Marmalade

Marmalade, originally known as The Gaylords and later Dean Ford and The Gaylords, were formed in 1961 in Baillieston, a suburb of Glasgow, United Kingdom. The band initially consisted of Pat Fairley (frontman), Billy Johnston (bass), Tommy Frew (drums), Pat McGovern (guitar), and Wattie Rodgers (vocals). In 1963, Thomas McAleese, who later adopted the stage name Dean Ford, became the lead vocalist. The group gained local popularity in Scotland and signed with Columbia (EMI) in early 1964, releasing four singles, including "Twenty Miles". In 1965, they changed their name to Marmalade and moved to London, signing with CBS Records in 1966. Their breakthrough came with the single "I See The Rain", which became a hit in Holland in 1967. Marmalade's period of greatest success was between 1968 and 1972, during which they released several albums, including There's a Lot of It About (1968) and Reflections of the Marmalade (1970). Their most notable song, "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da", reached number one on the UK Singles Chart in 1968. The band continued to release music throughout the 1970s and beyond, with albums like Our House Is Rocking (1974), The Only Light on My Horizon Now (1977), and Heartbreaker (1982). Despite changes in personnel over the years, Marmalade have continued to perform in nostalgia circuits. In 2013, they made a triumphant return with Penultimate, a collection of new compositions plus re-recordings.