MARMALADE-I See The Rain/Cry U.K. CBS 2948 1967
One of the most brilliant British 60's pop/psychedelic singles came in the form of September 1967's "I See The Rain" by Scottish harmony wonders Marmalade. How this number never topped the charts is one of the great crimes of the 1960's. The band's precision harmonies and the funky "Hey Joe" style licks (it is alleged that Hendrix called the number "the best English record of 1967") and some tasty phasing on the the main guitar riff giving it that "sound bending technique" gives this one high marks in my book. And it featured an (uncredited) Graham Nash playing guitar!! But as mentioned, it went nowhere, it did however chart in Holland. I seem to recall the Gap using it in a strange TV commercial some years back where Dennis Hopper and Christina Ricci play chess outside by a pool (it was actually directed by the Coen brothers, the other one featured The Beach Boy's "Hang Onto You Ego", this was the 90's when briefly, there were some "with it" people picking tunes out for commercials). It's flip "Cry(The Shoob Dororie Song)" is fairly disposable pop with Hollies like harmonies and a distinctly Dylan impersonating lead vocal, interesting only for the twangy Merseybeat-ish guitar solo though otherwise utterly forgettable, esp. with a monster like "I See The Rain" on the topside"!
Luckily the A-side has been reissued in many places, namely their CD compilation "I See the Rain:The CBS Years" and warranted inclusion on Rhino's "Nuggets II: Original Artyfacts From The British Empire And Beyond, Vol. 1" set.
Below: Marmalade promote "I See The Rain" on Dutch TV 1967
Ricci & Hopper plug Gap white shirts with a little help from Marmalade:
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