Procol Harum

Beyond
the Pale

What was new at 'Beyond the Pale'

July 2004

July 31:

BtP's summer competition: to win the new Procol Harum DVD, or the latest Palers' Project album, just identify this song, from From Shadow to Shadow, and make a note of it (all you need is BtP's search page, the song pages and the stories of the players):

Step 18: on this Palers' Project track you may hear two non-human – but nonetheless mammalian – participants; the piece in question is part of a rather famous long suite.

Added a page showing the magnificently appropriate surroundings in which Procol Harum were to have played their Hungarian concert earlier in the month ... and tomorrow we'll show you the same environs by daylight too

What other connection is there between Procol Harum and Colosseum? Answer is here ...

July 30:

Step 17: the man who recorded this Palers' Project track – the piece in question is not a song as such – looks after 400 nurses in his day job ...

Added a final page of photographs of the superb line-up that the Commander unleashed on the concert-goers of Guildford for his opening salvo of 2004 (thanks, Ben)

Re-read an account of another Brooker R'n'B gig, featuring many of the same players as shown above

July 29:

Step 16: on this Palers' Project track – the song originates from Procol's first album of the New Testament – the percussion parts were dictated by 'phone across the Atlantic ocean

Added the sixth of a series of excellent performance pictures: Procol Harum in Vienna (thanks, Daniela)

Relive Procol Harum onstage before a very big crowd

July 28:

Step 15: you'll hear a 12-string bass on this Palers' Project track – the song originates from a Procol album released in the present century

Added the second in a sequence of pages, in which you may read the various pieces from the concert programme for Procol Harum's recital at the Hollywood Bowl in September 1973. This is the Procol essay written by Cameron Crowe when he was about 16 (thanks, Roxie; thanks, Jill)

In which connection, you might care to re-read the Procol's Ninth Tour programme?

July 27:

Step 14: this Palers' Project track – the song originates from Matthew Fisher's solo work – is named after a street in England

Added the fifth of a series of striking performance pictures: Procol Harum in Vienna (thanks, Daniela)

No connection, but it's time to re-read this page of Chris Copping's observations on the Procol biography ... nuggets aplenty

Today is the anniversary of the first public gig by the Palers´ Band, who had hitherto performed only to friends and fellow-fans at BtP conventions. See here and here for the two bands who played to the general public at BB King´s Club in Hollywood, the day before Procol played their outdoor gig at LA ... and their indoor gig at our party!

July 26:

Step 13: this Palers' Project track – the song itself predates Procol Harum – was written by Robin Trower and Gary Brooker ... no Keith Reid

' ...if ever you wanted a violation of the 'true spirit' of rock music, you got it right here ...'

Added a warmly appreciative review of the seventh Procol Harum album, Grand Hotel (thanks, John)

To what extent did the grandiose, elaborate presentation of the above album and its package influence Procol fan Geoff Whitehorn? Remind yourself of his album, issued the following year

July 25:

Step 12: this Palers' Project track – the song originates from Procol's 1967 album and is said to be the first thing Brooker and Reid wrote – includes a quotation from the first King Crimson album

Added the fourth of a sequence of superb performance pictures: Procol Harum in Vienna (thanks, Daniela)

Vienna is in Austria, where Gary Brooker played the best piano ever ...

July 24:

Step 11: mixed by the legendary Larry Hirsch, this Palers' Project track – the song is found on Procol's first album, and their sixth, and their Live at the BBC CD, and their DVDs – was recently described by Chris Copping as being 'better than any of the Procol versions'

Added a link to hitherto-unremarked Geoff Whitehorn / Siggi Schwartz recording (thanks, Hermann)

Added somewhat to the Whitehorn equipment notes (thanks Rich, thanks Geoff)

If you were a stripper would you be prepared to be fobbed off with the Four Tops when you'd asked for Procol Harum? (thanks, Beverly)

July 23:

Step 10: this Palers' Project track – the song originates from Procol's 1971 album – was recorded live in San Francisco in 1977

Added another review of From Shadow to Shadow (thanks, Allen)

We welcome more reviews from Procol Harum fans who have ordered this album. There are still CDs in stock so order yours while you can.

Now read another Procoloid review from the same city

July 22:

Step 9: the D50 synth on this Palers' Project track – the song originates from a Procol single from 1969 – was programmed (a long time ago!) by an erstwhile member of Fairport Convention who has a double 'a' in his forename

Added the third of a series of excellent performance pictures: Procol Harum in Vienna (thanks, Daniela)

Now is a good time to revisit the only page at BtP about tongue-nailing

July 21: Procol Harum management confirms that the concert in Amorbach was cancelled yesterday :-(

Step 8: the singer of this Palers' Project track – the song originates from Procol's 1969 album – played with Mungo Jerry

Added a page of photographs taken at the soundcheck before the recording of the Islington DVD (thanks, Unsteady Freddie)

Terrific pictures from Freddie may be seen here, if you recall.

July 20: Latest: Procol Harum management now confrims that the concert in Amorbach was cancelled today :-(

Step 7: Gary Brooker's voice is heard briefly on this Palers' Project track – the song originates from Procol's most recent album though it was toured before that and written long before it was toured.

