What was new at 'Beyond the Pale'

November 2004

November 30: Remember to bid on this unique item

Added a Procol piece from the Manchester Evening News (thanks, Phil)

Why not revisit some of the pages about fans' activities on the fringes of Procol Harum's most recent, and fantastic, concert in Manchester?

November 29:

Added an illustration to the page about Procol Harum's forthcoming concert in Paris (thanks, Chris)

November 28:  Procol Harum play London in fourteen weeks' time Final chance for collectors to bid on the original Grand Hotel artwork, selling for the joint benefit of this website and the BJ Wilson Memorial Fund

Added a note about an unexpected Procol mention in John Mendelssohn's new book about Kate Bush ... and make sure you click the Amazon link and enjoy the critiques offered by outraged Bushoholics (thanks, Cathy)

Follow up the above by reading John Mendelssohn's excellent liner notes for The Prodigal Stranger ... and Gary Brooker's remarks about going to play organ for Kate Bush ... and Brooker singing backup to Bush

November 27:  Auction ends shortly:  Remember to bid on the original Grand Hotel artwork, to be sold for the joint benefit of this website and the BJ Wilson Memorial Fund

Added some interesting pieces of on-the-road Procolabilia from the band's 2003 Japanese tour: see the documents appended here and here and here and here (thanks, One-Eye)

Note: we have now sold out of tickets for Gary's Saturday show on December 18; there are still tickets for 17 December. Click here to order, and to find out what charities the Brookers are supporting.

Added another picture – BJ Wilson – to the record of this 1974 gig (thanks, John)

November 26:  

Added illustrations to pages here and here and here (thanks, One-Eye)

Remember these illustrations, from the same part of the world?

November 25:

Added several tweaks to this mis-reported credits page (thanks, Crossbill)

Added 'a whiter shade of weed' to this ever-expanding feature

Remind yourself of BtP's collection of Procol promo labels

November 24:

Added some more recognition for A Whiter Shade of Pale from a disappointingly ill-informed US magazine (thanks, No 6)

Remind yourself of the kinds of things Rolling Stone printed about the earlier Procol albums ... Broken Barricades

November 23:

On American Independence Day in 1998 BtP published a harrowing account of a Procol gig by a young journalist who'd been on tour with the band. (We prefaced the announcement thus ... Q. How long was it between the festivals at Woodstock and at Atlanta? A. Long enough for the meaning of 'take care of' to shift from 'affectionately protect' to 'dash out teeth with a bit of 2 by 4').

The first page of the article, however, was missing – so it was a particular pleasure when, just 76 months later, the author himself sent us the missing leaf, and very interesting it is too: portraits of the Home-era band before they go onstage, intriguing remarks about the band's unfolding repertoire, and of course BJ's reaction as rain drips from Fred's breasts.

So you can read the whole piece at last! (thanks, Allan)

From the stage angle it all sounds like a disaster ... so restore yourself by re-reading an account of the same gig from a fan's point of view.

November 22: RIP Terry Melcher

Added something very interesting indeed: Gary Brooker has given BtP some original artwork from the Grand Hotel album, to be sold for the joint benefit of the website and the BJ Wilson Memorial Fund (many thanks, Gary)

This illustration is going to look absolutely fantastic, stylishly-framed on some Procoholic's wall. To see the picture in detail, and to proceed to place your bids at eBay, click on this link.

Another item of interest to Palers is the new book about the Concert for George, featuring Gary Brooker and No Stiletto Shoes as the 'house band'. Gary Brooker is a contributor to this book. More information here

November 21:  Procol Harum play London in fifteen weeks' time

Added many names to our schedule of online fans ... please check that yours is correct, or send in any missing details

Added some ticket-holders to the page about the next Procol Harum concert ... if you'll be there, let us know

Don't miss Gary Brooker's Christmas shows in the UK: visit this page for online booking!

November 20:

Added an article about a very unusual cover of Homburg ... (thanks, Sam) ... more information would be welcome!

Added some Romanian to this useful page (thanks, Fana Stefan)

November 19:

Added the fourteenth in our sequence of pages, in which you may read about Isaiah Jackson, conductor, from the concert programme for Procol Harum's recital at the Hollywood Bowl in September 1973 (thanks, Roxie; thanks, Jill)

Remind yourself of the activities of another Procol Harum conductor, Eberhard Schoener

November 18: Tomorrow's the last day that you can vote A Whiter Shade of Pale to the top of the Vinyl 107 chart

Added an illustrated page about the artist and designer Spencer Zahn, who has done distinguished work for Procol Harum (thanks, Spencer)

November 17:

Added more pictures of Procol Harum on stage in 1974 (thanks, John)

Remind yourself how organist Josh Phillips first became involved in playing with Procol Harum

November 16:

 Added an illustrated article on actress Kate Bosworth to our page about the words 'Whiter Shade of Pale' in common use (thanks, Joey)

November 15:

Added the thirteenth in our series of pages, in which you may read about 'Musicians' Musicians' from the concert programme for Procol Harum's recital at the Hollywood Bowl in September 1973 (thanks, Roxie; thanks, Jill)

November 14: Procol Harum play London in sixteen weeks' time

Added two more Procol Harum concerts here and here – to next year's date-schedule (thanks, Chris)

One or two reports have come in of PH tickets on sale at other venues, but please remember that any such purchases are made at fans' own risk, since such dates – if not confirmed at this website – are pre-contractual, and the concerts may not actually take place.

