Procol Harum - A Whiter Shade Of Pale | The story behind the song | Top 2000 a gogo
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ธ.ค. 2017
- Singer, keyboardist and composer Gary Brooker and lyricist Keith Reid tell the story behind 'A Whiter Shade Of Pale' by Procol Harum. A short documentary by Top 2000 a gogo (Dutch Public TV) from 2014.
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No, I can't work out the intent of the video.
Procol harum
Just done that. Thanks for the channel. It’s giving me some top rate entertainment.🇬🇧
Me too!
I played this song on a first date while driving her home in my Fiat Spider. The girl started to cry and had never heard the song before; I knew right away she 'got me'. I married the girl and this fall we'll celebrate 34 years of a wonderful marriage, 3 amazing kids and a beautiful grandson. You can tell a lot about the depth of someone by seeing how they react to something as deep and beautiful as this song.
mmm......what a load of made up rubbish. If someone burst into tears at a song theyd never heard before in my car Id be pulling over and running for my life!
@@pinkypunky2643 okay
@@pinkypunky2643 maybe you need to keep playing your country music
Cool story bro.
@@chuckroutionGB2022 Nah....punk and EDM for me thanks
"What a beautiful song" --1967
"What a beautiful song" --2019
"What a beautiful song"--3050
@John Salvage Might as well listen to the original, Air from Suite No 3 in d major by bach. One of greatest if not greatest piece of music ever written,
@@lindasterratt7989 Air from Suite 3 is timeless. Next to it I would also put Pachelbel's Canon In D Major. There is something about these two that makes them appropriate at any given time, from a wedding video to a funeral. Of course, it's difficult to point out an absolute best, but these are now part of the very idea of what music is.
This'll be part of the cultural exchange with the first aliens we meet.
Oblivion
@@AliasUndercover I can well imagine the aliens trying to decipher that message. "WTF!!! This means nothing! Go back and work on until it means something!"
One of the most beautiful songs ever recorded. A true masterpiece.
Absolutely beautiful! Just brilliant and perfect…
It was wonderful to grow up with this kind of music.
Amen!
@@billybatts9491
You got to be joking not to be unable to hear the lyrics
It’s a great song with excellent audio output
@@billybatts9491 it is all about melody, feeling, and atmosphere, not the lyrics! I don't really care what he says but how he says it and how this makes me feel so this is a true masterpiece sound and feelings-wise despite it was based on a Bach composition.
Lord how I miss the greatest music in our History. The 60s/70s were the decades that got me hooked. My Days in High School were memorable, to say the least. My girlfriends and I listen to 70s music and it was more important than just kissing and hanging out. We actually were engrossed in the music. One such lady said," I love being with you". Met her after enlisting in the Navy. She and I have been married for 45 years now. In our 60s now and still drive around listening to music back in the day. We only listen to this music. Never left the 60s/70s era. Never will.
This is great stuff but the fact that you think it's the only, or the greatest as you phrased it, shows profound musical ignorance.
Indeed. Keeps you young too! Congratulations on your 45 years.
@@sacredcowbbq1326
Listen to the 2006 outdoor concert in Denmark with Gary Brooker, the band & full Danish National Orchestra & Choir❣️
th-cam.com/video/St6jyEFe5WM/w-d-xo.htmlsi=0RHgVVSyGHeFeChu
This is to be played at my funeral or Im not going
😂😂😂
That's a great reply! It made me LOL!
Good choice. I'm not going to have a funeral, BUT, we did have this played at our wedding in 1974.
Grant, Thank you for the above sites. I love this version of the song and the history of the song! Thank you again for sharing, I appreciate that you did.
LOL! 😆
This is one of those very few songs that really isn't about anything, but when you listen to it, it's becomes about everything.
It's one of those songs that you transpose your feelings and emotions onto.
It's an absolute masterpiece...
@ dejayimm.
The song writer said he wanted the song to be a musical version of a Dali painting. Dali was an abstract artist so it is difficult to pin this down, it is best to just soak it all up. Noel Hughes
@@noelhughes7635 deejayimm.
