December 1997: The Procol Harum e-mail List

Procol Harum

Beyond
the Pale

The Procol Harum e-mail list archive

December 1997 (thanks, Bill Hammell)

Date: Sun, 7 Dec 1997 20:18:29 -0500 (EST)
From: Jem33@aol.com
To: Procol@progrock.org
Subject: Gary interprets Keith!

I just posted the following in a few places, so I thought I do so here as well, maybe to get things going again..

I know I still owe you some comments on MF's solo works - that's in the works...

A belated Happy Thanksgiving, and Merry Winter Solstice to come :-) -------------------

"The song seems to be about me and what I=92ve been doing," says Brooker. "When it says "We skipped the light fandango/And turned cartwheels cross the floor that's me just running around for a long time looking for jobs. Then The room was humming harder/As the ceiling flew away when I sang that line I thought about all those draggy dressing rooms with people just hanging around, very rude people, evil." "I think about that church basement a lot these days." Adds Brooker. "It was cold then. Now it's warm." ----------------------------- From 1967 BBC interview - reported in Shine On, and on the Jens/Roland PH WebSite:

"Interviewer: Your record AWSoP....What do the rather obscure lyrics mean? GB: Nothing in particular, man. Int: Come now. You must have had something in mind when you wrote it. GB: No....(mumble mumble) Int: You mean it was a random selection of made-up phrases? GB: Yeah...sort of... mumble, mumble Int: But there is one line which is made to stand out, isn't there? The line about vestal virgins going to the coast. GB: (expression of surprise): It just happened that way, during the arranging. It could have been any line..." -------------------------------------- From Let Me Take You Higher, R&R Hall of Fame Museum, re The Psychedelic Era Exhibit, 1997:

{On page 159, there's a photo of PH at Fillmore East in 1968, not naming any of the band members. The only members mentioned in the article were - you guessed it - Gary and Keith.. And most of the copy was about - Right Again! - AWSoP}:

"...Procol Harum started off with Keith Reid and myself writing songs in late 1966," recalls singer/keyboardist Gary Brooker...."

"Gary Brooker Singer and Keyboardist with Procol Harum: -------------------------------------------------------------- I can't believe that anybody who makes a point of delving into lyrics could seriously look at the words to AWSoP and not understand what they mean. Certainly, the words of that song in a literal sense seem to describe two people being at what sounds like a party to me. As soon as they meet each other, the person telling the story becomes totally engrossed with the girl. It was all about seeing something that had a great effect on you. These things were all in there to be read. But it wasn't a drug song, as such." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- WELL - I hope he's Made Himself CLEAR!! LOL!!!!!

Notice that in all 3 interviews, Gary neglected to mention that he didn't write those words, just as the author of the 1997 piece didn't mention that the keyboard Gary played in AWSoP was the piano. ----------------------------------

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Date: Mon, 8 Dec 1997 18:32:04 +0300 (GMT)
To: procol@progrock.org
From: marpe@brecha.com.uy (Marcelo Pereira)
Subject: Gary interprets Keith

Well, the next one may be Gary telling the press it wasn't hard FOR HIM to imagine the drums part in Salty Dog...

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Date: Tue, 9 Dec 1997 15:49:35 GMT
To: procol@progrock.org
From: greg.panfile1@verizon.net (Greg Panfile)
Subject: Introduction

Hello fellow Harumites, this is my obligatory entry speech. I am five years younger than the musicians and a fan since the late Sixties. Also a songwriter/musician whose other favorites are the poppish Beatles and Brian Wilson/Beach Boys, the folkish Fairport Convention/Richard Thompson/Sandy Denny.

My primary interest at this point is in finding rare, unreleased, imported material from the pre-Dave Ball era, that is before Live at Edmonton. At present I have two such items: the vinyl "Elusive Procol Harum" concert, from the Broken Home era, with Trower but not Fisher. This record tantalizingly lists Whiskey Train and Power Failure, but does not include them (it does however have a wonderful live version of Juicy John Pink). I also have the probably common "For Liquorice John" boot that seems to be Home era rehearsals/recollections of Paramounts material, mostly. The third item, obviously common, is the King Biscuit concert with the only alternate Christmas Camel.

