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Call me if there's any change ...

29 November:

Procol management has informed us that the forthcoming Italian gigs will not take place as planned; sadly, this wipes the touring schedule clear for the rest of the coming year (thanks and commiserations, Barry)

26 November:

RIP Stephen Sondheim

Procol management has informed us that the Danish and Norwegian gigs scheduled for 2022 will sadly not take place (thanks, Barry)

Updated this key page – containing news of Gary Brooker's continuing health issues – with new picture of GB with a fellow carnivore (thanks, Franky)

10 November:

Procol Harum's manager has informed us that the UK / German / Swiss / Austrian gigs scheduled for 2022 will sadly not take place as planned (thanks, Barry)

Updated this key page – containing news of Gary Brooker's continuing health issues – with a managerial bulletin and a curious new picture of GB with a low-flying bird (thanks, Franky)

21 October:

Added this link to a superstar cover – likely to provoke extreme reactions! – of a well-known Procol Harum song (thanks, Charlie)

And click here for Gary Brooker's very entertaining contribution to the Pattie Boyd podcast series (thanks, Heidi)

8 October:

It's the birthday of 'Beyond the Pale' ... and on this date, for the two-dozenth year running, we offer a tribute to Procol Harum's marvellous, one-of-a-kind drummer, BJ Wilson 

Many thanks again to our dear, esteemed friend Richard Williams, from The Palers' Band, who sends this dynamic and skilful Unquiet Zone offering, recently filmed in Montana, USA.

How do you like that!?

4 October:

Procol Harum's manager has informed us that the planned gigs in The Netherlands in January next year have been cancelled (thanks Barry)

20 September:

RIP Mick Brigden (fans will no doubt be aware of his various Procol connections)

Updated this page – containing news of Gary Brooker's continuing return to health – with two new pictures, in which GB is at home, signing Procol rarities ... which could soon be yours! (thanks, Franky and Gary)

24 August:

RIP Don Everly; RIP Charlie Watts

Updated two pages here and here (thanks, Barry)

Looking at the words of Long Gone Geek, do you ever get the feeling that something's missing from the narrative? Watch this space ...

9 August :

Are your ears working? Are the Big Speakers on?
Added an illustrated Brooker update from the man himself (thanks, Gary)

More about Horncasters soon, for those not already in the know.

RIP Dusty Hill

Added another Gary Brooker interview from Goldmine (thanks, Barry)

Read another here, from eleven years before.

Not many updates lately ... all a bit busy! BtP spoke to GB on Thursday ... all proceeding well.

4 July : Added a short feature about the funeral of Procol Harum's late manager, Chris Cooke. Send your donations in Chris's memory – to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds – by clicking hhttps://rgreenfs.co.uk/donate-in-memory/ (search for 'Cooke').

 15 June 2021 :

Added three new Procol gigs for May 2022 (thanks, Barry)

Added a link to a new Gary Brooker podcast (thanks, Barry)

2 June : RIP Chris Cooke Added, with great sadness, a brief preliminary tribute to Procol Harum's late manager Chris's funeral will take place on 30 June

30 May 2021:

Updated this page containing news of Gary Brooker's continuing return to health (thanks, Peter)

29 May 2021:

Happy Birthday to Gary Brooker!

Latest hospital bulletin is that GB remains in good spirits, and is doing well. Thanks to the friends who have written in to BtP, whose greetings we shall pass on soon, by telephone.

27 May:

RIP Florian Pilkington-Miksa

Added a brief bulletin containing news of Gary Brooker's continuing return to health (thanks, Franky)

13 May:

'Until this country is ready to enact strict anti-gun legislation, any school, store or club could be a war zone'.

Added a first review of the new Procol EP Missing Persons (Alive Forever) c/w War is not Healthy: buy it by clicking here (thanks, Barry)

7 May :

Out today, Procol Harum's new EP, Missing Persons (Alive Forever) c/w War is not Healthy: buy it by clicking here

'I’ve been a Keith Reid fan since 1966 ... I’ve got the utmost respect for everything he’s always done'
Added a brand new, exclusive interview with Gary Brooker, exploring the background to these two newly-released Brooker/Reid songs, and (to an extent!) the circumstances of their recording (thanks, Gary, and Josh for photos)

3 May :

RIP Les McKeown

We were interested to learn that someone had posted, on the Procol Facebook group that 'Beyond the Pale' started (and formerly administered), a question along the lines of 'Are there still people who visit BtP?'

Yes, there are: music fans who want unrivalled Procol archive material, pictures, setlists, liner-notes, reviews, tour dates, personnel history, features and so on ... all built up by kind, diligent, ongoing crowd-sourcing since 1997.

And also, the latest news about the band, news that cannot be found anywhere else. For example ...

Added a page of pictures taken at last week's intimate Procol Harum rehearsals, and a band announcement (following the last photo) that has an impact on forthcoming concerts (thanks Geoff, thanks Barry)

We've asked SeeTickets to refund all tickets for BtP's planned international convention in London this July (watch your inbox), and we wish Gary Brooker all the best in coming weeks and months.

As the above-mentioned rehearsal pictures show, Procol had the benefit of an additional vocalist when they gathered recently. This doesn't often happen, of course, though it can be very memorable and effective! Fans who remember recent Danish stage performances of Fires (Which Burnt Brightly) – see here, for example – will want to watch this new video (ooh la-la!)  (thanks Matilde)

29 April :

'This album tends to be a little samey ... missing that vital oomph to raise it from the mediocre ... '
Added another review to this revealing page ... can you guess the album before you click on the link? Another review on the page calls it 'definitely a masterpiece ... yet too complex to be completely understood by anyone'. (thanks, Ron)

'Once we got on stage and had a mental block and ended up singing What’d I Say.’
Added an article about Procol's return to the UK in 1969 (thanks, Anvil)

Read another, contrasting article from the same era ... and this intriguing BJ Wilson interview ('Brooker's voice ... at times has the texture of old boots')

Added a Procol ticket (Boston, USA) to this 1974 page. Marvel at this review ('Brooker’s tunes are facile ... I disliked every member of the group in concert ...') and have a look at the setlist and tour dates from that year.

18 April :

RIP Jim Steinman, Lew Lewis, Rusty Youn

Added some additional superstar esteem for A Whiter Shade of Pale (thanks, many correspondents)

Added a link to a feature about rock's debt to Bach ... scroll to about 13.30 to hear the earnest young pundit referring twice to 'Procum Harum' (thanks, Anvil)

Remind yourself of various other incorrect renderings of the band's name here ... and a related page of misunderstandings here

Added an interesting picture to the foot of this page (thanks, RS)

12 April :

Thanks for the richly-entertaining correspondence following our April Fools' Day prize competition. The hoax was NOT the Procol EP, which will indeed be released – songs here and here – next month; but rather, the idiotically improbable prizes proposed for people who found the correct answer. For the record, 'Group Z' was the list to which the anagrammatised title belonged, the reason being that they are all Procol Harum songs whose titles end with a parenthesis ('Outside the Gates of', 'My Regal Zonophone', 'Alive Forever', 'Which Burnt Brightly', 'Are Here Again' and 'My Moonbeams').

Added a graphic – which helps solve a long-standing Procol enigma, articulated here – to this interesting page (thanks, Jim)

' ... a very pleasant, mellow experience which could take off if given enough exposure ...'
Added an absurdly brief review of a very good album (thanks, Anvil)

Roland from BtP again extends his heartfelt thanks to everyone who continues to write to him and family with such kind condolences and memories, following the recent death of Linda Clare. It will take a good while to be able to reply to them all. Meanwhile, please revisit this page, where an astonishingly large and very worthwhile sum is being raised in Linda's memory for a marvellous charity that helps people live well with cancer. Thanks to all contributors, 100 to date ... and for the kind comments listed on the page, from friends known and unknown, and rock-stars both rising and revered.

1 April :

Added the text – one here and another here – of the hitherto-unheard studio recordings (completed under lockdown conditions) of two Brooker/Reid songs that comprise the three-track Procol Harum EP to be released by Esoteric Records on 7 May 2021 (order it here) (thanks Gary; thanks Mark)

Also added a prize competition associated with the above: hurry! No more than twenty prizes, and just five bonus live treats! (thanks, Overgaard)

25 March :

'Fisher’s contribution as the listed producer seems to have been as yes-man' / 'the erosion evident, especially in sound quality and songwriting, is disturbing'
Added an opinionated two-album review from 1973 (thanks, Anvil). Surely few readers will agree; but can you guess the albums before you click the link?

Added a picture here (thanks, Bradshaw).

18 March :

Added some miscellaneous graphics here and here (thanks, Bradshaw)

Added a note to this setlist page (thanks, Boyd)

Rectified a blunder on this page (thanks, Peter)

Roland from BtP extends his heartfelt thanks to everyone who has written to him and family with such kind condolences and memories, following the recent death of his wife Linda Clare. It will take a long while to be able to reply to them all. Meanwhile, please visit this page, where a large and worthwhile sum is being raised in Linda's memory for a marvellous charity that helps people live well with cancer.

8 March 2021 :

Added Gary Brooker's tribute to the late Alan Cartwright (thanks, Gary)

7 March 2021 :

With great regret we must inform fellow-fans of the recent death of  Alan Cartwright (thanks, Kenny)

Click the link to read Kenny's words

4 March 2021 :

Added the new date for the twice-rescheduled Procol London Palladium symphonic / choral concert (thanks, Barry)

1 March 2021 :

Added a further Brooker interview to this Parisien page; click the newspaper graphic to enlarge it to legibility (thanks, Pernille)

25 February 2021 :

As of today Procol Harum's planned choral/symphonic concert at the London Palladium is postponed, again because of the Covid situation (the band themselves are well). Watch this page, in due course, for the new Palladium date. (thanks, Barry)

Added booking details for the rejigged Knebel gig (thanks, Barry)
 

22 February 2021 :

Added a Brooker interview to this Parisien page; click the newspaper graphic to enlarge it to legibility (thanks, Danby)

10 February 2021 :
RIP Chick Corea

Updated two Procol gig lists, in view of the continuing Covid crisis: two rescheduled Danish gigs, here and here, and one Norwegian one (thanks, Barry)

8 February 2021 :
RIP Mary Wilson

'You must be 18 ... wear white or Dayglow clothes'
Added intriguing and evocative evidence of three hitherto-unlogged Procol Harum concerts in Chicago during November 1967 (thanks, Jim)

'Shine on Brightly ... one of the two or three best albums of the year'
Added evocative and intriguing evidence of two hitherto-unlogged Procol Harum concerts in Chicago during November 1968 (thanks, Jim)

Also added press-clipping scans shewing two hitherto-unlogged Procol Harum concerts in Chicago during March 1969 (thanks, Jim)

1 February 2021 :
RIP Hilton Valentine

' ... he fell over and had to be helped off the stage ...'
Added a relatively-recent 'Deadmonton' article, containing some hitherto unknown information about Procol Harum's famous Canadian orchestral/choral collaboration(s). First mention at BtP for The Arrogant Worms (and first occurrence of the word 'copacetic') (thanks, Fred)

25 January 2021 :

Added a multi-authored page featuring participants' feedback about the recent Christmas Conundrums (many thanks, all) Warning: contains adult language

Added this link to a YouTube analysis of A Whiter Shade of Pale (thanks, Evan)

19 January 2021 :

RIP Sylvain Sylvain, Phil Spector, Tim Bogert

Added a suite of pages delineating the solutions to the Christmas puzzles ... if you didn't complete the set, you may well find it interesting to catch up. Each page contains a link to the following puzzle ... start here

10 January 2021 :

Added a schedule – which contains at least one significant surprise – of Triumphant Victors in this year's highly-popular Christmas Procol quiz: well done all!