Thanks for reiterating my point.
deejayimm.
Well said.
I could not have summed it up better !
It is about something alright... a botched sexual overture it would seem
Gary Brooker may he rest in peace. This song will last forever.
I agree, but I do think he and Keith should have treated Matthew Fisher better. The evocative nuances of the organ sound (which with a Hammond is infinitely variable, no presets whatsoever), the playing (the voicing of chords, the slip notes/grace notes), the delectable and iconic countermelody in verse 2 (which I am guessing Matthew devised - does anyone reading this happen to know?) are to my mind more crucial to the instant success of the song than the lyrics, and of roughly equal importance (I reckon) with the concept, and with the fantastic vocal delivery. And the drumming is also right up there, I'd have to honestly acknowledge.
It’s an odd thing when a piece of music can make you cry and you don’t really understand what it’s about.
Because it's from a better, bygone period of time.
It reminds me of the melancholy joy of the tail end of a trip. You have had your fun in the higher utopias, and reality slowly starts to seep back in. You are happy to be back, but sad that you had to leave.
If that makes sense.
That about sums it up.
@@joelbizzell1386 that's an interesting point.
About 13 years ago played at my brother’s service. Hard not to weep. His favourite song. We grew up thankfully in the 60s.
R.I.P. Gary Brooker
Procol Harum - A Whiter Shade of Pale, 1967
"And the truth is plain to see"
He's right that this song is like an abstract or surrealist painting. You don't need to understand it, you just enjoy it.
this played when my parents were wed and they walked out the church, and then when we carried my dad's casket out of the church at his funeral
Wow.
❤️
Speechless
Wow
I listened to it for days after my mom died. It comforted me. Beautiful piece of art.
RIP Gary Brooker. Great singer and composer of a legendary band.
Mr. Gary Booker, thank you sir for your great music that will be with us forever and for your fine and generous contributions to humanity. R.I.P.
What a performance with the orchestra, still had an amazing voice in his later years. This performance is a keeper
One of the greatest songs to come out of the 60's.I heard this song for the first time when I was living in Thailand and it brings back great memories of the happy years I spent there
There are but a handful of songs that have stood the world on its ear - this is one of them.
Would be interested in who the others are.
I’m a gen x and when I first heard this song at age 15, it blew me away. I couldn’t believe how rich, dense and haunting the song is. To this day it still gives me chills.
🙄🙄🙄
The organ in this timeless piece of beautiful music gives off an almost prayer- like church atmosphere. I have loved it since my childhood. Still gives me chills, even after all these years.
Booker the lead singer tried to screw the organ player he won in court 35 years later . How sad is that www.smh.com.au/entertainment/uk-court-rules-in-favor-of-procol-harum-organist-20090731-e3ev.html
Mathew Fisher-the Organ player-is a mate of mine. He is a grumpy old bastard. No only joking hes a lovely and very talented man. 😁
We love a white shade so much we had it at our wedding in 1973 and still love it ,🎼🎶🎼🎶
This is a Mathew Fisher song.
@Maulana Malik Nasri Just what I think every time I hear it. The song would never have had the success without that Hammond.
Nothing beats the 60s 70s 80s when it comes to music....
My Dutch mother, who was 33 at the time simply fell in love with this song. We lived in Baarn at the time with Oma & Opa on the Sophialaan, and there was this record shop at the bottom of the street. She sent my 9 year old self promptly to go get this record in 45 rpm form without any money, which was weird, but I did. I was to pay the man later. Of course, the store employee or owner politely said I needed some Guilders to purchase it. So, I went back, got the money & bought it per her instructions. Strange that she would send me without money to begin with but that was my mom. This song always takes me back to that little adventure. Rest in peace, mother.
loved your history.
You were blessed with a lovely mother, thank you for sharing this
Hey, It was worth a try.
