What was new at 'Beyond the Pale'

January 31:

We're sure nobody's forgotten BtP's Paramounts scrapbook feature ...

January 30:  Procol Harum play London in five weeks' time

" ... a three-song stretch ... is as strong a musical block as anything in the group's last five years ... "

So can you guess which three songs are being so applauded in this Creem review of Procol's Ninth? (thanks, Marvin)

And if you don't agree, the place to discuss it is The Beanstalk, of course

You might care to re-read Creem on Procol in 1972 ... a much more positive article, which gets very interesting near the end.

And talking of Cream, tickets go on sale tomorrow for the band's reunion in the Royal Albert Hall.

And talking of cream, life's too short for beige (thanks, Robert)

January 29:

'I still regard my time with Procol as the best live music I ever played ...'

Ah, but what is favourite keyboard instrument?! Added a good new interview with Procol Harum's Peter Solley (many thanks, Dmitry)

This would be a good moment to re-read an extremely comprehensive Solley interview – full of weighty matter and Procol history – from the earliest days of this website.

January 28: RIP Jim Capaldi

Added an intriguing piece about Procol Harum in March 1977 which includes a very positive review of Something Magic (thanks, Marvin)

Time to re-read another positive glance at this oft-maligned album

January 27:

Was it Procol Harum who, being 'Louder than Beatles, Heavier than Stones' ...   'coined Clash-rock about eight years before there was a Joe Strummer' ?

Added a review of Ain't Nothing to Get Excited About (thanks, Jeff)

Added an appreciation of the Procol Musikladen DVD (thanks, Wanda)

January 26:

Added a page about the Palers' Basecamp in London, where Procol fans will stay for the weekend of the Bloomsbury Theatre gig on 6 March. The hotel is about 300 yards from the gig (and from BtP's social events, to be announced shortly) and the discounted prices we have negotiated are excellent. BtP has already arranged over sixty person-nights there for PH fans. Visit the page now and place your own booking

Added another Procol Harum concert to the forthcoming tour (thanks, Chris)

January 25:

Remember a couple of other references to Rick Wakeman in a Procol context, here and here

January 24: We have been informed that Procol Harum's gig  at Bodo, Norway, on 2 April sold out in under 24 hours! (thanks Ottar)

Added another in our series of short, musicianly reviews (thanks, Larry)

Added a translation into English of that Russian review (thanks, Jonas)

American TV presenter Johnny Carson died on Sunday (writes Dennis Combs from Michigan). 'I was in law school at the time, but remember turning on the show to see Gary Brooker and the band playing a song from Prodigal Stranger.   When they began to play Whiter Shade of Pale, the studio audience went wild.  Brooker was wearing one of his naval commander blazers and there were also two back up vocalists.

'This was 1992;  Carson would retire in a couple of months; and spots on The Tonight Show were especially few and difficult to get then.   I have to think that Carson -- or someone on his staff -- may just have been a fan.   I was very grateful to see the band on a major network (NBC) show at a time when most people thought Brooker and company were permanently retired.'

January 23: Procol Harum play London in six weeks' time

Sad to learn that London's Union Chapel (where Procol's superb 2003 DVD was filmed) is closing to music. The management writes, 'How do you feel about this? We need your feedback on this situation and what you think will be the repercussions of this decision so we can pass on your opinions to the relevant people this is your opportunity to have your voice heard. Who knows with enough public protest and opinion the chapel could reemerge in the future and on a stronger footing for developing its valuable contribution to the arts. We also want to document your testmonies of coming to the union chapel for posterity; we will get your opinions posted on to the website as soon as we can. Please email to feedback@unionchapel.org.uk '

So do send in your howls of protest ... not least because it will serve in addition to advertise the excellent of the PH DVD ... if you mention it :-)

January 22:

Added the start of a very welcome series of short, musicianly reviews (thanks, Larry)

Added a Russian review ... would someone like to translate it into another language for us? (thanks, Umberto)

January 21:

" ... the people on, in our band, can I just say who they are?"

Added the concluding part of the interview Gary Brooker gave to the UK's Radio Caroline on Boxing Day (thanks, Jill)

January 20:

Added some pictures of Procol Harum (not playing) at Mainz in November 2003 (thanks, Tim)

Have a look at more pictures from a different Mainz gig in the same year

January 19:

Added an excellent memoir about life in Southend in the early days of the music boom there (thanks, Ian)

Good moment to re-read this related article

January 18:

  ' ... impressed by The Band's London performance, which he considers to be a lesson to all groups ...'

Added a hitherto-unknown Keith Reid interview from 1971 (thanks, Marvin)

Here's evidence of another Procoler admiring The Band

January 17:

Added a note of welcome keyboard trivia (thanks, George) to welcome our very good friend Larry back to the Procol e-world!

Added a picture of Procol Harum, with mysterious millinery (thanks, Charlie)

January 16: Procol Harum play London in seven  weeks' time

  Added some pictures from Gary's gig on 18 December (thanks, Hans)

For no particular reason, why not have a fresh look at these winsome cats?

