What was new at 'Beyond the Pale'

April 2000

April 30, Walpurgisnacht:

Added a page of Hendrix quotations: two about Hendrix from Gary Brooker and one apiece from Robin Trower and Keith Reid; and then one from King Jimi himself about PH on stage (thanks, David)

Can anyone let us know what Rascals and Dylan songs Procol used to play?

UK viewers: get set for GB with the Rhythm Kings on BBC2's Later with Jools Holland next weekend

You might also like to revisit 1998's 'Beyond the Pale' special, in which a world-spanning bevy of contributors offered their superbly personal and frequently-contradictory celebrations of Repent Walpurgis: this was one of the best-received features this website has mounted.

April 29:

Added another page from Procol's former tape-op, Chris Michie: Edmonton: notes on the making of the live record (thanks, Chris)

Added a very pleasing codicil and two surprising illustrations to our recent story about the French novel in which 'Gary Brooker was hiccoughing on another worn-out groove …' (thanks, Malène and Didier)

April 28:

Added a page of little reviews from Circus: cutely contentious! (thanks, David)

Added two Portuguese-language Procol covers to this page, and further detail about them here and here (thanks, Aurélio)

April 27:

Added another page from Procol's former tape-op, Chris Michie: Broken Barricades: notes on the recording of the songs (thanks, Chris)

April 26:

Added some hitherto-unpublished colour shots of the Trower / Fisher line-up in concert ... everyone is shown, but RT commands the lion's share (thanks, Jeremy)

Added yet more detail to our AWSoP covers page (thanks, Hermann and Jonny)

April 25:

Added another page from Procol's former tape-op, Chris Michie: his studio diary: relating to the recording and mixing sessions for the Broken Barricades album (thanks, Chris)

Added a picture and an informative link to our page about Procol's 1993 drummer (thanks, Marjorie)

Added an unexpected claim about the Mediaeval Baebes to Matthew Fisher's non-Procol studio roster (thanks, Sam)

April 24:

Added some full and interesting Brooker recording news, and a very recent setlist featuring two Brooker numbers and lots of lead vocals (thanks, Frans)

Read here how Procol roadies protected the DJ who hosted their Live BBC album (thanks, Sam)

April 23:

'Cuppa grouts, Chris?’

Added an intriguing BtP interview with tape-operator Chris 'The Grouts' Michie, whose name is familiar to all PH-album small-print watchers.

Further good pages, including notes on the recording of several PH albums, will follow from the same scrupulous source (many thanks, Chris, and happy fiftieth birthday today!)

April 22:

Added a birthday piece from a prime contributor to 'Beyond the Pale', including an illustration and a suggested new use for a day in May (thanks, Beverly)

UK Palers: don't forget to watch Gary and the Rhythm Kings at 9.15 pm on ITV's Brian Conley Show

April 21:

Added another excerpt from Crossroads – The Life and Music of Eric Clapton : an account of how Gary left the Clapton band (thanks, Joan)

Added a speculative piece about a reference in a 1999 film to the Octopus in the Bathtub (thanks, Joan)

UK Palers: set your VCRs for tomorrow at 9.15 pm when Gary Brooker and the Rhythm Kings play ITV's Brian Conley Show

April 20:

'Brooker … is not the slightest bit interested in the sort of masturbatory histrionics practised with regularity by Keith Emerson'

Added a hyperbolically good review of the Edmonton album from Hit Parader, who add an unusual illustration with wittily ironic caption (thanks, Marvin, thanks, Anthony)

April 19:

Added an excerpt from Crossroads – The Life and Music of Eric Clapton in which the Parrot Band is born, and GB tours and records with EC (thanks, Joan)

Added four illustrations to this Procol article (thanks, Allen)

Also added even one more additional date for Rhythm Kings in Newcastle 3. July. (thanks, Diane)

April 18:

"Alcohol, little by little, is replacing blood in the group's veins …"

Added a very interesting and provoking French article, with an English translation, which takes a look at the Procol of the 1975 Orange Festival (merci, Malène)

Also added an additional date for Rhythm Kings in London 18. June. (thanks, Diane)

April 17:

Added a desolating conclusion to our excerpts from the Clapton biography: Pages 302-305 in which Eric summarily fires Gary and many other top players (thanks, Kerry)

Added a Russian perspective to this page (thanks, Jonas and Olga)

April 16:

Added a setlist from the Orange Festival, 1975

Added a page about the first AWSoP of Bamse (thanks, Niels-Erik)

Read a nice review of a Procol compilation here, and revisit our compilation page here (thanks, Beverly)

Also added links to some Robin Trower interviews from the Robin Trower page (thanks again Beverly)

April 15:

Added yet another Brookeresque excerpt from the Clapton biography: Pages 299-300, in which Brooker joins the Clapton band (thanks, Kerry)

Added another letter to the foot of the page of correspondence about Procol Harum on (or not on) VH1 (thanks, Beverly)

April 14:

Tickets are impossible to get, yet the gig is sold-out twice; CDs for sale are nailed to the table; an audience of 'horizontal sardines' can buy drinks only with 'horse' tokens …

Is it a typical Procoholic's nightmare, or is it Jerry Brooker and the Rhythm Kings playing Krefeld on 12 April? (thanks, Frank)

Please send BtP more reports (and pictures) from the present Rhythm Kings tour!