Hmmmmm....33 Masonic ritual sodomy.... Interesting
Such a Nice street Sophialaan close to the watertoren? I lived there as well. Curently in Baarn wrighting this :)
Keith Reid certainly accomplished what he set out to accomplish. This song is amazingly surrealistic. Two great talents these men.
One of the best songs ever written!!
Denise and Mark Firestine No argument about that. 👍
Yes, but I didn't learn anything from the video. What was the point?
I'm telling ya a CLASSIC!
Absolutely
Great song :)
My father (dutch) was a DJ on a Pirate Radio ship and pushed this song on to the playlist (to play everyday), before it became big. Everytime he played it he would dedicate it to my mother. We played it at his funeral ...
Ik beschouw mezelf altijd als een langzaam denkende idioot ... die probeert door een snel pratende wereld te navigeren.
Omringd door surrealistische mysteries ... proberen de punten te verbinden "connect the dots".
Ik heb me dit geweldige lied altijd herinnerd ... en uit deze clip heb ik eindelijk geleerd dat ... de schrijver er eigenlijk naar streefde naar impressionistisch surrealisme.
Dat is goed om te weten ... het klinkt als een goed plan of strategie, wanneer een persoon vooruit gaat.
En dan is de tweede les van deze filmclip ... om te leren van de opmerking van @VLOGLINKS .... hoe het nummer eerder het publiek bereikte ... sterk geholpen door de Nederlandse radio .... het is een zegen om eindelijk te leren deze aanwijzingen "clues".
-------
Vriendelijke groeten uit de VS. De bovenstaande woorden zijn de Google-Translate-versie van de volgende.
Friendly greetings from USA. The words above are the Google-Translate version of the following.
-------
I always regard myself as being a slow thinking idiot... who is trying to navigate through a fast-talking world.
Surrounded by surreal mysteries, trying to connect the dots.
I always remembered this great song.... and from this clip i finally learned that... the writer actually sought for it be impressionist surrealism.
Which is good to know... it sounds like a good plan or strategy, when moving forward.
And then the second lesson from this filmclip is.... to learn from the comment by @VLOGLINKS.... how the song reached the public sooner... strongly helped by Dutch radio.... it's a blessing to finally learn these clues.
Was dat Veronica?
VLOGLINKS
That is too cool ! I love your sharing that intimacy with us. ❤️
@@niceguy1131 was nog voor veronica maar een collega is daar wel gaan werken.
I used to listen to Radio Caroline in the UK.
It's been a long time since I've thought about that happy time in my life.
Thanks
I'm 71 and I still love this song.
💗🙌
We all do; we have always loved it.
This song lives in a universe all it's own - from a generation like no other. I miss those days...
GOD TO GO BACK 1 DAY!!!!!!!!!
Don't we all. Our youth is the most precious time of our life it's a shame we don't appreciate those days, they come and go so swiftly and when we understand this they're gone for good, never to return.
I don't miss those days - but I certainly remember them as a most important time of my life! The song always makes me feel good because I was there!
if this song came out today, would it stand the test? oh ya. close your eyes and dream of the time all the problems in the world were on your parents, at least we got a chance to experience it!, lived carefree,
I'm glad he gave credit to Bach.
hohaia rangi - There's a video in which the origin of the melody is explained better. There was a famous commercial for cigars that used a jazzy arrangement of "Air On A G String" that had a prominent walking bass figure. That's what Gary was after. He had the song structure finished when Matt was brought in, and he wasn't familiar with the commercial, and Gary tried to describe the music to him. Gary knew that the music was based on Bach's music, so he told Matt. Now Matt Fisher knew "Air On A G String," so he played it, and Gary said, "Naa-ah, thats not it..." So, Matt made up a musical part that fit the song's structure and was based on 2 Bach songs. The point is, Gary and Keith wrote the song, and Matt's part(and the times) made it a huge hit. Also, there was the pirate radio ship. The song means so much to so many people, a whole movie could be made about it.
@@DavidSmith-ss1cg Yep, it was a good one alright.