January 15:

" ... I wrote six songs between 1970 and 1973 ..."

Added the first part of the interview Gary Brooker gave to the UK's Radio Caroline on Boxing Day (thanks, Jill)

Added details of some forthcoming remastered re-releases of three Procol albums, including some bonus tracks

January 14:

Added a very interesting setlist from 1976, Birmingham (thanks, Keith)

Re-read some more pages about that lavatorial Stanshall / Reid song: from the Stanshall Biography, and in an NME review

January 13: RIP Spencer Dryden (Jefferson Airplane, New Riders of the Purple Sage)

Added some pictures of No Stiletto Shoes and friends on stage at Chiddingfold on 17 December 2004 (thanks, Hans)

Where can you see a band play twice weekly, with alternating Procol Harum guitarists? Click here (or here) and you can buy the new album for ten pounds as well!

January 12:

Added the very interesting notes that accompanied the recent CD re-release of Broken Barricades (thanks, Jill)

You might like to review the index-pages for the various series of Procol CD re-issues that we've seen in recent years: each has its particular merits: Westside, Repertoire, Friday Music

January 11:

Added some pictures of No Stiletto Shoes and friends on stage at Chiddingfold on 17 December 2004 (thanks, One-Eye)

Added a couple of Procol covers ... Comme un bateau and Toi l'exilé, toi le proscrit ... to this page (thanks, Chris)

January 10:  

Added a very nice photograph and a movie (thanks Mark; thanks Carlo)

Re-read BtP's account of the same, re-arranged version of A Salty Dog in performance, by clicking here

January 9: Procol Harum play London in eight weeks' time

Added a page of privileged pictures of Gary Brooker playing in a beautiful setting in Naples, earlier this month (thanks, Stefano)

January 8:

 Added a page depicting some socialising of Procol fans, away from the scene of professional or amateur music-making.

We'd like to collect some more 'off-duty' pictures showing people who've made friends through Procol Harum: send 'em in to us !

 Re-organised the page for Procol fans' e-mail addresses, splitting it into two to avoid an overlong list

January 7:

Added a report on Gary Brooker's performance in Naples on 4 January (thanks, Stefano)

January 6: Gary Brooker's Naples concert telecast today ö 9.35-10.30 am

Added the list of Triumphant Victors in our Christmas Competitions: thanks to all who took part, and we hope you enjoyed it!

January 5: With this update, BtP now consists of 4,000 web pages!

Added the finale of our annual Christmas puzzles (thanks, John) but before you dash to answer that, one competitor (thanks, Jeremy) has spotted that the Clue for 30 December was incorrect, so please have another look at that first. Incidentally this error hasn't impeded a number of people sending in correct answers already ... and those who have sent wrong answers have without exception worked out the correct song, but just not read the instructions properly!

Good luck as you send in your one-word answers to 'Beyond the Pale' ... make sure you read the instruction carefully!

January 4:  Gary Brooker performs in Naples today (telecast on 6 January)

Added the penultimate dozenth of our annual Christmas puzzles (thanks, John)

Have you chosen which Procol prizes you most favour? You will need to make your mind up in advance, in order to be able to send in your answer as soon as you read tomorrow's clue. The message will look something like : "Prize preferences: ACEGIJBDFH". The last clue will be accompanied by a simple instruction telling you what to do with the answers you have accumulated during the twelve days of Christmas. Follow this instruction, and you will merely need to mail a one-word answer to 'Beyond the Pale', along with your prize-preference list. Do read the directions carefully before submitting!

Have a look at the schedule of winners from last year ... this will remind you what details you need to send in.

Reminder: BtP will allot the first three prizes on a beat-the-clock basis, with the earliest correct response earning its first choice of prize and so on; after that all correct entries received in the next twenty-four hours will be placed in the BtP Homburg and the remaining seven prizewinners will be drawn by a suitably Glamorous Assistant. Prizes will of course be awarded at the absolute discretion of Roland and Jens, who run 'Beyond the Pale', and whose decision will be final; their families are not eligible to enter. In the somewhat unlikely event of there being fewer than ten winners, the first people to submit correct answers will get more than their fair share of the prizes.

We expect to update BtP with the final Puzzle clue at exactly midnight Central European time (that is 11 in the evening on the 4th in UK). So be prepared to send in your answer and prize wishes.

January 3: Tomorrow: Gary Brooker performs in Naples (telecast on 6 January)

Added the tenth quantum of our annual Christmas puzzles (thanks, John)

January 2: Procol Harum play London in nine  weeks' time

Added the ninth example of our annual Christmas puzzles (thanks, John)

Added a link to the above clue to assist the ornithologically challenged (thanks, OE)

January 1: Happy New Year! Procol Harum on Norwegian TV NRK2 at 23.10 tonight.

Happy 2005: please read the webmasters' summary of 2004 (and greeting)!

Added the eighth specimen from our annual Christmas puzzles (thanks, John)

Have you figured out which is the most desirable of the gurt lush Procol prizes on offer this year?

Read what was new on this website in previous months