Procol Harum

Beyond
the Pale

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Christmas Conundrums

Solved !


We hope this cheers the poor souls who mailed us to say the whole business had knobbled them lame, or that they could not unwind the maze! In gray, below, possible answers to each question; in bold, the proper answers that aren't used up by other questions.

E & O E: thanks to the people who made some useful suggestions! This all made sense on Christmas Eve ... and it's too late to worry now if it doesn't!


Day One

1

In this song, Maestro Brooker sings the word 'Christmas'.

Still There'll Be More
Wizard Man

2

This song's title contains the word 'more'.

Still There'll Be More
All This and More
One More Time

3

She can be bared, she can be continental, she can be six-triggered. What other song does she occur in?

Barnyard Story

4

This song contains the words 'one more time'.

One More Time
(You Can't) Turn Back the Page

5

A song containing the words 'I wandered through my playing-cards'

King of Hearts
A Whiter Shade of Pale

6

A song with 'chicken' in it.

Mabel
Luskus Delph
Barnyard Story

7

Is yours turning grey, or has it got stardust in it? What other song refers to this stuff and the way it changes?

One More Time

8

A song in which the word 'wax' is sung.

All This and More
Luskus Delph

9

This song uses the word 'banana'.

Mabel

Day Two

10

A track with no singing or speaking on it.

Repent Walpurgis
Backgammon

11

A song with the word 'Box' in the title

Pandora's Box
Robert's Box

12

A title with (perhaps?) a hint of pork about it?

Piggy Pig Pig
Backgammon
Bringing Home the Bacon

13

'The bell on my door rang this morning ...' What other Procol song features an identical interruption?

Salad Days (Are Here Again)

14

What song features someone who (for once) is in the same state as a muse and a jumberlack?

Magdalene (My Regal Zonophone)

15

Quadrupeds in song titles: there's a salty one, a Christmas one ... but which title has most quadrupeds in it?

Piggy Pig Pig

16

Song title with a girl's name in it.

Repent Walpurgis
Pandora's Box
Mabel
Magdalene (My Regal Zonophone)

17

A song in which the word 'cream' is sung.

Bringing Home the Bacon
Salad Days (Are Here Again)

Day Three

18

Lots of Procol Harum songs contain the word 'nothing': this one also has it in the title.

Nothing that I didn't Know
Nothing But the Truth

19

This one, on the other hand, has 'Something' in the title.

Something Magic
Something Following Me

20

Fresh Fruit, Broken Barricades, Pilgrim's Progress, Simple Sister, Typewriter Torment ... all these titles have something in common: is there a three-word title with the same feature?

Piggy Pig Pig
Taking the Time

21

A song with 'hearts' in the words, but not in the title.

Nothing But the Truth

22

A song with 'Truth' in the title.

Nothing But the Truth
The Truth Won't Fade Away

23

Lots of Procol Harum songs feature the word 'bright' and lots feature the word 'burnt'. This one features both.

About to Die
Something Magic

24

A song in which we hear the word 'strangers'.

Strangers in Space
Crucifiction Lane

25

There's a woman on the table, a grappling-hook coming in at the door, and the ceiling has collapsed; but who is in the same room, sitting by the door?

Poor Mohammed

Day Four

26

This song contains the word 'madness'.

In the Autumn of my Madness
The Mark of the Claw
(You Can't) Turn back the Page

27

This song contains the word 'humble'.

Wreck of the Hesperus
Good Captain Clack
The Devil Came from Kansas

28

A song containing the word 'hell' and the word 'heaven'.

Skip Softly (My Moonbeams)
Juicy John Pink

29

A song that mentions shoes.

Homburg
Good Captain Clack

30

A song in which we hear the word 'smiling'.

Skip Softly (My Moonbeams)
Salad Days (Are Here Again)

31

A song containing the phrase 'fall from grace'.

For Liquorice John
Wreck of the Hesperus

32

It has collapsed, it flew away, and a rat flew down from it: which other song refers to it?