Yes! Hopefully some kid will look him up now. 😂
It sounded more like homage than credit to me anyway...
While it was inspired by Back and in a Bach-like style of chord progression with a quintessential descending bass line. it really is their own composition.
Although yes, a tip of the hat to the inspiration-especially when such giant of musical history, one who seems to have little appreciation among the young of the day.
@Denise Salles Indeed, nobody (certainly not I) has even insinuated otherwise. BUT, that is not the topic of this sub-thread...
We're not discussing the nature, quality or value of the song in this conversation, we're talking about it's origin & what inspired it.
Clearly words are unnecessary (and irrelevant) for the enjoyment of music, or to be moved by music, nor to recognize good music.
However, in order to understand, appreciate & compare the structural, harmonic, rhythmic, melodic & other underlying aspects & characteristics of music (a very interesting, valuable & worthwhile endeavor-acknowledged & pursued for over half a millennium): words & discourse are integral!
The fact that you seem to perceive these as conflicting or contradictory (or whatever sentiment/idea motivated your comment) is based in flawed reasoning/logic; or perhaps some need to instigate conflict or to criticize. Who knows!
But it really had nothing to do with our discussion. And even though your remark is true, it's a nonsequitor and irrelevant.
They will still be listening to this song 100 years from now.
MRod They will
Yes they will.
Possibly 100 years after it came out, 100 years from now? No way.
Andy Leibrook yes way
lol.. FYI, The world kept moving after the 60s, get up to speed grandpa!
This song came in 1968 . It will still be listened to in 2168
1967
Gary Brooker had one of the best voices in history. It is even more evident in the 1969 album "A Salty Dog."
I can listen to this song over and over. The organ adds such a feeling of sentiment. The words are mesmerizing. I just love this song!
Ah, she likes the organ...
Dear Sandra, can you tell us what is this song is about? what does the lyrics of this song mean? it seems no one knows even the song is loved by millions. sag olun
Yep. I feel that way about the song however as i look back on the lyrics. It screens vampires. Remember dark shadows?
Yes, and I agree....but WHY does it affect us so????
Hammond organ spiritual sound
this song is simply a masterpiece --- for me although captures a very specific moment in history (the 60s) its appeal is timeless
I don't think it captures the 60s. There was nothing like it around at the time, so why should it capture the 60s, just because people first heard it then?
If it was released in the 70s, people would say it captured the 70s, and that's not how "timeless" works. This song is beyond time.
oswjim. Yes. A very ethereal and haunting song.
You are right, on a literal and logical level, but I think what osjm is trying to say that the late sixties (Flower Power, protests, alternative life styles) were very much an era of change - politically, socially and in this case also musically (witness the Beatles and Dylan). And it is indeed timeless - perhaps because of its classical music influences (Bach and others), even much older literary references (Chaucer) and last but not least because of the timeless theme of the drink - influenced tense interaction between a young man and a young woman (missing verses!). Superb work of art.
@@EmmaPeelman : here are the missing verses , and this is the first ever full studio version , licensed by Bucks Music Group on Nov 8th 2018 . I have put different associations in the video . Hope you like this . Best Wishes .drive.google.com/file/d/1UZiULpExpwUGjEG6ceFAReAqVeDQfkRa/view?fbclid=IwAR0QA3lheM7cwLPiNnctkvSePWcHOdvePxt-XNUZAdhF-JN5bSlcfdsMhLU
.
.facebook.com/The-Noteworthys-1898592116910759/
. Now on iTunes , Spotify etc , but the video currently does not have Permission , and will be resubmitted at some point .
.th-cam.com/video/NGJbN7nBb3o/w-d-xo.html
'65 on......the early '60's were still spilling over from the '50's
I first heard this song in 1968 I was five years old...it fascinated me and yet made me profoundly sad. It has always been one of my favorite songs of all time.
One of the few singers who have actually improved with age.Watched him in Denmark with an orchestra, Absolutely fabulous. Never dated.
Bravo.