Added a Procoloid poster from a while ago ... February 1968 in fact (thanks, Dave)

November 13:

Added more sheet-music scans to our page of same (thanks, Richard)

Don't miss Gary Brooker's Christmas shows in the UK: visit this page for online booking!

Added more songbook details to our page of same (thanks, Richard)

November 12: Just a week left for voting A Whiter Shade of Pale to the top of the Vinyl 107 chart

Added the twelfth in our sequence of pages, in which you may read the Mick Grabham profile from the concert programme for Procol Harum's recital at the Hollywood Bowl in September 1973 (thanks, Roxie; thanks, Jill)

Added this Amazon link to a Gary Brooker book (thanks, Charlie!)

Added some ticket-holders to the page about the next Procol Harum concert ... if you'll be there, let us know

November 11:

Added a really nice review of Lost in the Looking-Glass and From Shadow to Shadow (thanks, Guy)

Both these albums will make great Christmas presents for the Procoholic who has (almost) everything: online ordering is here

Remember Gary Brooker's first response to the Palers' Project on record? 'If Procol weren't actually doing something now, that would have made me run out and "do it"!!'

November 10:  

Added a nice picture of Procol on stage in 1974 (thanks, John)

Christmas shopping idea – February Convention
Many Palers are aware that Roland has been moonlighting of late; he's now in a position to unveil the three-day Convention he's been co-planning in London for next February. Closely modeled on BtP's Palers' Conventions, it celebrates an artist whose fame parallels that of Procol Harum: renowned for one incontrovertible classic, and overlooked for his other twelve major works except by a well-informed and fiercely loyal cult audience. This is the welcome penalty of following one's Muse rather than one's wallet, and not being interested in going with the flow. Palers will richly enjoy his works – as fantastical as they are illuminating – and when you buy any by clicking here, 'Beyond the Pale' benefits by a few cents. And you resolve your Yuletide shopping-dilemmas ...

November 9:

Procol Harum's management have just confirmed the line-up for the London show and ensuing gigs (thanks, Chris)

Don't miss Gary Brooker's Christmas shows in the UK: visit this page for online booking!

Added a picture of Gary Brooker and a piano-grand to the foot of this page: anyone know its source?

November 8:

Added a Procol ticket for an early gig when Josh Philips played Hammond for the band (thanks, Jörn)

Started a page for recording seat-numbers, so fans can find each other when Procol play London in March. Please send your name to be added.

November 7:  Procol Harum play London in seventeen weeks' time

   'If I’m not enjoying it, I won’t do it any more.'

One of many revealing and interesting remarks made by members of Procol Harum for French television ... another concerns the last days of BJ's life (thanks, Jill)

'... Heavy accents from seedy suburbs ...': it's time to re-read this strongly-worded Procol piece from France.

November 6:

What's it like to be perenially asked the same, obvious question?

Added an interview transcript: Gary Brooker at a Danish Festival in 1992 (thanks, Jill)

Have a look at a nice illustrated setlist for the above festival.

November 5: Just a fortnight left for voting A Whiter Shade of Pale to the top of the Vinyl 107 chart  

Added a page of photographs of Procol Harum on stage in London, 1969 (thanks, Robert)

More about Procol Harum playing in 1969 may be found here, and there are additional pictures in the first-ever BtP page from, 1997

November 4:

Added another recent interview with Geoff Whitehorn (thanks, Dmitri)

Don't forget to vote to send A Whiter Shade of Pale to Number One!

November 3:

BtP had a nice chat with Geoff Whitehorn ... following which we've added up-to-date equipment notes and a slew of winter dates (thanks, Geoff)

If you can't get to Germany for those gigs, Gary Brooker is onstage in the UK several of the same nights: visit this page for online booking!

November 2:

In view of the fact that a number of BtP visitors will have presidential issues on their minds today, it's our pleasure to add a very recent Presidential Address that gives proper prominence to a subject of real interest (thanks, Mr President)

Remind yourself of Dave Knights's liberal opinion on Lyndon B Johnson, a former president of the USA

November 1:

Brooker tickets for December!
No Stiletto Shoes: until now Gary Brooker's yearly R'n'B fiestas, the legendary Christmas Charity Gigs, have been open to non-local people by word-of-mouth only. For 17 and 18 December 2004, however, 'Beyond the Pale' has arranged with Franky Brooker for a number of tickets to reservable online. Visit this page for geographical directions and online ordering – don't forget to specify the name of each punter, or you won't be able to collect your tickets on the door. (thanks, Franky)

Remind yourself of some of Gary's guest celebrity musicians, as recorded in our written and pictorial accounts of previous Surrey Christmas Shows: 1994, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2003

Read what was new on this website in previous months