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Formed in the s, Prog Rock British group Procol Harum are best known for their multi million selling single A Whiter Shade of Pale which is the most played record by a British artist of the last 70 years. Tells the story of their formation in Essex in the s, their split on their tenth anniversary in and their reforming in Lead singer Gary Brooker and lyricist Keith Reid always claimed credit for the hit, which became part of the soundtrack of But in his ruling, the judge decided that organist Matthew Fisher was entitled to both credit and royalties. Brings the story right up to date with detail of their album releases and tours over the last decade. Author Henry Scott-Irvine has a background in music and arts documentaries as well as presenting and producing a weekly radio show for Resonance Henry is now writing another book and is hoping to get some music documentaries funded. Join our mailing list for the latest news about our upcoming books, events and special offers:. Description Additional information Description Formed in the s, Prog Rock British group Procol Harum are best known for their multi million selling single A Whiter Shade of Pale which is the most played record by a British artist of the last 70 years. Additional information Weight 0. Procol Harum's ground-breaking concerts and recordings with Classical Orchestras and Choirs are Procol Harum: The Ghosts Of A Whiter Shade of Pale described in meticulous detail in this well researched offering. Henry Scott-Irvine must be congratulated on delivering the best musical biography which I have ever read. He doesn't shy away from covering the bitter court case concerning the composing rights to A Whiter Shade of Pale. There are too many musical gems to name them all. I have waited a long time to learn more about the band. This book met all of my expectations: from the birth of the Paramounts, through the court battle over song credits This was the first time I was able to get the full story Procol Harum: The Ghosts Of A Whiter Shade of Pale the sad end to B. Wilson"s life Read this book, break out the records and enjoy. This is a well-written and exhaustive account of the recording and touring history of Procol Harum. It takes us from the days of the Paramounts in the Procol Harum: The Ghosts Of A Whiter Shade of Pale of the early sixties right through to the draining four-year court case that pitted the band's original organist against his former employers over forty years later. The coverage is comprehensive and well organised and the early chapters on the Southend scene are especially engrossing. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to all PH fans in addition to any music fans. Super book - definitely unputdownable! The story behind Procol Harums A White Shade Of Pale

With its Bach -derived instrumental melody, soulful vocals, and unusual lyrics — by the song's co-authors the music by Gary Brooker and Matthew Fisherand the lyrics by Keith Reid [6] — "A Whiter Shade of Pale" reached number 1 in many countries when released in In the years since, it has become an enduring classic. It was the most played song in the last 75 years in public places in the UK as of[7] and the United Kingdom Procol Harum: The Ghosts Of A Whiter Shade of Pale rights group Phonographic Performance Limited in recognised it as the most-played record by British broadcasting of the past 70 years. The original writing credits were for Brooker and Reid only. On 30 JulyMatthew Fisher won co-writing credit for the music in a unanimous ruling from the Law Lords. Keith Reid got the title and starting point for the song at a party. The third verse has been heard in live performances by Procol Harum, and more seldom the fourth. Contrary to the above interpretations, Reid was quoted in the February issue of Uncut magazine as saying:. I was trying to conjure a mood as much as tell a straightforward, girl-leaves-boy story. With the ceiling flying away and room humming harder, I wanted to paint an image of a scene. But I was too young to have experienced any decadence, then. I might have been smoking when I conceived it, but not when I wrote. It was Procol Harum: The Ghosts Of A Whiter Shade of Pale by books, not drugs. Structurally and thematically, the song is unusual. While the recorded version is long, it is composed of only two verses, each with chorus. The piece is also more instrument-driven than most songs of the period, and with a much looser rhyme scheme. Its unusually allusive and referential lyrics are much more complex than most lyrics of the time for example, the chorus focuses on Geoffrey Chaucer 's " The Miller's Tale ". Thus, this piece can be considered an early example of progressive rock. The phrase a whiter shade of pale has since gained widespread use in the English language, noticed by several dictionaries. The song is in moderate time in C major and is characterised by the bassline moving stepwise downwards in a repeated pattern throughout. In classical music this is known as a ground bass. The harmonic structure is identical for the organ melody, the verse and the chorus, except that the chorus finishes with a cadence. But it is also heard throughout, playing variations of its theme and counterpointing the vocal line. As the chorus commences "And so it was, that later The final instrumental fades out to silence — a common device in pop music of the time. Bach 's Air from his Orchestral Suite No. Gary Brooker said of his composition in his interview with Uncut magazine:. If you trace the chordal element, it does a bar or two of Bach's 'Air on a G String' before it veers off. That spark was all it took. I wasn't consciously combining rock with classical, it's just that Bach's music was in me. The recording was produced by Denny Cordell. Because they did not have a regular drummer, the drums were played by Bill Eydena session musician. The track was completed in two takes, with no subsequent overdubbing. A few days after the session, the band re-recorded the song with their newly recruited drummer, Bobby Harrisonat Advision Studios. This version was discarded, and one of the original mono recordings was chosen for release as the band's debut single. Cordell was concerned that the sound of "A