I love the performance in Denmark
The performance in denmark with the full orchestra and choir is one of the most amazing performances --anytime- anywhere.
I though the very same thing! Who sounds better 40 yrs after ! He did !
@@johntaylor294 John listen to Dean Ford reflections of my life he sang 3 years ago if you like marmalade
"her face at first just ghostly turned a whiter shade of pale...". Along with countless millions I loved the ethereal beauty and originality of the lyrics. Layer in the vocal intensity and perfect organ contribution and , voila, a masterpiece.
I saw Procol Harum in October 2017 in Turku, Finland. It was a smallish concert with an intimate atmosphere. Gary Brooker was pure gold that evening, not a tune went wrong. 'A Whiter Shade of Pale' was the last song and it sounded so gorgeous that many tears were shed. Thank you for the great experience!
Lucky you...rather see it in that setting than in a 100,000 seat stadium.
Do songs usually go wrong at their gigs?
How lucky you are.
🇫🇮🇦🇽👍😎
You lucky!!!
Song will last forever and be heard by generations to come. And they will all love and enjoy it.
It is my favourite song of all time. Every time I listen to this extraordinary and wonderful piece of music I feel pleasure. Meaningful lyrics, magnificent story behind the song and mystical music. I'm glad I'm growing up with this kind of music and not today's awful "music". My name is Spyros and I'm 15, God bless you all
Still one of the most played songs on the radio worldwide.
If you haven't seen the live performance of this song in Denmark in 2006, find the video and be amazed. Unbelievably great. Also Conquistador from that same concert.
The inspiration from Bach really does show a real great thing about music. Bach's "Air on a G String" has a sentimental, sweet quality. The Hammond sound used in "Whiter Shade of Pale" brings in a melancholy, longing feeling. Just the choice of instrument changes so much.
Indeed. Well said.
And that Hammond organ was key!
Simple beat, fairly simple fills. Perfectly drummed as well. The opening organ is beautiful. From a drummer wishing to be that good.
Im a 68 yo music lovin boomer. Ive heard it from elvis to k pop. this is my fav song
I love this song. The organist played it at our wedding as I arrived and my mother said it just described my rather nervous fiance waiting at the altar. It became "our song" and we celebrated 50 years of marriage in September. There is a rose named after it and my son bought 4 of them for our ruby anniversary. The scent is absolutely beautiful
This song is a master piece specially dû to the keyboard and the powerful feel it gives, just so haunting and deep, makes you cry
Gary Brooker died at the age of 76. (R.I.P.) 02.19.2022 Cancer. A remarkable and unforgettable voice. I Love You, Gary. I Love Procol Harum. Forever. 😭😭😭😭😭😭
Never get sick of hearing this song.
24 year old here, so glad my dad raised me on good quality music, love this. Makes me happy!
Me too man. My dad showed me this song when I was little, well he played it often. I cry every time I hear it now, it reminds me of my dad (he didn't die or anything I'm also 11) but the song sounds so sad IDK why
One of the best songs every written
@Jethro Tull I've shed a lot of tears that I would have otherwise been unable to. I'm not sure if it's a blessing or a curse. I hear this, Moody Blues, something like "Coming into Los Angeles", and I'm heading down Hgwy 126 through Filmore and Santa Paula, heading to the coast in our 64 Falcon Sprint Convertible, the 4 track player blasting, and my late older brother driving. "Good times, bad times, You know I've had my share". Very bittersweet, but I've long blocked most of the bad..."You see, I really have to tell you
That it all gets so intense
From my experience
It just doesn't seem to make sense"...
Every day that goes by now, I better understand that youth is truly wasted on the young.
@@Max-dr6rz I cry when I hear it too and I'm 64. It is so cool knowing younger people like this kind of music. This was one of my Moms favourite songs when I was a teenager growing up in the 60's and 70's:) Peace
@Jethro Tull I have lots of classic tunes on YT you might enjoy or not Lol. Go to my favourite classic rock and blues if you like :) Peace
The Moody Blues were going in that "painting a picture " direction at that time. Whiter Shade of Pale and Nights in White Satin, 2 of my favorites.
