Marmalade Records


Marmalade Records was a short-lived British independent record label. Started in 1966 by Swiss-resident Georgian pop impresario and ex-manager of both the Rolling Stones and the Yardbirds, Giorgio Gomelsky, Marmalade Records released records by artists including Julie Driscoll with Brian Auger and The Trinity, who reached No.5 in the UK in 1968 with "This Wheel's on Fire"; Blossom Toes; early recordings by Graham Gouldman, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme, who became 10cc; as well as John McLaughlin's first solo album.
Marmalade's first release, in August 1966, was a controversial single called "We Love The Pirate Stations", by five well-known musicians masquerading as The Roaring 60's. They were mainly members of the Ivy League, who later went on to release hits as The Flower Pot Men. "We Love The Pirates" was not a hit despite extensive airplay on Radio 270, Radio Caroline and Radio London – it was a half-hearted Beach Boys pastiche at medium tempo, but still well-loved by pirate radio aficionados.
The Marmalade label ceased to exist in 1969 when it ran out of funds.

Aftermath

Driscoll again performed "This Wheel's on Fire" – without Auger – as the closing title music for BBC TV's Absolutely Fabulous comedy show between 1990 and 1996. She was partnered on that version of the Bob Dylan/Rick Danko song by Adrian Edmondson, the husband of AbFab writer and star Jennifer Saunders.
After a time managing French progressive rock band Magma, Gomelsky headed for New York City in the mid-1970s, where he co-founded Utopia Records, a label that was to have had the same alternative innovative focus as Marmalade. Gomelsky produced Magma's Live/Hhaï album for Utopia in 1975. Utopia, co-founded with Kevin Eggers, was allegedly financed by then-RCA president Ken Glancy. Gomelsky was slowly sidelined, and Eggers effectively took over the reins. Utopia later went to the wall, with Tomato Records growing out of the wreckage and taking over Utopia's back catalogue. Tomato re-released Live/Hhaï in 1978. Gomelsky's production appeared again, in versions of varying lengths, on the French 'Label Du Bon Independent' in 1985, on Paris-based '7th Records' in 1989, on the UK's Charly Records, and again on Tomato Records in 1996, on Japan's Victor Records and again on Charly in 2001. It was issued again on 7th Records, this time in Japan, in 2009.

Discography

Singles

  • The Roaring 60's – "We Love The Pirates" / "I'm Leaving Town"
  • Blossom Toes – "What on Earth" / "Mrs. Murphy's Budgerigar" / "Look at Me I'm You"
  • Brian Auger & The Trinity – "Red Beans And Rice" / "Part 2"
  • Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & The Trinity – "Save Me" / "Part 2"
  • Chris Barber's Band – "Cat Call" / "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy"
  • Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & The Trinity – "This Wheel's on Fire" / "A Kind of Love-In"
  • Kevin Westlake & Gary Farr – "Everyday" / "Green"
  • Blossom Toes – "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" b/w "Love Is"
  • Gordon Jackson – "Me Am My Zoo" / "A Day at the Cottage"
  • Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & The Trinity – "Road to Cairo" / "Shadows of You"
  • Blossom Toes – "Postcard" / "Everybody's Leaving Me Now"
  • Chris Barber & His Jazzband – "Battersea Rain Dance" / "Sleepy John"
  • Blossom Toes – "Peace Loving Man" / "Above My Hobby Horses Head"
  • Brian Auger & The Trinity – "What You Gonna Do?" / "Bumpin' On Sunset"
  • Keith Meehan – "Darkness of My Life" / "Hooker Street"
  • Gary Farr – "Hey Daddy" / "The Vicar & The Pope"
  • Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & The Trinity – "Take Me to The Water" / "Indian Rope Man"
  • Frabjoy And Runcible Spoon – "I'm Beside Myself" / "Animal Song"
  • Ottilie Patterson – "Bitterness of Death" / "Spring Song"
  • Gordon Jackson – "Song For Freedom" / "Sing To Me Woman"
  • Blossom Toes – "New Day" / "Love Bomb"
  • Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & The Trinity – Indian Rope Man / I've Gotta Go Now

    Albums

  • Blossom Toes – We Are Ever So Clean 608001 )
  • Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger and the Trinity – Open
  • Brian Auger – Definitely What
  • Sonny Boy Williamson – Don't Send Me No Flowers
  • Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger and the Trinity – Streetnoise
  • John McLaughlin – Extrapolation Marmalade 608007
  • Chris Barber – Battersea Rain Dance
  • Blossom Toes – If Only for a Moment
  • Ottilie Patterson – 3000 Years With Ottilie
  • Gordon Jackson – Thinking Back
  • Gary Farr – Take Something With You
  • Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger and the Trinity – Streetnoise Volume 1
  • Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger and the Trinity – Streetnoise Volume 2
  • Various Artists – ''100° Proof''