Procol Harum's NME coverage ...

15, 22 + 29 August; 5 + 26 September 1970

These excerpts from New Musical Express, kindly selected for 'Beyond the Pale' by Yan Friis, show Procol Harum continuing to haunt the US album chart, against stiff competition, and being well-received at the UK's Isle of Wight pop festival.

NME August 15, 1970

Front page: Full page ad for The Moody Blues' A Question Of Balance (Threshold)

Headlines
Jimmy Ruffin wants to record British singer here
by Roy Carr

JOHNNY JOHNSON REHEARSES IN ROOM OF MIRRORS
by Gillian Saich

SMOKEY AND MIRACLES USED TO RECORD TWO SONGS IN THREE HOURS
by Alan Smith

Ann Moses in Hollywood
(excerpt)

Procul Harum [sic] and Blodwyn Pig were the guests of honour at a super beach-party-outdoor-dinner-reception at the seashore home of their publicist last week. I spoke with Gary Brooker, who seemed to be delighted with the sunny afternoon and the turnout for their shindig. He told me:

'The concerts this trip have been spectacular! At a big one in Maryland, the place was sold out and there was an equal number of people outside who tried to bash down fences to see us! It was amazing!'

(There's also some quotes from Jack Lancaster of Blodwyn Pig):

'The response has been greater to our playing this time round. And many places, the audiences come to see the main act on the bill, like Jethro Tull or Procul Harum [sic], but they've been great this time since we've been playing more things from our second album on stage.'

Both groups planned to return to London following an appearance at the Fillmore East last week.

Tipped for charts by Derek Johnson
White Plains, Lovin' You Baby
Tony Joe White, Save Your Sugar For Me

NME Top 5
1. ( 1) The Wonder Of You, Elvis Presley
2. ( 4) Neanderthal Man, Hotlegs
3. ( 2) Lola, Kinks
4. ( 5) Something, Shirley Bassey
5. ( 9) Lady D'Arbanville, Cat Stevens

Top 5 LPs
1. ( 2) Bridge Over Troubled Water, Simon & Garfunkel
2. ( 1) Let It Be, Beatles
3. ( 3) Fire And Water, Free
4. ( 4) On Stage, Elvis Presley
5. (17) A Question Of Balance, Moody Blues

US Top 5 Albums (Cash Box), August 11
1. ( 2) Woodstock, Various Artists
2. ( 1) Blood Sweat & Tears 3, Blood Sweat & Tears
3. ( 7) Cosmo's Factory, Creedence Clearwater Revival
4. ( 5) Live At Leeds, Who
5. ( 4) Let It Be, Beatles
29. ( 30) Home, Procol Harum

News pages

Popliners

(excerpt)

...Following Isle of Wight Festival - its last British appearance for at least two months - Ten Years After flies to Germany on September 4 for short tour there with Procol Harum ...

NME August 22, 1970

Front page:
Big pic of Elvis Presley, smaller 'live' pics of Tom Jones and Free.

Headlines:
CAN THESE GROUPS REVIVE ZANY SPIRIT OF MONKEES?
Fresh-faces may oust the hairies!

BUGALOOS
The Double-Deckers
TOOMORROW [sic]
by Alan Smith

ELVIS
ANN MOSES GOES TO THE LATEST PRESLEY FIRST NIGHT, THIS TIME FILMED FOR THE WORLD TO SEE, AND REPORTS....

One More Time - with Feeling!
CHRISTINE IS PERFECT REPLACEMENT FOR PETER, DECIDE MAC
by Nick Logan

JACKSON HEIGHTS WILL NOT BE A WEAK NICE
by Richard Green

Tipped for charts by Derek Johnson
Cliff Richard, I Ain't Got Time Any More

NME Top 5
1. ( 1) The Wonder Of You, Elvis Presley
2. ( 2) Neanderthal Man, Hotlegs
3. ( 3) Lola, Kinks
4. ( 4) Something, Shirley Bassey
5. (13) Tears Of A Clown, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles

Top 5 LPs
1. ( 1) Bridge Over Troubled Water, Simon & Garfunkel
2. ( 5) A Question Of Balance, Moody Blues
3. ( 4) On Stage, Elvis Presley
4. ( 2) Let It Be, Beatles
5. ( 3) Fire And Water, Free

US Top 5 Albums (Cash Box), August 18
1. ( 2) Blood Sweat & Tears 3, Blood Sweat & Tears
2. ( 3) Cosmo's Factory, Creedence Clearwater Revival
3. ( 1) Woodstock, Various Artists
4. ( 4) Live At Leeds, Who
5. ( 7) Closer To Home, Grand Funk
29. (29) Home, Procol Harum

EAST COAST COLUMN
by Ritchie Yorke

(excerpt)
... An even more exciting direction would be into the classics. It is already happening, but as yet, it isn't receiving the rave notices accorded to the horn bands. For me, the Procol Harum album, Home, contains much more imagination than any of the current horn albums. So too do the Moody Blues, and Spain's Miguel Rios, with his precedent-setting Song Of Joy.

The moral is that you can't build a rock group around horns - the horns must be built around the rock. Only then can the feeling still be there.

NME August 29, 1970

Front page: Full page ad for Bobby Bloom's Montego Bay (Polydor) 45.

Headlines:
SOMETHING NEW: A ROCK FESTIVAL EXPECTING 5,000 DRAWS 30,000!
BRITISH GROUPS STARS OF FIRST FINNISH 'WOODSTOCK'
by Andy Gray

LOLA HAS GIVEN KINKS NEW HOPE
But they're puzzled about earlier misses
by Richard Green

Screamers will be Fair Weathers secret fear when they face audiences
by Roy Carr

Emerson Lake and Palmer début
by B.P.F.

Jagger talks to NME
WE'VE LEARNED FROM BEATLES MISTAKES
As long as the band swings we won't split
by Nick Logan

Tipped for charts by John Wells
Blood Sweat & Tears, Hi-De-Ho
Jonathan King, Cherry Cheery
Engelbert Humperdinck, Sweetheart
Joan Baez, Joe Hill
Manfred Mann Chapter III, Happy Being Me
Jose Feliciano, Destiny

NME Top 5
1. ( 5) Tears Of A Clown, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
2. ( 1) The Wonder Of You, Elvis Presley
3. ( 2) Neanderthal Man, Hotlegs
4. ( 6) Rainbow, Marmalade
5. ( 4) Something, Shirley Bassey

Top 5 LPs
1. ( 1) Bridge Over Troubled Water, Simon & Garfunkel
2. ( 2) A Question Of Balance, Moody Blues
3. ( 4) Let It Be, Beatles
4. ( 3) On Stage, Elvis Presley
5. ( 5) Fire And Water, Free

ISLE OF WIGHT STARS

WHO'S WHO
(excerpt)

FRIDAY
PROCOL HARUM

Procol Harum burst onto the scene in May 1967, with a beautifully constructed song titled A Whiter Shade Of Pale which established the group as a force to be reckoned with. Now, as then, the group's writing is done by pianist / vocalist Gary Brooker and lyricist Keith Reid.

Though without a hit of late, Harum is very highly regarded by public and musicians alike and is very big in America where the latest album, Home, received rave reviews. It has even been said that the group influenced the Band.

The remaining members of Procol Harum are BJ Wilson (drums), Chris Copping (bass and organ) and Robin Trower (lead guitar).

NME September 5, 1970

Front page:

Full page coverage of the Isle of Wight festival, pics of the site, Keith Moon & Viv Stanshall, Joan Baez, Jimi Hendrix, John Sebastian & Zal Yanovsky, Rory Gallagher of Taste, Joni Mitchell.