Added some pictures of Gary Brooker's 'other band' just before Christmas

It's nice when people write in and summarise PH gigs they've been to – as here for example – so do feel free to do the same

July 19:

Step 6: this Palers' Project track – the song originates from a Matthew Fisher solo album – is played by a songwriter who's been recorded by the Carpenters

Added the second of a sequence of striking performance pictures: Procol Harum in Vienna (thanks, Daniela)

Added a repport and the setlist from the first PH by Proxy concert that we know of (thanks Allen, thanks Roland)

It would be nice to know more about who played what on Lead Me to the Water ...

July 18:

Step 5: this Palers' Project track – the song originates from Procol's 1968 album – is sung by a female descendant of the female person who put the words together (yes, you may have to read some of those song pages for detail, but it's worth it!)

Think of songs that include the word 'fandango' ... how many of them explicitly refer to Procol Harum? Here's one that does (thanks, Rupert)

Here's another song on the same theme

Remind yourself, for no particular reason, of this page with its nude Procolers snap

July 17: A week until Procol Harum play Amorbach

Step 4: the arranger of this Palers' Project track – the song originates from a very recent Harum album – has toured with Leonard Bernstein

July 16:

Step 3: the bass-player on this Palers' Project track – the song originates from a very recent Procol album – has recorded with Mickey Jupp

Added a page of pictures commemorating Procol Harum's recent gig in Vienna (thanks, Peter)

Remind yourself of a fantastic orchestral Procol treatment by the contributor of the above photographs : you can order it on CD here.

July 15:

Step 2: the drumming of the great BJ Wilson is heard on this Palers' Project track – the song originates from a 1967 Procol single

Added some performance pictures of Procol in Campione (thanks, Stefano)

Remind yourself of Procol Harum at Bramhall – an equally improbable setting for the band

July 14:

We announce another great BtP competition, The 39 Steps: read all about it here. To win the new Procol Harum DVD (thanks, Eagle Rock), or the latest Palers' Project album, just identify this song, from From Shadow to Shadow, and make a note of it (all you need is the song pages and the stories of the players):

Step 1: the great drummer on this Palers' Project track (the original song opened an early-ish Procol album recorded with a fresh line-up) has played on several Robin Trower albums

Would you like a pre-publication glimpse of some more of the DVD package?

July 13:

If you were a Procol Harum fan exactly 34 years ago today, you may recognise the scene – if not a picture of yourself – at the foot of this page (thanks, Evan)

Details of Procol's touring in that year may be found here.

Added a cover of A Whiter Shade of Pale by the band Overland ... or perhaps that should be a band Overland, since another is mentioned here and here (thanks, Hans)

July 12:

Added some pictures of the last, informal Procol Harum performance of 2003

Remind yourself of Guildford 2000, when Procol Harum last played with a saxophonist

July 11:

Added a page of pictures from the recent Vienna soundcheck

Added a page of pictures from the Vienna gig itself, from the same camera

Added a note of a Procol TV broadcast we've all just missed (thanks, Roberto)

July 10: A fortnight until Procol Harum play Amorbach

We're sorry to report that Procol Harum's gig in Budapest is cancelled

Added a ticket to the 1973 collection. From time to time fans write in to BtP with corrections, and we welcome this: in this instance, we'd listed the venue incorrectly for Procol's Houston gig in June 1973: good to see pictorial evidence which contradicts the received wisdom (thanks, Scott)

Remember the auction of the amp head, signed by Robin Trower? Added a photo of the axemeister in flagrante, as it were (thanks, Locust)

July 9:

Added a couple of short reviews of Procol Harum in Vienna

Remind yourself of what Procol played in Vienna in 1975

July 8:

Added the first of a series of excellent concert pictures: Procol Harum in Vienna (thanks, Daniela)

Have another look at the band onstage in Vienna twelve years ago.

July 7:

Added a third page of photographs of the exotic line-up that Mr Brooker unleashed on the populace of Guildford for his opening gig of 2004 (thanks, Ben)

It was in the same hall as the above that fans first heard the Brooker / Reid rarity, A Real Attitude: details here

July 6:

Added a pilgrim's continuing account of a journey to the Swiss–Italian border to hear Procol Harum (thanks, Stefano)

You might care to revisit another fan's diary ...

July 5:

Added the first of a series of pages, in which you may read the various pieces from the concert programme for Procol Harum's recital at the Hollywood Bowl in September 1973 (thanks, Roxie; thanks, Jill)

Please mail us, having read this setlist page, if you've got a better idea of exactly what songs were played at the above, famous concert.

July 4: A fortnight until Procol Harum play Budapest

Added the set-list, and some performance notes, from Procol Harum's concert last night in Vienna (thanks, Jens)

Added ticket-pictures here, here and here (thanks, Harry)

July 3: Tonight Procol Harum play Vienna; three weeks until Procol Harum play Amorbach

Added some performance pictures of Procol in Verona (thanks, Stefano)

Nice to revisit some soundcheck pictures from the same camera, a couple of years ago

July 2:

Added details to two pages devoted to Procol Harum bass-players, here (thanks, Dave B) and here (thanks, Dave T)

Created a tickets-page for 1983 (thanks, Peptode)

July 1:

What does Brian Wilson think when he hears Matthew Fisher's famous organ line beginning A Whiter Shade of Pale? Added a page here (thanks, Alan)

In view of the above, now could be a good time to revisit various people's accounts of AWSoP as landmarks in their lives: here, here, here, here and here

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Read what was new at BtP in previous months