Procol Harum

Beyond
the Pale

Procol Harum's first year in the NME

PH: personal interest: 17 June 1967

These excerpts from New Musical Express, kindly selected for 'Beyond the Pale' by Yan Friis, show the media's growing attempt to make 'personalities' out of the Procol musicians, which some of their 'life-line' replies are evidently sending up. Some of the musical replies, however, are revealingly serious and would later prove sadly ironic: choose your own examples! Gary was to marry 'Franky Brown' the following year, of course.

Front page: big picture of The Monkees; four captions with pictures of Procol Harum, Cilla Black, Young Rascals, The Hollies.

Top 3 in the NME charts:

1 (1) A Whiter Shade Of Pale, Procol Harum
2 (3) There Goes My Everything, Engelbert Humperdinck
3 (2) Silence Is Golden, The Tremeloes

Tipped for the charts by Derek Johnson:

Monkees, Alternate Title
Pink Floyd, See Emily Play
Judith Durham, The Olive Tree

Loussier drops in on Procol Harum (by Jeremy Pascall)

Jazz pianist Jacques Loussier, whom many claim set the scene for Procol Harum's success, dropped into London's Marquee Club last Monday and caught chart-toppers Procol Harum halfway through their act.

Commented Loussier: 'I like their record and music but their live performance lacks excitement.'

After the performance, which was played to a packed house, the group were dejected by the audience reaction which was appreciative and polite but lacked the explosive element they were expecting.

One reason offered by club manager John Gee was that Monday night's audience was not the usual club scene 'ravers' but out-of-towners paying to see exactly what sort of stuff the current chart-toppers are made of.

When told of Loussier's remarks the boys replied: 'We can only do our best.'

Current hit: A Whiter Shade Of Pale; first important public appearance: Speakeasy, May 1967; Present disc label: Deram; Recording manager: Denny Cordell; Personal manager: Jonathan P Weston; creative director: Keith Reid; London theatre dates: Saville

Real Name	Mathew Charles Fisher	Gary Brooker	Ray Royer	Dave Knights	Bobby Harrison
Birthdate	March 7, 1946	May 29, 1945	October 8, 1945	June 28, 1945	June 28, 1943
Birthplace	Croydon	Hackney	The Pinewoods	Islington	East Ham
Personal Points	5ft. 8in; heavy; hazel eyes; brown hair	5ft. 11in; 11 st. 7lbs; patchwork eyes; black hair	5ft. 6in; 8st. 9lbs; green eyes - subject to change in atmosphere: mousey hair	6ft.: 10st. 6ozs.: blue eyes; brown hair	5ft. 10in; 11st. 7lb; brown eyes, patchwork hair
Brothers'/ Sisters' names	Judith	Angela, Gale, Rudolph	Lorraine, Yvonne, Mary	Ken, Fred	Yvonne, Susan, Joan, Richard
Present home	Croydon	Eastwood	Leyton	London, N.W.5	Brentwood, Essex
Instruments played	Bass, guitar, organ, piano	Piano, organ, trombone, cornet, accordion	Lead guitar, violin	Guitar, bass	Drums, vibes
Where educated	Selhurst Grammar School for Boys	School	Pettits School, Romford	Islington	School (I think)
Musical education	Guildhall School of Music	Ronald Meachen	Some	Individually instructed	Max Abrams drum tutor for 2 years
First public appearance	Can't remember	The Bounty, 1950		Wigan Pier Fantasia	Maple Public Hall
First professional appearance	Can't remember	Star And Garter, Windsor	A Romford ballroom, aged 15	Wigan Pier Fantasia
Biggest break in career	Joining Procol Harum	Not signing with Andrew Oldham	Seeing Muddy Waters and Big Joe Williams at blues festival	Meeting Keith Reid	Joining Procol Harum
Biggest disappointment in career	Being asked to leave Procol Harum	Not signing with Andrew Oldham	Breaking both ankles last year preventing me going to Spain	Finding out about Keith Reid
TV début	Top Of The Pops	Scene At 6.30	Top Of The Pops	Top Of The Pops	Top Of The Pops
Important engagements abroad	Germany and Sweden	Olympia in Paris		Zurich	Kenya
Biggest influence on career	Dylan, Beatles, Jimmy Smith	Music	Little Richard first then Muddy Waters		Buddy Rich
Former occupations	Student	None	Bricklayer	None	Masked crime fighter
Hobbies	Sleeping	Collecting book matches	Making and flying model planes		Dabbling
Favourite colour	Black	Gold	Blue	Dark black	Purple
Favourite food	Anything	Saucisses au chou	French	Steak	Rissoles
Favourite drink	Coffee	Pastis, Epesse wine	Tea	Syrup of figs!	Vodka
Favourite clothes	Moody but magnificent	Other people's	The latest	Restrained	Snappily sloppy
Favourite singer	John Lennon	Charles Mingus		Gary
Favourite actor/actress	Brigitte Bardot	Anthony Perkins, Jeanne Moreau		Marlene Dietrich, Brigitte Bardot	Jack Palance, Greta Garbo
Favourite bands / instrument-alists	Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Smith	Roland Kirk, Buddy Guy, Lonnie Mack	Albert Ayler	Who, Beatles, Hendrix	Duke Ellington, Buddy Rich
Favourite composers	Tchaikovski, Beethoven, Bach	Gary Brooker	Brooker / Reid	Lennon and McCartney	Duke Ellington
Favourite groups	Beatles, Stones, Small Faces	Young Rascals	Albert Ayler	Who, Beatles, Hendrix	Procol Harum
Car	Rusty Austin	None			MGB
Miscellaneous likes	Good music	Waking up in the morning	Looking at the sky	Smiling	Women
Miscellaneous dislikes	Bad music	Playing, shaving	People spitting at me	Frowning	Men
Best friend	My trusty sword	Franky Brown		None that I know of
Tastes in music	Baroque, rock'n'roll	Baroque, New Orleans, Dylan	Everything	Wide	Opera
Personal ambition	Recognition from people I admire	To catch a 25lb. Roach	Eternal happiness	To meet Edward Heath - briefly	To achieve recognition
Professional ambition	Recognition from people I admire	To master 25 instruments			To remain anonymous
(see also here)	Mathew Charles Fisher	Gary Brooker	Ray Royer	Dave Knights	Bobby Harrison

(see something similar from 1968)

Tailpieces by the Alley Cat

... Procol Harum's hit played non-stop by Spike Milligan in his dressing-room ...