Two of the greatest all-time rock bands, the moody blues and procol harum, with the Beatles is arguably my all-time top 3 favorites
Me too!
Agreed
From St Africa
I heard John Lennon
(Liked) dug this tune...🎹 ✌🏽
Do you realise how many times I've put those two songs together as bring revolutionary in the most ethereal sense
So glad there is someone else in the world who hss shared exactly the same thoughts. Love
RIP Gary 😢 My first ever 45, when I was about 9 years old. Saw you performing at Empire Pool Wembley. Those were the days 🏴🇬🇧
some songs never get old and become evergreens. This is one of them. Timeless.
This song reminds me of my brother, who had left for the us navy in 1975, and everytime I hear this I think of him💖, thank you. R.I.P. brother
RIP Sir............Even with all the great music that came out in the 60s&70s, this stands out in a class by itself and is timeless.
My wife and I danced our first dance to this song at our wedding . As soon as the opening organ started, you could hear all the guests gasping at what a beautiful song we picked.
Wow, we did too! See my comment above!
I had the organist play this at my wedding in the 70s.
Awesome wedding tune! Great idea.
Franky Broadcast gd
What a great song to play at a wedding, a lovely melody, with words about meeting and picking up a girl at a party!
An amazing song. Melancholy, mystical and ethereal all coloured together in the words and flow of the chord changes. Rare to find a better tune than this! I remember when it first came out in 67. Same feelings today in 2019. Truly magical.
You use some appropriate adjectives for this masterpiece . Here is something you might like - the whole song , with the ''lost verses'' , and this is the first ever full studio version , licensed by Bucks Music Group on Nov 8th 2018 . I have put different associations in the video . Hope you like this . Best Wishes .drive.google.com/file/d/1UZiULpExpwUGjEG6ceFAReAqVeDQfkRa/view?fbclid=IwAR0QA3lheM7cwLPiNnctkvSePWcHOdvePxt-XNUZAdhF-JN5bSlcfdsMhLU
.
.facebook.com/The-Noteworthys-1898592116910759/
. Now on iTunes , Spotify etc , but the video currently does not have Permission , and will be resubmitted at some point .
.th-cam.com/video/NGJbN7nBb3o/w-d-xo.html
Yes! Absolutely magical and so evocative of those times. Bill Graham used to play it to allow the well dosed crowd after a long show to easily float gently outside.
Beautiful song. I know exactly where I was when I first heard the song in 1967...I was sweet sixteen. Love to turn the clock back to that time. 😍
I can't get enough of this song. It is eternal to me! The live version in Denmark is amazing!
AWESOME Denmark Performance; absolute perfection!!!!!
For me, the greatest of all time. I plan to have it played at my funeral.
th-cam.com/video/St6jyEFe5WM/w-d-xo.html
Amen.
And everything comes back to Bach...... as always. The genius it was.
Get Bach to where you once belonged ...
Ah... Bach OK it's a M.A.S.H reference,nobody seems to get it.
Bach wished he wrote this.
This is procol's signature song but, they have so much great music on their many brilliant albums. Gary never lost his voice even in his later years.
My parents walked down the aisle to this in 1968 and my father played it again when we buried my mother in 2004 :-(
So many musos still love the Hammond B3 ...M102 and the organ (All but gone now) really shines through in the track.
I genuinely believe this to be the best rock song ever written. Everything about it is perfect.
@Midnight Toker yes it is
@Midnight Toker Yes it is
@Midnight Toker yes it is !
Oh well, that's Bach for you ... seriously, listen to his keyboard music and tell me what you think.
Beautiful,is what it is!
Gary Brooker could sing! Awesome song! Rest in Peace!!
I went overseas in 65, came back from Vietnam in 67. Whrn I left still were hearing 4 Seasons, Bobby Vee Early Beatles, and came home to this. Quite s change. But these were great songs.
