What was new at 'Beyond the Pale'

June 1998

June 30:

Added a nice gesture of praise for Matthew Fisher from Benmont Tench

Added a link concerning the forthcoming album from David Lanz featuring Matthew Fisher

Added some fresh links to the page detailing Matthew's recording activities (thanks Joan for all)

June 29: Congratulations! Denmark – Nigeria 4–1 (Now that Norway has lost, I cross my fingers for Denmark. I guess Roland will vote for England)

The fine Redhill 'Glossy' Souvenir Programme has at last been delivered – many thanks to Diane, John and Christine – and we add a page describing it, in response to various enquiries as to its contents and desirability.

June 28:

Happy birthday Dave Knights (1945) !

Added some unexpected information about Dave Knights's Red Crystal Fantasies (thanks Sam, thanks Snake)

June 27: England – Columbia: 2-0. Congratulations to England!

Added the testimony of Christian Kabitz, orchestrator of Repent Walpurgis on the Symphonic CD; there cannot be many hard-core fans who have got so deeply involved with Procol Harum at a practical level! (thanks, Christian)

June 26:

Added a press advertisement for Matthew Fisher's eponymous 1980 album (thanks, Dave Lee)

Added a link to a very handsome tribute to BJ Wilson from Bob Siebenberg, drummer of the band Supertramp; look here to order the album he made with Barrie (BJ's session details are here and here) (thanks Joan May)

June 25:

Please revisit Larry Pennisi's gallery of pictures of Barrie Wilson, then read a message he received from BJ's daughter Sarah Jane Wilson (thanks, Larry)

Added some useful links to our Gary Brooker page

June 24: Norway – Brazil: 2-1 HURRAY!

The Mammoth Task: Procol Harum news in its chart context, kindly extracted for BtP from the New Musical Express of 31 years ago today by Yan Friis: the band's illness (diplomatic or real?) and Fisher to work on Separation with Stanley Myers.

Further revamped the setlist for Edmonton II (thanks, Pat!)

June 23:

Added some more fine Procol Harum pictures from Larry Pennisi's archive (thanks, Larry)

June 22: Happy Birthday to Bobby Harrison (1939)

Added the unexpectedly tawdry words of the Italian Pilgrim's Progress (thanks, Antonio)

Revamped the setlist for Edmonton II with some good new information about the running-order and the broadcast history (thanks, Pat!)

June 21:

Happy Birthday to Mark Brzezicki (1957)

As Strong as Samson named 'Single Of The Week' in NME (thanks, Dave Knight)

June 20:

Added the disappointingly pedestrian words of the Italian A Salty Dog (thanks, Antonio)

June 19:

Once again we are happy to present a concert review from the Polish magazine Tylko Rock. 'I was in heaven,' claims the reviewer of Procol Harum's 1996 Barbican concert (thanks, Mirek)

June 18:

Added a set-list from the PH symphonic concert at Edmonton, 1992

June 17:

The Mammoth Task: Procol Harum news in its chart context, kindly extracted for BtP from the New Musical Express of 31 years ago today by Yan Friis: endorsement by Spike Milligan, criticism from the real Jacques Loussier, and an extremely revealing set of 'lifelines' about the five original members of the band.

We have now created a convenient way of adding your name (and photograph if you wish) to the 'Beyond the Pale' register of online fans.

June 16:

Added a splendidly complimentary review of the very early Procol Harum II in action in Denmark, from September 1967 (thanks, Axel)

Bill Hammell has completed another session of the mammoth task of assembling the Procol Harum mail-list archives. The February 1998 postings are now in the BtP archive.

June 15:

Added details about a new Procol Harum compilation CD (still there'll be more?) (thanks, Pat Larson)

Added GB's biography as expressed in the programme for the recent Giron des Musiques in Switzerland (thanks, Antonio and Jane)

June 14:

Added an interview with Gary Brooker in Gryon, following the performance of his Brass Band piece: more detail (though still not much!) about future PH recording plans, and a tribute to BJ Wilson (thanks, Antonio)

Added some more links to online PH music: but trust your ears, not your eyes. (thanks, Doug Callowhill)

June 13:

Added an illustration to the first Gryon report (thanks, François)

Added the first Shine On-Line of 1998, with details of Gary on live CD, BBC sessions, great stuff from Richard Amey, Chiddingfold report, Ringo dates ... how to order the Redhill Glossy Souvenir Book ... and extremely exciting long-distance news about Procol rarity-releases.

