What was new at 'Beyond the Pale'

September 30: 

Added a page of pictures of guitar / barmaid action during the Palers' Band rehearsals in Southend in July 2007 (thanks, Gary)

September 29:

Added an insightful and complete review of Procol Harum's Secrets of the Hive: among other things, it  goes into useful detail about the collection's sonic improvements, and features of the familiar songs that can be heard for the first time (thanks, Ian)

BtP has been supplying this 2CD album to fans at cost price ... a few copies now remain.

September 28: 

September 27: 

Added a page of photographs from Procol's 40th (thanks, Unsteady)

Glenn Tilbrook of Squeeze sets off for the Himalayas in two weeks' time ... for charity: details here

September 26: 

A Whiter Shade of Pale (EP CD) 4.5 USD, and Secrets of the Hive (40th anniversary Procol 2CD compilation) 14 USD are available at the BtP Store [approximately two US dollars to the GB pound]. Add something else you fancy to your shopping-cart while you're at it, to economise on shipping!

September 25:

 Added a fifth page of Fortieth-Anniversary pictures (thanks, Marvin)

Added an unexpected picture sleeve to the collection here (thanks, Lars)

September 24:

Added a fourth page of pictures from St John's, Smith Square, on 21 July 2007: the main attraction  (thanks, Martin)

September 23:

Added another Procol picture sleeve, from UK 1982, to this page (thanks, Lars). More always welcome!  

September 22:

 Added a page showing fan-musicians having some breakfast etc in July in Southend on Sea 

September 21:

Added another page of intimate tour pictures (thanks, Matt)

September 20:

September 19:

September 18:

Added a second page of Fortieth-Anniversary pictures (thanks, Marvin)

Added a little Gary Brooker recording news (thanks, Gary)

September 17:

'Conquistador, won't you sit, upon your silver shield?'

Added another Procol picture sleeve, from Japan 1976, to this page (thanks, Tormod). More always welcome! 

Also added some good recent soundcheck pictures from Procol's 40th birthday performance (thanks, Sheila)

September 16:

September 15: Today: Dave Ball live

Added a page of Fortieth-Anniversary pictures (thanks, Marvin)

September 14:

September 13:

Added an illustrated page showing who-played-what at the Procol Harum 40th Birthday Party (thanks, all)

Added another Procol picture sleeve, an EP from Mexico, to this page (thanks, Lars). More always welcome!

September 12:

Added another Procol picture sleeve, from Italy in 1972, to this page (thanks, Lars). More always welcome!

September 11: RIP Joe Zawinul

Added the full text of Gary Brooker's song-introductions from the stage on the night of Procol Harum's 40th Anniversary Concert (thanks, all)

September 10:

Added the full audio (in five handy chunks) of last week's highly-unusual Gary Brooker interview about Secrets of the Hive on BBC Radio Manchester (thanks, Dave; thanks, Pat)

September 9:

Added a page showing fan-musicians at work in July in Southend on Sea
 

September 8:

Added a review of the latest Procol Harum book (already sold out, but due to reprint before Christmas) (thanks, George)

If you have recently visited St John's Smith Square in London, you may be interested to see it again in Joe Wright's film (released yesterday in the UK) of Ian McEwan's novel Atonement: a late scene features the church as it looked during WWII – inside and outside are shown, or recreated)

September 7: Today: Dave Ball live

Added a link to yesterday's Gary Brooker interview on BBC Radio Manchester (thanks, Dave). For the next 18 hours, it's available online: go to www.bbc.co.uk/manchester, select 'Listen Again', then 'Terry Christian – a bright new look at a big wide world'. After a Simply Red record, you'll hear the (telephonic) Brooker interview, with parochial interpolations.

If you've ever considered Terry Christian a rather irritating presenter, or worse, this interview is not likely to change your mind (he lets Homburg play almost uninterrupted, but fades A Salty Dog in favour of news and weather): but you can enjoy The Commander's gradually-thinning diplomacy as the conversation covers various bits of Procol history or unhistory... Keith Reid's involvement in the naming of Electric Ladyland  ... the length of Grateful Dead sets ... the booing of Hendrix ... the blameless life of Paul McCartney ... why Pandora's Box was 'not a hit' ... the freeing of the arts in the 60s ... lawfulness or otherwise of the Awsuit judgment ... interpreting AWSoP ...

Christian consistently fails to find or namecheck his copy of Secrets of the Hive and GB's patience remains almost intact though he does conclude with an ultimatum ... 'I'll mention your name somewhere if you can go off and find our new release which is nicely remastered ...'  

"Gary Brooker is a true gentleman! It's a mystery to me that Terry Christian has been allowed to remain in broadcasting for so long. I doubt he could even interview himself from an informed standpoint. One Christian that the lions missed ..." (thanks, Sheila)

September 6: RIP Luciano Pavarotti  Tomorrow: Dave Ball live

Roland says: please no more messages about my comments on AWSoP in the Secrets of the Hive liner note – they may be unexpected but they ain't wrong.

September 5:

'... Procol's regrettable propensity to vapid pomposity ... '

Added a Trower review from 1973, which includes the foregoing dismal dismissal of Procol Harum (thanks, Jim; thanks, Marvin) 

September 4:

September 3:

September 2:

Added a second page of pictures from St John's, Smith Square, on 21 July 2007 (thanks, Martin)

September 1:

 Added a page showing (and recommending) the recording / rehearsal facility used in July by The Palers' Band and The Palers' Project in Southend on Sea

Read the current month's what's new at this website

Read what was new at BtP in previous months