Homburg

33

A Gospel question: the title of this song contains the name of one of the authors who told the Christmas story in the New Testament.

Mark of the Claw
Juicy John Pink
For Liquorice John

Day Five

34

A song that refers to a real-world city
(even though 'Kansas' itself is not actually the name of a city: thanks, Richard)

The Devil Came from Kansas
Souvenir of London

35

A song that uses the word 'remember'

A Dream in Ev'ry Home
Strangers in Space
One More Time

36

A song that uses the word 'cook'.

A Salty Dog
The Devil came from Kansas
Without a Doubt

37

This song refers to television, by a well-known abbreviation.

TV Ceasar
A Dream in Ev'ry Home

38

In this song we hear the title of a PH album which is not the title of a song: the answer is not Home!

Man with a Mission

39

A song in which Gary sings the word 'pale'

A Whiter Shade of Pale
Nothing That I Didn't Know

40

A song in which we hear the word 'salty'.

A Salty Dog
Crucifiction Lane

41

Song containing a mouse.

TV Ceasar
Man With a Mission

42

This song contains 'rose' but not 'savage'

Without a Doubt

Day Six

43

Song containing the phrase 'right or wrong'.

The Final Thrust
The Hand That Rocks The Cradle
The Truth Won't Fade Away

44

A song in which the word 'earth' is sung.

The Pursuit of Happiness
Fresh Fruit

45

Where do 'rusty' and 'sword' occur in the same song?

Conquistador
In the Wee Small Hours of Sixpence

46

Song containing the phrase 'all in all'.

Barnyard Story
Boredom

47

Song containing the word 'remedy'.

Robert's Box
Fresh Fruit

48

Song containing the word 'prayers'.

Poor Mohammed
Broken Barricades
The Pursuit of Happiness

49

Song with a one-word title.

Mabel
Conquistador
Homburg
Boredom
Backgammon
Kaleidoscope

50

Procol Harum record in which we hear the word 'looking-glass'.

The Hand that Rocks the Cradle

Day Seven

51

A song in which we hear the phrase 'in the dark'.

Kaleidoscope
Glimpses of Nirvana
Something Magic
The Hand That Rocks The Cradle

52

A song containing 'bright', 'shiny' and 'gold'.

New Lamps for Old
Fool's Gold

53

A song with a chandelier in it.

Grand Hotel
Shine on Brightly
In the Wee Small Hours of Sixpence

54

A song with the word 'brightly' in it.

Shine on Brightly
Fires (Which Burnt Brightly)
Fool's Gold

55

A track that's entirely spoken.

The Worm and the Tree
Glimpses of Nirvana

56

A song that contains the words 'silken sheets'.

Grand Hotel
Perpetual Motion

57

A Procol work that refers to 'birds'.

In the Autumn of My Madness
The Worm and the Tree

58

A song that alludes to 'duty'.

New Lamps for Old
The Devil Came from Kansas

59

A song with a rotating wheel in it.

Shine on Brightly
A Whiter Shade of Pale
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle

Day Eight

60

A song in which the word 'sixteen' is sung.

A Whiter Shade of Pale
Whaling Stories

61

A song containing the word 'city'

The Dead Man's Dream
About to Die

62

A song that uses the word 'neither'.

Rambling On
The Idol

63

A song with the word 'screen' in it.

Whaling Stories
The Thin End of the Wedge

64

A song that uses the word 'movie'.

Rambling On
The Thin End of the Wedge
Whaling Stories
Something Following Me

65

A song with the word 'dream' in the title.

A Dream in Ev'ry Home
The Dead Man's Dream

66

A song with part of its title in parentheses (brackets).

(You Can't) Turn Back the Page
Fires (Which Burnt Brightly)
Cerdes (Outside the Gates of)
Magdalene (My Regal Zonophone)
Skip Softly (My Moonbeams)
Salad Days (Are Here Again)

67

A song using the word 'seldom'.

