For the soundtrack of Moulin Rouge, director Baz Luhrmann asked Bono, Gavin and Maurice Seezer specifically to do T Rex’s “Children of the Revolution”. It is the theme tune of the ‘Bohemians’ in the film. A song that is “a pre punk pop anthem, full of pure ‘I DON’T WANNA GROW UP’ teenage angst… with one of the best guitar/string riffs of all time,” says Gavin Friday.
“T Rex/Bolan have always been a love/interest to me… “take me back to ’72″…”The Slider”, “Rex Mortuus Est”, “Life’s a Gas”, “King of Trash” (all songs Gavin and Maurice played or recorded). Over the years myself and Maurice have tipped our hat to Bolan many a time. The music of T Rex will always be close to my heart, it’s a ‘you never forget your first kiss’ type of thing.”
“Bono took the role of Bolan and I took on the role of Flo & Eddie (backing singers on the original) at the request of the director. The recordings were very free form, just the three of us dossin’. It was chaos ‘n’ fun, mad jams, very uncontrived with our tongues firmly in our cheeks.
Two versions of the track were mixed by ‘Biffco’ at Windmill Lane. The mix used in the film is different from the one on the soundtrack: “It’s a demented camp/handbag/heavy metal/pop kind of thing.”