Aside from reading what others have to say about the group, I am thus most interested in obtaining by any reasonable means, additional rare and unreleased material from the earlier years (I've been told there is a disk called Through the Garden Fence with such material, for example, but know not where to find it). I did attend many concerts in the Edmonton/Grand Hotel era in the New York/New Jersey area (that Academy of Music concert with Yes and King Crimson, and Alexander Hall at Princeton University were notable), and once met the group and indulged with them in some of the typical recreational activities of the time. That is a story in itself, from Asbury Park, New Jersey in 1973 or so...

================================================================ NEW! My latest CD, Resolution, is available online along with essays on the Beatles and the Beach Boys, at:

http://mysite.verizon.net/vzex6mhq/index.htm ================================================================

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Date: Tue, 9 Dec 1997 13:16:27 +0300 (GMT)
To: procol@progrock.org
From: marpe@brecha.com.uy (Marcelo Pereira)
Subject: Information needed

I've got my first PH bootleg (it's splendid to hear the band live WITHOUT an orchestra!) and want information about it. "London 1974" and someone talks (=BFradio?) between the songs (Conquistador, Bringing Home..., Whaling..., New Lamps..., As Strong..., Simple Sister, The Idol, Butterfly Boys, Nothing But...) Thanks for any help

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Date: Tue, 9 Dec 1997 12:32:06 -0500
To: procol@progrock.org
From: Bolts of Ungodly Vision <scruto19@potsdam.edu
Subject: Fresh Fruit's subliminal message :)

right before the tune begins, Gary says kitty kitty and it sounds like BJ or someone else is either talking or banging drumsticks. keen. I still wonder what they say at the end of Souvenir of London.

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Date: Tue, 09 Dec 1997 23:19:54 +0000
To: marpe@brecha.com.uy (Marcelo Pereira), procol@progrock.org
From: Roland Clare <roland.clare@virgin.net
Subject: BBC sessions

At 13:16 09/12/97 +0300, Marcelo Pereira wrote: I've got my first PH bootleg (it's splendid to hear the band live WITHOUT an orchestra!) and want information about it. "London 1974" and someone talks (=BFradio?) between the songs (Conquistador, Bringing Home..., Whaling..., New Lamps..., As Strong..., Simple Sister, The Idol, Butterfly Boys, Nothing But...) Thanks for any help

Tomorrow (10 december) I'm putting up a page at 'Beyond the Pale' about Procol's BBC sessions that may help answer your question; it mentions a 1974 London show which corresponds quite closely but not exactly with the set of songs you mention above.

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Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 09:48:48 -0500 (EST)
To: procol@progrock.org
From: greg.panfile1@verizon.net (Greg Panfile)
Subject: Unwelcome in Asbury Park

My God, not the Sunshine Inn Asbury Park. Bright Yellow place.....the piano tuner was late........a number of us could have been arrested that night!

No other place in time, and you are an Englishman and a gentleman. Indeed this tale begins when Dave and the road manager of the time, whose name escapes, were in argument with the local producer, a cigar chomping penny pinching fake tanned toupeed slug of the lowest order, about whether the piano should be tuned at all! The guy did not want to part with the twenty bucks (US) or whatever it would take. I was nearby acquiring my ducats at the time, and the prospect of a concert with the piano (and therefore the entire band) out of tune was not pleasant to contemplate. Besides that, I wanted to impress people even more then than now, and have never been known to maintain silent dignity and mind my own buzzness.