Nothing But The Truth
Quite Rightly So

Day Nine

68

 A song with a fruit in the title.

Lime Street Blues

69

A song that uses the word 'dollar'.

Memorial Drive
All Our Dreams Are Sold

70

 A song that appears to have the name of a road in its title ... there are three possibilities.

Lime Street Blues
Crucifiction Lane

Memorial Drive

71

A song that uses the word 'hole'.

Memorial Drive
The Unquiet Zone

72

One of many Procol Harum songs that refer to doctors ...

Souvenir of London
For Liquorice John
Robert's Box
Fresh Fruit
Pandora's Box
Typewriter Torment

Song For a Dreamer

73

A song in which Keith Reid uses the word 'rhyme'.

All This and More
Typewriter Torment
Salad Days (Are Here Again)
Your Own Choice

74

 A song with the words 'your own' in it.

Piggy Pig Pig
Your Own Choice

75

 A song in which we hear the word 'torment'.

She Wandered through the Garden Fence
Typewriter Torment
New Lamps for Old

Day Ten

76

A song with the word 'goose' in it.

Taking the Time
Into the Flood

77

 A song containing the word 'joke'.

'Twas Teatime at the Circus
Butterfly Boys
New Lamps for Old

78

 A song whose title includes an insect name.

Learn to Fly
Butterfly Boys

79

 A song that includes 'horses'.

'Twas Teatime at the Circus
Into the Flood

80

 A Procol Harum recording that includes the word 'crime'.

Look to Your Soul
The Piper's Tune
Strangers in Space

81

 A song including the word 'mother'.

Drunk Again
The Piper's Tune
Crucifiction Lane

82

 A title with 'Your' in it.

Your Own Choice
Look to Your Soul

83

 A song with the word 'teaching' in it.

Look to Your Soul
As Strong as Samson
Taking the Time

Day Eleven

84

A song title of which one word is the name of a well-known fluid.

The Milk of Human Kindness
Whisky Train
A Rum Tale

85

 A song containing the word 'simple'

Look to Your Soul
Simple Sister
Pilgrims Progress
Perpetual Motion

86

There are lots of dogs in Procol songs: this is one with a cat in it.

Toujours l'Amour
Long Gone Geek
Man with a Mission

87

 A song including the word 'afloat'

A Salty Dog
A Christmas Camel

88

Arguably the two finest Procol songs both have 'seasick' in them; the answer to this question, however, is a song with ordinary 'sick' in it. 

Whisky Train
Crucifiction Lane
Robert's Box

Drunk Again
A Christmas Camel
Quite Rightly So
Glimpses of Nirvana

89

A song that doesn't have the word 'French' in it but comes on a record after two songs in a row that do! (thanks, Bert!)

A Rum Tale

90

A song with the word 'glee' in it.

Shine On Brightly
Long Gone Geek
Fresh Fruit

91

One is visionary, another has been killed by her diet ... name the third one.

Simple Sister

Day Twelve

92

 A song with the word 'fate' in it.

The Worm and The Tree
Holding On
Playmate of the Mouth

93

 A song including the word 'suffering'.

She Wandered Through The Garden Fence
Nothing That I Didn't Know

Wish Me Well

94

 A song with the word 'funeral' in it.

Wreck of the Hesperus
Playmate of the Mouth

Monsieur R Monde

95

 A song with the word 'speech' in it.

Too Much Between Us
Power Failure

96

A song that includes 'swimming' 

Butterfly Boys
Skating on Thin Ice

97

 A song in which we hear the word 'screwed'.

The Pursuit of Happiness
Power Failure

98

 A song including the word 'passion'.

Playmate of the Mouth
Perpetual Motion

99

 A song about 'the edge'.

The Thin End of the Wedge
Beyond the Pale
Fool's Gold

100

So the missing track was ... appropriately enough ...

Grand Finale

Big thanks to Jane Clare and Peter Clare for help with this year's conundra


Christmas Puzzles main page

Names of Triumphant Victors


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