This is BtP's text-only version of the Shine On news-sheet produced by Diane Rolph and John Grayson: we publish it here once its (free) subscribers have got their snail-mail copies.

June 12:

Added a review of Procol Harum on a bill with Steppenwolf and Jefferson Airplane at the Westbury Music Fair: 23 July 1995 (thanks Pawel and Mirek)

June 11:

'Bit like a Ploughman's Lunch, really'. Quite a scathing review of Procol Harum in concert at the London Palladium, August 1975, from the New Musical Express. (Thanks, David Knight)

And also a review from a concert in Birmingham 1974 (thanks, David Knight)

June 10:

The Mammoth Task: Procol Harum news in its chart context, kindly extracted for BtP from the New Musical Express of 31 years ago today by Yan Friis: massive sales, gigs with Hendrix, and lack of visual appeal.

June 9:

Fresh in from Gryon: a report on yesterday's Brooker première, a brief and hopeful interview with 'Mr One-Day' and a railway anecdote about A Salty Dog: many thanks to François Courvoisier for this exclusive.

In view of the above, you might like to re-read a few pages from earlier in the year, starting here.

Added an illustration to the page about Senza Luce, the Italian AWSoP (thanks, Pierangelo)

June 8:

Added a call for help to all Procol Harum fans who would like Henry Scott-Irvine to be able to finish his great film on the history of A Whiter Shade of Pale. He's looking for still photographs, festival film footage, and particular cover versions: a helpful response to this feature might well help to get this Procol documentary on to our television screens.

BtP will shortly add pictures to the Procol Harum Friends' page. So if you are (or wish to be) included on this list, and want a picture of your pretty face on it: mail us. The same applies for contributors of articles to this website. More details here.

Early indications suggest that GB felt his Bourdon was not taken at the right speed. More news as soon as we have it.

June 7:

Added an intriguing question-and-answer session in which Matthew Fisher comments on Procol Harum's first three singles: this will be of particular interest if you're fascinated by exactly who-composed-what in a Whiter Shade of Pale, who the drummer is on the hit version of Homburg, and the status in Matthew's eyes of Abba and the Beatles (many thanks, Antonio)

Added a tribute to Matthew himself from Larry Pennisi's former website (thanks, Larry)

 And the Procol Harum Friends page has now been updated: now it includes 123 names!

Mail us if you want to be added to the list (stating Name, City and Country)

June 6:

Added a page devoted to Matthew Fisher's recording history outside Procol Harum (thanks, compiler Joan)

Have you contributed to 'Still There'll be More'? Here's a fantastic entry ...

Continuing the saga of the Royer / Harrison tracks on their recent release, Westside's general manager has written us a further elucidation. Note that he concludes, 'We'll continue to listen to BtP's collective voice in all matters Procol.'

June 5: Danish National Day

'Here quite starkly is the conflict between good and evil which marks out the archaism of the Procol world'.

Added a provocative, learned and witty account of the magical resonances of the words to Home, specially written for 'Beyond the Pale' by Sam Cameron (thanks, Sam!)

Added some more AWSoP covers (thanks, Henry S-I)

June 4:

We end our sequence of Brooker-based pieces, and celebrate his finest chart success, with Mike Butler's penetrating and entertaining essay on A Whiter Shade of Pale (thanks, Pavilion Books)

Recognition for AWSoP from listeners to Dutch 'Radio 2' (thanks, Wilfried)

June 3:

The Mammoth Task: Procol Harum news in its chart context, kindly extracted for BtP from the New Musical Express of 31 years ago today by Yan Friis: a tiny snippet showing AWSoP in the Top 3.

Added a link to a Gary Brooker discography on Tunes (thanks, Cerdes)

Added a little about Gary's part in the star-studded Bosnia Benefit, 'Lilies of the Field' in 1995, where he sang three fine Procol Harum songs (thanks, Tim Brennan and Bruce Dumes)

June 2:

Added another section of the 1990 Danish Radio interview with Gary Brooker, touching on synthesisers, the early albums, and the Procol Myth in the press (thanks again, Niels-Erik)

Added some detail to our page about Dave Ball's musical and pictorial traces on the Grand Hotel album (thanks, Henry)

Added more info to the page dedicated to Peter Solley (thanks Peter)

June 1:

Added a page about the elusive British première of Gary's Le Bourdon des Alpes (thanks, David)

Added a little detail to the story of Brooker and Reid's first visit to this website

And BtP now proudly premières a new online discussion forum, 'Still There'll Be More'. Here you can write all your wishes for continuing activity by Procol Harum and their musicians.

Read what was new on this website in previous months