On This Day 15/02/1969 The MaRmalade

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On this day, 15 February 1969, Scottish rock/pop band Marmalade played Cardiff’s Capitol Theatre. included on the bill were the headliner, Gene Pitney, Joe Cocker and Welsh band The Iveys, who later became Badfinger.

Originally formed in 1961 as The Gaylords, and then later billed as Dean Ford and the Gaylords, they 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 No. 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100 Chart and No. 3 on the UK chart in January 1970, and "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da", which topped the UK chart in January 1969, the group becoming the first-ever Scottish artist to top that chart.

In February 1969, the band appeared on the BBC's flagship program Colour Me Pop, (precursor to The Old Grey Whistle Test) performing a halfhour slot. They also appeared on the BBC's review of the 1960s music scene, Pop Go The Sixties, performing "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" live on the broadcast on BBC 1 on New Year's Eve 1969.