Drummer
Steve Took was one half of the duo Tyrranosaurus Rex before a shortened name and a change of musical styles brought its founder
Marc Bolan incredible fame. At 18
Took answered an ad in a London underground paper, The International Times, placed by a young hippie named
Marc Bolan.
Bolan was fascinated by mythology, particularly J.R.R Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy, and the duo they formed, Tyrranosaurus Rex, payed heavily to the hippie mysticism of the day. While
Bolan sang about elves, magic and the days of old,
Took added exemplary percussion, bass, piano and harmony vocals.
Took and
Bolan released three albums together and built a small cult following which included BBC DJ
John Peel who helped them secure a record deal in the first place. Yet, drug addiction and bizarre acts of violence onstage, such as whipping himself with a belt until he bled, led
Took to fall out of favor with
Bolan and, after a 1969 American tour,
Took was asked to leave the band. He went on to play with
the Pink Fairies for a time before leading a somewhat more subterranean lifestyle in London.
Took, who was called the
Pete Best of the '70s by insensitive journalists, watched helplessly as
T Rex and his old partner
Marc Bolan went on to become stars in the U.K. He died in 1980 after choking on a cocktail cherry. ~ Steve Kurutz, All Music Guide
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