

Bolan was living quietly with wife-to-be June Child, while Took was rapidly forging links with “revolutionary” underground acts, such as The Deviants and The Pretty Things. By this time, their lifestyles were in direct conflict. Took developed his own songwriting and in early 1969, with recording just complete on Tyrannosaurus Rex’s third LP, Unicorn, Took suggested to Bolan that the duo could perform some of his own material Bolan refused.
STEVE PEREGRIN TOOK FULL
Towards the end of his time in the band, as Bolan began returning to the electric guitar, Took returned to a full drum set and also contributed some bass guitar parts. Took’s arrangements contributed to transforming Bolan’s music from the straightforward rock ‘n roll it had previously been into an exotic brew of musical styles designed to appeal to Bolan’s new audience of hippies. Took contributed harmony backing vocals, which are more noticeable in live recordings than on studio recordings, and provided bongos, African drums, kazoo, pixiphone, and Chinese gong. The flower-power unit, championed by John Peel onto the club and stage circuit and thence into the record shops, released three albums and achieved two top 40 hits. After one disastrous concert at the Electric Garden in London, Bolan and Took reduced the band to a duo, busking in subways on acoustic guitar and bongos, Took having been obliged to sell his full drum kit to pay the rent until paying gigs started to come in.
STEVE PEREGRIN TOOK MOD
At the age of 17, having played drums for some months with a mod band named the Waterproof Sparrows, he answered an advert in Melody Maker for Tyrannosaurus Rex, the electric band that Marc Bolan was forming following his departure from John’s Children. He took his name from the hobbit Peregrin Took in J. Took was born Stephen Ross Porter in Eltham, London, on 28 July 1949. After breaking with Bolan, he concentrated on his own singer-songwriting activities, variously as a solo artist or as a frontman for several bands. He is best known for his membership of the duo Tyrannosaurus Rex with Marc Bolan.

Steve Peregrin Took (born Stephen Ross Porter 28 July 1949 – 27 October 1980) was an English musician.

Memorial: Drugs were not listed as a contributing factor, even though Took’s death is often wrongly listed as a “drugs misadventure” Location Died: Notting Hill, United Kingdom Known For: Founder of “T Rex” (Tyrannosaurus Rex) with Mark Bolin.
