First time I heard it, it felt like church. Watch the scene in "The Commitments" where it is played in church. I'll go to S here because it will stay with you.
I was in high school when this song was released. My English teacher read the lyrics aloud to the class and said, "This is poetry. This is your generation's poetry, and it will live on just like the poems you study today from long ago."
The reason this is an unequivocal S is that, over 50 years of listening to music, there’s literally NO other song that quite captures that peculiar remorseful reminiscing mood the way this one does.
Well said Dean. I couldn’t put into words how I feel when this song comes on, but you just nailed it. “Peculiar remorseful reminiscing mood”. Perfect!!
Unfortunately,we lost Gary to Cancer,Two years ago,he will be missed,what a band they were,this hit was in 1967, I was 19 years old,I am now 75..May God Bless Gary!!
get the live version with the orchestra in the intro - seriously - top tier vocal performance & total chills. Denmark 2006 - others have said - you need this in your life.
Just another vote for the Denmark 2006 version. I think it'll elevate both of your opinions of the song (especially the fact that Gary B. could still hit those notes decades later).
Andy, you’re wise to trust your gut. You’re right on. Whiter Shade of Pale is more than a song. It captured some ineffable feeling of the culture and resonated with the moment in a powerful way. It is an anthem.
S Tier all the way! Strikes an emotional chord and I think it completely transmits you to another place in your mind! Agree with the 2006 Danish version….simply incredible!
The live version 2006 in Denmark is so moving and epic, you really need to listen. Four decades later, he actually sounds even better…it doesn’t sound possible, I know, but he does. S-tier performance, no doubter.
I agree Gary Brooker RIP just kept sounding better. The Denmark version shows how happy he was playing it over for his whole career. In 64 he was in Paramounts covering Ray Charles, Percy Sledge. Had his own pub and played charity events. When he'd do old R&B wow!
I am glad you did the original version, but the more recent live version with an orchestra is worth watching/listening to also. I am 3 months away from 70, and I still enjoy this song a lot. S tier is a good rating.
@@aaroneiesland1701 Thanks for posting the link. I don't usually go for these adaptations. But, this one hit me in all the right spots. For one, Gary Brooker sounds as good or better than ever!
One of the anthems of the 1967 Summer of Love, it is one of the most commercially successful singles in history, having sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. In the years since, "A Whiter Shade of Pale" has become an enduring classic, with more than 1000 known cover versions by other artists...In 1977, the song was named joint winner (along with Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody") of "The Best British Pop Single 1952-1977" at the Brit Awards. In 1998, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 2004, the performing rights group Phonographic Performance Limited recognised it as the most-played record by British broadcasting of the past 70 years and Rolling Stone placed it 57th on its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". In 2009, it was reported as the most played song in the last 75 years in public places in the UK.
The song most played of all time by UK broadcasters ("Whiter Shade of Pale") has something in common with the song most played of all time by US broadcasters ("You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'"): Incredibly soulful vocals.
I loved it from the first time I heard it in New York in 1967. As much as I love the Beatles and Steely Dan, I'd have to say WSOP is better than anything those guys did. Something about the organ and the vocal and the feeling it evokes. There's a reason it sold over ten million copies. An S tier for sure.
Born in 1954 I feel very fortunate that I was there when these songs were playing on the radio. Talk about being blessed. It's awesome to see you two enjoying the same music!
One of the best songs ever made! They did a live version in Denmark in 2006. The lead singer was like 70 years old and playing with an orchestra. Give it a listen! Amazing! Crazy but I think he sounds even better.
After all these years it still reaches me with its feeling and vibe. There's a live in Denmark performance of this song from 2006 with an orchestra that's really good.
On the drive to Brian Epstein’s house for a party honoring the release of Sgt Pepper, John Lennon had this song on repeat the whole time. He’d just released arguably the most important pop album ever yet Whiter Shade Of Pale was the bigger deal in music at that moment. ✌🏻❤️😎 Side note: This song is part of an awesome scene in the film The Commitments.
That would've been May 1967.... as I recall, it went on to become one of the most recognisable sounds of that whole, long summer of '67 - the so-called Summer of Love. Everywhere you went, wherever music was playing and people danced or made love, at parties and discos and on pub juke boxes, in cities and country and beaches, it seemed you'd hear A Whiter Shade of Pale, radiating its strangely intoxicating brew of sound and images, that wafted out into those shimmering summer nights and away up to the stars like a message from a certain small planet to the universe... Odd really, for a song that's mainly about someone feeling nauseous at a party. :-)
RIP Gary!!! Your passing during this time made the clouds that much more gray. Thank you for making one of the most beautiful songs the world has ever heard, we lost one of the good guys this week...
Andy's got it down, it is an S-Tier song first for the 60's generation then for the "Big Chill" generation. I appreciate Andy giving props to those folks with his S. Here's hoping it stays there for you. So for those reasons AND for the reasons Alex "only gave it an A," I understand and appreciate his rating. Good stuff.
Ditto to your post. I always felt this song has so much meaning more than LZ's Stairway but that's me! Def, The Big Chill put this group back on the map!
You should definitely check out their live version with the Danish National Orchestra it's sensational, if it doesn't give you goosebumps and get the hairs on the back of your neck nothing will.