So up I chimed in support of Dave and the manager, explaining how the piano had to be in concert tune so it would sound right with the Hammond organ, and the fans were entitled to hear the piano in tune because it was the lead singer/songwriter's main instrument etc. etc. Now I don't recall swearing at the guy or calling him any names, but obviously I did something worse, shame him on cheapness... so he agreed to tune the piano (I recall Dave and the manager saying something like no tunee, no showee) at the price of excluding me from seeing the show. He directed his local minions (presumably named Vinnie, Sal etc.; actually I believe Sal Etcetera really was one of their names) not to let me in under any circumstances. They looked up, and seeing no circumstances there, nodded in agreement and grunted in accord.

This was festival seating and we were hardcore, so there was like an hour or two till showtime. The manager, he was a heftily built guy in a light brown suede coat, with moustache and long curly hair, assured me I would get in, because the band would let me in by the stage entrance! This was quite exciting overall as you can imagine.

Sure enough, just as the band was about to play, I showed up at the backstage door and was ushered in amongst the instruments to join my extremely hippie cronies who of course had staked out the very front and center. I sat and the show was great, especially as it was one of the rare times that Homburg was performed, as the encore.

Afterwards, I recall sitting with Gary and Alan Cartwright at least, perhaps Chris joined in for a hit or two, and indulging in some quite nice hashish and marijuana. I got to relate the essence of all of the above, and I remember Gary referring to the promoter's flunkies as "his tomatos." We talked about the live show at Edmonton which had been recorded but I believe not yet released, referred to one another as "an Englishman and a gentleman" or "an American and a gentleman" and I was able to find out from Gary that Robin Trower's replacement, who I had briefly met in the lobby, was indeed the Dave Ball who wrote the above.

All returned to normal life after that, the band to their groupies and exotic hotel rooms, I to my early Seventies budget bohemia in central New Jersey. I was later disappointed when Dave was no longer with the group, as I felt his style had a certain sharp recklessness more Troweresque and appropriate than his replacement. Fortunately, one of his better solos still gets airplay on the live Conquistador from Edmonton. Particularly funny was the substitution of Mick Grabham's head onto Dave's body for the Grand Hotel promotional postcard... wish I still had that thing, it was hysterical. ================================================================ NEW! My latest CD, Resolution, is available online along with essays on the Beatles and the Beach Boys, at:

http://mysite.verizon.net/vzex6mhq/index.htm ================================================================

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Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 09:46:05 +0100
To: procol@progrock.org
From: jonas@procolharum.com (Jonas =?iso-8859-1?Q?S=F6derstr=F6m?= )
Subject: Re: Fresh Fruit's subliminal message :)

right before the tune begins, Gary says kitty kitty and it sounds like BJ or someone else is either talking or banging drumsticks. keen. I still wonder what they say at the end of Souvenir of London.

Gary says what sounds like "hey kitty kitty", and simultaneously BJ - or whoever - is actually counting: "three - four" to start the song in time.

Just bought the EB&F cd and is listening to it right now in headphones, while working at the computer. Never noticed this on the vinyl LP.

------------------------------------------------------------------ Jonas S=F6derstr=F6m Phone: +46-8-566 30 921 X kommunikation Fax: +46-8-33 73 67 G=E4vleg 22 e-mail: jonas@procolharum.com S-113 82 Stockholm Sweden

Home: Phone and fax: +46-8-744 24 91 Selmedalsringen 16 e-mail: jonas@comedia.se S-129 36 H=E4gersten Sweden ------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 14 Dec 1997 21:31:14 -0600
From: Rick Hapanowicz <rickhap@home.com Reply-
To: rickhap@home.com
To: procol@progrock.org
Subject: Nubia

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Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 13:01:01 -0500
From: Lobo Brooks <lbrooks@ford.com Organization: Ford Motor Company
To: procol@progrock.org
Subject: New guy

Well I never thought I would be involved in a news group thing,but when my eye caught the PH Web site I felt a strong almost magnetic pull. I'am from Detroit, Michigan, 46 years of life and had the pleasure of attending 17 or so PH concerts between 1967-1969. My next mailing I would like to share a history ( to the best of my memory) of those years. I'am at work now and the boss is near ... so , until Lowell Brooks ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 22:35:55 +0000
To: procol@progrock.org
From: Roland Clare <roland.clare@virgin.net
Subject: Procol in Lithuania ... not!