Coming later, a selection of competitors' comments, and a complete solution to the puzzle for people – we know there are plenty – who enjoy the research and thinking passim, but don't trouble to submit a solution.

We hope to post prizes out in coming days, but hope winners will appreciate that we have a national lockdown to contend with.

Once again, thanks to this year's prize donors ... and indeed to all the donors who have contributed 119 prizes since this competition series began.

7 January 2021 :

Thanks to all who participated in this year's Christmas Puzzle – we hope you had fun! – and commiserations to all those who didn't.

The game is now over, and winners will be notified during the next 24 hours, all being well.

5 January 2021 :

RIP Gerry Marsden

Added the link to the twelfth simple puzzle in this year's Christmas conundrum

And  a penultimate clipping, apparently relating to the Cambridge vs Oxford boat-race.

4 January 2021 :

Added the link to the eleventh and penultimate puzzle in this year's Christmas conundrum

Another clipping, and we wonder also why 'Flora Croft' is underlined. Is there a PH fan named Croft out there?

3 January 2021 :

Added the link to the tenth, simple puzzle in this year's Christmas conundrum ... hope everyone's enjoying the process

We wonder why the compiler of the scrapbook underlined the name 'Allsop'.

2 January 2021 :

Added the link to the ninth, simple puzzle in this year's Christmas conundrum ... and allow yourself another quick squint at the prizes ...

And now some news from Fairford ...

1 January 2021 :

Happy New Year!

Added the link to the eighth, simple puzzle in this year's Christmas conundrum series

And what is presumably a US clipping, albeit from the same peculiar scrapbook as before

31 December 2020 :

Added the link to the seventh, simple puzzle in this year's Christmas conundrum

And a piece of music news, at last, from the mystery scrapbook.

30 December 2020 :

Added the link to the sixth, simple puzzle in this year's Christmas conundrum ... don't forget to gloat a bit over the prizes too ...

And another clipping ... several hundred what?

29 December 2020 :

Added a link to the fifth, simple puzzle in this year's Christmas conundrum: hope everyone is still enjoying every moment of this!

And for light relief, something from Oxgate ... wish we had the rest of the story.

28 December 2020 :

Added the link to the fourth, simple puzzle in this year's Christmas conundrum

And another, no less perplexing, excerpt from the Mystery Scrapbook.

27 December 2020 :

Added the link to the third, simple puzzle in this year's Christmas conundrum

And here's another snippet of nonsense from the same source as the foregoing:

26 December 2020 :

Added the link to the second, simple puzzle in this year's Christmas conundrum ... still great fun, and a little easier today.

And another bonkers clipping ...

25 December 2020 :

RIP Leslie West, RIP Geoff Stephens

Happy Christmas to thousands of readers all over the world!

Added the link to the first, simple puzzle in this year's Christmas conundrum ... it's going to be great fun and we hope you'll all enjoy playing ... and that thinking about Procol Harum will greatly cheer up what could otherwise be a memorably miserable Twelve Days.

Also for your mild entertainment, a bonkers clipping from a bonkers scrapbook. If you can figure out why someone cut this out and kept it, do let us know. Or perhaps the perpetrator will now come forward.

24 December 2020 :

Added a very useful page about How To Play the Christmas Puzzles, which Start Tomorrow ... read all that, and you'll be fully-armed to come in ahead even of habitual triumphant victors!

21 December 2020 :

Added a first glimpse of the excellent prizes in this year's BtP Christmas Conundrums (thanks, all).

You'll notice that the Brooker Boxed Set (click 'prize' link above) has not been announced anywhere else yet; the people who win that will be sent it some time during 2021.

Watch this website for details about what's going to be on it.

Regarding the Christmas Quiz, the questions will start, as ever, on 24 December; we're in the throes of putting something together at the moment. As this is a weird, lockdown, anti-social Christmas, we're hoping the daily dose of Procol trivia will help to keep you all feeling merry ... and that lots of people will enjoy playing.

Very last call: did you send a scrapbook to 'Beyond the Pale' containing a few pages of apparently non-Procol snippets from provincial newspapers? Please get in touch ... thanks!

13 December 2020 :

RIP Charley Pride

'.. raving pub gigs and Rock Across the Channel, Mods & Rockers and the exotic au pairs who never left ...'
Added an interesting new interview with Gary Brooker (thanks, Barry)

Last call: did you send a scrapbook to 'Beyond the Pale' containing a few pages of apparently non-Procol snippets from provincial newspapers? Please get in touch ... thanks!

6 December 2020 :

' ... it sounded distressingly like the recorded version. Most of the concert suffered from similar problems ...'
Added an unenthusiastic review of a concert from 1974 (thanks, Mary)

We have a setlist from the same month, same town, but different date: can someone shed some light on what looks like a clash?

Added an intriguing report, and hitherto unseen onstage photos, from a gig in Graz, early 1976 (thanks, GB)

Updated this index-page, and this one too.

Added a link to an unreleased Georgie Fame Procol Harum cover from 1967 ... with brass (thanks, Satch)

Added a link to a new Lockdown Single involving a BtP webmaster, which we hope you will enjoy watching, and share widely! It starts softly, so crank up the volume. The Hammond is the same M102 model as heard on a well-known 1967 hit. Full credits at the end of the film (thanks, Mick)

30 November 2020 :

‘God, that’s good. That was good writing. There’s a bit of orchestra on it as well.’
Added an interesting new interview with Gary Brooker (thanks, lots of people)

Newcomers should catch up on matters of The Parrot and The Swan

23 November 2020 :

'I find it hard to do cover versions that everyone else does; you have to have a connection with the music you select.'
Added an extended feature – touching on many Procol topics – with a well-known Worm and the Tree busker (thanks, Tom)

15 November 2020 :

'You don’t understand the romance of this wonderful picture – one of the great masterpieces of the world'
Maybe not; but read this intriguing page, about a Procol album cover, and then you undoubtedly will (thanks, Stumpy)

'... fans of progressive rock are sometimes the most closed-minded listeners — they don’t want their favourite musicians to change or progress ...'
Added an appreciative and largely-convincing 2,800-word review of the recent Esoteric 3CD re-issue of Procol's Ninth (thanks, Bradshaw)

Interesting to compare and contrast the above with another online review, which you may read here. 

'PH is one of the most basic classical complexity classes ...' More on this intriguing topic here (thanks, Wilson)

9 November 2020 :

RIP Ken Hensley

' ... a band who’ve crossed a lot of boundaries in barely four years ...'
Added a really thorough and appreciative 2,300-word review of the recent Esoteric 3CD re-issue of Broken Barricades (thanks, Anvil)

Interesting to compare and contrast the above with two other online reviews, which you may read here and here.

6 November 2020 :

Added booking info for five 2022 gigs that previously lacked it: here, here, here, here and here (thanks, Barry)

3 November 2020 :

Added a slew of new Procol dates (thanks, Barry)

Amended this page of dates

1 November 2020 :

We were glad to find out where this long interview came from, when its title-page was posted on Facebook along with some scans of the text (thanks, Anvil) ... be sure to read this page as well

Added a striking, original image to the foot of this fascinating page (thanks, Robin) ... be sure to reid this page as well

Regarding the 'Liar Liar' question below, we've had a lot of remarkable answers, mostly based on guesswork, which is fair enough; but the correct answer, which could be worked out by a little Googling, is that the badge/pin shares a designer with this wonderful album artwork and its associated tee-shirt (click link to see well-known models sporting them) 

In case you need a reminder of one of the cornerstones of the Procol Harum sound, enjoy this short film (thanks, J)

26 October 2020 :

Regarding the topical  'Liar, liar, pants on fire' offer below: none of the answers that've come in are correct ... this is a question that can be answered by some elementary Google research, but not – sadly – by guesswork! Hurry ... 3 November is almost upon you!

The status has changed of four Netherlandish gigs in 2021; formely marked 'postponed', they're now restored following communication from the promoter.

25 October 2020 :

RIP Jerry Jeff Walker

‘I haven’t listened to the album in years,’ Keith told me, ‘but that one, I call it up on YouTube from time to time: a wonderful, wonderful track.’
Added another big upload, the liner-note, by one of the BtP webmasters, from Esoteric's 2019 Broken Barricades reissue.

Unless you bought the remastered 3CD, and read the booklet inside it, there will plenty of fresh material here for you ... 'a lot of time was spent fooling around'; the relevance of a 1956 doo-wop number covered by Frank Zappa; Normie and Fare Thee Well; Trower's Jaguar ride; Hendrix writing with Reid; 'Pimple Blister'; misinformation in a printed book; the Procol Karma Sutra ... and so on (thanks, Mark)

Added a Procol Harum concert date for 2022 (thanks, Barry)

20 October 2020 :

RIP Spencer Davis

Regretfully reduced the gig-list for 2021, following Covid-induced decisions by promoters (thanks, Barry)

18 October 2020 :

'Admittedly ‘Procol’s Ninth’ is jokey (adorning the band’s eighth studio album) ...'
One item in this upload, another big one. Added the liner-note, by one of the BtP webmasters, from Esoteric's 2018 Procol's Ninth reissue.

Unless you bought the remastered 3CD, and read the booklet inside it, there will plenty of fresh material here for you ... Procol's debt to Ravi Shankar, Keith Reid ‘trying to act the hero’s part’, a song that contains 'one-eyed Etruscans play follow-the-leader', a song featuring a Lowrey organ, a track aurally related to Paint it Black ... and so on (thanks, Mark)

Also ... have a look (right) at the topical enamel badge ('pin'), which illustrates the well-known taunt 'Liar, liar, pants on fire': the first person to write in telling us what Procol-oriented work the same artist has done will be sent one enamel badge ('pin'), free of charge, anywhere in the world. A bit of Googling and you'll get it in no time. Or click on the graphic for further info.

8 October 2020 :

RIP Maestro Eddie van Halen

It's the 23rd birthday of 'Beyond the Pale'!

Our good friend Richard Williams, from The Palers' Band, sends this tribute from the USA: 'On the 30th anniversary of the passing of BJ Wilson, I offer this video-recording of my playing BJ's restored drumkit on the tune entitled Beyond the Pale ... and dedicate it to the website of the same name, and to the memory of my most-enjoyed but somewhat uncelebrated drummer'. Enjoy his masterful playing, on a celebrated kit of peerless provenance! (many thanks, Rich!)

Just one other item in this upload, but another big one. Added the liner-note, by one of the BtP webmasters, from Esoteric's 2018 Exotic Birds and Fruit reissue. Unless you bought the remastered CD, and read the booklet inside it, there will plenty of fresh material here for you ... who says 'Is it on, Tommy?' and why; what links Track 2 on this album with Track 2 on the band's first LP; what structural quirks link Samson and The Idol; who was the Japanese participant; why Procol’s Jekyll’n’Hyde song has two names; where Mick Grabham learnt a Procol tune on the piano (thanks, Mark)

27 September 2020 :

‘I never liked the words “reunion album”, mind,’ Gary warns. ‘It was more of a … well … I’d have to get my Thesaurus out to finish that sentence.’

Just one item in this upload, but another big one. Added the liner-note, by one of the BtP webmasters, from Esoteric's 2018 Prodigal Stranger reissue. Unless you bought the remastered CD, and read the booklet inside it, there will plenty of fresh material here for you ... identity of the unexpected guitarist on King of Hearts; why Matt Noble gets composer credits; why Robin Trower needed a special room; and how 'Bertie' fits into the picture (thanks, Mark)

19 September 2020 :

' ... the world’s first documented concert by rock band, full orchestra and chorus, playing their own self-arranged material ...'

