Procol Harum

Beyond
the Pale

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1962 Poison Ivy demo acetate • only six ever existed

Teenage recording by Gary Brooker, Robin Trower, Chris Copping, Mick Brownlee
Offered for auction complete with the artists' signatures


Your chance to be the owner of a classic piece of British rock history: Bid here on eBay (sale ends Sunday 22 March 2009)

'Little Mick' Brownlee, original drummer from the UK's Paramounts, has asked 'Beyond the Pale' to auction this ultra-rare record on his behalf.

'I have a copy of the first acetate demo record that we made in early 1962 in London. The recording was financed by our then manager Peter Tomlin (aka Peter Martin) and only six were cut.

'The two numbers recorded are Poison Ivy and, on the flipside, Further On Up the Road:  it's on the Channell Entertainments label.'

Click on the illustration (right) to hear the sound-quality of this demo, which contains the first-ever studio recordings by Gary Brooker and Robin Trower, who have since gone on to enjoy world-wide stardom.

 

How rare is that?

The Paramounts, from Southend-on-Sea in Essex, were favoured and promoted by The Rolling Stones.

The Paramounts re-recorded their demo arrangement of Poison Ivy (as Parlophone R 5093) and spent 7 weeks on the UK charts in 1964.

Three years later Gary Brooker was back with Procol Harum, who conquered the world with A Whiter Shade of Pale.

Robin Trower and Chris Copping were seminal members of Procol Harum as well.

Brooker, Trower, Copping and Brownlee played a reunion gig in 2005: get it on DVD here.
Here is the priceless recording, on a presentation sheet signed by Gary Brooker (vocal and piano), Chris Copping (bass guitar), Mick Brownlee (drums) and Robin Trower (lead guitar).

 

Bid for it at eBay

Mr Brownlee will post the demo out to the lucky winner of this auction. At present it is framed under glass in a clip frame measuring 9.5 x 12 inches.

The glass will of course be omitted when it's posted; the hardboard backing will be included, to add rigidity to the carefully-wrapped disc and signature-sheet.

The purchaser should contact us about the level of insurance required for this very valuable item in transit.

Here's a close-up of that historic label.

Copyright recording
– not for public sale –
all rights of performance
and reproduction reserved

Universal Programmes
Corporation Ltd

Channell Entertainments Ltd

45 rpm
Poison Ivy

The Paramounts

Division of International
Broadcasting Co Ltd

35 Portland Place, London W1
Tel. Langham 2000

Bid for it at eBay

Thanks, Little Mick

The B side,
Further On Up the Road,
has no typing on it – so
there's nothing lost when you
display it in a frame

Bid for it at eBay


More Procol Harum history at BtP

The Paramounts


PH on stage | PH on record | PH in print | BtP features | What's new | Interact with BtP | For sale | Site search | Home