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Scottish pop singer/songwriter Dean Ford was born as Thomas McAleese on 5th September 1946 in Airdrie.
Tom, as he was still known as back then first began singing in public accompanying a jazz ensemble at the local Whifflet parish church dance hall. He formed his first musical group The Tonebeats at age 13, one of several he hooked up with during his teenage years. By the time he left Clifton High School in Coatbridge at age 15, he had been gaining more exposure as a featured singer.
His break came after a performance with the Monarchs at the Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow in 1963, where he was seen by members of the popular east Glasgow band The Gaylords and subsequently invited to join the group.
McAleese adopted his stage name (a moniker he coined by combining the names Dean Martin and Tennessee Ernie Ford) and The Gaylords were re-christened Dean Ford and the Gaylords. With hopes of achieving more commercial success, Ford and the band relocated to London in 1965. The bands name came from a notorious post war Chicago Gaylords street gang.
Although the band were very popular and despite being crowned ‘Scotland’s Top Group’,they struggled to break through into the big time. The band changed their name in 1966, but although they were well received , they still struggled to make progress, this was despite Jimi Hendrix describing their 1967 song I see the rain, as the 'best cut of 1967, it did however make it to the top of the charts in The Netherlands!
Things started to go their way that year though when they played as Pink Floyds support at London’s Marquee Club, they started mixing it with the likes of The Who, Joe Cocker, Traffic Gene Pitney and The Tremeloes.They still lacked that chart success and CBS threatened to drop the band if they didn’t deliver soon, they famously rejected the song, Everlasting Love in 1967, Love Affair took the song to the top of the charts! Eventually the band had a hit with Lovin’ Things the following year, their follow up fared less well but in 1969 Marmalade became the first Scottish group to ever top that charts with Lennon and McCartney’s Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da.
Marmalade went on to have 8 more top 40 hits over the years, my favourite was written by Ford and band member Junior Campbell, Reflections of My Life. Marmalade continue to show up at these 60’s shows but as far as I am aware none of the original band remain.
Dean lived in Los Angeles for much of his later life, but never forgot his routes, recording and releasing his final album, This Scottish Heart just two months before his death, the album of course having a Scottish theme with tracks like Glasgow Road, Bonnie Mary, Made in Scotland and For MacDougall included in the 30 songs, which also featured a remake of my fave Marmalade song, Reflections of my Life.
In 1998 Dean and Campbell were awarded a Special Citation of Achievement by BMI for attaining radio broadcast performances in excess of one million in the U.S. alone.
Dean, Thomas McAleese passed away suddenly on Hogmanay 2018 in Los Angeles, at the age of 72.
I've chosen a song called Glasgow Road written by Dean and performed here with his friend Joe Tansin.