Just one item in this upload, but another big one. Added the liner-note, by one of the BtP webmasters, from Esoteric's 2018 Edmonton reissue. Unless you bought the remastered CD, and read the booklet inside it, there will plenty of fresh material here for you ... Franky Brooker's Edmonton contribution; Jim Parker's too; what Gary said to Helen Mirren; the truth about 'It's a Hoffnung'; and a recondite joke about chicken fat (thanks, Mark)

9 September 2020 :

'... inventive, unique and enduring, the more so for its false start and fresh blood ...'
Just one item in this upload, but a big one. Added the liner-note, by one of the BtP webmasters, from Esoteric's 2018 Grand Hotel reissue. Unless you bought the remastered CD/DVD set, and read the booklet inside it, there will plenty of fresh reading here for you; the essay authoritatively contradicts other published accounts of certain interesting points of Procol history  (thanks, Mark)

30 August 2020 :

'I’m quite sure Harum was relieved they heard no one ask for Whiter Shade of Pale'
Added a concert review from 1970 (thanks, Mary)

Added the above gig, conjecturally, to this list ... can anyone confirm the date/venue details? Write to webmaster@procolharum.com

Procol Harum fans are doubtless missing Gary Brooker's other band, No Stiletto Shoes, as well ... but there is comfort! Stiletto mainstay Andy Fairweather Low, with his impeccable Low Riders, are giving a streamed concert next month ... Wednesday 9 September at 20:00 GMT+1 . It's ticketed ... book here ... and sure to be highly enjoyable. AFL's singer-songwriting is wonderful, his guitar-playing passionate and unorthodox, and the band – underpinned by distinguished Procol bassist Dave Bronze – is cracking. It's going to be a fine event, and is greatly recommended by the 'Beyond the Pale' team (thanks, Dave)

23 August 2020 :

'For a full appreciation, to the records first, just to you probably need to listen catch the lyric.'
Added a concert review from 1972 (it's not all as incoherent as that taster!) (thanks, Mary)

Well, is it 'sixteen vestal virgins', or 'six teen vestal virgins'? We raised the question a few years ago, and are still awaiting answers ...

15 August 2020 :

RIP Julian Bream

Added a forthcoming Danish date to this Procol concert schedule, and subtracted a similar one from this Procol concert schedule (thanks, Covid 19)

Added news of the Estoteric remastering of Something Magic, with 14 bonus tracks, and an illustrated booklet containing new interviews and commentary (thanks, Bradshaw)

12 August 2020 :

Added a link to a Record Collector piece about Grand Hotel, which we've been sitting on since 2013 (thanks, Paul, for the reminder)

Revamped this page with some new detail about auditions and rehearsals (thanks, Barry)

3 August 2020 :

Added new Procol dates for October and November 2021 (thanks, Barry)

Added links to Gary Brooker's short series of filmed song-introductions (thanks, Cherry Red Records)

28 July 2020 :

RIP Peter Green, Denise Johnson, and CP Lee (of Vocal Harum)

Just one main item in this update, but it's a big one: added a detailed interview with Procol organist Josh Phillips about the background to, and recording of, his new venture with Arthur Brown's Crazy World of Lockdown(thanks, Josh). He and his musical accomplices are supporting Help Musicians, a very worthwhile charity.

Also: read the list of Procol tracks Gary Brooker chose for a Spotify feature commemorating the band's tenure as 'Artists of the Month' at Cherry Red Records.

18 July 2020 :

RIP Jamie Oldaker; RIP Emitt Rhodes

Added a Q&A about Gary Brooker's travel experiences ... in which we learn for the first time about his earliest recording experience (thanks, Paul, and others)

Cast your mind back almost exactly ten years, when the people of Bergamo turned out in such enormous numbers to hear Procol's free open-air concert at the Palazzo della Provincia. Things are terribly different there now, Covid-wise, and many fine British rockers have combined forces (in lockdown) to record this fine charity fundraiser (donation details after the music). Can you spot two Procolers? Clue: one is fast approaching his thirtieth year in the band, the other has yet to notch up his second performance (thanks, Geoff)

Added a couple of tickets, here and here

'There is this ship that we're all sailing on ...'
Spend a happy hour listening to Gary Brooker's 'Cherry Red Podcast' ... Gary talking with Mark Powell from Esoteric Records

Updated this crucial and informative page

Updated this extensive log of Procol articles

The special Procol merchandise offer is now closed; thanks to all subscribers.

29 June 2020 :

RIP Vera Lynn

Added four new Procol dates for 2021 (thanks, Barry)

Procol's 2020 tour was 'badly shattered' by the corona-crisis, and with it the Procol fans' weekend in London. Musicians would have been gathering today (thanks, Covid 19)

As promised, there's a treat to compensate for the lack of activity ... read this special Procol merchandise offer, and act quickly to avoid disappointment!  (thanks, Procol Harum)

Added a very interesting eleventh page of scanned stage passes ~ at least one of which will be coveted by every fan ~ from the collection of Gary Brooker (thanks, Gary and Franky)

Added a good picture of a worthy Procoler here, and a graphic here (thanks, Anvil)

17 June 2020 :

RIP Keith ('Catfood') Tippett (concert here)

Added a very interesting tenth page of scanned stage passes from the collection of Gary Brooker (thanks, Gary and Franky)

'Beyond the Pale', in collaboration with the sequestered Procol Harum, is hoping to bring readers something special during the week leading up to our postponed 'Beyond the Deep'. Watch this space!

' ... excessively fluffy at times ... not at all exciting ... generally interesting and well done ...'
Added a contemporary review of one of Procol's most successful albums in terms of sales (thanks, Mary)

Added 'Beyond the Deep 2' to our schedule of Procol's 2021 shows, but there won't be a booking page for a while. Your previously-bought tickets will still be valid.

Have a listen to the genial Pete Pardo ranking twelve Procol studio albums at Sea of Tranquility ... plenty of insight, and some quite odd remarks too ('Reid on vocals'?)

Scroll down this page to 5 January 2020, and read Gary Brooker's statement which includes 'I’m sure something will give it a character before long'. What was he referring to? Has the prediction come true?

7 June 2020 :

Added a clarification to the 2020 tour dates page, and another concert to the 2021 list (thanks, Barry)

Added a very interesting ninth page of scanned stage passes from the collection of Gary Brooker (thanks, Gary and Franky)

Added an excellent clipping to the foot of this page, which reveals what Mssrs Brooker, Trower and Wilson were doing for a week in June one year (thanks, Dave)

Added a correction to this setlist (thanks, Len)

29 May 2020 :

Happy significant birthday to Gary Brooker MBE! And many happy returns!

Have a look at some classic Procol pictures from 1976 (thanks again, Ueli)

Added a very interesting eighth of scanned stage passes from the collection of Gary Brooker (thanks, Gary and Franky)

Deleted the dormant page that was formerly here (thanks, Pat) and removed the link to it from this informative page ... time to re-read it, and enjoy imagining the Brooker trumpet jamming.

24 May 2020 :

Added a very interesting seventh page of scanned stage passes from the collection of Gary Brooker (thanks, Gary and Franky)

' ... I really actually like the Edmonton album and the Grand Hotel album ...'
Added a Brooker interview from 2010: no great surprises, but worth a read (thanks, Bradshaw)

Updated this comprehensive page

We highly recommend this short musical film, especially if you admire the first Procol album, or if you were not present at BtP's Long Island party in 2014, when it was performed, solo, by the artist himself (thanks, Jack)

14 May 2020 :

Sorry to have to announce the postponement of more Procol gigs from later this year (thanks, Barry)

Added a very interesting sixth page of scanned stage passes from the collection of Gary Brooker (thanks, Gary and Franky)

Added a concert-review snippet here (thanks, Roy). Search for 'explosive masterpiece'

Added a note from a celebrated Procol organist, to this ongoing research page about Procol Harum at Cologne (thanks, Chris)

11 May 2020 :

RIP Little Richard, Florian Schneider, Millie Small and Dave Greenfield

Very regrettably, and after detailed consultation all round, we have to announce the cancellation of July's projected 'Beyond the Deep' gathering. Today's publication of the UK Government's new policies anent the virus problem make it inevitable that Procol Harum's 4 July concert at Hampton Pool, and intimate 5 July concert in Chelsea, will not take place. In Gary Brooker's words last week, '... things are so fluid that it would be very brave of Palers to commit to travel ... nevertheless, if BtP can do it, so can PH! I would want however any BtP event to be a pleasure, a success, and memorable – that is the priority.' Many apologies to all fans who were looking forward to this weekend; despite everyone's willingness, common sense says the uncertainties are stacked against us. Replacement dates in July 2021 are being considered, so please watch 'Beyond the Pale' for further details.

2 May 2020 :

Added a message to fans from the Brookers in France where, Franky tells us, they are still 'self isolating ... and now I have made some masks for Gary and myself' (click image to see it in full).   GB adds, 'I am smiling here, because the weather's OK – nice to have a unique mask with nowhere to go. I'm getting together a tunneling committee – Geoff Dunn is in charge. Which direction shall we go?'

Added a very interesting fifth page of scanned stage passes from the collection of Gary Brooker (thanks, Gary and Franky)

Added a link to Robin Trower's recent appearance on The Blues Podcast (thanks Wilbo)

Added more about Procol Harum at Cologne in 1970 (thanks, Claudio)

Added a link again, since it has been expanded and upgraded since last week, to the Revised Version of an excellent resource, namely the Procol Harum Lyrics Search engine at The Spoonbill Generator (thank you, Peter Christian)

20 April 2020 :

Added a very interesting fourth page of scanned stage passes from the collection of Gary Brooker (thanks, Gary and Franky)

Added a link to the Revised Version of an excellent resource, namely the Procol Harum Lyrics Search engine at The Spoonbill Generator (thank you, Peter Christian)

Which lyricist uses 'ever' heavily? Which uses 'never'? How many songs use the word 'mermaid'? Which songs have the word 'goose' in them?

Try searching for 'doubt', or 'beyond', or 'sand', and score three lyricists ... let us know if you find a word that scores four! (Of course 'no' bring up five).

And find the words for all Procol songs, by following links from here.

And a related page, here, contains plenty of mondegreens.

14 April 2020

Sad to report the recent death of a very notable Procol Harum fan, the respected writer and audiophile Art Dudley ... known to fans for his insightful reviews of Procol albums, his company at the Long Island Convention, and years of civilised and witty correspondence (thanks, Gary, for the sad news)

Excellent tribute page here

Time to re-read this excellent Dudley/Procol article from 2003.

10 April 2020 :

Following a flurry of cross-Channel phone-calls, we're delighted to be able to present a special Covid lockdown performance from Gary Brooker, concise, of necessity lo-fi, but lyrically a propos for this terrible day in world health terms. His message to all Palers, received by e-mail, reads 'Good luck to BtP, stay safe, and à bientôt. Gary B'

In the event that you can't hear all the words, or can't quite believe what you've heard, you'll find some assistance here.

Another Brooker adaptation, reflecting a UK crisis

Also added a graphic and a transcription to this page about Procol Harum's unchallenged masterpiece album (thanks, Bradshaw)

8 April 2020 :

RIP John Prine, who 'seemed as much in his element spinning lengthy yarns between songs as singing them'

Added to Procol's gigs for 2021 and gigs for 2020 (thanks, Barry)

3 April 2020 :

RIP Bill Withers

Added a good swathe of fourteen gigs for 2021 in four countries (many thanks, Barry)

1 April 2020 :

Just added the revamped and revised schedule of concerts for Procol Harum in 2020 (many thanks, Barry)

Also added Part 1 of a 'Musicians' Life on the Road' pictorial feature, with a tiny competition to raise your spirits (thanks, illustrious contributors!)