OMG what a gifted melody / song.timeless .... what a voice effortless singing. pure gift. what a band.
this was the Vietnam era in America... I got drafted out of college... this song was on the juke box in our student center. ... I still remember on most Saturday mornings,( before I was drafted), I would go to the student center and pretty much have it to myself for a couple hours .... I played this song because it was so different and catchy ... I didn't have a clue what it was about.... many song writers in America were writing about their opinion about the war.... I think I was trying to link this song to that line of thought ... now I understand there was NO relation at all .
I always thought it was about the Vietnam War until I saw this clip. 53 years on the planet & now I know I was wrong haha
One of the rare perfect songs.
The Hammond B3 puts it over the top.
It was a Hammond..but not a B3.
@@chipgaasche4933 C'était un Hammond L122 !....
@derek Leon elton nope, derek.
@@patricklemeur6360 merci, patrick.
@derek Leon elton why do so many people assume every Hammond is "B-3"?
I remember hearing that song on the Juke box in my neighborhood as a youngster and it has never left my memory, I'm now a Senior and it popped up in my head yesterday, I did some research and now here I am enjoying this beauty of a song in tears of Joy.....🥰
Sometimes I wonder why I love this Era I was born 1982 but when I hear music from the 60s or 70s I just feel like I’m so connected to this time.
RIP Gary Brooker. This song will live on as will Gary's memory. Thank you for the beautiful music Gary, Keith and the other band members.
Been amazed by this song for decades. Thank you!
John Edward Jones so was John Lennon
I was very young at the time when I spoke to a person over the phone who turned out to be the one who wrote this song. He spoke to me as an equal and we talked in depth. It is a memory I hope to always remember
I'm 72 years old and I remember going to see Procol Harim live with the Edmonton Symphony orchestra.
Still listen to this magical song nearly every day never gets old
Playing my piano rendition of this at my late father-in-law’s celebration of life this weekend because he sang this at all his sons’ weddings and I always knew this would be the one would play as a tribute to him. ❤️
Rest in peace, Mr. Brooker, and thanks for the music.
Thank God for Procol Harum, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and all of the other great English pioneer Prog Rock bands who helped shape my early musical experiences. I eventually became an organist (but left the field later, as it didn't pay the bills). It's wonderful to have progressive music for people like all of us who need more than three chords and lyrics about falling in/out of love, using well-worn (out) formulas for mass consumption. As for those of you who lament how shallow and empty today's pop music is, try not to spend too much time looking at the pop charts. There is PLENTY of good music out there nowadays, but you must keep looking and listening! Thank goodness we have TH-cam and social media to explore all of the millions of niche/indie/prog/punk/funk/post-bop/etc/etc/etc/ bands that are out there, churning out good music for adventurous ears!!! Long live Procol Harum and AWSOP!!! Also, if you like PH, check out A Salty Dog (the album) and Procol Harum LIVE with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. It's the first album that my dad bought for me (that I personally wanted - BADLY) as a young teen in 1973.
I turned 10 in the year "Shade" was released. I'll be 62 in a couple of months, and "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" will always be my favorite song from that era. To me it was the 'entrance' to 'Sgt. Pepper" and "The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn". The ultimate summer of love hit. What? No, it never gets bored.
I was 10 when this song came out, and I had a transistor radio(remember) , been joying this Song since then. Blessed to have been born in the fifties. Some out the greatest songs ever were written and song by awesome artists like this one (Procol Harum) , just awesome.
My father died in 1989. His favorite song was Whiter Shade of Pale. This post is for his crazy ass..-
-Jim Peterman Rest in Peace Father-
This song was their biggest hit ever.
I enjoy the reactions when people hear the intro to this timeless gem. Heads turn, eyes widen, discussions stop. It’s as if this masterpiece requires a special reverence. I’m one of those people.
A fusion of classical and soul music =timeless magic
Bach was a genius but so are Keith and Brooker who took an idea from Bach and transformed it into yet another Masterpiece.
