Alan Whitehead (drummer)

He started his career in the music industry in 1966 as the drummer for Crispian St. Peters. Not along after, He formed the group The Attack, also in 1966, featuring guitarist and trumpeter David O'List (later of The Nice with Keith Emerson), Richard Shirman on vocals, Bob Hodges on piano and organ, Gerry Henderson on bass and Alan Whitehead on drums. They released four singles in all, three in 1966 "Try It" / "We Don't Know", "Hi Ho Silver Lining" / "Any More Than We Do", "Created by Clive" / "Colour of my Mind" and one in 1967, "Neville Thumbcatch" / "Lady Orange Peel". Several compilation albums have been produced which featured the band, Magic in the Air in 1990, The Complete Recordings From 1967-68 in 1999, About Time! (The Definitive MOD-POP Collection 1967-1968) and Final Daze in 2019.[1]

Although he has had a diverse music and business career, Whitehead is best known as a member of Marmalade, whose most successful single in the UK was a cover version of the Paul McCartney song "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da".[2] Whitehead joined Marmalade at the same time he was in the Attack and working for Crispian. A few months before Whitehead joined, the group had changed their name to Marmalade, after previously being called Dean Ford and the Gaylord. Their hit with Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da came in November 1968, and the song went to number one in three different countries. The only member at the time who did not hail from Scotland, when the group appeared on Top of the Pops in 1969, the four Scottish members wore kilts, whilst Whitehead wore a red coat.

In 1969, Marmalade were signed to Decca Records and their next song "Reflections of My Life" became a number 10 hit in the US.[3] After a number three charting hit with Rainbow in 1970, Whitehead left the band in 1971. He returned again in 1975, but left for a second and final time in 1978.

Whitehead set up his own management company, negotiating his first production contract with EMI Records. Groups that he successfully managed were Lipps Inc., Mel and Kim, Modern Romance and Rikki Peebles. He later went on to manage all girl groups Amazulu and Belle Stars.

He currently runs Chubby Lama Management with Sasi Langford, representing the indie rock band Shoot the Preacher, who won The Global Song Writing Competition. He has also managed strip clubs.[2]

He was married with the Swedish actress Leena Skoog.