No More Fear of Flying

The Good Times, 3–16 July 1979

Brooker defends Fear of Flying [sic]: Chrysalis Records is being charged with ‘tasteless’ and ‘opportunistic’ behavior for releasing the new Gary Brooker album, No More Fear of Flying, so soon after the American airlinesDC-10 crashed in Chicago, killing 273 people.

The main point of contention is the title and the album cover art, which shows a crowded plane tilted on its side with all the passengers – except Brooker – panicking.

Of course, the album package had been prepared months in advance and Brooker wrote the title track long ago with former Procol Harum partner Keith Reid.

‘This song was written about the break-up of Procol Harum,’ Brooker explains. ‘The way I see it, it's about the fact that I can embark on playing on my own in freedom.’

The last Procol Harum gig was in May 1977.

‘There was no big bust-up,’ says Brooker, ‘but the group was in a stalemate and it was time to leave it alone.’

Brooker albums