April 13:

Added a dozen further versions to the AWSoP covers page (search for {interestingly enough} 'Alan Parker', 'Atoms', 'Hagar / Schon / Aaronson / Shrieve', 'Michael Wendorf', 'Pudhys', 'Komm mit Mann', 'Nic Potter', 'Landslaget', 'The Impact', 'The Hollies', 'The Don Reeve Sound' and 'Byron Lee') (thanks, António and Hermann and Jonny)

Revamped our index page about Procol Harum concerts: new illustrations too (thanks Karl)

Added another Danish mention, at the foot of this page, of Claes Johansen's recently-published Procol biography, Beyond the Pale (thanks, Niels-Erik). Direct-click to order the book from Amazon USA or from Amazon UK, and click here if you're not happy with the Danish newspaper's spelling …

Also on that page, another justifiable rant against speling-erors! (thanks, Jonny)

April 12:

Added a further Brookerly excerpt from the Clapton biography: Pages 244-246, in which we learn of the Parrot band and Surrey gigs (thanks, Kerry)

Added an illustration to this setlist (thanks, John O)

Added news of a Brooker UK TV appearance in ten days' time (thanks, Diane)

April 11:

Added a link to a very comprehensive Mark Brzezicki discography / gigography (thanks, Beverly) and a picture of Mark in action (thanks, Andrew)

Added a picture of Gary playing AWSoP with the SAS band at Chiddingfold, and another of Procol's Josh Phillips on Hammond at the same gig (thanks, Andrew)

Procol Harum albums continue to fetch ostrobogulous prices at Ebay: see here (thanks, Tony)

April 10:

Added another interestingly Brookerian excerpt from the Clapton biography: Page 228, and 231-234, in which Gary predicts Eric will be a fisherman forever and EC's obsession is born (thanks, Kerry)

Added an illustration to this concert review (thanks, Allen) and another to our Grand Hotel page (thanks, Beverly)

April 9:

Following an appeal to Palers for assistance, we're able to add a full transcript of the Matthew Fisher interview broadcast 25 March 2000 on BBC Radio 2 (thanks, Matt W)

Lots of lateral links in this piece … maybe some of them lead to bits of BtP that you have not explored before?

Gary Brooker informs us that there are still copies of Within Our House available from his own 'Gazza' label. Go to the Shine On Merchandise page for details and ordering information.

April 8:

Added an interestingly Brookerish excerpt from the Clapton biography: Pages 155-158, in which Brooker and Clapton team up and Gary observes Eric's problem (thanks, Kerry)

Added an illustration to this setlist (thanks, Allen)

Added a link to the new Robin Trower official website (thanks, Joan)

Today: at 20.15 (8.15 pm): The Rhythm Kings featuring Gary Brooker are scheduled to guest at RTL TV Germany's Millionaer Gesucht- Die Skl Show. This information is not to be found in the papers , but is confirmed on videotext (thanks, Hermann)

April 7: Happy Birthday and Silver Wedding Anniversary to Whalers' supremo, Michael Ackermann!

Added the beginnings of a new an useful BtP feature: a tour index. Granted there's not much stuff there at present, so ... please send us tour schedules to include.

First new feature is the opening tour of the New Testament (thanks, Allen)

Tomorrow: 8 April at 20.15 (8.15 pm): The Rhythm Kings featuring Gary Brooker are scheduled to guest at RTL TV Germany's Millionaer Gesucht- Die Skl Show. This information is not to be found in the papers , but is confirmed on videotext (thanks, Hermann)

April 6:

In a fresh challenge to the Procol completists, added a lot of detail, about his post-Harum records and films, to Chris Copping's BtP page (thanks, Vicki)

April 5:

Added another review of Claes Johansen's recently-published Procol biography, Beyond the Pale (thanks, Niels-Erik and Allan)

Direct-click to order the book from Amazon USA or from Amazon UK

April 4:

'I was the only person in Toronto to show up for Procol Harum's last-ever show …'

Added a poignant clarification about the 1977 PH tour schedule we published last night, thanks to the lightning-response of a very helpful Paler (thanks, Anthony)

April 3:

And so we wind up this year's April Fool's day fun, here.

Added the Procol tour schedule for the very end of the Old Testament. But were these Canadian gigs ever played? Please let us know (thanks, Beverly)

April 2:

Added news of some Hammond-related projects from Conquistador Films (thanks, Will)

Added a page about a new CD from a considerable Procol fan (thanks, Hans)

Yesterday we warned visitors to BtP that we would have to move to a new location owing to possible hacker attack. Did the hackers jam our servers, or was it just a hoax on April Fool's Day? Read more here.

And what about the other entries in 'What's new' yesterday. How many true, how many false?

April Fool's Day

'It's ... Monty Procol's Flying Harum'
A considered and penetrating analysis of the influence of Procol Harum on Monty Python, and vice versa (thanks, Niels-Erik!)

Added a link that (if you hurry) will enable you to bid (should you be that way inclined) for a Procol Plastercast made during one of the band's early visits to the USA (thanks, Jim!)

URGENT! BtP will be moving address to avoid possible hacker attack. See details and instructions here

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