42 Echo Friday November 2, 2012 echo-news.co.uk echo-news.co.uk Echo Friday November 2, 2012 43 Spotlight on an iconic band Procol Harum never got credit they deserved, says book By HANNAH MARSH [email protected] HEY wrote one of the best-selling singles of all time and carved out a pioneering rock- meets-baroque Tsound, but Procol Harum never received the elevated status they deserved, according to new biographer Henry Scott-Irvine. His Procol Harum and the Ghosts of a Whiter Shade of Pale, launches at the British Film Institute on Southbank, London, tomorrow. A treasure trove of unseen clips of the Southend band will be screened alongside the launch at the star-studded event. Weekend Henry says: “In 1967, A Procol Harum – their story started in Southend, where they started as a rhythm and blues group Whiter Shade of Pale became Haunting – Procol Harum’s A Whiter Shade of Pale sold ten million copies, making it the biggest-selling British single of the Sixties the biggest-selling British rhythm and blues came out of single of the Sixties. I always Southend-on-Sea than any On August 28, 1970, Procol thought it was a fascinating other place in Britian next to Harum performed to their tale. Mersey in the Sixties.” biggest-ever audience, over half BOOK EXTRACTS: DAY ROBIN “Procol Harum had seven Procol Harum and the a million people, at the five-day Billboard top 50 albums in Ghosts of a Whiter Shade of Isle of Wight Pop Festival on the TROWER MET JIMI HENDRIX America, but they’re almost Pale launches tomorrow at the same day as Tony Joe White, overlooked here. They’re only British Film Institute, South- Taste (featuring Rory Gallagher), numbers at the end. Those we ground; so much for the promise seen for A Whiter Shade of bank, London, where there’ll Family, Chicago, and a host of do if the time is right!” of ‘Love & Peace’. The headliner Pale. Some people compare be a screening of Paramounts other big name acts. Procol’s Procol’s performance of ‘A Salty at the event was Jimi Hendrix, them to being like Genesis or and Procol Harum film and guitarist Robin Trower finally got Dog’ was included on the 1971 who played through heavy rain the Moody Blues, but they’re television footage, showing to stand on the same stage as CBS triple album the First Great to the miserable, unsettled nothing like those bands. clips ranging from A Whiter his hero Jimi Hendrix, who also Rock Festivals of the Seventies, crowd. Ironically the day before “Their roots are in soul Shade of Pale to unseen colour starred at this epic festival, albeit compiling various artists’ the Isle of Fehmarn debacle music, rhythm and blues and psychedelic footage of Procol on a different day. performances from both the Procol also played with Hendrix classical themes.” Harum debuting Homburg, A Record Mirror’s Lon Goddard Atlanta and Isle Of Wight at the Berlin Super Concert at The book features a Salty Dog and Robin Trower’s ran a piece dated September 19 festivals. the Deutchlandhalle. foreword by film director Henry Scott-Irvine – new Procol song Whisky Train, Martin Scorsese, who talks featuring the headline: ‘Procol Robin Trower: “I remember we Procol Harum biography along with book signings and a Smoked Out On Isle’, describing Procol’s next major festival played on the bill directly after about his love for the band and few surprises. how, “In the bitter chill of the appearance was scheduled him in Berlin. Jimi’s set was their lyrics, singling out A for A Whiter Shade of Pale in The event kicks off at night, with miserable audience for September 5 at the massive really great. We had heard it Salty Dog. 2009. It is still a sensitive 6.30pm. To book tickets, visit conditions and the fatigue of Love & Peace event held on the whilst standing in the wings. But Henry says: “Procol Harum subject and needed to be www.bfi.co.uk many listeners, Procol could do Isle of Fehmarn, which would people were booing and were the first rock band to play handled carefully. The book is released by no wrong.” have seen Procol Harum share throwing bottles and cans at live with an orchestra He says: “That part of the Omnibus Press. BA1764381[_v1].[*] anywhere in the world – before Gary Brooker remembers: “I equal billing with Sly & the him. We came on and I threw story is told as it was reported 16 cm x 4 Deep Purple, who are always by the press with all the band thought our Isle of Wight Family Stone, Canned Heat, the bottles and beer cans back CRUISE AND MARITIME VOYAGES LIMITED performance would have been Peter Green, Ginger Baker’s at the audience. credited with it. As a result members’ official statements of nice for a sunny afternoon, but Airforce and Ten Years After. “How could they do that to Jimi? they did record an album a how they felt about the we sat around for a very long However, advance warning of Anyway, that day, after all those couple of years later with an situation. It’s not taking sides. time getting cold before the heavy-handed policing at the gigs throughout all those years, I orchestra, which went to “We had it legally vetted by performance.The other thing that hands of German biker gangs finally got to stand on stage on number five in America.” two lawyers, that was an really bothered me was the great motivated Doug D’Arcy to the very same spot that Jimi had Explaining what he finds so important part.” compelling about Procol billows of smoke that kept withdraw both Procol Harum and played live. An early incarnation of the Harum’s individual sound he band, called the Paramounts, blowing over from the camp fires Ten Years After from the event, “A few days later he was dead. says: “I think Gary’s voice is included Gary Brooker, Robin directly on to the stage. and neither band left their hotel Really sad!” very particular, it’s a real soul Trower and BJ Wilson, as well “Because of the conditions the until the gig was over. voice. They’re much more than as Chris Copping, who later fast numbers went over much It was just as well as there was a Extracts from the Ghosts just a prog rock band, they’re a replaced Matthew Fisher in the better. The act was more or less near riot and the promoter’s of A Whiter Shade of Pale, offices were burned to the by Henry Scott-Irvine band with tunes. Call it old- Seventies. They gained planned up until the rock ‘n’ roll fashioned, but all their songs moderate recognition, before are great tunes. Brooker formed Procol Harum, “That Hammond organ and who then shot to stardom with piano with a blues guitar, that their debut single, A White Southend band through and through was their thing, soulful music, Shade of Pale. BEFORE their ten million hit with Poison Ivy in 1963. with lyricist Keith Reid, before a classic theme and a tune.” Henry says: “I’ve always selling hit single A Whiter After the group split up, singer later being rejoined by Par- Henry did come up against been fascinated by Procol Shade of Pale in 1967, Procol Gary Brooker, who lived in the amounts friends Robin Trower, challenges – the band’s bitter Harum and the music that I Harum started out as Southend town, wanted more from his Barrie Wilson and Chris Cop- fallout and ensuing legal guess is known as the Thames rhythm and blues group, the music. ping, making them a Southend battle, which saw Matthew Delta music scene. It’s funny Paramounts. They had a top 50 He formed Procol Harum band once again. Fisher win co-writing credits but if you look at it, more London launch – the book.