This song brings back so many memories that I cry every time I hear it. I guess that out of every song I truly love from the 60’s and 70’s, this one is the one that’s… well, it’s impossible to describe how much it means to me. Thank you so much for reacting to it, guys.
there have been several times when I have felt that Andy feels music, Alex listens to music. This is one of those occasions. Sometimes you have to let music take you somewhere special, and not worry about the reverb on the drums, or if the notes move from one side to the other etc.
I appreciate that we have both those approaches to their fresh listens. When I listen along with headphones to songs I’ve heard my entire life, I try to catch the nuances in these pieces I’ve pretty much taken for granted by now. Alex often points out details that I’ve missed for decades and I’m grateful to have them pointed out. I think this channel wouldn’t be as enjoyable if Alex were more like Andy or vice versa. It takes more than one ingredient to make a great sauce.
Andy, my friend, you DEFINITELY got it. For many of us here, that song is emblematic of a special and important time in our lives. Never fails to transport me to a kind of wistful place…
Andy & Alex - You were close, Andy. The name's pronounced _Prōcol_ (long "o" in 1st syllable) Harum (like a harem). I felt a sense of wonderment when I first heard it on the radio, because it was strange to hear the organ, like at church - although by the early '70s, my mom had a Lowrey electric organ, with bass foot pedals, 2 rows of keys and about 40 instrument voicings - and I was an atheist (still am). She originally played piano, which was also my first instrument at 8 - then synth and electric keys, then clarinet, oboe, alto sax - and finally took lessons & learned to play (more than 3 chords on) acoustic and a 1961 EKO, f-hole electric guitar, in my forties. I'm also - mainly - a lead singer, though I still have my sax, keys and 3 guitars. I'm a 60-year old woman, and still perform, though not in venues the past 2 years, due to the pandemic - except by bonfires with friends. 😊🔥🎸 I was amazed when my friend Sue, who played keys in a Genesis and Yes cover band (in the '80s), played my mom's organ ome night, and did some Yes & Genesis songs, making good use of the instrument sounds. I never was able to play it like that - her playing was way beyond my skill level. Guys were mesmerized by her, surrounded by keyboards like Rick Wakeman of ELP was - and she sang like Kate Bush. The dudes would hardly notice the lead singer who dressed like Peter Gabriel and moved amid dramatic set pieces and stage lighting, to replicate Genesis' stage shows. Ah, those were the days! I so appreciate that you guys explore and appreciate *_classic rock,_* and hear it with musicians' ears and knowledge. I learn things that I'd never noticed or considered about some tunes. Keep it up!
I was in London in 1976 walking by myself through a lonely section of the subway tubes. In the distance I heard this song. As I got closer I came around the corner and it was a busker on guitar. The acoustics of the tiled subway tubes were amazing and so was the dude singing. I stood there and listened. Threw him a coin and walked on with a forever memory.
This was one of those songs that perfectly captured a moment of rock history in the 60s. Organs were still the ultimate atmospheric instrument, soon to be pushed aside by the Moog synthesizer. Long form songs were still rare but increasing. It is one of the greatest songs of all time. I can remember that moment like it was yesterday.
"A Salty Dog" - possibly the most haunting, tear-jerking song of all-time and completely underrated in their catalogue. Atmospheric and moving in every aspect. The incredible string section parts alone distinguish it from almost every song in this genre and of this era. **HAS TO BE THE NEXT LATE 60s SONG YOU REVIEW**
I didn’t know that! I subscribe to this TH-cam channel to enjoy seeing these young men discovering the music I love and grew up to. But the bonus is that I find myself often learning things that I didn’t previously know about the music and the musicians too.
Let's not forget that Bach's music was all but forgotten - Air on the G String was August Wilhelmj's arrangement of Bach's work - Wilhelmj brought Bach to a new generation as did Procol Harum.
This is just superb, once heard, never forgotten. The ambience is astonishing . Still played regularly on the radio channels here in the UK. It is pretty much unique, the only song that approaches it ambience wise, to me, is Nights in White Satin, by Moody Blues. A very definite S.
This song is definitely a S. I completely agree with other comments here re the 2007 version live outdoors in Denmark with a orchestra. That more recent version floors anyone who witnesses Procul Harum with the legendary voice of Gary Brooker which is every bit as rich as it ever was 40-50 years earlier singing a classic that never ages a day for me. Brooker later singing Limelight with Alan Parsons Project will be a logical follow up. He is of a caliber few reach.
John Lennon said of Whiter Shade of Pale, “I remembered after I’d gone what record it is that I can’t stop playing,’ he said. ‘It’s that dope song, Procol Harum’s ‘Whiter Shade Of Pale’. It’s the best song I’ve heard for a while. You play it when you take some acid and … whoooooooo.'”
@@jenniferjacobs228 “Keep them doped with religion, sex and TV and you think you’re so clever and classless and free” lyric from Working Class Hero, 1970
Gary Brooker's voice is like a fine wine it just gets better and better..Watch the live version in 2006 in Denmark with the Danish Symphony Orchestra it is a wonderful experience.
Can't believe you guys are just catching up to this masterpiece. Oh well, better late than never. And yes, there is an AWESOME live performance of this here on TH-cam with orchestra and the chorus. Stirring. "Conquistador" by them must be next.
Yes! But make sure that it's the live version of "Conquistador" with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra -- the hit version, in other words -- rather than the more sterile studio original.
