The Marmalade – ”Wait For Me Mary-Anne” / ”I’ll Give You Better Love” (Pye 7N 17179) September 1966
The Marmalade | Wait For Me Mary-Anne | CBS | 1968 | “Lovin’ Things” established this group from Scotland – and quite rightly, too. And, good for them, the follow-up is equally strong. Would you believe stronger? Written by Howard and Blaikley, which is your guarantee of commercialism, it seems to me. Lovely brass backing and the boys sing extremely well. Grabs one quick. Flip: Change of rhythm and really not so impact-y. (Record Mirror, 21/09/68)
Marmalde – from pop stars to aspiring Draculas!
A Tale of Mystery from David Hughes
WANTED: One genuine haunted house, complete with the most frightening of ghosts and a reputation of having been the scene of a sinister historical event.
Offered: Five young musical men and one petrified Disc reporter to spend the night within the haunted walls and from there report on activities strange and unnatural with the purpose of discovering more about the world of the unknown.
Explanation: The Marmalade, despite all the activity with “Wait For Me Mary-Anne” poised to enter the chart, have developed a new and avid interest in black magic and all things supernatural and inexplicable.
“Maybe we’re a bit macabre,” says wily “Wully” Campbell, “but we’d really like to spend the night in a haunted house—just to experience what, if anything, happens.
“I suppose it all started as a way of relieving boredom travelling from once booking to another. We began to be fascinated by old graveyards, and used to stop at dead of night and wander round them. We even dug up an ancient grave once, just to see what was there, but we didn’t find anything. It must have been really old!”
HIGHLAND HERITAGE
Alan Whitehead, who despite all still feels the non-benefit of sharing the others’ Highland heritage, swears he saw a coven of witches prancing about half naked in the West Country a few weeks back.
But Pat Fairley‘s not so sure! “Och, what we saw were 13 cars parked by a wood and lights flickering with people moving about. We think they were witches or some secret society, but they all wore clothes!”
Not that the Marmalade regard themselves as superstitious beings. It’s just that they have realised that things do happen which can’t be explained.
“We all went to a clairvoyant about a year ago,” says Graham Knight,” and he said among other things that we would have a lot of success in July this year . . . which was when ‘Lovin’ Things’ was a hit. He also went on to say we would have six hit records in a row, so we’re keeping our fingers crossed about that.
“And I’m not allowed to drive the car between one and three in the morning,” adds Junior, “because that’s when he said there would be a threat on my life.”
The conversation deepened.
“Maybe it’s just because we’ve been together for so long, but we can often tell just what’s going on in each other’s minds. At least three times a week two of us will blurt out exactly the same phrase at exactly the same time.”
Pat even managed to convey a thought from his mind to Junior’s.
“We were going through this little Scottish town and there was a cafe where we used to stop many years ago.
“I thought to myself: ‘If I think hard enough about that cafe I bet Junior will say ‘There’s that cafe we used to stop at’ . . . and sure enough he did. Maybe it’s just coincidence but it’s strange nevertheless.”
DISCOVERING VAMPIRES
Graham and Junior also have serious intentions of hiring a horse and cart and re-discovering Transylvania, the land of Count Dracula and his fellow vampires.
“The fact is,” says Junior, “that although our degree of success is so far very moderate, we’re beginning to realise how the Beatles must feel, having so much free time and not knowing how to spend it.
“We’re finding that we’ve done almost everything there is for a pop group to do in this country, and we’re getting just a little bored. So we’re unconsciously looking round for some other interest to fill our minds . . . which is where the black magic has come in.”
Being Scottish, what are their feelings about the Loch Ness monster, one of the most fascinating of all mysteries?
“We think there’s something there. For start no one has yet reached the bottom of Loch Ness. And some people say it’s five miles deep. We’ve heard of divers who have tried to get down to the bed, and been too scared. And there could easily be an underground passage to the sea. “It’s only ridiculed because it’s not understood.”
SPOOKS PLEASE APPLY
But back to the haunted house. Any genuine offers of such a place, be it house, mansion, castle, theatre or baronial hall, to Disc. And the Marmalade will help you track down that elusive ghost! (Disc & Music Echo, 12/10/68)
NO VACATION FOR MARMALADE IN FOUR YEARS…!
IT has been nearly four years since Marmalade had a holiday. Now they have a two week break lined up before they go roaring off again. The group have been very busy since “Lovin Things” dropped out of the charts — Radio, TV, ballrooms etc. Plus a very successful tour of Sweden. They have recorded very fine follow-up to Lovin Things entitled “Wait For Me Mary-Anne”. And recently completed an album. This will be released in December and will have fourteen tracks on it. After their holiday Marmalade go on tour in Israel.
Over a couple I glasses of hooch, Pat Fairley and Graham Knight told me that the group goes to Israel for two weeks.
Graham said: “Pat and I might go over early and entertain the troops. Our reward will be going up in an Israeli fighter. I don’t know if we would like that as I don’t think they have a bar on those planes! We will have to watch what we sign — otherwise we might end up in their army! All joking aside, we are the first British group to tour there in three Years. The last people to go there were Cliff and the Shadows Actually, the Tremeloes are also on the tour – as our supporting group of course!- joked Graham.
“In” Clubs
“When we play concerts we normally do straight forward pop music said Graham. “Usually we play a number the same way each time. But sometimes, if we’re playing a ballroom and things are going well, we might ad-lib a bit. When we play at an ‘in’ club we alter our playing accordingly. We play numbers like “Somewhere In The City”, and some of the better pop songs which have good lyrics and tunes. This way, everybody is happy. Those in the audience who don’t like pop don’t have it blasted at them and those who do like it can recognise the tune.”
“Talking of ‘in’ clubs,” interrupted Pat, “we must give credit to the Marquee Club in London. We used to play there a lot at one time and it really helped us in the business. I remember the times different members of Jethro Tull used to come and see us when they were playing with various groups. Now Im pleased to see that Jethro Tull are doing well. Credit must also go to John Gee at the Marquee for having faith in presenting many good but sometimes unknown acts.”
I asked Pat how it was that Marmalade got such a distinctive sound. “Graham plays four string bass guitar which is tuned normally,” said Pat. “I play a six string bass guitar which is tuned E, A. E in octaves. Then junior plays lead guitar tuned Hawaiian style. Alan, our drummer, is the only Englishman in the group. He’s known to his friends as ‘Ada’ and he plays drums after a fashion! Alan has to be thick-skinned as he bears the brunt of all our jokes.”
Folk Clubs
I asked Pat what sort of music he would play if he had so much money he didn’t have to earn his living from playing. “Nobody knows about this, but I’d play in folk clubs. The ones I’ve been to always seem to have a very happy audience – you don’t get a load of people trying to act like you do in some of the ‘in’ clubs. I go for the sincerity of the folk people which you don’t always get with the pop crowd.”
The same question was put to Graham, who said: “I suppose I’d play the same sort of music as I am no.w I dont go for jazz or anything like that.”
Pat Fairley is the business mind in the group. He said: “We must be about the only group around who handle their own monetary affairs. I look after the money side of the business and it works out all right — at least I make sure I get paid! If I left the pop scene I would go into business — become an estate agent or something. In fact I’m in the process of buying a house now. With any luck it will the first of a few.”
When the boys returned from Sweden, they brought back a “souvenir” for RM colleague David Griffiths (and we all know his tastes!). Who knows what they will bring back from Israel. I hope they will return to find that their new record “Wait For Me Mary-Anne” is in the top ten in our charts. (Record Mirror, 12/10/68)
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