marms LPs and CDs

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Here you will find the low-down on covers, tracklists and other details of Marmalade's LPs -
originals, compilations, reissues and solo efforts.

First up: Dean's solo 2CDs released in November 2018 shortly before his passing.
Here is an extract from the publicity release: '...Dean Ford has finally released the project that showcases his under appreciated talents as a writer, arranger and instrumentalist.
This Scottish Heart includes 30 tracks that will amaze the listener with it's strong melodies, harmonies and catchy song-craft throughout.
A wide variety of genres to enjoy and lyrics covering all aspects of his life. 'Reflections of My Life ' is re-visited here as a tasteful acoustic number.

Disc One:
1. A New Day; 2. Little Man; 3. Running out of Time; 4. Natasha; 5. The Blue Angel; 6. Butterflies in June; 7. Until the Day I Die; 8. I Got You; 9. God Is; 10. Precious Little Boy;
11. Merry Go Round; 12. Cowboy Joe; 13. Restless Heart; 14. He's an Angel; 15. Left My Heart in Mexico; 16. When Will It End; 17. Dreamland.

Ok, so what's this like - A few are of little interest - 'Mr Business man'; 'Boogaloo party', 'Gimmie gimmie good loving' and 'Melting pot'
The rest are all fine or outstanding performances. There is slight distortion and vague hiss around the sound at times but that's understandable.
However, as with all these '60s BBC radio show releases you get the incredibly irritating Brian Mathews contaminating the proceedings with his 'fab and groovy' patter all over the intros, outros and elsewhere.  In the interviews he is really patronising and insulting to his guests. Its not confined to Scots' groups though- check out the Beatles at the BBC - "Hey Ringo, have a banana".
Are the BBC being contemptuous of music fans by releasing such snippets or just clueless? Do they really think we want to hear never mind pay for this rubbish?
We hated it then and hate it even more now!!

Rant over - to get the best from the disc and escape the worst we downloaded the tracks then edited them with Audacity to get rid of the inane DJ drivel .
The jokey throwaway 'You cannae shove your grannie aff a bus' can even be rescued from one of the interviews that way
but 'To love somebody' and 'Carolina in my mind' are just too spoilt to do anything with. They're lightweight anyway.
Then we burned a fresh 20 track CD of the edited essentials ignoring the pointless ones and the irksome interviews.

So what are we left with - gritty soulful vocals from Dean despite the over-American affectations on 'Seven days is too long' and tasty guitar solos, cracking drums, bass and harmonies on everything. These guys had real talent in all departments. Knew the guitar and singing would be top class but quite taken aback by the attack of the drums even if only the snare and cymbals cut through on these recordings. Of the covers the stand out tracks are - 'I know I'm losing you'; '60 minutes'; 'Daddy Rolling stone', 'Can't explain '( with a tongue in cheek guitar intro and better oohs than the 'oo); 'Hush' and 'Mess Around'; Great to hear the stripped down version of 'Lovin things'. 'Make it soon'; 'Marianne' & 'Reflections' are more like overdubbed studio efforts than live stabs at these classics but still worthwhile for that. One slight (but only slight mind) disappointment is the version of 'I see the rain' - where the vocals seem just a tad off key at times.
Roll on a similar project covering the rest of the Decca years!

'There's a lot of it about' - CBS 63414, (1968)
Lovin Things/I see the rain/I shall be released/Summer in the City/Piece of my heart/There aint no use in hanging on/Mr Tambourine man/Wait for me Marianne/
Mr Lion/Hey Joe/Mess Around/Man in a Shop. Two hit singles,three that didn't make the charts, the b-sides and some stage favourites.
Five group originals including the pure dead brilliant 'I see the rain'. All eminently listenable.

'Reflections of the Marmalade' - Decca LK/SKL 5047, (1970)
Super Clean Jean/Carolina in my mind/I'll be home in a day or so/And yours is a piece of mine/Some other guy/Kaleidoscope/Dear John/Fight say the mighty/Reflections of my life/Life is.
All original material bar two. Harmonies, poignant lyrics, a little bit of funk, some psychedelia and the incomparable Reflections.
If they'd never recorded anything else this would have been an excellent legacy….but they did!

'Songs' - Decca SKL5311, (1971).
Bad Weather/Sarah/Mama/Back on the road/Lady of Catrine/Empty Bottles/I've been around too long/Lovely nights/She wrote me a letter/Ride boy ride
All originals, all great. Seven from Nicholson, two from Ford and Knight's one effort - 'Empty Bottles' (Produced by Junior before he left).
Above is a chunk of the cover. The band left their name off it. Okay for Led Zeppelin but Marmalade? Ford says it was Nicholson's idea.