This will never be less than an S tier song... It becomes a part of one's soul once you've listened to this masterpiece. ✌️🙋♀️ Have great ones fellas! ps... That's one spiffy 👕 Andy 😉👍
I was 9 in 1967 when this first came out and it still gives me chills. You have to give a listen and watch the video from the 2006 live in Denmark. 39 years after what you're listening to and Gary Brooker sounds every bit as good if not better.
Y’all have to listen to there 2006 live with a choir and orchestra in Denmark. It’s Amazing!!!! I think y’all will like it better then the recorded version
I'm 70. I lived through these songs growing up. This song was 55 years ago. Imagine comparing this plethora of songs from the 60s and 70s, all the famous names and amazing songs, to if I had looked back 55 years when I was 20. That would have been the hits from 1916. There is no comparison.
“Conquistador” (1971 version with Edmonton orchestra) is definitely the next song for this band. Not only is it great, but so unique. Nothing like it in rock history.
Yes! I played that song (on LP) constantly as a teen, in between The Who, Heart, Led Zep, Alice Cooper, Frampton, Deep Purple, Uriah Heap, Spirit, Hendrix...so many great rock bands!
Andy, I will save you 40 years.... This song always made me feel sad.... I was 7 when it came out. When I was in my 20's it made me miss my childhood... through the years it made me feel regret... I just turned 61 this week....still makes me feel sad. I miss my 20's and I don't get a do over...
Is there anybody else out there who can't understand what happened to the use of organs? You can take this song and the organ gives it such a haunting tone, then take "Lazy" by Deep Purple and it is absolutely funky and in your face. It added so much to the songs back in the 60's and 70's.
Not just organs per se ... the Hammond B3 organ, the emperor of rock music keyboards. Neither Matthew Fisher of Procol Harum nor Jon Lord of Deep Purple would ever be caught playing a different brand or model.
When you think of the best songs from the 60's, this has got to be one of them. It's a little bit like the Moody Blues with Night's in White Satin, a classic song you will always associate with that band.
Thanks so much for your reaction to this song, Andy & Alex! So glad you both appreciated one of my favorite songs from childhood. I was born in England, and came to the US with my family in 1970. Whenever I hear this song it transports me back to my childhood in England, specifically of our next door neighbor lying under his car to work on it and singing this song 💗. He had a great voice, and I love that memory. Thanks again guys for an enjoyable reaction!💗💕
That “S” is right on. There are many S tier songs I don’t personally want to hear very often, but they still are what they are. S tier songs encapsulate ages and bring new ones into being, as this song did, and does. Great song, great reaction guys!
My parents played the crap out of this song when I was a kid. Brings back such good memories of Mom and Dad cuddled on the couch in the dark listening to records.
It is timeless. My big sister played this when I was in jr. high. It seemed like part of the sound track to her mysterious big-sister life. Every time I hear it, it bleeds right into me. It feels Vietnam era. Like people remembering good times and the day they all ended. It’s beautiful.
This is one of the most beautiful songs ever written. This is at least an A+ song for me, it has echoed in my head since the first time I ever listened to it, such a haunting melody. Thank you.
I'm so glad that y'all LISTEN instead of reading lyrics. Many other reactions on youtube focus on the lyrics so intently, they miss the experience of feeling the music. I give you two an "S" ❤️
Nothing ruins a reaction more completely than focusing on the analysis of the lyrics. Half of the authors don't even know what they were trying to say, other than something melodic that invokes an emotional response. Nine out of ten bands had nothing to say, but plenty to play. I need to feel a song about fifty times before I even care about what's being said. If the instrumental performances evoke no feeling, I don't even care what's being said.
It's one of those songs for me that always feels like a nice comforting hug, or a soft cozy blanket, it's great when I'm happy, but hits a lot deeper when I'm sad, 100% an s!
This is one of those songs where the music, melody, and way of singing totally eclipses the lyrics. There are few songs that evoke such a sense of longing for me. The Rains Down In Africa by Toto has a similar effect for me, for similar reasons.
Paul McCartney heard this tune on his first date with his late wife, Linda back in 1967. It became their song and one of Paul’s all time favorites. I really never understood the meaning of this song but it just hits you.
Love that John Lennon used to ride around London in 1967 with this playing again and again on a turntable installed in his psychedelically painted Rolls.
I was enamored with the instruments, much too young then to understand the meaning of the lyrics. Now, age and experience have me feeling the words, forced to remember lost love and found insights. Your times of realizations aren't that far away. Enjoy your youth, and NEVER lose your exuberance. Have a great day!
It's great that you did the original recorded version. This song back in 67 I was seventeen. It was excellent for dancing/making out. I had tickets to see them in Montreal Expo 67 , but they got busted at the border for pot. Never got to see them live. Now pot is legal in Canada.
This was Procol Harum's debut single. They were so new, they didn't even have a regular drummer yet, so a session drummer played on the single. The guitarist you barely hear is Ray Royer, but he left to start his own band shortly thereafter. Then Robin Trower and BJ Wilson joined (Wilson was Jimmy Page's first choice for Led Zeppelin drummer) and they helped take the band to a whole new level.
