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Track: A Whiter Shade of Pale - Original Single Version
Artist: Procol Harum
Album: Hits'n'Flips

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Name: Procol Harum
Spotify Genres: progressive rock, symphonic rock, baroque pop
Followers: 508,579
Popularity:

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Biography

After the rhythm & blues band [a1382422] disbanded in 1966, singer [a=Gary Brooker] helped form Procol Harum early in 1967. In July that year, the band got their first #1 hit [i]A Whiter Shade of Pale[/i], co-written by Brooker & Reid, becoming one of the first real "symphonic rock" songs. A lot of albums and singles were released afterwards, but never enjoyed the success of their first single. Band friend and record company owner [a=Guy Stevens] came up with the group's name Procol Harum, a mis-spelling of the Latin phrase Procul Harun (roughly meaning “far beyond these things”), which was also the pedigree name of his Siamese cat (who actually was marked [i]Procul hīs[/i]). (Another explanation is that it was a corruption of Procellarum, a vast ocean on the Moon.) The line up for their first single was: Gary Brooker: vocals and piano Keith Reid: words Matthew Fisher: Hammond organ David Knights: bass Ray Royer: guitar Drums by session drummer Bill Eyden. Procol Harum re-formed in October 1991 and recorded "The Prodigal Stranger" with this line-up: Brooker - vocals and piano Reid - words Fisher - hammond organ with guests: Dave Bronze - bass Mark Brzezicki - drums Jerry Stevenson - mandolin and guitar

Source: Discogs

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Release: Procol Harum - A Whiter Shade Of Pale
Year: 1968
Genres: Rock
Styles: Psychedelic Rock, Prog Rock

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LYRICS

We skipped the light fandango
turned cartwheels 'cross the floor
I was feeling kinda seasick
but the crowd called out for more
The room was humming harder
as the ceiling flew away
When we called out for another drink
the waiter brought a tray

And so it was that later
as the miller told his tale
that her face, at first just ghostly
turned a whiter shade of pale

She said: 'There is no reason and the truth is plain to see'
But I wandered through my playing cards
and would not let her be
one of sixteen vestal virgins
who were leaving for the coast
and although my eyes were open
they might have just as well've been closed

And so it was that later
as the miller told his tale
that her face, at first just ghostly
turned a whiter shade of pale

She said: 'I'm home on shore leave'
though in truth we were at sea
so I took her by the looking glass
and forced her to agree
saying, 'You must be the mermaid
who took Neptune for a ride.'
But she smiled at me so sadly
that my anger straightway died
If music be the food of love
then laughter is its queen
and likewise if behind is in front
then dirt in truth is clean
My mouth by then like cardboard
seemed to slip straight through my head
So we crash-dived straightway quickly
and attacked the ocean bed