29 March 2020 :

RIP Manu Dibango

Sorry for the uncharacteristically long interval between updates, lately. The BtP team is in good health but we've been waiting for news impinging on the July celebrations. Sadly, in a nutshell, there isn't any: it's still a case of 'wait and see' ('hope for the best, expect the worst'). Along with our friends at Hampton Pool, we're awaiting any definitive announcement from the UK Government, regarding the length of the present lockdown, and whether it will continue close to the date of our gathering ... in which case postponement or cancellation of the 4 July show, the 5 July show and party, or both, would appear to be inevitable.

Meanwhile, here's a message from The Commander, lately received at BtP

Dear All It is very unfortunate that we have so far lost various concerts. Hopefully they will be rescheduled for later in the year, or 2021. We hope the July concerts in London will go ahead: stay tuned to BtP. We were lucky that the 02 concert for the Royal Marsden went ahead. It was very successful, and we raised on the night over one million pounds profit for the Oak Cancer Centre. My thanks to everybody, especially Geoff Whitehorn who played a great solo on Comfortably Numb, and Matt Pegg who held us all together. A unique night to remember. But now, we’re all on the set of The Day the Earth Stood Still. Stay indoors, stay safe, and see you all soon. Gary Brooker Photo: Bert Saraco

Added a very interesting third page of scanned stage passes from the collection of Gary Brooker (thanks, Gary and Franky)

Added the setlist from Music for the Marsden

And here is Chris Copping's assessment of the recent crossword conundrum he sent in (see 17 March: as everyone surmised, the answer was 'bleach'):
'Not a difficult clue but an excellent one -- and could even attract newcomers to the addiction of cryptic puzzles] -- at least you get the answer twice (and BLEACH is of course Nirvana's first album)' (thanks, Chris)

17 March 2020 :

RIP Genesis P Orridge

Thanks for all the enquiries or inquiries about April's scheduled Choral/Orchestral Concert. Procol Harum regretfully confirmed to BtP at 12:40 today that this is now cancelled. Please see here (thanks, Barry)

Looks as though The Common Thread CD is getting to be a collectors' item ... see here

Added a good review of Procol Harum's Central Park 1971 concert (thanks, Bradshaw)

Updated an NSS link here

It's time to re-read this page, and savour the delicious arrogance of the first submission.

And it's always nice to get a note from Prof Copping, in the Southern Hemisphere, who writes ...
Cryptic Crossword #10425 by Serpent, The Independent, 12 March 2020: 'Even bits of blues appropriated by composer to make Whiter Shade of Pale (6)' (thanks, Chris)

Though simple enough, this strikes us as a brilliantly-insightful clue, from an obvious cognoscento.

12 March 2020 :

Please read the news from the Trondheim Festival in Norway, where Procol Harum will now, regrettably, not be playing on 24 April (thanks, Barry)

7 March 2020 :

RIP McCoy Tyner

Added a page about the second wave of tickets for 'Beyond the Deep' (including Procol concert) which went on sale at 10:00 (London time) on Saturday 7 March

Act fast, because the first wave sold out, and we know a lot of people who missed out will be competing for this second wave.

(When the second wave is sold, we shall have reached the seating capacity for Convention, meal and Procol concert)

Added a very interesting second page of scanned stage passes from the collection of Gary Brooker (thanks, Gary and Franky)

Updated our popular page of Procol ales (thanks, Anvil)

Added two beery items to our comprehensive page instantiating the many uses and abuses of the phrase A Whiter Shade of Pale in common parlance (thanks, Anvil)

1 March 2020 :

On 3 March in London Gary Brooker (MD, with House Band Andy Fairweather Low, Geoff Whitehorn, Ian Paice, Robbie McIntosh, Wix Wickens, Matt Pegg, Dave Bronze and Graham Broad) will be playing with Bonnie Tyler, Cat Stevens, Eric Clapton, John Illsley, Mike Rutherford, Mick Hucknall, Nick Mason, Paul Carrack, Paul Jones, Paul Young, Rick Wakeman, Tom Jones, Van Morrison and Zucchero: details here.

Adding yet another country to 2020's touring roster, Procol Harum have announced another gig in their celebrated series of Castle appearances (Lulworth, Ledreborg etc): details here (thanks, Barry)

With Procol concerts so much in our minds at the moment, enjoy this brief time-lapse film of their industrious crew setting up all the Harum gear before a recent concert.

Likewise, valued Paler Bert Saraco is exhibiting a gallery of his excellent rock photography here (Recommended!)

Post your questions for Robin Trower here ... he's about to record The Blues Podcast ... and enjoy the picture of him we've just added here (thanks, Bradshaw)

'Procol Harum has undergone numerous changes in its lineup, but the current lineup consists of ...'
Hilariously erroneous tour-dates, photo and especially line-up for Procol 2020 may be read here (thanks, Dumpy!)

Coming soon ... call-up for potential Palers' Band players for 29 June to 5 July

28 February 2020 :

At last – thanks for your patience! – we are able to release the details of 'Beyond the Deep', the grand Procol Harum fans' convention in London on 4 and 5 July 2020

Added a link to Gary Brooker's inimitable spoken introduction to 'Beyond the Deep' ... watch it on YouTube (with the sound turned on, of course)

You are invited to book your 'Beyond the Deep' tickets as soon as you've checked all the details and figured out your travel plans. Best not to delay too long, to avoid disappointment

Please note: be sure to book your flights and hotels by credit-card, in case your plans change.
Ensure your travel insurance covers cancellation of these events for whatever reasons,
environmental, political, medical and so on. If for any reason the expected show cannot go ahead,
the promoters will accept no responsibility except in the matter of ticket refunds.

Accommodation for 'Beyond the Deep'-goers: explanation here. Accommodation for Procol Harum, and for The Palers' Band, is already chosen by 'Beyond the Pale'

Added a page with early information for those who would like to play in the Palers' Band.

Time to read the words of the Procol song that contains the words 'beyond the deep' ...

26 February 2020 :

Procol Harum have announced new Italian gigs in the towns affected by the Government lockdown in Northern Italy: see here (thanks, Barry)

23 February 2020 :

Josh Phillips plays again with the Starlite Campbell Band on 27 February at Putney's famous Half Moon! Only a tenner to see a fabulous band, justly celebrated in (mainland) Europe.

Added a very interesting first page of scanned stage passes from the collection of Gary Brooker (thanks, Gary and Franky)

Added a page of photos of the Fender Bass Keyboard, the sort that was used by Chris Copping for live work in the days when Procol were performing as a four-piece.

See also this page, where you can glimpse the above-mentioned apparatus in action

Updated this concert page and this one also

Added a cautious, authorised foretaste of a Procol outing in 2021, about which further news is expected (thanks, Barry)

Copious thanks to (chronological order!) Peter, Mark, Carl, Victoria, Samantha, Chris, Pete, James, Franky, Gary and Becky for help and hospitality over the past couple of days while the BtP Webpersons were reconnoitring and making arrangements in Southern England.

17 February 2020 :

RIP Andrew Weatherall

On 3 March in London Gary Brooker (MD, with House Band Andy Fairweather Low, Ian Paice, Robbie McIntosh, Wix Wickens, Dave Bronze and Graham Broad) will be playing with Bonnie Tyler, Cat Stevens, Eric Clapton, John Illsley, Mike Rutherford, Mick Hucknall, Nick Mason, Paul Carrack, Paul Jones, Paul Young, Rick Wakeman, Tom Jones, Van Morrison and Zucchero: details here. And we have just learnt that Matt Pegg and Geoff Whitehorn will also be playing!

'Procol Harum’s asking price for a one-night concert now is ...'
If you've ever wondered about booking Procol to play for your party, you'll want to read this price-guide.

Added a link to a page where you may read that '$1 in 1969 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $7.03 in 2020'

'There’s that weird song sung by that Negro with the silly name ...'
Non-PC writing from Tampa about the early impact of Procol Harum in the USA ... read it here (thanks, Mary)

Updated this marvellous page ... are there any articles linked here that you have not read?

Upgraded our page about Procol playing the Fillmore East

Created an anticipatory page here

The BtP team is hard at work with various valued collaborators, in hopes of being ready with some news before too long, for our patient readers, about the big Procol Harum weekend in London in July

' ... since there’s no apostrophe in the first word, the second must be a verb, making the statement a positive one ...'
(Guess which track-title is referred to, before clicking to read the article?)
Added an illustrated album review, from 1969 (thanks, Mary)

Added a graphic to this page of Homburg reviews (thanks, Bradshaw)

Added a Procol Palladium ticket to our 2020 collection here ... but we notice nobody's sent in any tickets from the 2019 tour ... please scan your souvenirs and send them to webmaster@procolharum.com (thanks, Romilly)

02022020 :

RIP Andy Gill

E-mail from Gary Brooker to BtP (3 February): 'Please pass on to the website that I’m recovering well and will be at full power for 3 March at the O2 Arena.'

' ... the England-is-crumbling saga ...'
Added an illustrated album review, with brief snippets of interview, from 2003 (thanks, Mary)

Time to re-read some significant speculations that preceded the release of the above album (thanks, Richard)

Please note that the BtP Fans' Gathering on 2 April is entirely sold out, and has a long waiting-list. Luckily there's a much bigger Fans' Gathering, also in London, on the horizon now

Chance to hear Josh Phillips on Hammond in London at the end of this month!

Added an Albert Hall Procol Harum ticket to our 1976 collection here ... missing only Bristol, Cardiff and Oxford from that January British tour (thanks, Anvil)

Added a curiosity here (thanks, Bradshaw)

Corrected a blunder, here (thanks, Pat)

30 January 2020 :

For those who aren't free to come to London on 4+5 July for the big Procol Harum event, the band has announced another summer gig, this time in August: preliminary details here (thanks, Barry; thanks, Mark)

29 January 2020 :

28 January 2020 :

You are invited to a sit-down meal in a restaurant (with bar) very close to Procol Harum's London Palladium gig on 2 April.

Booking will be essential, but all we need is the name of everyone in your party, in order to reserve your seat. Don't send money ... all that will be handled by the restaurant on the night.

Event starts at 4.30 pm on 2 April. Showtime is quoted as 6.30 pm. Read all about it by clicking here (thanks, Raul)

But note that, as of 30 January, we're booked to capacity

Order your copies of the 2017 album, Novum, by clicking these special links (which incidentally send a few cents to keep this website afloat): Amazon UK / Amazon USA

Follow 'Beyond the Pale' on Twitter (http://twitter.com/ProcolHarum1) and at the somewhat new 'Beyond the Pale' Facebook page, where we hope gigs / events can be more easily spotted than they are amid the busy newsfeed on our former Procol Facebook group.

20 January 2020 :

' ... quite the strange number with the music line with a pressure that increases and increases. It is well done with a jazz rock flair ...'
Guess which album is being reviewed, before you click here (thanks, Mary)

'That song has the best chord progressions in any pop song ...'
Guess which song is being praised, before you click here (thanks, Anvil)

Added a first page of Aftershow party pictures from Winterbach, 2018 (thanks, Uta)

Competitors' comments on the BtP puzzles are held over until everything's in, but thanks to all who have responded, especially those who did so in rhyme.
 

19 January 2020 :

Procol Harum regret they are unable to play at 'Giants of Rock' on 24 January: please read this page for details

12 January 2020 :

RIP Neil Peart

Added a schedule of Triumphant Victors who have won puzzles in our Christmas Competition

Added a solution to the Christmas Puzzles. It works like this ... click here for the first puzzle, then click successive links ('tomorrow's puzzle) on the full sequence of pages until you reach the finale.

6 January 2020 :

The BtP Christmas Puzzle has closed, and prize-winners should expect to receive e-mail notification during Tuesday 7 January.

Thanks to all who played, in such a wide spread of countries; and commiserations to those whose answer was 'differently correct'.

In due course of time we'll publish a solution, with workings, in hopes of putting you out of your misery.