You guys have no idea just how incredible their third album “A Salty Dog” is. I cannot describe it, it has to be heard/ listened to. It would be a Patreon gem for you guys. Don’t take my word for it, listen to it a.s.a.p. It’s an “S” album.
The writer for this song got the idea for the lyrics while at a party by picking up bits and pieces of conversations going on around him and putting them to music which was inspired by a composition of Johann Sebastian Bach
The reason Andy felt this song is classic is that it literally is...it is a "theme and variation" of Johann Sebastian Bach's "Air on A G string" from 1731. Procul Harum, simply added drums, a few guitar strums and lyrics. Here is the original...th-cam.com/video/E2j-frfK-yg/w-d-xo.html
I have loved this song for 50 years. First time I heard it it put me in a trance. But when I saw and heard the 2006 live performance in Denmark, it literally blew my mind. Never knew that a great song could be even better. It is pure music orgasm.
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How did you feel the first time you heard this track?
Like I didn’t know as much about music than I thought I did.
Get the live version with the orchestra, choir and band that was done in Denmark.
First time I heard it, it felt like church. Watch the scene in "The Commitments" where it is played in church. I'll go to S here because it will stay with you.
Loved it. Loved the vocals loved the drums loved the organ. Loved slow dancing to this.
High.
I do not exaggerate when I say that this is the most beautiful pop song ever made.
Us boomers that lived through this music era has it in our souls forever.
European boomers also.😊
This is obviously the first Procol Harem song to react to, but next has to be Conquistador, live from Edmonton, Alberta, 1971. Such a great song.
That one is soooooo good!
Totally. Great song.
Yep
It's in my collection!
Absolutely!!
I was in high school when this song was released. My English teacher read the lyrics aloud to the class and said, "This is poetry. This is your generation's poetry, and it will live on just like the poems you study today from long ago."
The reason this is an unequivocal S is that, over 50 years of listening to music, there’s literally NO other song that quite captures that peculiar remorseful reminiscing mood the way this one does.
damn straight.
Well said.
I have not heard this song in years, but the instant it started there was no doubt about it. S all the way!
Well said Dean. I couldn’t put into words how I feel when this song comes on, but you just nailed it.
“Peculiar remorseful reminiscing mood”. Perfect!!
Maybe Reflections by Marmalade
Unfortunately,we lost Gary to Cancer,Two years ago,he will be missed,what a band they were,this hit was in 1967, I was 19 years old,I am now 75..May God Bless Gary!!
get the live version with the orchestra in the intro - seriously - top tier vocal performance & total chills. Denmark 2006 - others have said - you need this in your life.
this! its absolutely beautiful. his voice is exactly the same, if not better
A Must!
A must and also a need to.
Yeh you have to watch the live Denmark one with orchestra s tier all day long
@@ladyshar42 It's matured and BETTER!
Some of the greatest musicians in the world have described this as 'the perfect song' and they weren't wrong.
Andy: Thanks for the S. This song does mean so much to so many.
Yes!
An absolute S tier...I am old enough to remember the radio play...this classic still holds up!
Agreed....I'm one of them!
Very much
Possibly the greatest song ever ever ever
"Conquistador" (live) would be the right PH follow-up to show these guys had range.
YES YES YES absolutely.
I thought the same thing! YES! Conquistador👍
I think Conquistador was their best dong
My dad's favorite song. I'm 51, and have literally heard this my entire life. He passed last year.
Just another vote for the Denmark 2006 version. I think it'll elevate both of your opinions of the song (especially the fact that Gary B. could still hit those notes decades later).
You must watch the live from Denmark 2006 show it’s amazing with an orchestra
The Denmark 2006 is a must watch and then review that very very special performance!
This 1000%!!!
Andy, you’re wise to trust your gut. You’re right on. Whiter Shade of Pale is more than a song. It captured some ineffable feeling of the culture and resonated with the moment in a powerful way. It is an anthem.
S Tier all the way! Strikes an emotional chord and I think it completely transmits you to another place in your mind!
Agree with the 2006 Danish version….simply incredible!
The live version 2006 in Denmark is so moving and epic, you really need to listen. Four decades later, he actually sounds even better…it doesn’t sound possible, I know, but he does. S-tier performance, no doubter.
Completely agree .. the live version from 2006 will bring you to tears it’s so moving
I agree Gary Brooker RIP just kept sounding better. The Denmark version shows how happy he was playing it over for his whole career. In 64 he was in Paramounts covering Ray Charles, Percy Sledge. Had his own pub and played charity events. When he'd do old R&B wow!
Perfect!!! The strings topped it off...hard to believe his voice was impeccable still ❤
Not ashamed to admit that live version brougt out a few tears.
Gary Brooker made his master piece even better.🙏
I am glad you did the original version, but the more recent live version with an orchestra is worth watching/listening to also.
I am 3 months away from 70, and I still enjoy this song a lot. S tier is a good rating.
th-cam.com/video/St6jyEFe5WM/w-d-xo.html
Yes
@@aaroneiesland1701 Thanks for posting the link. I don't usually go for these adaptations. But, this one hit me in all the right spots. For one, Gary Brooker sounds as good or better than ever!
A unique piece of music that was improved upon in the live in Denmark performance 30 + years later. Nothing modern compares.
Thank you! I lost count of the times I had full body chills listening to this!!