'Beyond the Pale' has just published a letter from a Lithuanian fan who is finding it hard to get hold of recordings and other PH items. If you'd like to help him please read this page:

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To: procol@progrock.org
From: "Hidroelectrica Alicura SA" <alicura@neuquen.com.ar
Subject: Greetings from Neuquen
Date: Fri, 26 Dec 97 10:29:01 PST

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year for all the Procolers around the World from this southerly fan... Jose Luis ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 26 Dec 1997 08:56:16 -0600
From: "Andrew T. Sweet" <atsweet@mcs.com Reply-
To: atsweet@mcs.com
To: procol@progrock.org
Subject: Re: procol V1 #77

Happy Holidays to everyone in Neuquen! I'll be there in two weeks, bringing the Matthew Fisher solo albums with me... How is the weather there?

Andy ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "the pellerito's" <pellt@algorithms.com
To: <procol@progrock.org
Subject: happy holidays
Date: Fri, 26 Dec 1997 12:20:10 -0000

I WISH YOU ALL THE JOY AND HAPPINESS THAT YOU CAN HAVE THIS SEASON ENJOY THAT GREAT MUSIC AND TIMELESS LYRICS THIS SEASON HERE'S HOPES FOR AHAPPY NEW YEAR WITH A NEW ALBUM????????? GOD BLESS TOM PELLERITO ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To: atsweet@mcs.com, procol@progrock.org
From: "Hidroelectrica Alicura SA" <alicura@neuquen.com.ar
Subject: Re: procol V1 #77
Date: Fri, 26 Dec 97 14:07:52 PST

Andrew T. Sweet wrote: Happy Holidays to everyone in Neuquen! I'll be there in two weeks, bringing the Matthew Fisher solo albums with me... How is the weather there? Andy

Hi Andy! I'm very pleased to hear about you again! Haven't you received my former message, asking if you were in Argentina? Anyway, it's good to know you'll be here soon! I am planning my holidays and there's a strong chance that I'll be in San Martin around January the 13th, please let me know how can I found you. The weather is unusually variable: yesterday we had 33 degrees centigrades (91.4 Farenheit), today it's cold and windy (a strong wind, even for patagonic standards), and, according to the newspapers, today it will probably rain in the mountains (San Martin de los Andes included). All this seems to be caused by that oceanic current named "El Nino"... Anyway, still is summer here. If you want, please email me to my email address <alicura@neuquen.com.ar so we don't longer bother the rest of us. See you! Jose Luis. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 26 Dec 1997 22:27:44 -0500 (EST)
From: Jem33@aol.com
To: procol@progrock.org
Subject: Goldmine Review

I'm sending a new - and quite GOOD! - Review of the 3CD PH Boxed Set - by Brad Bradberry, in Goldmine Magazine #455, 1/2/98 - with some of my comments at the end. I'll probably write to Goldmine with the same comments and I urge all of you to write them as well - the more Letters to Editors about PH the Better, I always say.. Here's the review: ================================:

