Oui Magazine - February 1973
OUI: Did you ever have pimples?
Bolan: No.
OUI: Who or what influenced your early albums?
Bolan: Very little, musically; lyrically, just about everyone. I used to read a lot.
OUI: Do you do any reading these days?
Bolan: Well, I buy things and glance at them, but I don't really read. I've been watching a lot of television these days.
OUI: Do you think reading is outdated?
Bolan: No, not at all. It's just that I don't have time to do much of it, that's all. It's not quick enough for me now.
OUI: It hurts your eyes, too.
Bolan: Yes; it depends on how spaced you are.
OUI: Do you consider yourself a sex symbol?
Bolan: Do you consider me a sex symbol?
OUI: Well, I'm not really sexually attracted to you, but a lot of other people out there are.
Bolan: I don't know about America, but in England, I think I'm considered a sex symbol. They're selling pillow cases now that have pictures of me on them, so that you put your head next to me when you sleep.
OUI: Does it effect you at all that at any given moment there are, say, 10,000 people thinking about you?
Bolan: I find it quite nice; yeah, it's sort of nice actually.
OUI: Are you still interested in magic?
Bolan: Yeah, how can you not be?
OUI: Do you think that if Aleister Crowley had been born in 1945 instead of 1875, he would of gotten involved in rock and roll?
Bolan: Yes. Well, I don't know about rock and roll, but he certainly would've gotten involved in pop media. He always worked along media-orientated lines.
OUI: What kind of audience are you most interested in?
Bolan: I want everyone. I'd rather have young kids than people who are firmly entrenched in their ways, though. In England, I think we have an audience that goes from about 12 to 40 years of age. You know, I don't want to be a Donny Osmond. I've been offered that by a lot of people. I was offered a lot of shit by some people, like to become the next David Cassidy, but I'm not ready for it; I don't want that sort of thing. In England I've got respect of the majority of the people. That's the only reason why I wanted to be like I am in England; I was bored by being ignored by the media. I have no idea whether there's going to be any world left in 10 years. I don't see any security in what I'm doing; how can you with all these people dying all around you? I'm just passing time.
OUI: Do you take a lot of drugs?
Bolan: No.
OUI: Do you think it's your job to teach all your young female admirers about women's rights?
Bolan: Not at all. It's not my job to do nothing but wave my cock in front of them. Give them what they want. I've always felt everyone to be the same; I've never felt that chicks were inferior to guys in any way.
OUI: Have you ever considered just giving your number to all of those 12-year-old chicks who want to fuck, and lining them up and doing them one by one?
Bolan: No. I could do that - I know lots of people who do that all the time. I think if I were into that sort of thing that I'd just rather go out and get a hooker. I'd rather fuck 18-year-olds anyway.
OUI: There seem to be a lot of idolatrous references to cars, metal, and cold, technological objects in your songs. Do you think that modern technology is better than all the return-to-nature shit?
Bolan: It's contrived. You see, I live mostly inside my own head. I find it very hard to talk to people. I'm all right once I get into it, but it's not natural for me. About four years ago, I decided that I would either stop playing or learn to relate to materialism. I had to start relating to the material world. At this point, I'm just trying to relate to people in certain terms, 'cause people don't always understand Celtic gods or flying saucers.
OUI: What's your favourite drink?
Bolan: Dom Perignon champagne. I don't really drink as much as I used to, though.
OUI: How old were you the first time you got laid?
Bolan: Believe it or not, I was nine years old when I first got laid.
OUI: What's your favourite food?
Bolan: Well, I'm a vegetarian I haven't eaten meat in seven years. If I liked meat, I'd eat it; I just don't like it. There's something about the idea of filling my body with dead animal flesh. It's not good for your mind either. Quiche Lorraine's my favourite dish.
OUI: Do you listen to your own music very much?
Bolan: Stuff that's already released? Maybe once a year I sit down and listen to all of it.
OUI: Do you sleep in the nude?
Bolan: Always.