Best song ever written, after 55 years of listening to this, has never changed
One of the anthems of the 1967 Summer of Love, it is one of the most commercially successful singles in history, having sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. In the years since, "A Whiter Shade of Pale" has become an enduring classic, with more than 1000 known cover versions by other artists...In 1977, the song was named joint winner (along with Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody") of "The Best British Pop Single 1952-1977" at the Brit Awards. In 1998, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 2004, the performing rights group Phonographic Performance Limited recognised it as the most-played record by British broadcasting of the past 70 years and Rolling Stone placed it 57th on its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". In 2009, it was reported as the most played song in the last 75 years in public places in the UK.
And if ya didn’t know, now ya know!
The song most played of all time by UK broadcasters ("Whiter Shade of Pale") has something in common with the song most played of all time by US broadcasters ("You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'"): Incredibly soulful vocals.
I loved it from the first time I heard it in New York in 1967. As much as I love the Beatles and Steely Dan, I'd have to say WSOP is better than anything those guys did. Something about the organ and the vocal and the feeling it evokes. There's a reason it sold over ten million copies. An S tier for sure.
Born in 1954 I feel very fortunate that I was there when these songs were playing on the radio. Talk about being blessed. It's awesome to see you two enjoying the same music!
One of the best songs ever made! They did a live version in Denmark in 2006. The lead singer was like 70 years old and playing with an orchestra. Give it a listen! Amazing! Crazy but I think he sounds even better.
Absolutely agree!!!
Yes a must watch. They will both give an S + after that
One of the best song ever wrote...im an old shit also....when it came out i was blown way by it....
I must have heard this song a thousand times over the last 50 years, but I never get tired of listening to it... It is a timeless classic!
After all these years it still reaches me with its feeling and vibe. There's a live in Denmark performance of this song from 2006 with an orchestra that's really good.
That is such an amazing version and Gary Bookers voice is if anything even better after all those years, sensational version for sure
@@simply_psi Sensational old man`s voice
I really hope they check that version out.
It's a must!
forgive me my friend photographerjonathan but i must say, the live in Denmark performance is not really good, if is freaking fantastic!!!
For me this song is like a magnificent painting in a gallery. Timeless beauty to be enjoyed over and over.
On the drive to Brian Epstein’s house for a party honoring the release of Sgt Pepper, John Lennon had this song on repeat the whole time. He’d just released arguably the most important pop album ever yet Whiter Shade Of Pale was the bigger deal in music at that moment. ✌🏻❤️😎
Side note: This song is part of an awesome scene in the film The Commitments.
love that scene. It would be pure gold to hear it played on a cathedral organ
I have read the same. It was one of Lennon's songs,especially when he was tripping.Supossedly
Pop album........hmmmmm. I suppose that comment makes Taylor Swift feel good.
Love The Commitments ❤
That would've been May 1967.... as I recall, it went on to become one of the most recognisable sounds of that whole, long summer of '67 - the so-called Summer of Love. Everywhere you went, wherever music was playing and people danced or made love, at parties and discos and on pub juke boxes, in cities and country and beaches, it seemed you'd hear A Whiter Shade of Pale, radiating its strangely intoxicating brew of sound and images, that wafted out into those shimmering summer nights and away up to the stars like a message from a certain small planet to the universe...
Odd really, for a song that's mainly about someone feeling nauseous at a party. :-)
RIP Gary!!! Your passing during this time made the clouds that much more gray. Thank you for making one of the most beautiful songs the world has ever heard, we lost one of the good guys this week...
Andy's got it down, it is an S-Tier song first for the 60's generation then for the "Big Chill" generation. I appreciate Andy giving props to those folks with his S. Here's hoping it stays there for you. So for those reasons AND for the reasons Alex "only gave it an A," I understand and appreciate his rating. Good stuff.
Ditto to your post. I always felt this song has so much meaning more than LZ's Stairway but that's me! Def, The Big Chill put this group back on the map!
The demographic for "The Big Chill" were the 60s generation 8-P
One of the most beautiful songs ever written.
You should definitely check out their live version with the Danish National Orchestra it's sensational, if it doesn't give you goosebumps and get the hairs on the back of your neck nothing will.
It’s an incredible version!
My sentiments exactly. It shows how great a singer Gary Brooker is. Ridiculously great. Makes your armhair stand up.
@@rickpaul4216 Top Notch.
With a "Conquistador" chaser from the same concert, to show their incredible depth of talent.
He was in his 60’s in 2006 in Denmark !
This song brings back so many memories that I cry every time I hear it. I guess that out of every song I truly love from the 60’s and 70’s, this one is the one that’s… well, it’s impossible to describe how much it means to me. Thank you so much for reacting to it, guys.
there have been several times when I have felt that Andy feels music, Alex listens to music. This is one of those occasions. Sometimes you have to let music take you somewhere special, and not worry about the reverb on the drums, or if the notes move from one side to the other etc.
THIS!!!!!
I appreciate that we have both those approaches to their fresh listens. When I listen along with headphones to songs I’ve heard my entire life, I try to catch the nuances in these pieces I’ve pretty much taken for granted by now. Alex often points out details that I’ve missed for decades and I’m grateful to have them pointed out. I think this channel wouldn’t be as enjoyable if Alex were more like Andy or vice versa. It takes more than one ingredient to make a great sauce.
@@marioflores616 Well said, Mario.
