Biography
The Paramounts exemplified the erratic fortunes of the music industry. Once praised by the Rolling Stones as "the best R&B group in England," the quartet struggled for years with minimal chart traction limited to their debut single before dissolving into apparent obscurity, only for the later achievements of several members in the psychedelic-cum-progressive rock band Procol Harum to revive interest in their story.
Their roots trace to a talent contest held at the Palace Hotel Dancehall in Southend, where the event organizer assembled standout players from rival acts into one unit. The resulting lineup featured 14-year-old Gary Brooker on piano, Robin Trower on guitar, Chris Copping on bass, vocalist Bob Scott, and drummer Mick Brownlee. All but Scott, whose tastes ran to Elvis Presley and Ricky Nelson, shared a deep affinity for R&B that shaped their early set lists drawn heavily from Carl Perkins, Chuck Berry, and Fats Domino, with Ray Charles also ranking among the members' top influences. When Scott missed a performance, Brooker stepped in as lead singer, and the group continued as a quartet.
In 1961 the Paramounts secured a regular slot in the basement café belonging to Trower's father, which they named the Shades and where they cultivated a following among young mods devoted to R&B. Over time they refined their style and emerged as one of the stronger working bands in the region, though personnel shifts occurred. Copping departed for college in late 1962 and was replaced on bass by Diz Derrick, while Brownlee gave way behind the drums to B.J. Wilson. By mid-1963 the band had evolved into one of London's more sophisticated R&B ensembles, swapping Chuck Berry numbers for material by James Brown and Bobby Bland. Convinced they were prepared for a professional career, their manager oversaw a demo tape that included the Coasters' "Poison Ivy" and Bland's "Farther on up the Road." Parlophone Records signed them late that year, and producer Ron Richards helmed their first single, "Poison Ivy," which scraped the lower end of the charts after television spots on Ready! Steady! Go! and Thank Your Lucky Stars.
An appearance on the latter program alongside the Rolling Stones prompted the famous endorsement, yet the group could not convert the exposure into sustained momentum. Follow-up "Bad Blood" missed the charts entirely, and the third single, "I'm the One Who Loves You," drew notice chiefly for its B-side, "It Won't Be Long," the first original composition credited to band members. That Brooker/Trower song marked the beginning of Brooker's songwriting phase. Although known as an R&B act, they cut several tracks stylistically distant from the genre, among them the string-laden "Blue Ribbons," which bore little resemblance to their usual sound. Brooker later identified the B-side "Don't Ya Like My Love," another Brooker/Trower piece, as their most characteristic recording. None of the subsequent releases charted, and the Paramounts disbanded in late 1966. Derrick exited the music business, while Trower and Wilson moved on to other groups.
Brooker meanwhile began collaborating with lyricist Keith Reid. In 1967 they recorded the song they had written, "A Whiter Shade of Pale," using a studio ensemble billed as Procol Harum. Once the track became a hit, demand arose for further recordings and live dates, prompting Brooker to reassemble Trower and Wilson alongside Matthew Fisher on organ and David Knights on bass to form a performing version of Procol Harum. Two years afterward Fisher and Knights departed, and Copping rejoined his former Paramounts colleagues within the band.
Though frequently referenced in accounts of Procol Harum, the Paramounts registered only modest commercial impact within 1960s British rock. Edsel Records issued a 1983 compilation of their singles titled Whiter Shades of R&B that later appeared on CD. In 1998 EMI gathered all 22 surviving Paramounts tracks onto a single disc, mastered in 24-bit sound for its Abbey Road Decade 1963-1970 centenary series; the collection also incorporated six 1970 demo recordings made by the Brooker-Trower-Wilson-Copping lineup of Procol Harum under the name Liquorice John Death & the All-Stars and performed in the Paramounts' style.
Their roots trace to a talent contest held at the Palace Hotel Dancehall in Southend, where the event organizer assembled standout players from rival acts into one unit. The resulting lineup featured 14-year-old Gary Brooker on piano, Robin Trower on guitar, Chris Copping on bass, vocalist Bob Scott, and drummer Mick Brownlee. All but Scott, whose tastes ran to Elvis Presley and Ricky Nelson, shared a deep affinity for R&B that shaped their early set lists drawn heavily from Carl Perkins, Chuck Berry, and Fats Domino, with Ray Charles also ranking among the members' top influences. When Scott missed a performance, Brooker stepped in as lead singer, and the group continued as a quartet.
In 1961 the Paramounts secured a regular slot in the basement café belonging to Trower's father, which they named the Shades and where they cultivated a following among young mods devoted to R&B. Over time they refined their style and emerged as one of the stronger working bands in the region, though personnel shifts occurred. Copping departed for college in late 1962 and was replaced on bass by Diz Derrick, while Brownlee gave way behind the drums to B.J. Wilson. By mid-1963 the band had evolved into one of London's more sophisticated R&B ensembles, swapping Chuck Berry numbers for material by James Brown and Bobby Bland. Convinced they were prepared for a professional career, their manager oversaw a demo tape that included the Coasters' "Poison Ivy" and Bland's "Farther on up the Road." Parlophone Records signed them late that year, and producer Ron Richards helmed their first single, "Poison Ivy," which scraped the lower end of the charts after television spots on Ready! Steady! Go! and Thank Your Lucky Stars.
An appearance on the latter program alongside the Rolling Stones prompted the famous endorsement, yet the group could not convert the exposure into sustained momentum. Follow-up "Bad Blood" missed the charts entirely, and the third single, "I'm the One Who Loves You," drew notice chiefly for its B-side, "It Won't Be Long," the first original composition credited to band members. That Brooker/Trower song marked the beginning of Brooker's songwriting phase. Although known as an R&B act, they cut several tracks stylistically distant from the genre, among them the string-laden "Blue Ribbons," which bore little resemblance to their usual sound. Brooker later identified the B-side "Don't Ya Like My Love," another Brooker/Trower piece, as their most characteristic recording. None of the subsequent releases charted, and the Paramounts disbanded in late 1966. Derrick exited the music business, while Trower and Wilson moved on to other groups.
Brooker meanwhile began collaborating with lyricist Keith Reid. In 1967 they recorded the song they had written, "A Whiter Shade of Pale," using a studio ensemble billed as Procol Harum. Once the track became a hit, demand arose for further recordings and live dates, prompting Brooker to reassemble Trower and Wilson alongside Matthew Fisher on organ and David Knights on bass to form a performing version of Procol Harum. Two years afterward Fisher and Knights departed, and Copping rejoined his former Paramounts colleagues within the band.
Though frequently referenced in accounts of Procol Harum, the Paramounts registered only modest commercial impact within 1960s British rock. Edsel Records issued a 1983 compilation of their singles titled Whiter Shades of R&B that later appeared on CD. In 1998 EMI gathered all 22 surviving Paramounts tracks onto a single disc, mastered in 24-bit sound for its Abbey Road Decade 1963-1970 centenary series; the collection also incorporated six 1970 demo recordings made by the Brooker-Trower-Wilson-Copping lineup of Procol Harum under the name Liquorice John Death & the All-Stars and performed in the Paramounts' style.
Albums
