Procol Harum's NME coverage ...

23 + 30 May; 13, 20 + 27 June 1970

These excerpts from New Musical Express, kindly selected for 'Beyond the Pale' by Yan Friis, show Procol Harum well received in concert and on vinyl as Home is released.

NME May 23, 1970

Front page: Full page ad for The Who's Live At Leeds (Track)

Headlines:
The BAND'S ROBBIE ROBERTSON talks to NICK LOGAN
Second album was recorded at former home of Sammy Davis
NEXT BAND LP TO BE MATE AT WOODSTOCK IN A NIGHT!

Yellow River Christie go into hiding to rehearse an act
JEFF WAS SICK OF GROUP SCENE
by Roy Carr

MOVE WERE DEAD WORRIED ABOUT NEW SINGLE
by Alan Smith

I still cringe at ours says Hollie Allan Clarke
by Alan Smith

Tipped for charts by Derek Johnson
Thunderclap Newman, Accidents
Engelbert Humperdinck, My Marie

NME Top 5
1. ( 1) Back Home, England World Cup Squad
2. (10) Question, Moody Blues
3. ( 2) Spirit In The Sky, Norman Greenbaum
4. (12) Yellow River, Christie
5. ( 3) House Of The Rising Sun, Frijid Pink

Top 5 LPs
1. ( 1) Bridge Over Troubled Water, Simon & Garfunkel
2. ( 3) Let It Be, Beatles
3. ( 2) McCartney, Paul McCartney
4. ( 4) Andy Williams's Greatest Hits, Andy Williams
5. ( 5) Benefit, Jethro Tull

Rest of who's where

(excerpt)

...EXTRAVAGANZA 70 (From May 29 - June 6) BO DIDDLEY, PROCUL [sic] HARUM, TYRANNOSAURUS REX, COLOSSIUM [sic], BLACK SABBATH, TRADER HORNE, WILD ANGELS, MATTHEWS SOUTNERN COMFORT, CARAVAN, BIG GRUNT, STEAMHAMMER, JULIE FELIX, TREMELOES, HARMONY GRASS, LOVE AFFAIR, FOUNDATIONS, STATUS QUO, SIMON DEE, JOHN PEEL, MIKE RAVEN, PETE DRUMMOND. At London Olympia ...

NME May 30, 1970

Front page: Full page ad for Les Reed's Man Of Action (Page One) 45.

Headlines:
Andy pleads, don't scream at me any more
by Richard Green
(Andy Fairweather-Low)

For Christine, hard work hasn't made Perfect
by Richard Green

JETHRO'S IMAGE WAS BETTER THAN THEIR MUSIC
That's why 5^th man John Evan was asked to join
by Nick Logan

SOUL '70 SURVEY
JACKSON 5 THE CHAMPS
- but watch out for newcomer Isaac Hayes
by Roy Carr

50 NOT OUT-CLIFF!
My fans and songs have changed
by Richard Green
(regarding Cliff's 50^th single)

JACK BRUCE
- the thoughts of a reluctant star
by Nick Logan

SLOWLY, WHO GO FORWARD STEP-BY-STEP
ROGER DALTREY talks to NME's RICHARD GREEN

Tipped for chart by Derek Johnson
Cliff Richard, Goodbye Sam, Hello Samantha
Jimmy Ruffin, I'll Say Forever My Love
Judy Collins, Someday Soon

NME Top 5
1. ( 2) Question, Moody Blues
2. ( 4) Yellow River, Christie
3. ( 1) Back Home, England World Cup Squad
4. ( 3) Spirit In The Sky, Norman Greenbaum
5. ( 5) House Of The Rising Sun, Frijid Pink

TOP 5 LPs
1. ( 1) Bridge Over Troubled Water, Simon & Garfunkel
2. ( 2) Let It Be, Beatles
3. ( 3) McCartney, Paul McCartney
4. ( 4) Andy Williams's Greatest Hits, Andy Williams
4. ( 5) Benefit, Jethro Tull

Who's Where

...PROCUL [sic] HARUM: London Lyseum [sic] (5) ...

NME June 13, 1970

Front page: Full page ad for Deep Purple In Rock (Harvest)

Headlines:
JOHN FOGERTY talks to ROY CARR about the best disc CREEDENCE has made
UP AROUND THE BEND
' FANTASTIC TERRIFIC ...'

...the stock responses, MUNGO JERRY prove it, will always out
by Nick Logan

Beginning this week - exclusive in-depth profiles on TEN YEARS AFTER
No. 1 Bass guitarist LEO LYONS
by Roy Carr

IS ELVIS BELITTLING HIS EARLY HITS?
by Roy Carr

Tipped for charts by Derek Johnson
Creedence Clearwater Revival, Up Around The Bend
Lulu with the Dixie Flyers, Hum A Song
Temptations, Psychedelic Shack
Kinks, Lola
Joe Cocker, The Letter

NME Top 5
1. (15) In The Summertime, Mungo Jerry
2. ( 1) Yellow River, Christie
3. ( 2) Question, Moody Blues
4. ( 5) Groovin' With Mr. Bloe, Mr. Bloe
5. ( 4) Honey Come Back, Glen Campbell

Top 5 LPs
1. ( 1) Let It Be, Beatles
2. ( 2) Bridge Over Troubled Water, Simon & Garfunkel
3. ( 3) McCartney, Paul McCartney
4. ( 9) Live At Leeds, Who
5. ( 5) Easy Rider, Soundtrack

News pages
BING, GENE, HARUM, HANK-TV
BBC buys Frost, strike halts pop show

(excerpt)

Procol Harum and Affinity are showcased in BBC-2's late-night Disco 2 on Saturday, June 20....