Kinda true and I think that’s why our chemistry/dynamic is so strong
But Chris, that difference makes a complete analysis oh, don't you think?
Andy, my friend, you DEFINITELY got it. For many of us here, that song is emblematic of a special and important time in our lives. Never fails to transport me to a kind of wistful place…
Andy & Alex - You were close, Andy. The name's pronounced _Prōcol_ (long "o" in 1st syllable) Harum (like a harem). I felt a sense of wonderment when I first heard it on the radio, because it was strange to hear the organ, like at church - although by the early '70s, my mom had a Lowrey electric organ, with bass foot pedals, 2 rows of keys and about 40 instrument voicings - and I was an atheist (still am).
She originally played piano, which was also my first instrument at 8 - then synth and electric keys, then clarinet, oboe, alto sax - and finally took lessons & learned to play (more than 3 chords on) acoustic and a 1961 EKO, f-hole electric guitar, in my forties. I'm also - mainly - a lead singer, though I still have my sax, keys and 3 guitars. I'm a 60-year old woman, and still perform, though not in venues the past 2 years, due to the pandemic - except by bonfires with friends. 😊🔥🎸
I was amazed when my friend Sue, who played keys in a Genesis and Yes cover band (in the '80s), played my mom's organ ome night, and did some Yes & Genesis songs, making good use of the instrument sounds. I never was able to play it like that - her playing was way beyond my skill level. Guys were mesmerized by her, surrounded by keyboards like Rick Wakeman of ELP was - and she sang like Kate Bush. The dudes would hardly notice the lead singer who dressed like Peter Gabriel and moved amid dramatic set pieces and stage lighting, to replicate Genesis' stage shows.
Ah, those were the days! I so appreciate that you guys explore and appreciate *_classic rock,_* and hear it with musicians' ears and knowledge. I learn things that I'd never noticed or considered about some tunes. Keep it up!
Yes he did !
I was in London in 1976 walking by myself through a lonely section of the subway tubes. In the distance I heard this song. As I got closer I came around the corner and it was a busker on guitar. The acoustics of the tiled subway tubes were amazing and so was the dude singing. I stood there and listened. Threw him a coin and walked on with a forever memory.
Love this 😊
This was one of those songs that perfectly captured a moment of rock history in the 60s. Organs were still the ultimate atmospheric instrument, soon to be pushed aside by the Moog synthesizer. Long form songs were still rare but increasing. It is one of the greatest songs of all time. I can remember that moment like it was yesterday.
Will never tire of this song.
Agree.
Why be obstinate but: I am tired of this tune! I
mean I loved it forever but……just sayin.
"A Salty Dog" - possibly the most haunting, tear-jerking song of all-time and completely underrated in their catalogue. Atmospheric and moving in every aspect. The incredible string section parts alone distinguish it from almost every song in this genre and of this era. **HAS TO BE THE NEXT LATE 60s SONG YOU REVIEW**
And please check out salty dog's lyrics! A story told obscurely.
All hands on deck...mystical
A Salty Dog, tears every time I hear it.
I love 'Salty Dog'. But for tear-jerking I recommend 'Barnyard Story'.
Yes,@@ericminch Barnyard Story is a strange and glorious hymn. And indeed one of their best.
One of the great songs of the 20th century. Often noted as the birth of Progressive Rock in the UK.
The birth of progressive rock was "Days of Futures Past" by the incomparable Moody Blues. The drummer/poet Graham Edge died today.
@@2kenday maybe they were twins? 😏
This song is timeless. Such a unique arrangement. No other song sounds like it.
Since it's based on Bach's Air On A G String, I'm glad you gave it an S.
You can never go wrong with J S Bach.😊
@@AuburnAlum1977 +1000
I didn’t know that! I subscribe to this TH-cam channel to enjoy seeing these young men discovering the music I love and grew up to. But the bonus is that I find myself often learning things that I didn’t previously know about the music and the musicians too.
And remember that Bach looked HOT in a G-string!
Let's not forget that Bach's music was all but forgotten - Air on the G String was August Wilhelmj's arrangement of Bach's work - Wilhelmj brought Bach to a new generation as did Procol Harum.
This is just superb, once heard, never forgotten. The ambience is astonishing . Still played regularly on the radio channels here in the UK. It is pretty much unique, the only song that approaches it ambience wise, to me, is Nights in White Satin, by Moody Blues. A very definite S.
Such a vibe total atmospheric. The organ, the voice, the drums…dreamy
This song is definitely a S. I completely agree with other comments here re the 2007 version live outdoors in Denmark with a orchestra. That more recent version floors anyone who witnesses Procul Harum with the legendary voice of Gary Brooker which is every bit as rich as it ever was 40-50 years earlier singing a classic that never ages a day for me. Brooker later singing Limelight with Alan Parsons Project will be a logical follow up. He is of a caliber few reach.
MASTERPIECE.
It always gives me chills.
John Lennon said of Whiter Shade of Pale, “I remembered after I’d gone what record it is that I can’t stop playing,’ he said. ‘It’s that dope song, Procol Harum’s ‘Whiter Shade Of Pale’. It’s the best song I’ve heard for a while. You play it when you take some acid and … whoooooooo.'”
