The loss of life in 2022 of Gary Brooker, the widely-respected frontman of Procol Harum, prompted widespread appreciation of his distinctive expertise as a singer, author and keyboard virtuoso. It additionally shone a brand new highlight on his most well-known work, a music that has continued to resume itself within the many years because it was first launched.
The 2018 model of Procol’s deathless 1967 pop staple “A Whiter Shade Of Pale” by singer-songwriter Dylan Menzie, from the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, underlined what an endlessly inspiring music it stays. It additionally results in our take a look at a number of the most fascinating variations of the piece, written by Brooker and (as established after authorized proceedings) Matthew Fisher, with the unforgettable lyrics of Keith Reid.
Procol’s authentic was a worldwide No.1 with gross sales of six million copies. It continues to be their most well-known music and a characteristic of concert events by the latter-day line-up. When the band’s newest, admirable album Novum was launched in 2017, frontman Brooker advised this author how “Whiter Shade” dominates the media notion of their 50-year historical past. “To keep a standard going that amount of time is an achievement in itself,” he mentioned. “I think the new album crowns that, [so] they can play something other than ‘Whiter Shade.’ Which still sounds good!”
Interpretations of the music began to look nearly instantly. Nevertheless it’s not typically remembered that the primary by a well known artist was by the Everly Brothers, sounding nearly unrecognizable on a monitor from their August 1967 album The Everly Brothers Sing.
By October that yr, the Field Tops have been together with the music on their album The Letter/Neon Rainbow, assembled within the wake of their US chart-topping success “The Letter.” The Procol hit quickly went reggae, in a studying by Alton Ellis, and earlier than 1967 was out it had additionally been recorded by Noel Harrison, singer-actor son of thespian Rex, and by saxophone ace King Curtis together with his group the Kingpins.
American chart common Johnny Rivers swapped Fisher’s authentic, expressive organ motif for piano on his cowl from the 1968 album Realization. The Dells put their soulful stamp on the music in 1969 and there have been minor US chart variations by Cleveland R&B group the Hesitations in 1968 and R.B. Greaves, the nephew of Sam Cooke, in 1970.
Joe Cocker’s 1978 album Luxurious You Can Afford included his instantly-recognizable remedy, and the identical yr the music strengthened its infinite versality in a disco-to-pop crossover by Munich Machine. One wonders what number of different compositions may then have added early Nineteen Eighties variations by a group of artists as broad-based as Bonnie Tyler and Willie Nelson.
One other nice vocalist to lend his skills to “Whiter Shade” was Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues, who included it on his Traditional Blue album with Mike Batt and the London Symphony Orchestra in 1989. Six years later, it was additionally a well-remembered a part of Annie Lennox’s Medusa album.
Many different readings have adopted, throughout the musical spectrum from Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes to Engelbert Humperdinck. Dylan Menzie’s 2018 model, from his As The Clock Rewinds EP, replaces the organ characteristic with piano and strings to tremendous impact. Ever extra shades of a basic music proceed to disclose themselves.
