received a rapturous reception at a public performance to commemorate Bolan’s 1977 death, the group reformed with Finn, original band member Paul Fenton, and several new musicians. They performed all over Europe and were particularly popular in Germany. The group recorded an album, “Renaissance,” in 2000." If we are to achieve balance, then both viewpoints should be included in the article, per "when reputable sources contradict one another and are relatively equal in prominence, describe both points of view and work for balance." Netherzone (talk) 01:38, 10 January 2023 (UTC)

T.Rex (band) discussion
Please keep discussion to a minimum before being opened by a volunteer. Continue on article talk page if necessary.
 * Volunteer Note - There are two areas that need to be dealt with. The recent discussion has not been continuing long enough.  So resume discussion at the article talk page.  The filing party has not notified the other editors.  Please notify them on their user talk pages.  I am neither opening nor closing this case at this time.  Try to discuss the issue for at least 24 hours with at least two more posts from each editor.  Robert McClenon (talk) 04:17, 6 January 2023 (UTC)
 * Hi, I thought it automatically notified the parties concerned. I have already notified, I shall notify  also.Romomusicfan (talk) 08:22, 6 January 2023 (UTC)
 * Have left a note on 's talk page.Romomusicfan (talk) 08:27, 6 January 2023 (UTC)
 * Have allowed time for a response by . There has been none.  Have made the first of my two posts as requested by .  If there is no response from  either there or here, such that this thread ends up being closed or threatened with closure due to inacticvity (or whatever similar reason) I feel I would be well within my rights to revert 's last reversion and reinstate the CN and Neutrality notes complete with reason tags.  I don't want a revert war but all this silence could frankly be interpreted as  having dropped any disagreement with my reasoning! Romomusicfan (talk) 17:37, 8 January 2023 (UTC)

Statement one-half by moderator (T. Rex)
The editors should read the usual rules, and should each make a statement saying that they agree to moderated discussion subject to the usual rules. If there is agreement for moderated discussion, we will proceed with moderated discussion. Robert McClenon (talk) 02:59, 9 January 2023 (UTC)


 * Have done so below. Do Woovee and myself still need to get our remaining posts (my second and both of Woovee's) done on the talk page as requested by yourself above, or is that abandoned now? Romomusicfan (talk) 08:42, 9 January 2023 (UTC)

Statement one-half by editors (T. Rex)
I agree to moderated discussion subject to the usual rules.Romomusicfan (talk) 08:39, 9 January 2023 (UTC)

First statement by moderator (T Rex)
I am opening this case for moderated discussion. Please read the rules again. Be civil and concise. Comment on content, not contributors. Discuss the article here rather than on the article talk page, and do not edit the article.

I am asking each editor to state, in one paragraph, what they want changed in the article, or what they want left the same that someone else wants changed. Robert McClenon (talk) 03:47, 10 January 2023 (UTC)

First statements by editors (T Rex)
Ideally I would like the "ultimately ended the band" sentence either taken out or replaced with something less definite along the lines of the band "deactivating" at the point of Bolan's death. Also a brief section (no more than a quick paragraph) on the subject of the two "revival" bands such as existed on the article prior to Woovee's 2018/2019 edits - probably in more concise form than the old version - should be input. As a compromise I would accept the existing wording with the CN and Neutrality tags with the Reason notes re. the "revival" bands - such as it was when I added the Reason notes - to be left up long term.Romomusicfan (talk) 09:28, 10 January 2023 (UTC)

I would like to see the following three changes made: 1)	Remove this sentence until or unless page numbers can be found in the Mark Paytress book for verification: “As Bolan had been the only constant member of T. Rex and also the only composer and writer, his death ultimately ended the band.” As it stands, the latter part of the sentence after the comma cannot be verified through an online search, and thus may be original research or not a neutral point of view. 2)	If a page number is found, the sentence may stand as written but should be balanced with another POV to achieve a neutral point of view WP:NPOV. I suggest the following: “As Bolan had been the only constant member of T. Rex and also the only composer and writer, music critic Mark Paytress states that Bolan’s death ended the band. However Billboard magazine states that “the group reformed with Finn, original band member Paul Fenton, and several new musicians. They performed all over Europe and were particularly popular in Germany. The group recorded an album, “Renaissance,” in 2000." 3)	Reinstate the former section on the two “revival bands” as seen here:  and improve the referencing such that each claim has a citation to a reliable source. Netherzone (talk) 01:14, 12 January 2023 (UTC)

Second statement by moderator (T. Rex)
Two editors have made statements as to what should be changed, and there seem to be two or so matters of agreement. Is there agreement to remove the sentence that ends in "ultimately ended the band"? Is there agreement to reinsert the section on revival bands?

Does each editor have any other comments on the other suggestions? Does either editor have any specific other ideas for improvements to the article? Robert McClenon (talk) 02:17, 14 January 2023 (UTC)

Second statements by editors (T. Rex)
I would say that there is broad agreement between we two editors who have so far participated. (I am striving to make this point in a manner compliant with number 3 of the Rules.) However, we do both come from the same side of the discussion, so perhaps that is unsurprising. I would advocate turning the "ultimately ended" statement into a line saying the band disbanded rather than simply deleting the sentence The remainder of that paragraph is a very good section about the post band careers of T.Rex sidemen 1967-1973 and should be kept unchanged and unaffected by this edit. I would suggest that a second paragraph then be added to this section condensing the old Attempts At Reforming section down to bare bones. Romomusicfan (talk) 21:46, 14 January 2023 (UTC)

I agree 100% with 's statement and suggestions above. Netherzone (talk) 23:27, 14 January 2023 (UTC)

Third statement by moderator (T. Rex)
Three editors are listed as participating in this discussion. Two of the editors are mostly in agreement, and one has not edited in ten days. I am putting moderated discussion on hold for maybe a week, during which time the two editors may edit the article and may discuss their edits either here or on the article talk page. If the other editor returns and disagrees with their edits, moderated discussion can be reopened. Otherwise moderated discussion can be closed. Robert McClenon (talk) 06:06, 15 January 2023 (UTC)


 * If moderated discussion is closed and subsequently the other editor returns and the dispute resumes, what recourses will we then have? Romomusicfan (talk) 21:37, 17 January 2023 (UTC)

Third statements by editors (T. Rex)
Have made the edits as requested above by the moderator.Romomusicfan (talk) 19:54, 15 January 2023 (UTC)

Fourth statement by moderator (T. Rex)
If the other editor who has not edited in two weeks, with whom there were disagreements, returns and reverts the edits, or disagrees with them, a Request for Comments is probably the best approach. An RFC is often the best way of dealing with an editor who appears to be in a minority or editing against consensus, because it establishes a binding consensus.

At this point, there has been normal editing of the article for four days. I will close the moderated discussion in between one and three more days. Robert McClenon (talk) 18:22, 18 January 2023 (UTC)

Back-and-forth discussion (T Rex)
Romomusicfan (talk) 08:44, 20 January 2023 (UTC)