John Lennon would never have said dope...hahahahaha
@@jenniferjacobs228 “Keep them doped with religion, sex and TV and you think you’re so clever and classless and free” lyric from Working Class Hero, 1970
Gary Brooker's voice is like a fine wine it just gets better and better..Watch the live version in 2006 in Denmark with the Danish Symphony Orchestra it is a wonderful experience.
Can't believe you guys are just catching up to this masterpiece. Oh well, better late than never. And yes, there is an AWESOME live performance of this here on TH-cam with orchestra and the chorus. Stirring. "Conquistador" by them must be next.
Yes! But make sure that it's the live version of "Conquistador" with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra -- the hit version, in other words -- rather than the more sterile studio original.
HAS TO BE NEXT!!!
Yes, that live performance from Denmark is NOT to be missed!
Number 1 in the U.K. charts when I was born. Always special to me.
This will never be less than an S tier song... It becomes a part of one's soul once you've listened to this masterpiece. ✌️🙋♀️ Have great ones fellas! ps... That's one spiffy 👕 Andy 😉👍
So true🙌
The glorious,wonderful 60’s,and this song was everywhere.
Rare Earth's "I Just Wanna Celebrate" for all the survivors out there...war, cancer, whatever the reason....and it is a banger!
I'll second that recommendation!
But they should do “Get Ready” first!
They've got to do the full 22-minute album side version of "Get Ready" too. It's a perfect jam...
I was 9 in 1967 when this first came out and it still gives me chills. You have to give a listen and watch the video from the 2006 live in Denmark. 39 years after what you're listening to and Gary Brooker sounds every bit as good if not better.
Y’all have to listen to there 2006 live with a choir and orchestra in Denmark. It’s Amazing!!!! I think y’all will like it better then the recorded version
Absolutely. I've heard this song many times over the decades, of course, but fell in love with it after watching this live performance.
I'm 70. I lived through these songs growing up. This song was 55 years ago.
Imagine comparing this plethora of songs from the 60s and 70s, all the famous names and amazing songs, to if I had looked back 55 years when I was 20. That would have been the hits from 1916. There is no comparison.
S tier! It's an iconic song. The organ is incredibly memorable.
le Hammond est unique , surtout joué par M. FISHER !!!
This must be the most recognized song in music . Everyone knows this song . As soon as you hear that organ it’s like oh yea I heard that song !
“Conquistador” (1971 version with Edmonton orchestra) is definitely the next song for this band. Not only is it great, but so unique. Nothing like it in rock history.
That live one in Edmonton was recorded 50 years ago next Thursday, 11/18/1971.
Yes! I played that song (on LP) constantly as a teen, in between The Who, Heart, Led Zep, Alice Cooper, Frampton, Deep Purple, Uriah Heap, Spirit, Hendrix...so many great rock bands!
Andy, I will save you 40 years....
This song always made me feel sad.... I was 7 when it came out. When I was in my 20's it made me miss my childhood... through the years it made me feel regret... I just turned 61 this week....still makes me feel sad. I miss my 20's and I don't get a do over...
This is one of THE classic songs of the 1960s. Hauntingly beautiful. Really nothing else quite like it. Glad you liked it.
Procol Harum. Whiter shade of pale. Absolute Classic !!
Is there anybody else out there who can't understand what happened to the use of organs? You can take this song and the organ gives it such a haunting tone, then take "Lazy" by Deep Purple and it is absolutely funky and in your face. It added so much to the songs back in the 60's and 70's.
Check out Phish!
Not just organs per se ... the Hammond B3 organ, the emperor of rock music keyboards. Neither Matthew Fisher of Procol Harum nor Jon Lord of Deep Purple would ever be caught playing a different brand or model.
My wife was a teenager in the sixties, myself in the seventies. This is her favorite song. A staple of FM rock radio in the eighties.
When you think of the best songs from the 60's, this has got to be one of them. It's a little bit like the Moody Blues with Night's in White Satin, a classic song you will always associate with that band.
Thanks so much for your reaction to this song, Andy & Alex! So glad you both appreciated one of my favorite songs from childhood. I was born in England, and came to the US with my family in 1970. Whenever I hear this song it transports me back to my childhood in England, specifically of our next door neighbor lying under his car to work on it and singing this song 💗. He had a great voice, and I love that memory. Thanks again guys for an enjoyable reaction!💗💕
That “S” is right on. There are many S tier songs I don’t personally want to hear very often, but they still are what they are. S tier songs encapsulate ages and bring new ones into being, as this song did, and does. Great song, great reaction guys!
My parents played the crap out of this song when I was a kid. Brings back such good memories of Mom and Dad cuddled on the couch in the dark listening to records.
If you watch the performance in Denmark, you will make this S tier for sure
The old-school promotional video for this song is simplistic and awesome!!
over many many years .. I hear this song and I stop whatever I am doing and I am taken to another place ... timeless classic :-)
55 years old and this is one of the songs that gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. That's how I evaluate my S tier.
It is timeless. My big sister played this when I was in jr. high. It seemed like part of the sound track to her mysterious big-sister life. Every time I hear it, it bleeds right into me. It feels Vietnam era. Like people remembering good times and the day they all ended. It’s beautiful.
This is one of the most beautiful songs ever written. This is at least an A+ song for me, it has echoed in my head since the first time I ever listened to it, such a haunting melody. Thank you.