'Our House is Rocking' - EMI EMC3047 (1974)
Come back Jo/The way it is/Our house is rocking/Stuck on you/Mr Heartbreaker/Love tale/Ole country rhythm/Douglas (Isle of Man)/Gypsy lady
Cover shows l-r: Dean Ford, Mike Japp, Joe Breen and Dougie Henderson.
First LP for three years and released when the band had split or just before. Knight plays on all but the first two tracks. Breen takes his place for them.

Several tracks with a Foghat boogie style about them and only a few flashbacks of the harmonies that made them famous.
It was all a bit behind the times by 1974. The best number is Japp's Gypsy Lady but even its prog/psych is reminiscent of Northwind circa 1971.
Dean obviously liked Mr Heartbreaker (You're On) - he did a demo with the previous line up that saw the light of day in 2002 on the Decca years and then tackled it again on his solo album.
He was fond of that hat on the cover too as it turns up there again as well. Dean wears a great pair of grey platforms on the cover.

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'The only light on my horizon now' - Target TGS 501 (1977)
The only light on my horizon now/You steal the limelight/Living to feel the magic/Louisiana/So sad/Hello baby/What you need is a miracle/The rusty hands of time/
Its hard to understand/Rollin on/Falling apart at the seams.

Issued a year after their swansong hit that features as the final track here. Soft poppy ballads with more strings than guitars. Definitely not for the 'Radancer' fan.
Five numbers by Tony Mccauley (he owned the label and incidentally wrote 'Baby make it soon'), six by Newman and one by Watt-Roy.

'…doing it for you' - SKY LP1, (1978)
Pepsey!/Alright OK/Fat Sally/You're a lady/Doing it all for you/Space pioneer/Make it real easy/Heavens above/Colour may world/ So good to have you/Sentimental value.

This is better. Sandy Newman in full flight. He wrote all the songs except for a Knight co-composition. He also produced the album.
A return to straightforward guitar/bass/drums/keyboards arrangements with the emphasis on catchy pop tunes. 'Heavens Above' is the best track.
Professional material that's well worth a listen. Most of these tracks re-appear on the 'Hello Baby' CD.

Marmalade - G&P Records - GP 1001 (1980)
A US only release. Lady Jane/America/Heavens above/Good luck to you/Back on the road/The judge and Anna Lee/Made in Germany/ Ooh Baby/Can't you feel the thunder/Oh Susie.

Now here's a strange one. Alan Clayson (RC 186) makes out that this is a compilation made up from Decca, EMI and Target tracks plus some Junior Campbell recordings.
However, a careful look at the track listing, and better still, a listen, reveals that this is not the case. This is all 'new' material. Campbell produced the album and wrote four of the tracks.
The rest is new materian by Sandy Newman plus a couple of re-recordings of '..doing it for you' material plus the 'Made in Germany' single.
A very, very close listen to 'Heavens Above' shows it to be different from its previous release. Newman was a master at near-identical re-recordings as will be seen below.
Newman is credited as only on keyboards while Holmes does all the guitar work.
The 'Back on the road' track is a different number (by Campbell) from the Nicholson hit - perhaps that was what led Clayson into error - obviously didn't listen to the album!
Some good songs and once again a straightforward and mercifully strings free production.

Heartbreaker - Specctra SPA3 - (1982)
Take another chance/Lady you take my breath away/What are you gonna do/Best of my love/Heartbreaker/Question of love/I don't believe in love/I listen to my heart/Running/I gave up.

Produced by Sandy Newman and Dan Priest. The drummer on this LP is one Glen Taylor. Six Newman compositions, one in collaboration with Priest and three by non-band members.
Gary E. Tibbs of LA offers the following review: "Typical '80s pop like Toto or Journey with Newman continuing to prove himself a prolific if not brilliant songwriter.
Musicianship and effort are there and the production is slick. Strings and female voice backing on a couple of tracks. To sum: different but not distinguished".
We think its ok with Heartbreaker itself being the standout track.

Dean Ford EMI EMC3079 (1975)
Hey my love/Crying in my sleep/The Captain/Hello/Easy kind of feeling/Mr Heartbreaker/The funny things you do/So far away/Doin' something. Very pleasant listening indeed.
Most numbers have a good wash of strings over them. We suppose the album was intended to put Dean into the easier listening market.
Best of the seven Ford originals is 'The Wishin' Well' while Dean also does an accomplished version of Jimmy Webb's 'Crying in my sleep'. Hardly rock & roll though.