Whiter Shade of Pale" might prove problematic Procol Harum: The Ghosts Of A Whiter Shade of Pale the radio, due to the prominence of the drummer's cymbals. He therefore sent an acetate copy to Radio Londonand his worries were assuaged when the disc jockey played the disc on-air and announced: "That sounds Procol Harum: The Ghosts Of A Whiter Shade of Pale a massive Procol Harum: The Ghosts Of A Whiter Shade of Pale. In two weeks it reached number 1, where it stayed for six weeks. Writing inJim Irvin of Mojo said that its arrival at number 1 on 8 Juneon the same day that the Beatles ' Sgt. According to music historian Harvey Kubernikin the context of the Summer of Love, "A Whiter Shade of Pale" was the "one song [that] stood above all others, its Everest-like status conferred by no less than John Lennon and Paul McCartneywho were enthralled by the Chaucerian wordplay and heavenly Baroque accompaniment". In the United States, the single reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot and sold over 1 million copies. It also peaked at number 22 on the soul charts there. Due to Procol Harum: The Ghosts Of A Whiter Shade of Pale about overexposure, the song was removed from the band's repertoire in for a number of years. In the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Only the drummer in the video is not on the record: early band member Bobby Harrison is seen miming to session man Bill Eyden's drumming. Procol Harum subsequently made a second promotional clip, using " Scopitone " technology. By this time, Robin Trower and B. Wilson had replaced Royer and Harrison in the band, so only three of the five musicians on the recording are represented. No performance footage appears in this film — only scenes of the five musicians cavorting around London and running across fields. The same lineup, with Fisher wearing a monk's cowlmimed to the song on Top of the Popsalthough Brooker sang live. Black-and-white footage of the performance has been shown online. There was also a film shot as part of Joel Gallen 's Deja-View music video series. It has also aired on VH1 Classicand has recently surfaced online. Informer Procol Harum organist Matthew Fisher filed suit in the High Court against Gary Brooker and his publisher, claiming that he co- wrote the music for the song. Brooker and publisher Onward Music were granted leave to appeal, and a hearing on the matter was held before a panel of three judges during the week of 1 October The decision, on 4 Aprilby Lord Justice Mummeryin the Court of Appeal upheld Fisher's co- authorship [47] but ruled that he should receive no royalties as he had taken too long 38 years to bring his claim to litigation. Full royalty rights were returned to Brooker. On 5 NovemberFisher was granted permission to appeal this decision to the House of Lords. On 30 July the Law Lords Procol Harum: The Ghosts Of A Whiter Shade of Pale ruled in Fisher's favour. They noted that the delay in bringing the case had not caused any harm to the other party; on the contrary he had benefited Procol Harum: The Ghosts Of A Whiter Shade of Pale from it. They also pointed out that there were no time limits to copyright claims under English law. The right to future royalties was therefore returned to Fisher. It was released as the album's second single in May and became a top-forty hit in Europe and Canada. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Hal Leonard Corporation. The Record. Archived from the original on 9 August Retrieved 21 February The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits. Billboard Books. The Mirror4 April Retrieved 30 October The British are Coming! BBC News. Retrieved 20 October Archived from the original on 15 October Retrieved 9 November The rough guide to cult pop. Rough Guides. Retrieved 8 December Archived from the original on 15 April Retrieved 1 August Oxford Dictionary of Modern Quotations. Oxford: Oxford University Press. The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations. Retrieved 23 June Archived from the original on 22 June Retrieved 29 June Wilsonville, Or. Ebury Press. London, Faber and Faber. Omnibus Press. Ashgate Publishing. Available at Rock's Backpages subscription required. The History of Rock. Record Research. Retrieved 21 September Retrieved 15 April Retrieved 10 August Henry Scott-Irvine: Procol Harum - The Ghosts Of A Whiter Shade Of Pale by Henry Scott-Irvine

Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Want to Read saving…. Want to Read Currently Reading Read. Other editions. Enlarge cover. Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Open Preview See a Problem? Details if other :. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. Formed in the s, progressive rock band Procol Harum are best known for their multimillion-selling single "A Whiter Shade of Pale" which is the most played record by a British artist of the last 70 years. Procol Harum's extraordinary career now spans almost Procol Harum: The Ghosts Of A Whiter Shade of Pale years. Their insights illuminate what must surely be the gold standard biography of a unique and highly influential band. Get A Copy. Hardcoverpages. More Details Other Editions 2. Friend Reviews. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. Procol Harum: The Ghosts Of A Whiter Shade of Pale ask other readers questions about Henry Scott-Irvineplease sign up. Lists with This Book. This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Community Reviews. Showing Average rating 4. Rating details. More filters. Sort order. Nov 16, Satch rated it it was amazing. Henry Scott-Irvine has written a superb account of the origin, success and excess with all sundry trials, triumphs and tribulations associated with the rapid rise in the charts of a rock band with a truly unique sound. For there are mysterious threads that run throughout this book and the careers of those associated with the band. The mor Henry Scott-Irvine has written a superb account of the origin, success and excess with all sundry trials, triumphs and tribulations associated with the rapid rise in the charts of a rock band with a truly unique sound. The more a fan, like myself, discovers about Procol Harum, falsehood or truth, the more Procol Harum: The Ghosts Of A Whiter Shade of Pale arise about those