Procol Harum's NME coverage ...

5 August – 2 September 1972

These excerpts from New Musical Express, kindly selected for 'Beyond the Pale' by Yan Friis, show Conquistador gathering chart-momentum in the UK too, but not a flicker of live activity from the band.

NME, August 5, 1972

U.S. Albums

1. ( 3) Honky Chateau, Elton John
2. ( 4) Greatest Hits, Simon & Garfunkel
3. ( 1) Exile On Main Street, The Rolling Stones
4. ( 7) A Song For You, Carpenters
5. ( 5) Still Bill, Bill Withers
14. ( 8) Procol Harum Live, Procol Harum

NME, August 12, 1972

Front page headlines:

STEPHEN STILLS TOUR

Manassas British autumn debut (big pic of Stills and story)

MOTT, CURVED AIR tour dates exclusive (pic of Ian Hunter)

Full WEMBLEY rockfest coverage/Little Richard, Chuck Berry interviews

ZEPPELIN

STEWART

SLADE interview, new single

HAWKWIND

FOXY ROXY

NME Top 5:
1. ( 2) School’s Out, Alice Cooper
2. ( 1) Puppy Love, Donny Osmond
3. ( 3) Seaside Shuffle, Terry Dactyl & The Dinoaurs
4. (12) Popcorn, Hot Butter
5. ( 5) Breaking Up Is Hard To Do, Partridge Family

British Albums:
1. ( 1) Greatest Hits, Simon & Garfunkel
2. ( 4) Never A Dull Moment, Rod Stewart
3. ( 2) The Slider, T.Rex
4. ( 3) School’s Out, Alice Cooper
5. ( 5) 20 Dynamic Hits, Various Artists

U.S. Albums:
1. ( 1) Honky Chateau, Elton John
2. ( 2) Greatest Hits, Simon & Garfunkel
3. ( 8) School’s Out, Alice Cooper
4. (17) Chicago V, Chicago
5. ( 5) Still Bill, Bill Withers
15. (14) Procol Harum Live, Procol Harum

Main album reviews:
Sail Away, Randy Newman
Stratavarious, Ginger Baker

And this piece on Music For Pleasure’s "Summer Pop Festival"-series, signed Tony Stewart:

(excerpt)

The MOVE’S Firebrigade (MFP 5276) and PROCOL HARUM’S A Salty Dog (MFP 5277) are exactly the same as their respective sets on Flyback. So if you’ve got them, don’t get these.

The Move present some of their best tracks, including Flowers In The Rain, Blackberry Way and Brontosaurus.

PROCOL HARUM’S A Salty Dog is not THE album of this title, but a ’best of’ compilation….

Main single reviews by Danny Holloway:
You Wear It Well, Rod Stewart
Me And Bobby McGee, Janis Joplin
Inner City Blues, Grover Washington Jr.
Here I Go Again, Archie Bell & The Drells
Come On Over To My Place, The Drifters
Gotta Keep A-Rocking, Lord Sutch And Heavy Friends

NME, August 19, 1972:

NME Top 5:
1. ( 1) School’s Out, Alice Cooper
2. ( 3) Seaside Shuffle, Terry Dactyl & The Dinosaurs
3. ( 4) Popcorn, Hot Butter
4. ( 6) Silver Machine, Hawkwind
5. ( 2) Puppy Love, Donny Osmond
26. ( -) Conquistador, Procol Harum

British Albums:
1. ( 2) Never A Dull Moment, Rod Stewart
2. ( 1) Greatest Hits, Simon & Garfunkel
3. ( 3) The Slider, T.Rex
4. ( 4) School’s Out, Alice Cooper
5. ( 9) Moods, Neil Diamond

U.S. Albums:
1. ( 2) Greatest Hits, Simon & Garfunkel
2. ( 3) School’s Out, Alice Cooper
3. ( 4) Chicago V, Chicago
4. ( 1) Honky Chateau, Elton John
5. ( 7) A Song For You, Carpenters
16. (15) Procol Harum Live, Procol Harum

NME, August 26, 1972:

NME Top 5:
1. ( 1) School’s Out, Alice Cooper
2. ( 2) Seaside Shuffle, Terry Dactyl & The Dinosaurs
3. (13) You Wear It Well, Rod Stewart
4. ( 4) Silver Machine, Hawkwind
5. ( 3) Popcorn, Hot Butter
28. (26) Conquistador, Procol Harum

British Albums:
1. ( 1) Never A Dull Moment, Rod Stewart
2. ( 2) Greatest Hits, Simon & Garfunkel
3. ( 4) School’s Out, Alice Cooper
4. ( 3) The Slider, T.Rex
5. ( 5) Moods, Neil Diamond

U.S. Albums
1. ( 3) Chicago V, Chicago
2. ( 4) Honky Chateau, Elton John
3. ( 1) Greatest Hits, Simon & Garfunkel
4. ( 2) School’s Out, Alice Cooper
5. ( 6) Big Bambu, Cheech & Chong
22. (16) Procol Harum Live, Procol Harum

NME, September 2, 1972

NME Top 5:
1. ( 3) You Wear It Well, Rod Stewart
2. ( 1) School’s Out, Alice Cooper
3. ( 7) All The Young Dudes, Mott The Hoople
4. ( 5) Popcorn, Hot Butter
5. ( 8) Layla, Derek & The Dominos
26. (28) Conquistador, Procol Harum

British Albums:
1. ( 1) Never A Dull Moment, Rod Stewart
2. ( 2) Greatest Hits, Simon & Garfunkel
3. ( 3) School’s Out, Alice Cooper
4. ( 6) 20 Fantastic Hits, Various Artists
5. ( 5) Moods, Neil Diamond

U.S. Albums
1. ( 1) Chicago V, Chicago
2. ( 2) Honky Chateau, Elton John
3. ( 3) Greatest Hits, Simon & Garfunkel
4. ( 5) Big Bambu, Cheech & Chong
5. ( 6) A Song For You, Carpenters
23. (22) Procol Harum Live, Procol Harum

Due to strike action, no NME issued September 9, 1972