Big time British names assisting on the album include: Alan Parsons - producer; Colin Frechter - orchestration - best known as the Troggs musical director
and the man who played the ocarina solo on Wild Thing;. Steve Ferrone - drums - Average White Band; George Ford - bass - Cockney Rebel - and many more.
Dean plays a bit of acoustic guitar himself but the harmonica is played by one John Elstar. Now we thought Dean played harp on Rainbow and then this raised a doubt but in January 1976 he was doing vocals and harmonica with Blue on radio sessions so our confidence over Rainbow is restored.
Nice cover shot in an olde worlde pub - which one? Cracking collar-less shirt with red piping too. He looks a bit sad though - drinking alone and only a half pint on the table.
Musing on the break up of Marmalade perhaps.

'Second time around' - Deram SML 1106 (1974)
(Reach out and) help your fellow man/Drive my car/Carolina days/Wandering man/Something deep in my soul//Pretty Belinda/Sweet illusion/Alone in my room/All gonna have a good time/Positively 4th Street/Hallelujah freedom. All Campbell originals except the Beatles and Dylan covers. Strange timing. The LP did not come out until 2/3 years after Junior left the band and 2 years after his 'Hallelujah freedom' hit single in 10/72. Why the lost momentum and old material? And whats that cover about? A hearse, Junior as a ghost - did he feel he was coming back from the dead?
The LP stiffed anyway. Still, Junior wears a neat shirt with multiple paired buttons on the back cover - see the Marms main page to view it

Best of the Marmalade - CBS PR36 (1970)
Obladilada/Lovin things/Can't stop now/I see the rain/Man in a shop/Baby make it soon/Wait for me Marianne/Mr Tambourine man/Butterfly/It's all leading up to Saturday night/Piece of my heart
All the CBS singles plus a couple of tracks from the 1st LP. A cash in attempt by their old label once the band had topped the charts again with Decca.
Unflattering pic of Junior on the cover.

'Obladi' - Embassy EMB31032 (1973)
Obladioblada/Mr Tambourine man/Lovin things/Butterfly/Piece of my heart/Wait for me Marianne/Baby make it soon/Hey Joe/I see the rain/I shall be released/Can't stop now/Summer in the city.
A similar mix of tracks to the 'Best of'' LP but this time on CBS's budget label.
A good TV studio shot on the cover from c.1970 judging by the hair and clothes. Maybe miming to their Decca chart topper, 'Reflections'. Crafty CBS!
Did the Newman era take note of that tactic for their CDs of re-recordings.

Greatest hits - Zuma - ZOOML1 (1985)
Re-recorded numbers by the Newman led band plus Newman's 'Heartbreaker' which fits in well being a moderately slow pop song with good harmonies and a descent guitar parts here and there. This is a slightly different version from the one on the US LP of the same name. These recordings turned up again on the Lazerlight CD apparently. The cover displays the most appalling lack of imagination. Not brave enough at that time to put a photo of the current or the original band on the sleeve we suppose. The latter attitude was to change.

'Reflections of the Marmalade' - London 820562-2, (1988)
Contains the whole 'Reflections' LP plus all the Decca A & B sides. See discography page. A teriffic value CD in its time and graced by excellent sleeve notes by John Tracy.

'The Marmalade' Lazerlight 12275 (1974)
Not a bad wee CD. 16 re-recorded tracks by the Newman era band.. All the hits plus a couple of Newman's best number. These seem to be the same recordings as the Zuma LP from 1985. Honestly, unlike so much re-recorded stuff by other bands its hard to tell the difference here except 'I can see the rain' which is a bit pedantic. So if you want a taste of cheap Marmalade sample this and check out the originals later. Dead cheeky putting a pic of the original band on the cover but not as bad as the one on the 'Hello Baby' CD below.

Hello Baby CD - Success - 16202CD - (1994)
Hello baby/Fat Sally/Pepsey/Louisiana/Alright OK/I'm on an island/Fly,fly,fly/You're a lady/Space pioneer/Make it really easy/Doin'it all for you/Colour my world/So good to have you.

13 fine examples of Newman's well crafted poprock and balladry.
All previously released on the Target and Sky label LPs except the b-side 'Fly, fly, fly'and the unavailable elsewhere, 'I'm on an island.
The cover is a real cheek as from that picture of the original band only Knight plays on all these tracks with Whitehead on a few.
Still the picture is priceless for the sight of Junior in a big girls blouse (so what if it buttons on the man's side). Pat's waistcoat might also make him cringe these 30 years on!
Unfortunately the same photo shoot was used for 'I See the Rain- CBS Years' below.