The popularity of prizes (derived from the rankings sent in by all competitors, irrespective of their answers, was A, M, D, O, L, N, I, R, E, P (key here))

Of the 'beat-the-clock' players this year it was pleasing to note that one participant returned a correct answer at 00:01, one minute after the final two questions were published.

That's quite quick work.

5 January 2020 :

Added our twelfth, and final, beguilingly-approachable page of Christmas clues

Click on the link at the bottom of the above page, and you'll find your way to the simple Final Procedure ... then you'll soon be sending in your answer!

You'll be sending us the answer AND your choice of prizes (all ten alphabetical letters, please)

4 January 2020 :

Added our eleventh, painless page of Christmas clues (that note of your findings ... got it ready? Sorry to nag ... )

And once again, the schedule of fabulous prizes

A taste of tomorrow's richly-significant 'geocode' clues ... brightly ... fuzzy ... jukebox ...

3 January 2020 :

Added our tenth, pellucid page of Christmas clues (that note of your findings ... you'll need it soon!)

A taste of tomorrow's mysterious 'geocode' clues ... plucked ... strings ... truth ...

2 January 2020 :

Added our ninth, unproblematic page of Christmas clues

And once again, the schedule of fabulous prizes which are suddenly so much more easily attainable

A taste of tomorrow's pregnant 'geocode' clues ... fell ... stage ... hurt ...

01 January 2020 : Happy New Year to all!

Added our eighth, briefly-despatched page of Christmas clues (you're still keeping a note of your findings?)

A taste of tomorrow's pertinent 'geocode' clues ... music ... payphone ... guitars ...

31 December 2019 :

Added our seventh, speedily-solved page of Christmas clues

A taste of tomorrow's satirical 'geocode' clues ... organ ... pram ... rival ...

30 December 2019 :

RIP The great Neil Innes

Procol Harum has announced five more concerts for 2020 (thanks, Barry)

Added our sixth, easy page of Christmas clues (don't forget to keep a note of your findings)

A taste of tomorrow's pointed 'geocode' clues ... studio ... stallion ... stands ...

We hope everyone's enjoying the What Three Words system. It's been really interesting pinpointing exactly where the gigs in question took place ... not just the area, but usually the very building, or a building associated with the show ... we're rarely more than a few metres from the stage. Nobody needs to over-use the zoom-out function ... it's only a question of locating a few map-words in the frame close to the 'geocode' square, then checking if/how they feature at BtP.

29 December 2019 :

Added our fifth, undemanding page of Christmas clues

A taste of tomorrow's suggestive 'geocode' clues ... media ... waxing ... voices ...

28 December 2019 :

Added our fourth, transparent page of Christmas clues (don't forget to keep a note of your findings)

A taste of tomorrow's enticing 'geocode' clues ... vanished ... bandstand ... hero ...

27 December 2019 :

Added our third, uncomplicated page of Christmas clues.

A taste of tomorrow's significant 'geocode' clues ... infinite ... composer ... melodic ...

26 December 2019 :

Added our second, straightforward page of Christmas puzzles (don't forget to keep a note of your findings)

A taste of tomorrow's telling 'geocode' clues ... tonsils ... piano ... tunes ...

25 December 2019 : Happy Christmas!

Added our first, simple page of Christmas puzzles ... good luck to all! Here's the schedule of fabulous prizes

Make sure you've read the page introducing this year's Puzzles before you put pen to paper

A taste of tomorrow's hotly-anticipated 'geocode' clues ... surviving ... ensemble ... persons ...

23 December: the eleventh hebdomadal bulletin for Year #23 at 'Beyond the Pale'

RIP Paul Whitrow, record producer

Added the crucial 'How to play' page for this year's BtP Christmas Conundrum. This is your chance to figure it all out in advance!

Where in the world is Long Gone Geek? We reveal all.

'... A Whiter Shade of Pale is only one of the numbers we could have recorded. It just happened that it was the best number Gary and Keith had written at the time ...'
Added a revealing and provocative article from June 1967 (thanks, Anvil)

Look back at some 'Celestial Smith' photos (thanks again, Eilish)

Amended two deficient composition credits here (thanks Josh)

16 December: the tenth hebdomadal bulletin for Year #23 at 'Beyond the Pale'

More about the release of Gary Brooker's new live tracks, recorded in New York, here

Added a first glimpse of the excellent prizes in this year's BtP Christmas Conundrums (thanks, Gary). The questions will start, as ever, on 24 December; not a syllable has yet been devised, so they're likely to be rather straightforward this year.

Added a glowing, but far from far-sighted, review of Procol's first album, from Christmas 1967 (thanks, Bradshaw)

Maybe it's time to re-read this hugely-influential article on the same album?

Added a link to KT Tunstall's remarks about her Josh-Phillips-inspired Christmas single

Added a review – as percipient as it is perspicuous – of Procol's seventh album, re-released in the Esoteric series (thanks, Romilly)

8 December: the ninth hebdomadal bulletin for Year #23 at 'Beyond the Pale'

 • Added a new BtP interview with Gary Brooker about his all-star benefit concert for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity at London’s O2 Arena on Tuesday 3 March 2020.

• Added a new BtP interview with Josh Phillips about his charity record for War Child, which is released 8 December 2019, the sad anniversary of its composer John Lennon's death. The interview explores the genesis and recording of this new Gimme Some Truth version in interesting detail. It's not all what you'd expect.

It would be really marvellous if all 'Beyond the Pale' readers would help Josh, Mark Brzezicki, Dave Bronze and the rest of the band by (a) viewing, (b) buying online, and (c) sharing this record on social media. 'Gimme Some Truth' has never been more relevant, and it's excellent listening as well. It would be brilliant if we could somehow get a Hammond-heavy single, played live, into the Christmas charts!

2 December: the eighth hebdomadal bulletin for Year #23 at 'Beyond the Pale'

RIP Iain Sutherland (lyricist to Gary Brooker ... see here)

Added the first news of Gary Brooker's all-star benefit concert for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity at London’s O2 Arena on Tuesday 3 March 2020.

Added a second batch of photographs of Procol Harum on stage in October 2018 (thanks, Uta)

' ...hearing how songs like The Unquiet Zone and Pandora’s Box were performed live is more rewarding than the outtakes.'
Added a perceptive review of the Esoteric 3CD Procol's Ninth (thanks, Jim)

Readers dismayed by the cacographic opening of the above review are invited to read this article and then the marvellous books to which it alludes

'pseudo symphonic ... a bit disappointing ... suffers from lack of a single, unifying thread ... winds up nowhere'
Added a historic contemporary put-down of Procol's 1968 masterpiece In Held by a reviewer who prefers the two 'somewhat country' cuts on Shine on Brightly (thanks, Mary)

Take advantage of the ubiquitous 'Black Friday' to equip yourself with some of the organ films by Procol fan Will Fraser. His company is offering some huge discounts on exquisite boxed sets, until 10 December. What Will doesn't know about organs isn't worth knowing, and he has a shelf-full of awards to prove it. The English Organ is his latest release ... 'the definitive documentary about the story of the English organ and its music'. For the avoidance of doubt, he's the same Will who used to run Conquistador Films ... re-read BtP's bulletin from twenty years ago and discover which former Procoler turned the pages when Will played in London's Westminster Abbey, in 1998.

25 November: the seventh hebdomadal bulletin for Year #23 at 'Beyond the Pale'

Added a first batch of photographs of Procol Harum on stage in October 2018 (thanks, Uta)

Added a Paramounts 45 rpm record review graphic to this ongoing catalogue of the band's gigs (thanks, Bradshaw)

A link here to a brief explanatory film-clip about Somewhen (thanks, Charlie)

18 November: the sixth hebdomadal bulletin for Year #23 at 'Beyond the Pale'

11 November: the fifth hebdomadal bulletin for Year #23 at 'Beyond the Pale'

'... Brooker and the other five members of Procol Harum are busily working on a Broadway musical ...'
Read all about it in another excellent archival article from 1969 (thanks, Mary)

Added a final page of concert shots from a new, recent contributor (thanks, Bob)

Added a note about Procol in a novel to this literary index (thanks, Jim)

Always nice to get a question, long-posed on these pages, answered by an authoritative contributor! Added an account of two SRO Procol concerts in Staten Island, June 1972 (thanks, Bob Herman)

Added a hitherto unlogged Staten Island gig to the 1971 tour schedule ... more contributions always welcome (thanks, Bob H)

'... a bit all over the shop ...'
Added links here and here to two tiresomely amateurish video reviews, of re-issued Procol Harum albums, that you won't like or want to watch (thanks, all)

6 November:

Procol Harum announce a sixth choral/orchestral gig in one of the world's greatest capital cities: details here (thanks Barry, thanks Marina)

Pre-sale for tickets was 7 November at 10 am BST (first two hours exclusive to 'Beyond the Pale' readers): all details and ticket link here

Read an illustrated review of Procol's most recent show in the same august venue.

Updated this compendium, and this news page

3 November: the fourth hebdomadal bulletin for Year #23 at 'Beyond the Pale'

'It was about November 1966 that Keith Reid and Gary Brooker started writing songs together ...'
Added an article which leads with the foundation of a significant partnership, 53 years ago this month (thanks, Mary)

Added, to this excellent page, a photograph of a famous musician with a famous album (thanks, Bradshaw)

Added a graphic, here (thanks, Anvil)

Refreshed a page you may have missed showing pictures from 2012 (thanks, Bob)

Procol Harum fans are particularly advised to sign up today for our (infrequent) newsletter. We're not necessarily implying that an interesting announcement is imminent; what we are saying is that you'd surely be sorry to miss it if such a thing did come along.

Added a 1968 date (Ottawa) to this page ... but did it happen? Write in if you know: webmaster@procolharum.com

Updated this useful index by the creation of this valuable page

28 October: the third hebdomadal bulletin for Year #23 at 'Beyond the Pale'

‘I think we write love songs as opposed to social protest songs ...I’m against social protest or any kind of protest.’
Added a fascinating and revealing interview, published half a century ago, which concedes that Procol's 'future plans are vague'. It apparently dates from a time before they found their bassist/organist, Chris Copping (many thanks, Mary)

Find the index to our copious and ever-growing trove of historic Procol press by clicking here

Added a hitherto-overlooked Canadian festival appearance for Procol Harum, 22 June 1969, to this page (thanks, Bradshaw)

Added some pictures of the above Toronto gig (thanks, Bradshaw)

Time to enjoy some British performance shots from the same era (thanks, Wilfried)

Added a link here to a book about the Southend music scene that had eluded our notice until now (thanks, Anvil)

Added some illustrations and a bit of audience insight to this Atlantic City Pop Festival page

Added a couple of photos showing the last public performance of Procol Harum's two original keyboard players together

Here's a great Hammond player

20 October: the second hebdomadal bulletin for Year #23 at 'Beyond the Pale'

Added a review and three graphics to this page (thanks, Rick)

Added pictures from a 2014 gig (thanks, Bob)

Added some illustrated news about Procol manager Chris Cooke (thanks Gary)

Added three photographs relating to The Blink of an Eye at Pompano Beach in the USA (thanks, Franky)

Add some detail to our data about the forthcoming Gary Brooker showing in Ireland (thanks, Gary)

16 October:

Added three more concerts to the roster of Procol shows for 2020 (thanks, Barry)

13 October: the first hebdomadal bulletin for Year #23 at 'Beyond the Pale'

Josh Phillips to play in Bury in November ... click here to read about a very promising and exciting gig (thanks, Simon)

Added a couple of illustrations to the foot of this oft-visited page (thanks, Bradshaw)

'... distinguished chiefly by an inane violin repeating a tune suitable for leading a pig to market ...'
Added a peculiar review of a Procol album ... read the quotation above, and guess which album, before you click on the link. One wonders what strange mix or pressing this particular reviewer had got hold of (thanks, Mary)

Let's go back a year to an expansive page documenting the immediate preparations for a fine concert in London.