It's been just over three decades since Procol Harum's classic hit single "A Whiter Shade of Pale" first hit the airwaves. Thus, the title of this three cd set. The designation ":Anthology" implies an overview of the band's career. But it's not. The three discs here [packaged nicely in a colorful cardboard slipcase], include the band's first four albums and a disc of A and B sides, alternate [often stereo] versions, and even an acetate recording [ Magdalene [My Regal Zonophone] from their second album. Though these four albums were recently released separately by another label with bonus tracks, this collection includes all but one rare track [the instrumental Il tuo Diamante , also a second album outtake] and much more. Everything here is nicely remastered and, at 52 tracks and three and a half ours' playing time, for around $30 it's a real bargain. Procol Harum { retitled A Whiter Shade of Pale after the single took off } is a combination of surreal lyrics, Bach, Dylan, the Band and Ray Charles [check out Gary Brooker's bluesy voice] rolled into one . Keith Reid, a non-playing member, was the lyricist. And to this day fans still can't figure out what their debut single was remotely about ["the room was humming hotter as the ceiling flew away /when we called out for another drink , the waiter brought a tray"] . Reid said once that the lyrics were mostly non-sequiturs to fit Brooker's music. Some people, [as they often did in the 60's] immediately pegged it an "acid trip" tune. Ironically, it wasn't on the first U.K. edition of the album. This was corrected in time Stateside , but brought their debut album little success in their home country. With the mercurial Hendrix disciple Robin Trower on guitar, organist [occasional singer-songwriter] Matthew Fisher on Hammond organ, Brooker on grand piano, and arguably the best finesse drummer in rock, B.J.Wilson, on drums [bassist David Knights was the weak link and was replaced on Home, their fourth album], musically the band was magnificent ["Whiter Shade" and "Lime St. Blues" were recorded before Trower and Wilson were in the band].The major riffs on standout tracks like " A Christmas Camel" lean heavily on Dylan's"Ballad of a Thin Man" ; lyrically, it takes on religion in Reid's patented oblique manner. "Conquistador" [later to be a hit off their live album] and Fisher's classically-based instrumental "Repent Walpurgis" [which includes searing guitar work by Trower] are purely superb. "Mabel" sounds like Levon Helm and the Band, kind of a twisted "Up On Cripple Creek". Every track is exceptional. Many consider it their best ever [once "Whiter Shade" was added , of course].But the next three are almost as good. Shine on Brightly came next [neither album include the hit "Homburg", inexplicably] and was a different twist entirely. Side one included five tunes. side two started out with the short ballad "Magdalene", followed by a 15 minute suite, "In Held Twas in I [Pete Townsend once admitted that it was a partial influence on Tommy]. the single "Quite Rightly So", led by Fisher's swirling organ, was a mid-tempo rocker.The title track was a bluesy-cum-classical rocker with more of Reid's bizarre wording {"My Prussian blue electric clock\no longer rings it will not stop"}. "Rambling On" tells the tale of a troubled modern Icarus who likes old Batman movies. The suite, consisting of five movements, mixes Eastern, classical, and rock music with lyrics that hit on Eastern mysticism, the Dalai Lama, Faustian images, and Christianity cut with madness and the human search for life's meaning. Sung by Brooker with Fisher {partly spoken word}, it's one hell of a bite out of God's apple [I hope he approved] . Fisher's "In The Autumn of My Madness" was his first lead vocal [a glimpse of his two vocals and production on the next album], and the closest thing here to a "song", with great tension-building organ riffs. A great follow-up. A Salty Dog , produced by Fisher, would be the last with the original lineup. An eclectic assortment of tracks, it opens with the title track, the now well- known sailor's lament. Here {as with "Whiter Shade"}, it's relegated to disc three [ in the context of its single release] for time constraints. Trower writes the music to two tracks, "Juicy John Pink", and "Crucifixion Lane". The latter he sings. This was a very popular album on FM radio in the 60's and 70's. Many consider it better than their debut.Others think it's a bit spotty. I take the latter view. It does have some great tunes: "Dog", "All This and More" [a beautiful ballad that just bursts with energy], the acoustic " Too Much Between Us", and Fisher's closer "Pilgrim's Progress" [ a much overlooked song , and after "Whiter Shade" arguably the most enchantingly melodic song in their catalog ]. Other standouts " The Devil Came From Kansas", Fisher's "Wreck of the Hesperus", and the opener "The Milk of Human Kindness", are all vintage Procol Harum, but largely less classically tossed off when stuck beside the aforementioned numbers. Sticking the raw blues of "Juicy John Pink" right before the layered, classically-based tune "Hesperus" wrecks the flow.It was still a solid album, just a bit choppy. Brad Bradberry. --------------------- Comments:

I liked Bradberry's review - he's written about PH for Goldmine before.. I especially liked his appreciations of MF's music (GREAT comment about Pilgrim's Progress!!), and his description of BJ as "...arguably the best finesse drummer in rock." Finesse Drummer!! YES!!!!!