salad days. The author has deftly surveyed the landscape surrounding Procol Harum and presented us with a rich array of band history, anecdotes from band members and insight into the devilish machinations of the music industry. With his vast experience of research into documenting the recordings of the swinging s and the psychedelic s, Scott-Irvine was dutifully poised to use his many contacts in the music business to enhance his portrait of the band that defies description and labeling. How was he to do this? A big fan of the band himself, Scott-Irvine chose to arrange his book chronologically. Early on we get the feeling that guitarist Robin Trower would eventually start his own band and pianist Gary Brooker would evolve into one of the best singers to come out of that era. For six years The Paramounts played on the same stage as some of the biggest acts going including The Rolling Stones but they were almost exclusively a cover band influenced buy American Soul and Rhythm and Blues artists. After giving up the paramount ghost of stardom, Gary Brooker thought he would write songs for other people. How he got together with lyricist Keith Reid and how they worked together is one of the most intriguing facets of the book. Of course, the leading lady in this tale is the mega-hit A Whiter Shade of Pale. The six musicians on the record had no history together, none of the experiences that The Paramounts had shared, none of the fraternity, understanding and sympathy that comes from long nights spent in the back of a van traipsing home after an unmemorable gig miles away. They had a hit before they were a band. They had a hit and they and everyone around them were scrambling. All hands on deck! A few fell overboard but Fisher and bass player, David Knights remained and ex-Paramounts band mates drummer, B. Wilson and Robin Trower were recruited. The author gives a stunning blow by blow of the waters of fame and keeps an objective viewpoint while letting Fisher, Brooker, Trower and Reid explain the course they were taking on the first three albums. Number 2: 38 years certainly seems beyond the pale. All this notwithstanding it is a shame that the case ever went to court. They made great music together but in the end Scott-Irvine had to address the situation and he does so with aplomb. Each recording and lineup change is explained Procol Harum: The Ghosts Of A Whiter Shade of Pale in creative and technical terms. Procol went through changes, as most bands did, but they were able to re-define their group within the epic voyage that their idea of artistic creation entailed. The marvelous drumming of B. Wilson was a constant during their original run through Robin Trower set the precedent on bluesy, soulful guitar. Chris Copping, another former member of The Paramounts, took over on organ while also playing bass and kick-started the band when Procol Harum: The Ghosts Of A Whiter Shade of Pale needed it most. At no time are there dead spots in this biography of a band. Hard to believe that the excellent combination of Geoff Procol Harum: The Ghosts Of A Whiter Shade of Pale on guitar and Matt Pegg on bass has been with the band 21 and 19 years respectively. A truly fine bit of writing that also covers the solo efforts of these great musicians and the charity work of Gary Brooker and friends. But I do have a few minor disagreements with the author. I must protest. Strong song and Grabham rocks. The author can be excused because it is impossible for a fan not to be passionate about this music. The Albert Bros. A lot of good stuff there. All meant to be taken in the spirit in which it was written. I thoroughly enjoyed gorging myself on Procol Harum love and lore while reading this book. It is a serious and in-depth appraisal of all the various ghosts that haunt Harum Land. At one point I found myself laughing out loud. Twice I was brought to tears. Many times I was illuminated. If there is one thing to stress amidst the controversy it is this: Procol Harum, most notably Gary Brooker, never sold out his perfectionism or professionalism. The music stands paramount to any hurdles the industry has to offer. Well done, Henry! May 27, Evan rated it liked it. Author Scott-Irvine's challenge in writing this Procol Harum: The Ghosts Of A Whiter Shade of Pale is that Procol's biggest moment - one of the defining moments for popular music in the end of the 20th century - took place effectively before the real story - or the real band begins. Whiter Shade of Pale will be in the first sentence of almost every story about PH, a song everyone knows. The story is mostly downhill afterwith some peaks. Personally, they were one of my favorite groups, and I believe that their work contains many great Author Scott-Irvine's challenge in writing this book is that Procol's biggest moment - one of the defining moments for popular music in the end of the 20th century - took place effectively before the real story - or the real band begins. Personally, they were one of my favorite groups, and I believe that their work contains many great tracks. Yes, some greater than Whiter Shade of Pale. It was that important. Still, its first three albums all followed up on the concept. The title of the book tells a large part of the story. The band could never escape the gravitational force of its biggest hit. This was something of a trap. For a while, they worked to develop the third stream approach of Whiter Shade, but the band was also pulled back to its roots. I don't know if the band suffered an identity crisis but for sure their label's marketing department did. How do we sell them? Who are they? I also question about the objectivity of the author, who recently has collaborated with Procol Harum: The Ghosts Of A Whiter Shade of Pale band on projects, as well as a number of the reviews he uses to bolster opinion on the albums. Often the reviews are universally favorable -- except for Rolling Stone. Still, for most of its run, Procol Harum drew and sold well in the US. Back to the beginning: how do you write a book about an entertainer that peaks right at the beginning? The answer here is a story about the band's shifting personnel and shifting fortunes, miscalculations, getting picked apart by the business people. In short, many of the usual miseries.