Added a screenshot here – from the occasion when Keith Reid's My Own Choice book was born – that will be of likely interest to amateur organists (thanks, Anvil)

In which (tenuous) connection, here's a fascinating article from almost twenty years ago to re-read (thanks, Wilfried)

Tweaked this crucial and informative page a bit

Modified this page (thanks, Pia)

8 October : the final hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

RIP Ginger Baker, RIP Molly Duncan

Today's the twenty-second birthday of 'Beyond the Pale', and as always we remember an equally celebrated drummer, the great BJ Wilson, on this date

'BJ day inspired me to explore a few things on the internet.' writes long-time BtP reader Wilfried van Damme. 'This led to some information that aficionados might find interesting and which seems not to have been reported at BtP so far. The info concerns a one-time ensemble of musicians called the ‘Freddie Mac Band’, which at some point in 1966 apparently featured both BJ and Alan Cartwright. See this interview with one Ged Peck, guitarist. Both BJ and his bassist friend are referred to in positive terms; they are mentioned in two different sections of the interview. There’s even a picture (bottom of the page) showing BJ and someone who might indeed be Mr Cartwright (is that a suede jacket?), said to be taken while they were on tour in Dublin in 1966. (The opening sections of the interview might also be of some interest, providing a few Procoloid references, broadly conceived, including mention of Marc Bolan.)'

The illustration, right, is interesting in that it shows BJ in the period between The Paramounts and Procol Harum ... it's taken from the interview cited above (thanks, Wilfried!)

Added a link to a great, brand-new clip of Richard Williams from the Palers' Band, playing Repent Walpurgis on BJ Wilson's restored drum kit ... (thanks, Rich!)

Added a thirty-first array of personally-selected and captioned Procol pictures (thanks, Mary)

Added further information about the upcoming Brooker performance in Ireland on Saturday 16 November

29 September: the forty-seventh hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

Gary Brooker contributed recently to a live broadcast from Abbey Road (on SiriusXM's The Beatles Channel) commemorating fifty years of the Beatles' album of the same name. Here's what Gary said in interview with Beatle historian Kevin Howlett, cut down by BtP from three hours to fourteen minutes. You'll hear the glitches (thanks, Gary S)

You might also like to re-read kindred interviews here and here

' ... ‘But if I couldn’t write when I got older, what would I do?'
Added a good Brooker and Reid interview from 1973 (thanks, Mary)

'It’s not just a bad record, it’s laughably bad in spots, a postcard of poor taste from the heights of pretension.'
We know of BtP readers who like to be reminded of occasional jewels from the early BtP archives. How about this anti-jewel to get your hackles rising? (thanks, Wilfried)

Added a contentious snippet about a well-known musician who didn't join Procol Harum or Squeeze (thanks, Satch). Admittedly there are several such musicians, so don't bother trying to guess this one's identity ... just click the link

Rectified a blunder here (thanks, Hans)

22 September: the forty-sixth hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

RIP Frank Key, occasionally cited at BtP for his Procol references. Get the anthology here

Added a tribute to our fellow Paler Evgeny Makeev (many thanks, Hans)

'Of the many performers I have interviewed in the past, Brooker is one of the few who actually enjoys going on the road to perform with Procol Harum' [sic!]
Added a page of Procol panegyric from Cashbox, 1974 (thanks, Paul)

Added a thirtieth array of personally-selected and captioned Procol pictures (thanks, Mary)

Added an eighth and final magnificent page of pictures from Procol Harum's recent engagement at Collingswood, NJ (thanks, Bert)

Added some superstar esteem for A Salty Dog (thanks, Paul)

15 September: the forty-fifth hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

' ... their combination of gothic instrumental work and ominous lyrics have been either wildly embraced or violently abhorred ...'
Added a Keith Reid interview by a writer considerably better attuned to the Procol wavelength than last week's offering (thanks, Mary)

Added a link to some interesting news from Southend-on-Sea (thanks, Bim)

' ... a bone-chilling piece straight out of Poe. It makes death-metal seem pitifully insincere ...'
Added a terrific piece of writing from a scholar who really gets what Procol's finest album is about. Forgive a few false notes in the exposition ... this is a majestic article well worth your attention (many thanks, Wilfried)

And for an antidote to the above, how about '... another relatively forgettable piano/organ vocal piece ...' in this re-read

Added a graphic to this review (thanks, Paul)

9 September: the forty-fourth hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

Added a seventh glorious page of pictures from Procol Harum's recent engagement at Collingswood, NJ (thanks, Bert)

' ... the listener is forced to get into the heads of the musicians to distinguish what the band is saying or trying to play within the written structure of the music ...'
Added a brilliantly incompetent Keith Reid interview from a writer who, it's fair to say, failed to find a soulmate in the distinguished lyricist (thanks, Mary)

Added a twenty-ninth array of personally-selected and captioned Procol pictures (thanks, Mary)

Evidently many Procol fans have enjoyed this young vocal coach enjoying Gary Brooker's AWSoP from Ledreborg

2 September: the forty-third hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

Added a festival date – close to home! – for Procol Harum in 2020 (thanks, Barry)

'... the only reminder of the band’s early style of fragile, but compelling songs ...'
Added a pre-concert account of the band's career, from 1977 ... what song does the above quotation allude to? (thanks, Mary)

Added a snippet about Gary Brooker's lead vocal on the recent release, Long Live Rock & Roll (thanks, Tom)

Added a sixth exemplary page of pictures from Procol Harum's recent engagement at Collingswood, NJ (thanks, Bert)

Added a most intriguing graphic to the page about the mysterious Brooker rarity, Verse 1 (thanks, Michael)

We notice that four books by Southend musician and author John Bobin are on special offer at Amazon UK ... click here ... including Kindle editions of In the Autumn of My Madness and Bark Staving Ronkers

24 August:

Added the setlist from Procol Harum's twenty-second gig of 2019, played tonight at Spiez, Switzerland (thanks, Barry)

23 August: the forty-second hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

Added the setlist from Procol Harum's recent gig in, or at, Arbon, Switzerland (thanks, Heidi)

Added a good photo-page from tonight's Arbon festival gig (thanks again, Heidi)

Added a substantial article about Edmonton ... readers will find plenty of hitherto unbrowsed 1971 info (thanks, Bradshaw)

18 August : the forty-first hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

Added a good Keith Reid article from Record Collector (thanks, Lin)

In which connection, re-read this Keith Reid interview from the end of 2018 ... and buy his new record!

Added a fifth memorable page of pictures from Procol Harum's recent engagement at Collingswood, NJ (thanks, Bert)

Added fourteen photos taken at the London Palladium last October (thanks, Nancy)

Added a morsel of superstar esteem here (thanks, Romilly)

10 August : the fortieth hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

Added a listening link and the tale of an intriguing early demo in the possession of a British collector, and Gary Brooker's reaction thereto (thanks Mick, thanks Gary)

We understand that the city of Pompano Beach (Florida, USA) intends to use Procol Harum’s In the Blink of an Eye – accompanied by the well-known video presentation realised by the musician Ronnie D’Addario from Hicksville, Long Island – as part of Cherie Saleeby’s 9/11 Sculpture unveiling of Unbroken Spine, a book of American Heroism. Read more about it here and see photographs here. This will be shown inside the historical society on 11 September, next to the #1 Pompano Beach Firehouse Museum. 'In attendance will be the mayor, city councilman, Fire Rescue honour guard, antique firetrucks and the boy scouts hoisting the flag at half-mast. In addition, a bagpipe will play.'

Added a tiresome contemporary 'Buyer's Guide' to Procol Harum records ... a provocative but pointless article ... not unlike this one from 1995 (thanks, all)

Added a link to the pictures, which we've had for some time, of fans and band at the London Palladium aftershow party (thanks, Charlie)

Fixed a blunder here (sorry, Mark)

3 August : the thirty-ninth hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

Added the text of an excellent BJ Wilson article from next month's Modern Drummer (thanks, all)

Added a link to the pictures, which we've had for some time, of fans and band and the London Palladium aftershow party (thanks, Charlie)

Added a fourth stylish page of pictures from Procol Harum's recent engagement at Collingswood, NJ (thanks, Bert)

Added pictures to our Michel Polnareff pages here, here and here (merci, Romilly).

28 July : the thirty-eighth hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

Added a third awesome page of pictures from Procol Harum's recent engagement at Collingswood, NJ (thanks, Bert)

Added a handful of hitherto unarchived photographs of the first 1967 line-up of Procol Harum (thanks, Bradshaw)

Added the line-up of the Saugatuck Festival, 1969

Added (grey panel below) a note from a correspondent, with this question: When did this performance take place?

21 July : the thirty-seventh hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

Added a second groovy page of pictures from Procol Harum's recent engagement at Collingswood, NJ (thanks, Bert)

Added a page of pictures from the rehearsals for Rick Wakeman's Journey to the Centre of the Earth which was played last weekend at the Royal Festival Hall in London (thanks, Anvil)

Added pictures to this recent setlist (merci, Michel)

Added Roine Stolt's recent published praise for Gary Brooker and Procol Harum (thanks, Adey)

14 July : the thirty-sixth hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

Added news about the health and progress of Chris Cooke, in his own words and those of his partner Eliza (thanks, Chris)

Added a very interesting, highly complimentary, recently-discovered review of Procol Harum playing the whole of the Something Magic album at a British University in February 1977 (many thanks, Jim).

In which connection, we have archived reviews from many concerts from that tour ... see how many of these praise The Worm and the Tree: Edinburgh, Birmingham, Manchester, Bern, London, London again, London again again, Anaheim, Anaheim again, and Burbank

Added a first classy page of pictures from Procol Harum's recent engagement at Collingswood, NJ (thanks, Bert)

Added details of a free concert at St George's Hanover Square, in London, on 23 July: a good opportunity for a gathering of organ fans ! (thanks, Ian)

7 July : the thirty-fifth hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

Added the setlist with commentary and illustrations from Procol Harum's recent gig in historic Albi, France.
Interesting to see how many, and which, Novum songs make it on to the cut-down festival playlist (thanks, Éric, Dominique, Barry)

Added a fifth and final page of splendid Procol Westbury pictures (thanks, Bert)

Stratford! It's fifty years on from Procol Harum's first concert with choir and orchestra ... a world first in rock music. Read all about it, starting here ... a good slew of links to click and read.

'... a master of the morbidly mystical, his images dark, grey clouds of perplexity ...'
Added a review of Procol Harum at Santa Monica in 1972 (thanks all). In which connection, see this review as well ('its members’ songwriting limitations will probably keep the group in the middle echelon of rock') and an associated setlist

30 June: the thirty-fourth hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

' ... tripping the light fandango ... echoes of classics like Bach fugues ...'
Added a tongue-in-cheek, rather lazy piece of US journalism from November 1967. There are several ways of interpreting its final two words (thanks, Paul)

Six Procol dates cancelled at the last minute in Ireland ... see graphic here (thanks, Jim)

Added a fourth page of splendid Procol Westbury pictures (thanks, Bert)

24 June: the thirty-third hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

Added the first new gigs announced by Procol Harum for 2020 (thanks, Barry)

'If it goes on like this I’ll be nipping out to calm down my pacemaker'
Added a thoroughly excellent review of Procol plus guest in action back in May (thanks, Kim)

Added a new song here, with a note from the composer and lyricist (thanks, Kurt)

Added a third page of splendid Procol Westbury pictures (thanks, Bert)

No doubt we all remember Wuppertal 2013 with Procol Harum ... but what has happened in that fine town since? Those marvellous choral/orchestral concerts spawned a series of illustrious successors, involving the music of Jethro Tull and of Albert Hammond. And to know what our favourite sandwich-board-persons, Michael Ackermann and Marcus Grebe, are offering next ... click the thumbnail adjoining.