1967 I was 13. This is the first song I ever liked. It is tied with Otis Redding "Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay" as my favorite songs of all time. Dark Side Of The Moon is a close 2nd, I consider it one song.
Still my all-time favourite - and I'm 67 now. 😎
Quo Vadis
Today is my birthday. I turned 67
This song will always be the best songs I ever heard. Alway takes be back to beautiful times when I was young. ☺️
mine too
It was my theme song as I hitched my way through Europe in the summer of 67
Mine as I cruised Cali
You might like this Jonathan - all four verses , licensed , for the first time by anyone except Procol Harum themselves . drive.google.com/file/d/1UZiULpExpwUGjEG6ceFAReAqVeDQfkRa/view
Oblivion :)
This was my theme song too.......... as I hitched my way through my mom's womb summer of '67!
Oh, so you had the prototype of the cassette recorder? Or did you just pop your Hammond organ in your rucksack?
It's the one being played at my funeral.
I was born in 66. This was a song I have never lost the love of.
As soon as it starts, it's me.
A monumental piece of music.Dives and Lazarus Ralph Vaughn Williams is the same for me
Great music from the time.. A truly beautiful song.
Whiter Shade of Pale was a song which I first heard when I was living on the beach in Spain in 1967. It is a song which when I hear it immediately returns me to those carefree days when I was 26 - some 50 years ago!! Still makes me smile as it was so true!
Timeless classic.Still listening to this in 2021. RIP Gary Brooker.
Procol Harum was one of the great bands that I grew up with. Was lucky enough to see them play in Oxford England 1976 or 77, great show
Listening to this I’m 14 again. Heaven.
how old are you now sir ?
And all my family is still around and all was perfect in my young life...instantly transported to that time by the opening chord...
It is the combination of surreal modernist lyric and etherial baroque chord structure that created a transcendent pop anthem.
"It wasn't like anything else" and still isn't. Just a very special song. Still one of my favorites.
One of the most underated bands of the era.
Hollywood producers wanted to make a movie about famous composers. They had already cast a couple of older action movie actors. Bruce Willis was to play Beethoven, Sylvester Stallone had accepted the role of Mozart, and they couldn't resist it when Arnold Schwarzenegger said "I'll be Bach"
Lyrics, melody, vocals, all mastery. During road trips in Europe I would have this song on repeat. Gary and I wandered through our playing cards for endless kilometers of beautiful scenery. Never gets old.
I saw Procol Harum in concert in the mid-90s. Gary Brooker's voice by then had matured into a deeper rasp that added depth to an already beautiful piece of music. It's been one of my favorite songs for over half a century now.
One of the greatest songs of the 60's. Forever beautiful, forever remembered for it was not like anything else ever composed until then.
what saddens me greatly about modern music when listening to the explanation of this classic. Is the authors of this great work are very open to all kinds of influence they read they pay great attention to art classical musicians the signs of the times. They use this to try and create something not entirely original but unique in its own way. Thats all anyone can ask of a musician. Yet it is clear this music has influenced generation after generation of people. You just can't say the same thing about a lot of modern mass marketed music. These musicians are a rarity but God bless them for this amazing masterpiece.
Beautiful way to put it. My smart old Mum reminds me that pendulums do swing: It's just difficult to realize it when the lead point is far off. Kids will find and even create great art again. But yes you are mighty right. Pax et lux.
We’re still out here but it’s difficult to find us.
Well said! This is such a poor and uneducated generation. Totally clueless.
William Evans - Insightful comment. The 1960s were one of those remarkable periods in musical history where there was such an explosion of talent, imagination, & experimentation. The lyrics & instrumentation were so unique. Just about every band had something different & appealing to offer.
You might like this - the first ever licensed full version - all 4 verses .
.drive.google.com/file/d/1UZiULpExpwUGjEG6ceFAReAqVeDQfkRa/view
.facebook.com/The-Noteworthys-1898592116910759/
Best Wishes - website open soon .