Procol Harum

Procol Harum, the British rock ensemble, launched amid psychedelic currents before establishing themselves among the foremost exponents of art rock and prog rock, all while preserving their underlying musical identity. Gary Brooker supplied the outfit’s hallmark character through his somber vocal style and expansive melodic lines as lead singer and pianist, with Keith Reid supplying the verses that frequently contemplated fate’s uncertain turns across numbers such as “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” “A Salty Dog,” and “Conquistador.” The musicians executed these pieces with sharp technique and intensity, becoming early pioneers in the use of large-scale orchestration and performing live in tandem with complete symphony ensembles. Their 1967 album Procol Harum contained the group’s initial and most lasting chart success, “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” and the 1969 release A Salty Dog earned widespread recognition as their definitive work, while the 1972 effort Procol Harum Live: In Concert with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra represented a notable orchestral undertaking. After Brooker reassembled the band during the 1990s, subsequent studio albums The Well’s on Fire in 2004 and Novum in 2017 emerged as highlights.

Procol Harum’s beginnings proved as intricate as their achievements proved substantial. At age 14, pianist Gary Brooker assembled a school group called the Paramounts that included guitarist Robin Trower, bassist Chris Copping, singer Bob Scott, and drummer Mick Brownlee. After gaining local traction at youth clubs by performing rock & roll covers, Brooker assumed vocal duties following Scott’s departure, and the members persisted once they had finished school; by 1962 they secured a regular slot at the Shades Club in Southend. Early in 1963 Brownlee departed and Barry J. Wilson, also known as B.J. Wilson, took his place after responding to a Melody Maker advertisement. Nine months afterward bassist Chris Copping withdrew from music and was succeeded by Diz Derrick. The next month the Paramounts’ demo earned them an audition at EMI, leading to a Parlophone contract with producer Ron Richards, whose prior credits included the Hollies. Their debut single “Poison Ivy” appeared in January 1964 and reached number 35 on the British charts, bolstered by an endorsement from the Rolling Stones, who named them their preferred British R&B act. Yet further singles failed to register on the charts, prompting the Paramounts to disband in September 1966.

Brooker turned his attention to songwriting and entered a collaboration with lyricist Keith Reid after meeting him through R&B promoter Guy Stevens. By spring 1967 the pair possessed an extensive catalog and set about assembling musicians to perform the material. A Melody Maker notice resulted in the Pinewoods, comprising Brooker on vocals and piano, Matthew Fisher on organ, Ray Royer on guitar, Dave Knights on bass, and Bobby Harrison on drums. Their initial recording, overseen by Denny Cordell, captured Reid’s surreal poem “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” which Brooker scored with elements drawn from Johann Sebastian Bach’s Air on a G String from the Suite No. 3 in D major. Before the track reached release the Pinewoods had been renamed Procol Harum. In early May, Cordell secured a Deram single release. He forwarded a copy to Radio London, one of Britain’s storied offshore pirate stations; after several plays the station received overwhelming listener requests, prompting Deram to expedite the single’s mid-May launch.

Procol Harum made their live debut on June 4, 1967, supporting Jimi Hendrix at London’s Saville Theatre. Four days later “A Whiter Shade of Pale” ascended to the summit of the British charts, holding the top position for six weeks and marking the group as only the sixth act in British pop history to achieve number one with a first release. The following month the record climbed to number five on the American charts, eventually surpassing one million copies sold in the United States and six million worldwide. As the single reached its American peak, Royer and Harrison were dismissed and replaced by Brooker’s former Paramounts colleagues Robin Trower on guitar and B.J. Wilson on drums.

With the “real” Procol Harum lineup now established, a second single titled “Homburg” appeared in October 1967 on EMI’s Regal Zonophone imprint, attaining number six in Britain and number 34 in America. The debut album Procol Harum reached number 47 on the U.S. charts in October 1967 through the presence of “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” although a British edition lacking the hit sold modestly. On March 26, 1968, “A Whiter Shade of Pale” received the International Song of the Year honor at the 13th Annual Ivor Novello Awards. The subsequent single “Quite Rightly So” managed only a number 50 placement in England. A new American deal with A&M Records was finalized, and by November the second album Shine on Brightly entered stores, climbing to number 24 in the United States while failing to chart in Britain. The next month the band performed at the Miami Pop Festival before an audience of 100,000 alongside Chuck Berry, Canned Heat, Fleetwood Mac, and the Turtles.

