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MARMALADE

REFLECTIONS OF MY LIFE

(“Junior” Willie Campbell, Thomas McAleese)

London 20058

No. 10   May 9, 1970

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Marmalade was formed in Glasgow, in 1961 when two aspiring guitarists, “Junior” Willie Campbell (b.

July 24, 1946, Glasgow, Scotland) and Pat Fairley (b. Apr. 14, 1946, Glasgow), met in Glasgow. Pat and

Junior recruited vocalist Dean Ford (b. Thomas McAleese, May 31, 1947, Airdrie, Scotland), vocalist/

bassist Graham Knight (b. Dec. 8, 1946, Glasgow), and soon-to-depart drummer Raymond Duffy. Before

Marmalade’s sight and sound jelled, the unit was named the Gaylords.   They quickly became quite

popular in Scotland, and were voted the country’s top group from 1964 to 1966.

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Duffy left, and Alan Whitehead (b. July 24, 1947, Owestry, England) was whacking the skins by the time

the group decided to move to London.   Once settled there, they redubbed themselves Marmalade for a

show-stopping appearance at the 1967 Windsor Jazz Festival.   After a successful Thursday-night

residency at the famed Marquee Club–where the Yardbirds, the Animals, and the Rolling Stones first

earned their rep­utations–England’s CBS label signed the group to a recording contract.

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From 1968 through 1976, Marmalade could do little amiss with British fans.   Near a dozen of their sin­gles

became U.K. hits, and more than half of these reached the Top 10 (a cover of the Beatles’ “Ob-La-Di, Ob-

La-Da” sold a million copies).   Ten albums [TEN?!] were released throughout Europe, yet the moody

“Reflec­tions of My Life” was the band’s only excursion into the hallowed halls of stateside hitdom.   Before

Marmalade’s success soured, “Rainbow” (#51, 1970) and “Failing Apart at the Seams” (#49, 1976) caused

minor U.S. chart disturbances.

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As of the early ’90s, an edition of Marmalade was still actively working the London bars.   A solid self-

titled LP appeared in the U.S. on G & P Records in 1982, pro­duced by Junior Campbell.   By this point,

Graham Knight was the only original member present.   Ex-Poet, Hugh Nicholson, Junior’s replacement,

would later chart in the States with the Elton John produced group Blue. Junior had left the fold in 1972 to

attend the Royal Academy of Music, to jingles and film music, and to record with something called

Fishbaugh Fishbaugh Zorn.   He went on to create a few solo albums and to score Top 20 slots in England

with two singles, “Sweet Illu­sion” and “Hallelujah Freedom.”   After a Sunday paper’s expose of the

members’ sex life on the road, Dean Ford exited in 1974, did sessions for the Alan Parsons Pro­ject, and

recorded an unsuccessful solo album; per reports, he now [early ’90s] works as a house painter in Los

Angeles.