Marmalade ‎– Ob La Di, Ob La Da / Wise Buy Audio CD 1996 / WB 866682

UPC 0724348666826

The Beatles' decision not to issue "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" as a single in the UK or the US led to many acts rushing to record the song, in the hope of achieving a hit in those countries. A recording by the Scottish pop band Marmalade, released in late 1968, became the most commercially successful of all the cover versions of songs from The Beatles. It reached number 1 on the Record Retailer chart (subsequently the UK Singles Chart) in January 1969, making Marmalade the first Scottish group to top that chart.

Marmalade's recording sold around half a million in the UK, and a million copies globally by April 1969. During the group's TV appearance on BBC One's Top of the Pops to promote the track, four of the five band members wore kilts; their English-born drummer instead dressed as a redcoat. Reflecting the song's popularity in the UK, according to author Alan Clayson, comedian Benny Hill included the band's name with Cream and Grapefruit in a sketch where a hungover radio disc jockey is continually confronted by phone-in requests that exacerbate his nausea.

Marmalade are a Scottish pop rock band originating from the east end of Glasgow, originally formed in 1961 as The Gaylords, and then later billed as Dean Ford and The Gaylords, recording four singles for Columbia (EMI). In 1966 they changed the band's name to The Marmalade, and were credited as such on all of their subsequent recorded releases with CBS Records and Decca Records until 1972. Their greatest chart success was between 1968 and 1972, placing ten songs on the UK Singles Chart, and many overseas territories, including international hits "Reflections of My Life", which reached #10 on the US Billboard Hot 100 Chart and #3 on the UK Chart in January 1970, and "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da", which topped the UK chart in January 1969,^[1] the group becoming the first-ever Scottish group to top that chart.^[2]

The original members began to drift away in the early 1970s, resulting in the band departing Decca in 1972. In 1973 the first evolved line up of the band rejoined EMI Records and with their first record release became known simply as Marmalade.^[1] All subsequent record releases are credited similarly.

Graham Knight (an ongoing member from the pre-Marmalade "Dean Ford and The Gaylords" lineup) remained until September 2010. The band still exists, with many additional further evolved lineups including vocalist Sandy Newman, a member since 1975, touring the nostalgia circuit.

Current members

• Sandy Newman – lead vocals, lead guitar, keyboards (1975–present)
• Alan Holmes – vocals, acoustic/electric guitar, keyboards (1980–present)
• John James Newman – vocals, acoustic guitar (2011–present)
• Jan S Robinson – vocals, bass (2015–present)
• Chris North – drums, percussion (2015–present)