This song always takes me back to junior high school dances with the Hammond organ shaking the joists in the roof.
I'm so glad that y'all LISTEN instead of reading lyrics. Many other reactions on youtube focus on the lyrics so intently, they miss the experience of feeling the music.
I give you two an "S" ❤️
Nothing ruins a reaction more completely than focusing on the analysis of the lyrics. Half of the authors don't even know what they were trying to say, other than something melodic that invokes an emotional response. Nine out of ten bands had nothing to say, but plenty to play. I need to feel a song about fifty times before I even care about what's being said. If the instrumental performances evoke no feeling, I don't even care what's being said.
66 & have NO clue what this song is about...but it's an emotional ride.
I remember when this came out, back in 1967. Still just as good now as it was then
Now that you boys have finally hit this song, you MUST check out the "live in Denmark 2006" video version. You'll both agree it's S tier all day long.
It's one of those songs for me that always feels like a nice comforting hug, or a soft cozy blanket, it's great when I'm happy, but hits a lot deeper when I'm sad, 100% an s!
Procol Harem is excellent. Do "A Salty Dog" or "Conquistador" next.
Seems as if I never see anyone request A Salty Dog on any reaction channel I watch. Always was one of my favorites of theirs.
@@rosssmith5963 The Live one then. The studio version is meh ...
..and from Geoffrey Chaucer (The Canterbury Tales)
Yeah, love “A Salty Dog.”
A Salty Dog is one of my favorite songs of all time. Their songs just make you sail away. You're just drifting on The water somewhere.
68 years old here - still stirs me each and every time I hear it.
You should hear how well his voice has held up in the live orchestral performance in Denmark.
I have loved this song since the 1970s. The only song my husband will dance to, with me.
This song deserves the high ratings. It's stood the test of time and I still find myself going back to it when it pops up on my feed. Great groove.
This is one of those songs where the music, melody, and way of singing totally eclipses the lyrics. There are few songs that evoke such a sense of longing for me. The Rains Down In Africa by Toto has a similar effect for me, for similar reasons.
Paul McCartney heard this tune on his first date with his late wife, Linda back in 1967. It became their song and one of Paul’s all time favorites.
I really never understood the meaning of this song but it just hits you.
Love that John Lennon used to ride around London in 1967 with this playing again and again on a turntable installed in his psychedelically painted Rolls.
I was enamored with the instruments, much too young then to understand the meaning of the lyrics.
Now, age and experience have me feeling the words, forced to remember lost love and found insights.
Your times of realizations aren't that far away. Enjoy your youth, and NEVER lose your exuberance.
Have a great day!
It's great that you did the original recorded version. This song back in 67 I was seventeen. It was excellent for dancing/making out. I had tickets to see them in Montreal Expo 67 , but they got busted at the border for pot. Never got to see them live. Now pot is legal in Canada.
This was Procol Harum's debut single. They were so new, they didn't even have a regular drummer yet, so a session drummer played on the single. The guitarist you barely hear is Ray Royer, but he left to start his own band shortly thereafter. Then Robin Trower and BJ Wilson joined (Wilson was Jimmy Page's first choice for Led Zeppelin drummer) and they helped take the band to a whole new level.
One of my favorite songs ever recorded. A true classic. RIP Gary...you are missed.
Saw them live in 1973 at the Lyric opera House in Baltimore, brilliant performance
You guys have no idea just how incredible their third album “A Salty Dog” is. I cannot describe it, it has to be heard/ listened to. It would be a Patreon gem for you guys. Don’t take my word for it, listen to it a.s.a.p. It’s an “S” album.
Totally agree
Crucifixion lane and juicy john pink really give Robin trower some playing time
Totally agree on Salty Dog!
The writer for this song got the idea for the lyrics while at a party by picking up bits and pieces of conversations going on around him and putting them to music which was inspired by a composition of Johann Sebastian Bach
It's an iconic 60s song. Beautiful organ, soulful singing, melancholic vibe... Always good to hear this any time anywhere my whole life...
The reason Andy felt this song is classic is that it literally is...it is a "theme and variation" of Johann Sebastian Bach's "Air on A G string" from 1731. Procul Harum, simply added drums, a few guitar strums and lyrics. Here is the original...th-cam.com/video/E2j-frfK-yg/w-d-xo.html
"He nicked it from Marvin Gaye."
"He nicked if from Bach!"
- The Commitments
Steal from the best😃
One of my FAVORITE movies. Book, also.
We skipped the light fantastic...
and, Vestal virgin's, "I've always thought that a rather peculiar lyric".
..and from Geoffrey Chaucer (The Canterbury Tales)
@@tgtrout thanks now after 40 years I finally know where to look 👍
He sang it live in Denmark (on TH-cam too) 40 years after it was released & still sensational ...
As others have noted, Conquistador (live '71) is a must.
I have loved this song for 50 years. First time I heard it it put me in a trance. But when I saw and heard the 2006 live performance in Denmark, it literally blew my mind. Never knew that a great song could be even better. It is pure music orgasm.
I say next has to be Conquistador, it’s just a great song through and through.
Yes! But it has to be the live version with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.
@@gregsager2062 completely agree!
Now you have to do the amazing live version of this, in Denmark 2006. It's a very special performance.
His vocals only getting better with age like a fine wine. Like mentioned by others, watch the concert in Denmark 2006