. And to this day fans still can't figure out what their debut single was remotely about ["the room was humming hotter as the ceiling flew away /when we called out for another drink , the waiter brought a tray"] . Reid said once that the lyrics were mostly non-sequiturs to fit Brooker's music.<<<<

I agree about the non-sequiturs but he got the sequence of events wrong. Keith's words came first, and Then Gary wrote the vocal melody, after which Matthew added the Crowning Glory, the organ melody.

Shine on Brightly.... was a bluesy-cum-classical rocker with more of Reid's bizarre wording {"My Prussian blue electric clock\no longer rings it will not stop"}. <<

Interesting!! I misheard those lyrics the Same Way he did until very recently when the online community enlightened me. Of course those lines are:

The mistaken version is self contradictory, as is "we've run afloat" but this time Keith didn't intend a contradiction. Enunciate, Gary, Enunciate!! <G

"Rambling On" tells the tale of a troubled modern Icarus who likes old Batman movies. <<

The suite, consisting of five movements, mixes Eastern, classical, and rock music with lyrics that hit on Eastern mysticism, the Dalai Lama, Faustian images, and Christianity cut with madness and the human search for life's meaning. Sung by Brooker with Fisher {partly spoken word}, it's one hell of a bite out of God's apple [I hope he approved] . <<

Brad didn't say that Keith was the one who spoke those words. Perhaps he didn't know.

Fisher's "In The Autumn of My Madness" was his first lead vocal [a glimpse of his two vocals and production on the next album], and the closest thing here to a "song", with great tension-building organ riffs. A great follow-up. <<

Again, excellent commentary on one of Fisher's masterpieces, but Fisher had 3 vocals on ASD, right? Hesperus, PP and Boredom.

Sticking the raw blues of "Juicy John Pink" right before the layered, classically-based tune "Hesperus" wrecks the flow.It was still a solid album, just a bit choppy. <<

Well what about the HOME album?? It deserves a few sentences, eh wot? The review seemed to end rather abruptly, and on not too positive a note. One would have expected a summary or something. Maybe Brad's Editor was the culprit here.

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To: "Bill Hammell" <bill@progrock.org
From: bill@progrock.org (Bill Hammell)
To: <procol@progrock.org
Subject: Re: Goldmine Review
Date: Sat, 27 Dec 1997 12:57:35 -0500 Message-ID: <01bd12f0$e9680000$df5fc8d0@nugg.superlink.net MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.71.1712.3 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.71.1712.3

Yeah, no _Home_ review, plus nary a mention about the stereo mix of WSoP. That *alone* was worth the $30 for me. Thanks for sending the review.

_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ _/ Bill Hammell - bill@progrock.org /_/ _/ Mgr: Livgren/Elefante, Wakeman, Yes, Procol Harum Email Lists /_/ _/ Kerry Livgren: http://progrock.org/livgren/ /_/ _/ John Elefante: http://progrock.org/elefante/ /_/ _/ irc.progrock.org - channel #livgren Livgren IRC Chat /_/ _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/

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From: "Neville, Gabe" <Gabe.Neville@mail.house.gov
To: "'PH List'" <procol@progrock.org
Subject: Hi!
Date: Tue, 30 Dec 1997 18:53:45 -0500

Hmmmm.... They say I'm supposed to say something about myself and Procol Harum......

Well.... I'm 30, which means I'm too young to remember when the band was big. I kind of discovered them by accident in college (late 80s) and have always thought they were one of those truly artistic and original bands that seemed so common 30 years ago and so rare now...and they're better than most even for that decade.

Favorite album? Well, I guess Shine on Brightly, but only because it's so quirky and weird. I don't, however, have every album. They're quite hard to find, actually!

Gabe Neville gabe.neville@mail.house.gov ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------