“Jeepster” is a playful love song that Marc Bolan lifted from Howlin’ Wolf’s song “You’ll Be Mine”. Bolan admitted, “I don’t sing old rock ‘n’ roll songs myself, I prefer to change the words and make new songs out of them”. “Jeepster” is a metaphor of a young man going for a woman above his class or social stature. Bolan’s love for cars expresses this metaphor with the ruggedness of a Jeep meant for off-road fun in rough terrain, relentlessly pursuing a Jaguar of high class, unwavering style, luxury, and performance. Tony Visconti, the producer, loved how Bolan took an old blues song, shook it up with some dramatic, melodic chord progressions as he enthusiastically stomped and jumped, rattling the microphone stands, which added an organic layer of rhythm to Steve Currie’s bass guitar, Mickey Finn’s congas and Bill Legend’s drums. Bolan sings, with his lusty vibrato voice, of his girl’s fair qualities and wanting her all to himself. “Girl, I’m just a vampire for your love and I’m going to suck you!”. The album, “Electric Warrior”, with infectious songs such as “Bang A Gong (Get It On)”, “Cosmic Dancer” and “Jeepster”, clearly established Marc Bolan and T. Rex as trailblazers of the glam rock era. (C.M. 18 March 2024)
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