'The Definitive Collection' - Castle Communications CCSCD 825 (1988)
This 2 CD set was issued to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the 1st Marmalade LP, 'There's a lot of it about'. Indeed one CD is given over to that LP.
The second CD consists of 20 remastered tracks no less than seven of which are from the first LP. Why??????????? Did no one notice?
Still the real bonus is that there are two previously unreleased tracks - a cover of Lorainne Elison's 'Stay with me baby' and the prog rockish 'Can you help me'.
John Tracy had thought that 'Stay' had been wiped soon after recording for being rubbish but Dean tackles the number very well indeed.
Well worth hitting the repeat button for this one. Truly emotional. Some great photos and more excellent sleeve notes.

Full track listing of the compilation CD is:
Rellections/Rainbow/I see the rain/Lovin things/Stay with me baby/Baby make it soon/Hey Joe/Cousin Norman/Empty bottles/Radancer/
Can you hear me/My little one/Battle of Cherry Flavar/Wait for me Mary Anne/I shall be released/Obladioblada/Chains/Piece of my heart/Super clean Jean/Is your life your own.

'I see the rain - the CBS years' - Castle/Sequel - NEMCD 463 (2000)
The complete CBS recordings remastered. All the singles, the 'There's a lot of it about' LP and two unissued tracks -
'Otherwise its been a perfect day' and 'Clean up your heart' Good to get everything on one CD.

The two bonus tracks are fortunately unembarassing. The first is the better of the two despite the lyric - "goodbye happiness, hello loneliness". Now where have we heard something like that before. A piano based number with a fair bit of brass accompaniment and is not dissimilar to the tweeish stuff one finds on psychedelic compilations.
The second is a more mature pop ballad with nothing much going for it. Its hiccuppy backing vocals are a bit wimpy - "Clean up your, hu, ha-hu, ha-hu, ha-hu, ha- heart" indeed.
Still, happy to know what they sounded like and they stand as a testament to the good quality control of 30 years ago. Terrific sleeve notes and excellent value.

'Rainbow - the Decca years'- Castle/Sequel - NEECD 335 (2000)
A double CD - all the Decca singles and the two LPs plus the 2 tracks that turned up on 'the Definitive collection' - 'Stay with me baby' and 'Can you help me'.

June 2002 - Reissued and re-sleeved with 7 bonus tracks.
Bonus tracks on disc one- 'Some fine day' (1969) -pleasant enough commercial sounding ditty. 'Evening shadows' (1970) - Another lightweight ditty in acoustic style of Rainbow.
Neither outstanding but essential for the collector.

Bonus tracks on disc two - 'Jody' (1972) - The Blue classic with Dean on vocals and great extended guitar from Hugh Nicholson- worth the money on its own.
'Three Piece Suite' (1972) - two slices of heavy riffing and vocal harmonies with the haunting 'Sunshine or Falling Rain' (also later recorded by Blue) sandwiched in between. 9 great mins of prog. 'Out on a dark night' - another 7 minutes of the 1972 Marms in heavish blues mode - more great vocals, trademark harmonies and extended guitar solos.
Mr Heartbreaker (You're On) (1972) - versions also appeared on the 'Our House is Rocking' LP and his solo album - a welcome contrast to the intensity of the harder stuff.
'Sunset Regret' (1972) - more wah-wah here than on the Blue version - acoustic rythm guitar just superb as is the lyric and well 'everything about her'.
Sleeve notes record that the last two tracks were recorded on 23/05/72 and this supplies a 'not before' date for Mr Nicholson leaving the band.
An absolutely essential purchase for fans of the Decca era.

The Best of the Marmalade (Going for a Song Records - 2001)
Ob-la-di / Wait for me Marianne / Cousin Norman / Falling apart at the Seams / Radancer / Rainbow / Reflections / Back on the road / Heartbreaker / Can't you feel the thunder / Let my love open the door / Take another chance /* Love knows no new neighbourhood / *Easy to see / I don't believe in love / Its still rock and roll to me / #Ballad of Joshua Dillard / #Cry.

Thanks to Hink Scholtens from the Netherlands for bringing this to our attention.
In addition to the usual perfect covers of Marmalade numbers we have covers of Pete Townsend and Billy Joel numbers. Two new Newman numbers (*) and two previously unrecorded or at least unreleased McAleese/Campbell numbers (#). The two latter are of greatest interest but unfortunately are not up to much. 'Cry' here is not the same as the CBS song.

The cover looks slightly more honest than usual with a pic of the current line-up (Knight is the only original) against a background of the the Reflections era group.
But notice that Dean Ford has been cut out of the background shot. He was the singer for FGS!
You can't help thinking that the unwitting are supposed to see these as then and now shots of the same 4 guys.

Our mate Hink has 28 (yes 28) other Marmalade LPs and CDs - all various compilations.
Anyway now have a look at the Singles File.