It's always delightful to add items to our invaluable Tickets Scrapbook (click here) and also to re-read associated pages.

Accordingly ... added a 1973 ticket scan here (thanks, Marvin) ... a good chance to revisit a classic setlist here, and read a review of Procol's 'paramilitary waltz' here (guess the song title before you read the review)

And added a 1972 ticket scan here (thanks, Marvin) ... in which connection, enjoy some tour notes. and a vivid personal memoir here

And added a 1977 ticket scan here (thanks, Marvin) ... in which connection, enjoy some fab pix here

'I don't really understand the lyrics, but they speak to me ...'
Hear a writer from Westbury-on-Trym, talking on BBC Radio 4 in a lovely Bristol accent about the amber glow of A Whiter Shade of Pale by clicking here. British tour dates here

Added a fourth and final page of pictures from Procol Harum's recent Copenhagen engagement (thanks, Henrik)

Modified this personal concert page (thanks, Marvin)

11 June: the thirty-first hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

'Fisher’s spitefully tortured cathedral Hammond organ madly churns away ...'
Added a compact and occasionally incomprehensible assessment of The Prodigal Stranger (thanks, Paul)

Kevin Ayers, Wizzard, Argent and Procol Harum ... all on the same day!
Added a graphic to this page (thanks, Fritz)

Added a third page of pictures from Procol Harum's recent Copenhagen engagement (thanks, Henrik)

4 June: the thirtieth hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

RIP Leon Redbone (aged 127)

'I remember Barrie playing me a Leon Redbone album in fact'
BtP's earliest interview states that Procol were friends with the lately-departed Mr Gobalian

Added a tenth and final set of memorable – and very widely admired – pictures from the February's NYC Winery gigs (many thanks, Bert)

Added to our gallery of pictures of Gary Brooker, guitarist with Procol Harum (thanks, all)

Added a second page of pictures from Procol Harum's recent Copenhagen engagement (thanks, Henrik)

29 May: the twenty-ninth hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

A very happy birthday to Gary Brooker, born this day in 1945

'I don't think this is going to be a hit ... '
Added a non-prescient graphic to this much-visited page

Added a first page of pictures from Procol Harum's recent Copenhagen engagement (thanks, Henrik)

Added two graphics, here (thanks, Arleen and Martin)

Added a ninth and penultimate set of striking pictures from the February's NYC Winery gigs (thanks, Bert)

21 May: the twenty-eighth hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

Added somewhat overdue song notes to this recent setlist

Added a eighth and antepenultimate set of tremendous pictures from the February's NYC Winery gigs (thanks, Bert)

"If one of us wrote good words AND good music there wouldn't be any problem. It's not a question of me wanting to write everything."
Added a link from this page to this very interesting Gary Brooker interview, at the suggestion of a valued contributor (thanks, Per)

In which connection, newer readers may well be interested in doing some browsing from this admirable jumping-off point (thanks once more, Yan)

13 May: the twenty-seventh hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

RIP Doris Day

Added a great page of pictures from Procol Harum's recent Knebel engagement (thanks, Mike)

Added a seventh set of superb pictures from the February's NYC Winery gigs (thanks, Bert)

Added an American article about the PH First Album, released on mono vinyl (thanks, all)

Something (somewhat) familiar at about 12m 17s, here, in this short film about a musically-talentless inventor

Updated fascinating pages here, here, here and here

5 May: 

Added the illustrated setlist from Procol Harum's recent gig in Copenhagen, Denmark (thanks, Thomas)

4 May: the twenty-sixth hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

Added the illustrated setlist from Procol Harum's recent gig (with special guest!) in Knebel, Denmark (thanks, Thomas)

Added a sixth set of first-rate pictures from the February's NYC Winery gigs (thanks, Bert)

Added a twenty-eighth array of personally-selected and captioned Procol pictures (thanks, Mary)

28 April: the twenty-fifth hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

Added the setlist from Procol Harum's recent gig in Porto, Portugal

Added a fifth set of exceptional pictures from the February's NYC Winery gigs (thanks, Bert)

Added a twenty-seventh array of personally-selected and captioned Procol pictures (thanks, Mary)

Added some star approval (from Roger Glover) to this valuable page. Shocking spelling, mind: it's 'Vaughan' of course (thanks, Billy from Philly)

26 April:

Added the setlist from Procol Harum's recent gig in Lisbon, Portugal

20 April 2019 : the twenty-fourth hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

Procol management have asked us to alert fans that the next two Procol gigs will be selling merchandise on a cash-only basis. Please don't expect to pay by plastic

Added a fourth set of brilliant pictures from the February's NYC Winery gigs (thanks, Bert)

Added a twenty-sixth array of personally-selected and captioned Procol pictures (thanks, Mary)

Booker T plays something (somewhat) familiar at about 5.45, here, before showing us how to crawl

Sorted out some rum links here (thanks, Zachary)

13 April 2019 : the twenty-third hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

Procol management have asked us to alert fans that the next two Procol gigs will be selling merchandise on a cash-only basis. Please don't expect to pay by plastic

Added a third set of outstanding pictures from the February's NYC Winery gigs (thanks, Bert)

Added a twenty-fifth array of personally-selected and captioned Procol pictures (thanks, Mary)

Just to dispel any residual confusion among our correspondents, about the status of The Albert Hall gig mentioned in last week's update: yes, it is certainly real and not an April Fool. Clicking the link will demonstrate this.

And also, at risk of labouring the point, this article is entirely specious ... as stated at the foot of the page. Clicking the link will demonstrate this.

8 April 2019 : the twenty-second hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

Thanks to all who wrote in having enjoyed our April Foolery this year, and commiserations to the single sap who sent in the right answers ... at which point ticket-demand exceeded supply.

For animal lovers who care about such trivia, the solution is here ... in alphabetical order, of course

Presale tickets for the RT + lifetime musical collaborators gig at The Albert Hall sold out in five minutes, and the public sale, started the following day, was equally rapid. Hope everyone got the tickets they wanted! (thanks, Flora Lipo)

Added a second set of excellent pictures from the February's NYC Winery gigs (thanks, Bert)

Added a twenty-fourth array of personally-selected and captioned Procol pictures (thanks, Mary)

Don't forget 13 April's Record-Store Day re-issues from Bucks Music etc ... see here for the single and here for the double album (which – as well as the strange 1967 US running order – includes Absolutamente Correcto / En Lo Que Duran Seis Peniques) (thanks, John and others)

April Fool's Day 2019 : the twenty-first hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

Added the first glimpses of an exciting musical event in London (thanks, Flora)

Added an archival article (thanks, Lipo) that we've temporarily modified to make a simple competition relating to the above entry

Added a first set of fine pictures from the February's NYC Winery gigs (thanks, Bert)

Added a twenty-third array of personally-selected and captioned Procol pictures (thanks, Mary)

23 March 2019 : the twentieth hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

Added a twenty-second array of personally-selected and captioned Procol pictures (thanks, Mary)

Added a page about the long-awaited re-issue of Broken Barricades with 36 bonus tracks

Added to our page about the mythical Procol Rainbow film (thanks, Anvil)

Added a graphic to this Beat Instrumental page (thanks, Jim)

Why not re-read a couple more good articles from the same organ ... here and here?

18 March 2019

Added a summer date for Procol Harum in a country not thus far included in the 2019 schedule (thanks, Barry)

'Procol Harum is a group whose music is easiest described as a combination of the bizarre and haunting ... should prove to be fascinating on or off stage'
Added a good-length 1968 Zeitgeist article in which Procol mischief hilariously subverts the publicity for a high-minded US university festival investigating the origins of rock, 'Why Are the Beatles?', etc (thanks, Martin)

Added a Paramounts ticket here (thanks, Anvil)

31 January 2019 : the sixteenth hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

Added two Procol Harum dates for April (thanks, Barry)

Procol cruise news (already taken ... that was quick!)
Stan Berman writes to BtP: 'Ok here goes for someone who was wanting to go on the cruise from 10 to 15 February. I bought cabin 2,350 from someone else who needed to sell it. She paid $3,074. I paid her $2,000 but now I can’t go. So if you ever wanted to go for a bargain, contact me and make an offer. The firm deadline from the cruise company is Friday 1 February so you have to act fast.

Added a seventeenth array of personally-selected and captioned Procol pictures (thanks, Mary)

Jens and Roland are very sorry to be the bringers of sad news about Henrik Gøttrup … whom readers will remember from the magnificent Procol Convention in Lejre, Denmark in 2006, where he was our excellent host, and made so many great friends. His wife Helle Frandsen tells us that Henrik suffered a severe and wholly unexpected brain-stem embolism before Christmas; his future still seems very uncertain. Despite his bodily paralysis, however, therapists are beginning to be aware of small movements in his legs, and a little in the arms. He will begin intensive therapy soon at a nearby hospital that specialises in the training of limbs and language. ‘We play a lot of Henrik’s beloved music, when we are with him,’ says Helle, who wants the Procol community to know what has happened. He is aware, and ‘can laugh and cry when emotions take over’. BtP will bring further news when we have it. Meanwhile we extend our love and best wishes to Henrik and Helle, children Jakob and Laura, and their wider family.

27 January 2019 : the fifteenth hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

RIP Jean Guillou, RIP Michel Legrand ... two great French musicians

Added a digested mp3 which removes the music, but preserves all the chat, from Gary Brooker's appearance this evening on local DAB radio with Brea Gosling. GB is present for the first hour, talking about his influences and some favourite songs, and Brea makes plenty of references to Procol in the second hour also. Overall, she played lots of PH songs, a Brooker Ensemble piece, and a Harry Brooker composition (of which you'll hear only token snippetry ...). Don't head immediately for the 26m 58s mark, but enjoy the whole show. We've left in some call-signs and a hint of some adverts for the enlightenment of non-British listeners.

Added a sixteenth array of personally-selected and captioned Procol pictures (thanks, Mary)

January 2019:

‘Beyond the Pale’ was glad to learn, in a call from the Brooker household on 23 January 2019, that Procol’s manager Chris Cooke is responding encouragingly to the treatment he’s been receiving since suffering a serious stroke before Christmas. Visiting him in hospital, Gary was heartened to find Chris propped up in a chair, already able to speak a few words, and beginning to recover a little control over the limbs affected by paralysis. 'He's still very ill, but we were happy to see him doing so well,' was the verdict.

20 January 2019 : the fourteenth hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

Added the liner note from Salvo's re-issue of Broken Barricades ... already ten years ago!

Added an intelligent Paramounts article from 1964 (thanks, Anvil)

Added a fifteenth array of personally-selected and captioned Procol pictures (thanks, Mary)

13 January 2019 : the thirteenth hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

Added a sequence of solution-pages for this year's puzzles here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. Even if you didn't play, these will be interesting!

'You sneaky bastard(s)!' ... '... it took a diabolical mind ... '
Added an entertaining page of competitors' comments ... many of them frank and revealing!

Added an intriguing personal concert diary (thanks, Frans)

Added a scan to this page (thanks, Bob)

Added a graphic to this review ... and why not re-read this historic, associated page? (thanks, Anvil)

8 January 2019 :

Added a schedule of Triumphant Victors in this year's Christmas Conundrums ... and some preliminary comments about solving the puzzles

5 January 2019 :

Added our twelfth, and final, beguilingly approachable page of Christmas clues

Click on the link at the bottom of the above page, and you'll find your way to the simple Final Procedure ... then you'll soon be sending in your answer!