Procol night
(by Roy Carr)

Friday nights at the Lyceum in the Strand often prove to be enjoyable gatherings. Last Friday was such an occasion due to the fact that Procol Harum were appearing.

Now down to a quartet, there is still a marked similarity between 'Our Boys' and the Band. As Procol Harum were in fact achieving world-wide success prior to the Band's emergence, one is rightly led to believe, with certain amount of patriotism, that you are listening to the original.

Though the PA left something to be desired, those familiar slow ponderous piano lines over which Gary Brooker utters, shouts and sometimes sings the prose [sic] of Keith Reid, interweaved admirably with Robin Trower's guitar figures.

It is good to note that there are still some guitarists content to work on producing an overall group sound, and not go ego-tripping.

To these leads, Chris Copping added climatic [sic] bass runs which did much to heighten the drama and intensity of their programme. The entity was held together by BJ Wilson's heavily accentuated drum punctuations.

The remainder of the warm evening's sounds were supplied by Hard Meat, who effectively switched between a selection of electric and acoustic material which was mainly self-penned.

NME June 20, 1970

Front page: Full page ad for Raymond Froggatt's A Matter Of Pride (Polydor)

Headlines:
THEIR HIT WAS BORN ON A FARM
say 'nasty' ARRIVAL
by Alan Smith

Los Bravos pip Arrival in Palma group contest
by Andy Gray

BEACH BOYS REACH No5, WHICH ISN'T TOO BAD...
FOR A FADING ROCK BAND
Bruce Johnston phones Roy Carr from America

MOODY BLUES WIZARDS OF ELECTRONIC GADGETRY
But the law could step in!
by Nick Logan

Tipped for charts by Derek Johnson
Marmalade, Rainbow
Hotlegs, Neanderthal Man
Canned Heat, Sugar Bee

News pages
RADIO 1 GUESTS
- for all next week

(excerpt)
SOUNDS OF THE SEVENTIES: Wallace Collection (next Monday 22); Taste and Uriah Heep (Tuesday, 23); repeat of John Peel's Sunday show with Procol Harum (Wednesday, 24); Tyrannosaurus Rex and Fairfield Parlour (Thursday, 25); and Andwella's Dream and Stone The Crows (Friday, 26).

NME June 27, 1970

Front page:
Half page ad for Free's Fire And Water (Island) album.

News paragraph on who's gonna play at the Bath Festival with pictures of Jefferson Airplane and Led Zeppelin.

Headlines:
RAY STEVENS' MUSICIANSHIP IMPRESSES HIS CO-STAR LULU
by Alan Smith

MUNGO ARE SURPRISED TO LEARN THEIR HIT DOESN'T MAKE THEM FEEL DIFFERENT
by Nick Logan

THE FUNCTIONING ANARCHY OF JEFFERSON AIRPLANE
by Nick Logan

HAPPIER THAN EVER - says ZEP'S JOHN 'BONZO' BONHAM
annoyed by rumours of a break-up....
by Roy Carr

Tipped for charts by John Wells
Elton John, Rock And Roll Madonna
Madeline Bell, We're So Much In Love

NME Top 5
1. ( 1) In The Summertime, Mungo Jerry
2. ( 3) Groovin' With Mr. Bloe, Mr. Bloe
3. ( 5) Cottonfields, Beach Boys
4. ( 4) Honey Come Back, Glen Campbell
4. ( 9) Sally, Gerry Monroe

Top 5 LPs
1. ( 2) Bridge Over Troubled Water, Simon & Garfunkel
2. ( 1) Let It Be, Beatles
3. ( 4) Live At Leeds, Who
4. ( 3) McCartney, Paul McCartney
5. ( 5) Easy Rider, Soundtrack

Albums:

PROCOL HARUM. HOME (Regal Zonophone stereo SLRZ 1014 39s 11)
by Nick Logan

Since the excellent Salty Dog failed to work it for them the Procols look as if they may never get the recognition they deserve for what has been a consistent output of quality albums and inventive music.

This, their first since Matthew Fisher's departure - Chris Copping has taken over on bass and organ - keeps to their own high standards.

Gary Brooker wrote seven of the tracks, Robin Trower the other two, with Keith Reid supplying the lyrics, and while there are the typical Procol mood songs you'd expect to find, The Dead Man's Dream, Barnyard Story, Whaling Sorties [sic], they also rock it up a bit more than in the past.

Whisky Train features some splendid rocking guitar by Trower, who plays just as well here at the other extreme of mood. He also contributes About To Die, an impressive track that stands up to any past Procol "epics". Another fine album.

Other titles: Still There'll Be More, Nothing That I Didn't Know, Piggy Pig Pig, Your Own Choice.

Main albums reviewed this week:
Deep Purple, Deep Purple In Rock
Jimi Hendrix, Band Of Gypsys
Uriah Heep, Very 'Eavy...Very 'Umble
Steppenwolf, Steppenwolf Live
Edgar Broughton Band, Sing Brother Sing
Rick Nelson, Rick Nelson In Concert
Isley Brothers, The Brothers Isley
Marmalade, Refelctions Of The Marmalade