YES, THERE WAS MUSIC TOO!
At last, a report of the performances!
by Andy Gray, Richard Green & Roy Carr

(excerpt)
While the National press vied with each other to give readers more and more sensational stories about the Isle of Wight '70 Festival, concerning drugs, battles on Devastation Hill, nude bathing, babies on the site, losses by the promoters, vast sums paid to artists, lack of security, too much security, French-Algerian rebels joining with Hell's Angels, and a lot more jazz generally running down the Festival that had helped them with Press facilities, NME writers were listening to the music to bring you this report...

FRIDAY
TASTE, HARUM, FAMILY HITS AT WIGHT
... The hour was late, the air very chilled and the front-stage area, over-crowded with gatecrashing Frenchmen, when a rather strident Procol Harum proved that their overlong absence from the local scene hasn't in any way dimmed their appeal.

They were magnificent, no matter what they played ... be it such down-homey originals as Wishing Well [sic], the extreme soberness [sic] of Salty Dog or their surprising finale of good old rock and roll.

Down The Line, High School Confidential and Lucille had Gary Brooker pounding out the familiar piano lines and screamin' out those immortal lyrics...

Headlines:

NMExclusive from Malmo, Sweden
NOW IT'S STONES PLUS THREE
Mick Jagger uses secret concert to try-out new group line-up
by Lars

THERE'S ONLY ONE THING WRONG WITH MARMALADE...
...and that's the name!
by Alan Smith

Singer TERRY KATH solves riddle of 25 or 6 to 4 title
LACK OF INSPIRATION INSPIRED CHICAGO HIT
by Roy Carr

Tipped for charts by Derek Johnson
Blue Mink, Our World
Creedence Clearwater Revival, Long As I Can See The Light
Donovan & the Open Road, Ricki Ticki Tavi
Diana Ross, Ain't No Mountain High Enough

NME Top 5
1. ( 1) Tears Of A Clown, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
2. ( 2) The Wonder Of You, Elvis Presley
3. ( 8) Mama Told Me (Not To Come), Three Dog Night
4. (17) Give Me Just A Little More Time, Chairmen Of The Board
5. ( 4) Rainbow, Marmalade

Top 5 LPs
1. ( 2) A Question Of Balance, Moody Blues
2. ( 1) Bridge Over Troubled Water, Simon & Garfunkel
3. ( 3) Let It Be, Beatles
4. ( 4) On Stage, Elvis Presley
5. ( 5) Fire And Water, Free

NME September 26, 1970

Front page: Full page ad for Melanie 45 What Have They Done To My Song, Ma? / Ruby Tuesday (Buddah)

Headlines:
GOODBYE, JIMI
ABOUT THE HENDRIX WE HAVE LOST
by Richard Green

DESMOND DEKKER IS TO REVEAL HIS TWO SIDES ON DOUBLE LP
by Roy Carr

INVICTUS LABEL (No. 1 and 2 in NME Charts) BECOME A RIVAL OF MOTOWN
by Andy Gray

Engelbert storms at people who madden him!
by Alan Smith

TREMS HAPPY ABOUT HITS MISSED!
by Alan Smith

TASTE'S RORY HAS AN ENORMOUS FOLLOWING
but insists it's a three-man effort
by Richard Green

Tipped for charts by Derek Johnson
Roger Whittaker, New World In The Morning
Julie Felix, Heaven Is Here

NME Top 5
1. ( 4) Band Of Gold, Freda Payne
2. ( 2) Give Me Just A Little More Time, Chairmen Of The Board
3. ( 1) Tears Of A Clown, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
4. (11) You Can Get It If You Really Want, Desmond Dekker
5. ( 3) Mama Told Me (Not To Come), Three Dog Night

Top 5 LPs
1. ( 2) Bridge Over Troubled Water, Simon & Garfunkel
2. ( 3) Cosmo's Factory, Creedence Clearwater Revival
3. ( 5) Get Yer Ya Yas Out, Rolling Stones
4. ( 1) A Question Of Balance, Moody Blues
5. ( 4) On Stage, Elvis Presley

News pages:
... Freedom, the trio formed by ex-Procol Harum drummer Bobby Harrison, flies to America on November 26 for 16 days of concerts, TV and promotional appearances to tie in with the release of its first album ...