You'll be sending us the answer AND your choice of prizes (twelve alphabetical letters, please)

4 January 2019 :

RIP Daryl Dragon

Added our eleventh, painless page of Christmas clues

And here's the second instalment of the Final Procedure, which in the past we haven't released until 5 January

And once again, the schedule of fabulous prizes ...

3 January 2019 :

RIP Dean Ford

Please read this very sad announcement relating to a key member of the Procol Harum team

Added our tenth, pellucid page of Christmas clues

2 January 2019 :

Added our ninth, unproblematic page of Christmas clues

And here's the first instalment of the Final Procedure, which in the past we haven't released until 5 January, but which we're drip-feeding this year, to make life easier on the final night

And once again, the schedule of fabulous prizes ... which are suddenly so much more easily attainable

01 January 2019 : Happy New Year to all!

Added our eighth, briefly-despatched page of Christmas clues

31 December 2018 :

Added our seventh, speedily-solved page of Christmas clues

30 December 2018 :

Added our sixth, easy page of Christmas clues

29 December 2018 :

Added our fifth, undemanding page of Christmas clues

28 December 2018 :

Added our fourth, transparent page of Christmas clues

27 December 2018 :

Added our third, uncomplicated page of Christmas clues. And a teeny hint: the info you're looking for, when you follow a link, may not be at the top of the article in question ... do read the whole page.

26 December 2018 :

Added our second, straightforward page of Christmas puzzles

25 December 2018 : Happy Christmas!

Added a Christmas message from two key representatives of Procol Harum (thanks, Gary, thanks Josh)

Added our first, simple page of Christmas puzzles ... good luck to all! Here's the schedule of fabulous prizes ...

Make sure you've read the page introducing this year's Puzzles before you put pen to paper

24 December 2018 : the eleventh hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

RIP Galt MacDermot

Added a page introducing this year's Christmas Puzzles (a simpler affair than usual ... just a question of collecting some song-titles)

Added a very good Resources Page to help you coast through the Christmas Puzzles and win your choice of prizes

Added a page of twenty photos showing Gary Brooker in action, with Eric Clapton and Albert Lee and many others, at the Concert for Chas last week (thanks, Gudrun)

Added a fourteenth array of personally-selected and captioned Procol pictures (thanks, Mary)

17 December 2018 : the tenth hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

Added a thirteenth array of personally-selected and captioned Procol pictures (thanks, Mary)

10 December 2018 :

Ian Hockley (of The Royal Opera House Muscat, and of The Palers' Band) presents a free, festive organ recital in London Thursday 13 December, under the auspices of the Anglo-Omani Society. He will take the audience on a journey through Denmark, Germany, Austria, France and on to Oman with a wide variety of music by Bach, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Widor, concluding with a new work, Sindbad, by Naji Hakim. England will be represented by composers with significant London connections, Purcell, Handel and John Stanley. The organ at St Andrew is a 1989 Mander

The details: Thursday 13 December 2018, 18:30 – 21:00 GMT, at St Andrew Holborn, 5 Saint Andrew Street, London EC4A 3AF; music at 7.00pm, but arrive at 6.30pm for a mince pie. The recital is free, as are the refreshments: register here

7 December 2018 : the ninth hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

Added a BtP exclusive, Keith Reid's first interview about his new album – In My Head – which is released today. A review of the ten songs is interleaved with Keith's revealing commentary (thanks, Keith)

Added the words of a new Keith Reid song, The Trial of the Century, in which the author looks back on a fairly recent lawsuit (thanks, Keith)

Incidentally, a signed copy of the above new album is among the fab prizes in the annual BtP Christmas Puzzle recreation ... more about that soon. For all those who can't wait, links to buy the album are here

Added a third page of fine photographs from one of Procol Harum's most memorable recent shows

Added a twelfth array of personally-selected and captioned Procol pictures (thanks, Mary)

Updated this crucial page, and this one

2 December 2018 : the eighth hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

Added a second page of excellent photographs from one of Procol Harum's most distinguished recent shows

Added an eleventh array of personally-selected and captioned Procol pictures (thanks, Mary)

Check in again on 7 December to read the weighty new BtP Keith Reid interview, which is also a review of his new album.

24 November 2018 :

AWSoP was sung live (vocal and piano) on BBC Radio 4's ISIHAC again this evening (thanks, Jeff) ... well worth a listen ... the link is on this page

24 November 2018 : the seventh hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

RIP the excellent Roy Bailey [MBE] ... another Southend connection

Added an illustrated review of Procol Harum's most recent concert (thanks, Mirek, and Mac)

Added a very strong set of Polish photographs here (thanks, Anvil)

'... another playground for the veteran ...'
Added a review of the new KRP album (thanks, Todd)

Added a tenth array of personally-selected and captioned Procol pictures (thanks, Mary)

19 November 2018 :

Quite by chance – 'continuum!' – BtP today (birthday of the late Allen 'One-Eye' Edelist) received a distinctive tribute to OE from a fellow fan who's only just found out the sad news ... click here ... (thanks, John)

18 November 2018 :

Updated two Polish pages, here and here (thanks, Howard)

17 November 2018 : the sixth hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

Added a first page of great photos from a recent Procol show

Added a ninth array of personally-selected and captioned Procol pictures (thanks, Mary)

'I wouldn’t assume to know what the song is about in its entirety ... I’ve written many myself ...'
Added another fan's brief page of notes about the 'meaning' of A Whiter Shade of Pale' (thanks, Nigel)

Added a link here which, should you choose to follow it, will yield access to a mixable online multitrack of A Whiter Shade of Pale ... albeit not the original!

'...an organ melody not a million miles away from you-know-what ...'
Again, can you judge from the above which album is being reviewed in this archival review (thanks, Royston)

10 November 2018 : the fifth hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

Added a page of great photographs from one of Procol Harum's finest recent shows

Updated this interesting schedule of songs (thanks, Todd)

Overhauled this hastily-typed review of last month's Procol Palladium concert

The Procol road-crew accomplish a speedy set-up in this instructive lo-fi collage from Zoetermeer, November 2018. With help from local hands, John Magner fettles the piano and lead guitar; Thomas Wyler the drums; and Howard Colinese the bass and other keyboards.

Added an eighth array of personally-selected and captioned Procol pictures (thanks, Mary)

Updated this crucial page

Added the setlist from Procol's recent show at Alkmaar, Netherlands

' ... there is no epic this time, shorter songs are the order of the day ...'
Again, can you judge from the above which album is being reviewed in this archival review (thanks, Royston)

Added a seventh array of personally-selected and captioned Procol pictures (thanks, Mary)

Added some more venues to this end-of-show photographs page (thanks Pia and Peter)

Added a Procol Harum concert for 2019, across the water (thanks, Julia)

Corrected an error here (sorry, Gary Brooker)

Added the setlist from Procol's triumphant show at Zoetermeer, Netherlands

1 November 2018 :

Added some audience photographs (of the musicians, onstage) from the Esbjerg concert (thanks, Peter H)

Added the setlist from Procol's recent show at Zwolle, Netherlands

Hallowe'en 2018 :

Added some audience photographs from Procol's recent show at Sønderborg, Denmark

Added some end-of-show photographs, which you can help us identify! (many thanks, Thomas)

30 October 2018 :

Added the setlist from Procol's recent show at Sønderborg, Denmark

Corrected an error here (thanks, Kim) and added some choice pictures here (thanks, Erik)

Expanded the setlist from Aalborg with comments about the songs, banter-notes, and so forth

Added the setlist from Procol's cracking show at Aalborg, Denmark

27 October 2018 : the third hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

Added the setlist from Procol's recent show at Odense, Denmark

'If you consider yourself a fan of progressive rock, and you do not yet own a copy of this album, you owe it to yourself to invest in a record that pointed the way ...'
Again, can you judge from the above which album is being reviewed in this archival review (thanks, Royston)

Added a sixth array of personally-selected and captioned Procol pictures (thanks, Mary)

Added a nice find to our 'whiter shade of pale' common-parlance feature (thanks, George)

26 October 2018 :

Added the setlist from Procol's recent show at Esbjerg, Denmark

Added the setlist, with illustrations and comments, from Procol's recent, definitive show at Greve, Denmark

24 October 2018 :

Added another Procol Harum concert, overseas (thanks, Julia)

Added the setlist from Procol's recent show at Magdeburg, Germany (thanks, Chris)

Added the setlist from Procol's recent show at Hannover, Germany

22 October 2018 :

Added the setlist from Procol's recent show at Bonn, Germany

21 October 2018 :

Added the setlist from Procol's recent show at Heilbronn, Germany (thanks, Howard and Uta)

Added a comprehensive and well-illustrated review of Procol Harum in Vienna (thanks, Charlie)

20 October 2018 : the second hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

Added an excellent review of one of the recent Esoteric re-mastered albums. Why didn't critics respond this way at the time? (thanks, Paul)

A British politician offers a controversial opinion of a Whiter Shade of Pale (thanks, Charlie)

Added early news of a forthcoming album from a former member of Procol Harum (thanks, Anvil)

Added a fifth array of personally-selected and captioned Procol pictures (thanks, Mary)

Added the setlist from Procol's recent show at Chemnitz, Germany (thanks Mario, Matthias)

17 October 2018 :

Added photos from Procol's recent show at Berlin, Germany (thank you, Peter)

Added the setlist from Procol's recent show at Berlin, Germany (thank you, Peter)

Added another illustrated BtP review of the Procol Palladium concert (thanks, Charlie)

Updated crucial pages here, here, here, here, here, here and here

15 October 2018 : the first hebdomadal bulletin for Year #22 at 'Beyond the Pale'

Added an illustrated BtP review of the Procol Palladium concert (thanks, Howard)

Added the setlist from Procol's recent show at Zürich, Switzerland (thanks, Heidi)

' ... like influences from traditional French music ...'
Can you judge from the above which album is being reviewed in this archival review (thanks, Royston)

Added a fourth set of personally-selected and captioned Procol pictures (thanks, Mary)

Added a link here about David Knights's time with Jimi Hendrix (thanks, Charlie)

14 October 2018 :

Added the setlist from Procol's recent show at Vienna, Austria (thanks, Charlie)

Added an illustration here (thanks, F)

12 October 2018 :

Added the setlist from Procol's recent show at Winterbach, Germany

11 October 2018 :

Added a high-angle page of London Palladium concert photographs (thank you, Linda)

10 October 2018 :

Added a comprehensive page of London Palladium rehearsal photographs (thank you, Linda)

9 October 2018 :

Added the setlist from Procol Harum's epic concert at The London Palladium, their fortieth with choir and orchestra ... more concert notes will follow, but sleep is a more pressing priority

8 October 2018 : the final hebdomadal bulletin for Year #21 at 'Beyond the Pale'

RIP Montserrat Caballé, RIP Kim Larsen

Today's the twenty-first birthday of 'Beyond the Pale', which we duly celebrated with a fine crew of Procoholics in a London restaurant (thank you, Linda)

Added a few snaps of Procol Harum in rehearsal (thank you, Linda)

Added an interesting page of ancient lo-fi photos of the great BJ Wilson – whom we always remember on this date – in action in the late 60s and early 70s (thanks, Mystery Donor)

Added a link to a great clip of Richard Williams from the Palers' Band, playing Bringing Home the Bacon on BJ Wilson's restored drum kit ... full story here (thanks, Rich!)

Added a third selection of personally-selected and captioned Procol pictures (thanks, Mary)

Please read the autumn gigs page for news about two gigs in doubt (thanks, Chris)

Alumnae corner: from The Palers' Band, Jeremy Gilien was featured composer here (interview / performances); the Lemon Twigs are en route to the UK to record Later With Jools Holland; and from The Palers' Project, Jack Briggs (Mick Grabham's kinsman) has a couple of tracks on YouTube and an album deal

What was new on this website in past times