What was new at 'Beyond the Pale'

April 1999

April 30, Walpurgisnacht:

BtP is lucky to have so many contributors who write and think with such skill.

Added a really marvellous feature about AWSoP and science-fiction ... and about how we see the world ... and about how we hear (or not hear) Procol Harum. This is an article we hope people will enjoy reading many times (thanks, Jonas)

You might also like to revisit last year's 'Beyond the Pale' special, in which a world-spanning bevy of contributors offered their superbly personal and frequently-contradictory celebrations of Repent Walpurgis: this was one of the best-received features this website has mounted.

April 29:

Swimming Against the Tide: more 1972 Procol Harum news in its chart context, kindly extracted for BtP from the New Musical Express by Yan Friis: a re-released AWSoP prospers in the singles charts while the Live album attracts marvellous reviews.

April 28:

Added something for the great numbers of Procol Harum fans who also appreciate Fairport Convention and the like: a setlist for Cropredy 1995 ... where they played with Fairport Convention's violinist for one song.

Added some scans of picture sleeves from Matthew Fisher singles (big thanks, Thierry)

April 27:

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: nothing Procolian except a tiny name-check from label-mates The Move.

Refreshed some pages ... here, here and here ... with new graphics (thanks, davelee)

Added a new Procol Harum website to our page of PH links ... welcome aboard, Cameron Devlin

April 26:

Added a review of Procol Harum's 1992 reunion concert with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (thanks, Mirek)

Added a link to the discography of Jerry Hadley, who sings Grand Hotel and a smattering of (You Can't) Turn Back the Page on the orchestral PH album (thanks, Sam)

April 25:

' ... incurably bitter ... guilt-laden ... unromantic and life-negating ... especially autumnal ... nihilistically fatalist and spent ... inspired musicianship ... dejected, dazed and confused ... keyboard-heavy instrumental mass ... somnambulist zombie ... a mutant crucifix ... who says this boy's got a martyr complex?'

All this in today's offering, a review of Matthew Fisher's I'll Be There ... (thanks, Joan)

Anyone got any idea what this picture has to do with Procol Harum? Answer coming soon ...

April 24:

Swimming Against the Tide: 1972 Procol Harum news in its chart context, kindly extracted for BtP from the New Musical Express by Yan Friis: a bit of a skirmish in the letters page, more UK touring, and the re-release of early albums and singles.

April 23: St George's Day

Added some scans of picture sleeves from Gary Brooker singles (big thanks, Thierry)

More picture sleeves here

April 22:

Which album features Gary Brooker on 'cello, which has Keith Reid on guitar? And what is the truth about the two Wilsons? All this and more revealed on a BillBoard CD, and summarised here (thanks, Sam)

April 21:

Added some good detail to our page about Procol Harum music in print (thanks, Tim from the Homburg Society)

Added a useful link to AWSoP notated for harmonica players (thanks, Sam)

Upgraded our gallery of curious AWSoP tangents at the foot of this page (thanks again, Sam)

Added an interesting graphic to a recent episode of Swimming Against the Tide (thanks, Yan)

And to remedy a teeny blemish in the daily 'What's New' page, we've interpolated a Procol Harum puzzle into the listing for April 10. You can go straight to it if you like (thanks again again, Sam)

April 20:

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: Procol plan ten weeks' touring in the USA, including recording sessions in LA; European dates are planned too, but nothing again for Britain.

April 19:

'I sure wish he would jump back into his music full-time', says David Lanz about Matthew Fisher ... (thanks, Joan)

Also added some good information on the Phil Lynott version of A Whiter Shade of Pale to our covers page

April 18:

Swimming Against the Tide: more 1971 Procol Harum news in its chart context, kindly extracted for BtP from the New Musical Express by Yan Friis: plenty of tour dates but no reviews, a single live track released, and the first news of the Edmonton album in the pipeline.

April 17:

Added the new mini (UK / Europe) Shine On to our feature, Shine Online.

April 16:

Added details of a Polish re-issue of a well-known PH compilation album (thanks, Marcin)

Why not have a browse through all the compilation-albums we have listed, and see if you can send us details of others?