In March 1969 David Knights and Matthew Fisher left shortly after completing A Salty Dog. Knights’ exit allowed Paramounts bassist Chris Copping to rejoin, handling both bass and organ. Another American tour ensued in April, and June 1969 brought the release of A Salty Dog. Blending vigorous blues with classical textures, the album returned the group to the U.S. charts at number 32, while the title track reached number 44 in Britain. The album later attained number 27 in England, the band’s first long-player to chart domestically. A full year passed before Home appeared in June 1970, rising to number 34 in America and number 49 in Britain. This release concluded their Regal Zonophone contract; Broken Barricades surfaced on Chrysalis in England in July 1971, peaking at number 32 in the United States and number 41 in Britain and coinciding with Robin Trower’s departure to form his own successful American group.

Dave Ball replaced Trower that same month, and the lineup expanded with Alan Cartwright on bass, enabling Chris Copping to focus exclusively on organ. This configuration appeared on November 18, 1971, with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and the DaCamera Singers in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The performance emerged as the 1972 live album that became the group’s highest-charting release, reaching number five and attracting thousands of new listeners. A single drawn from the recording, “Conquistador,” advanced to number 16 in America and number 22 in Britain that summer.

The lineup faced further upheaval in September when Dave Ball exited to join Long John Baldry’s band. Mick Grabham, previously of Plastic Penny and Cochise, took his place. The subsequent album Grand Hotel offered a richly melodic set featuring guest backing vocals by Christianne Legrand of the Swingle Singers. The LP reached number 21; six months later A&M issued the first compilation, Best of Procol Harum. The following two albums, 1974’s Exotic Birds and Fruit and 1975’s Procol’s Ninth (produced by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller), achieved moderate success, and “Pandora’s Box” from Procol’s Ninth rose to number 16 in Britain. July 1976 saw Alan Cartwright depart, with Chris Copping assuming bass duties and Pete Solley joining on keyboards.

Something Magic from 1977 barely registered on the U.S. charts, and the band disbanded after a farewell concert at New York’s Academy of Music on May 15, 1977. Only five months later they reunited for a one-off rendition of “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” which shared the Best British Pop Single 1952-1977 award with “Bohemian Rhapsody” at the Britannia Awards honoring Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee. Apart from Trower, Gary Brooker remained the most prominent former member, issuing three solo albums between 1979 and 1985. B.J. Wilson passed away in October 1990 following health complications after a drug overdose. In August 1991 Brooker reformed Procol Harum with Trower, Fisher, Reid, and drummer Mark Brzezicki. The album Prodigal Stranger appeared, accompanied by an 11-city North American tour in September 1991. That configuration proved short-lived, prompting Brooker to assemble a new lineup featuring guitarist Geoffrey Whitehorn, keyboardist Don Snow, and Brzezicki; this group toured the United States in 1992.

Procol Harum remained inactive for several years until a 30th anniversary concert took place in Surrey, followed by an open-air performance with the New London Sinfonia in 2000. A live DVD surfaced in 2002, succeeded a year later by the studio album The Well’s on Fire. The band at that point included Brooker, Fisher, Geoff Whitehorn on guitar, Matt Pegg on bass, and Mark Brzezicki on drums, with Roger Taylor contributing guest backing vocals. They appeared at U.S. festivals and recorded the audio/video set Live at the Union Chapel in London. Fisher exited in 2004; the following year Josh Phillips assumed the Hammond organ role he vacated, leaving Brooker as the sole original member. This iteration performed occasional concerts over the next twelve years, either as standalone shows or with symphony orchestras across Europe. Another change occurred when Geoff Dunn replaced Brzezicki on drums.

In 2010 Procol Harum supported Jethro Tull on a U.S. tour. In 2012, after a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nomination that did not result in induction, they toured America once more, this time opening for Yes. In 2017 they marked the start of their 50th year with a sold-out orchestral concert at the Royal Festival Hall. During the first half Brooker fell and sustained injuries to his head and right hand, his third such occurrence since 2007. He nevertheless returned, bandaged, for the second portion. That same year the band issued Novum, their first collection of new studio material in 13 years. Written collectively, all but two tracks carried lyrics by Pete Brown, known for his contributions to Cream and Graham Bond.

During spring 2018 Esoteric Recordings issued the limited-edition deluxe box set Still There’ll Be More: An Anthology 1967-2017. Spanning five CDs and three DVDs, the collection compiled key recordings from across the band’s history along with concerts from 1973 and 1976. The DVDs contained more than three-and-a-half hours of footage dating from 1967 to 1977; also featured was a 68-page hardback book containing an essay by Patrick Humphries together with previously unseen photographs and memorabilia from Brooker’s personal archive. Although the COVID-19 pandemic suspended touring in 2020, the group devoted the period to writing and recording, resulting in the three-track EP Missing Persons (Alive Forever) released in May 2021. After guiding the band for more than fifty years, Gary Brooker died on February 19, 2022, following a battle with cancer. Lyricist Keith Reid died in London, England, on March 23, 2023, while undergoing treatment for colon cancer; he was 76.