April 15:

Swimming Against the Tide: more 1971 Procol Harum news in its chart context, kindly extracted for BtP from the New Musical Express by Yan Friis: big interviews with Reid and later with Brooker, but no review of the band's first headline gig in London; meanwhile Trower gets a new group together.

April 14:

Added a page detailing the moment when a monster from the deep momentarily turned Brooker and the boys into a simulacrum of the Marx Brothers (thanks, Beverly)

Added great news about the Whalers' international Procol Harum CD: it will be a double. Pity there's no Chinese contribution so far, though (thanks, Mirek / Charly)

Added news of a Mike Batt Symphonic AWSoP cover, sung by John Farnham (who has sung another #1 hit of Keith Reid's), and drummed on by Henry Spinetti (thanks, Hermann). On the same page, added more detail about the Titiyo ASWoP non-cover (thanks, Jonas)

April 13:

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 minute amount of live Procol activity: meanwhile Separation makes its début, apparently with a glimpse of the band playing.

April 12:

Added a review of the Marc Almond version of A Salty Dog (thanks, Sam)

Added a link to another page to check out regarding Ringo's All Starr band: the Commander doesn't figure prominently in the photos but there's commentary ... BJ got a mention (thanks, Marvin)

April 11:

Added a snippet about the recent BBC Radio 2 'Greatest Song of the Century Poll' in which AWSoP beat off some strong opposition (thanks, davelee)

April 10:

Here's a picture. It's a Procol Harum picture. But why? We'll let you know in a few days' time (thanks, Sam)

April 9:

Swimming Against the Tide: more 1971 Procol Harum news in its chart context, kindly extracted for BtP from the New Musical Express by Yan Friis: Release and chart success of Broken Barricades, several Trower-induced personnel changes ... but the non-return of Matthew Fisher.

April 8:

Added a pretty fine review of Procol Harum's performance in LA, September 1993 (thanks, Joan)

April 7:

Added parts of a long Pete Sinfield interview, in which he briefly describes working with Gary Brooker. Probably more interesting, however, are the many Procol parallels in Sinfield's account of working with the talents and personalities of King Crimson and ELP (thanks, António A)

April 6:

The Mammoth Task: scant Procol Harum news in its chart context, kindly extracted for BtP from the New Musical Express of 31 years ago today by Yan Friis: nothing of Procoholic import, as we wait for Quite Rightly So to chart.

Added more pictures from the 1977 Hofstra concert (thanks, Carol)

April 5:

Added a pretty damning article about The Prodigal Stranger on the eve of Procol Harum's performance in LA, September 1993 (thanks, Joan)

From the All MusicGuide, we have added more info on Bill Eyden's recordings (thanks again, Joan)

Added another instance of AWSoP in the background on British telly (thanks, Jane)

April 4:

Swimming Against the Tide: 1971 Procol Harum news in its chart context, kindly extracted for BtP from the New Musical Express by Yan Friis: the start of the Procol re-release industry, as the band tours with Curved Air, plays in Finland, records the famous WPLJ set ... and Gary Brooker votes for Matthew Fisher in a poll.

Added a link to the complete concert listing for the Fillmore East. Procol Harum played there half-a-dozen times (thanks, Dave Volpi)

Added a few fans' reactions to the recent Wonder of Music fiasco

Added a link to a good Robin Trower interview (thanks, Joan)

April 3:

Read the latest on our Y2K problems and our gracious rescue by the Wonder of Music website (thanks, Rockin' John)

Dave Bronze has kindly updated BtP about his current projects, so re-visit his page now (thanks, Dave)

And we have added a nice picture of Gary to Beverly Peyton's report from Gary's concert with Ringo & Co in Fort Lauderdale (thanks, Anthony)

April 2:

Sorry for the late, late upload. But it's not too late, not too late to change your mind: visit the Wonder of Music website ... register your free passage ... (explanation here)

Swimming Against the Tide: more 1970 Procol Harum news in its chart context, kindly extracted for BtP from the New Musical Express by Yan Friis: press interest in Procol tails off after the Isle of Wight; later they appear on the Chrysalis roster.

April Fool's Day:

Sorry, no new pages again tonight thanks to the overload problem, but we are confident of a solution in sight

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

Read what was new at BtP in previous months