Procol Harum's NME coverage ...

20 July, 28 September, 5 October 1968

These excerpts from New Musical Express, kindly selected for 'Beyond the Pale' by Yan Friis, show the Brooker marriage and mysterious plans for Reid's contribution to a poetry album and book.

NME July 20, 1968

Front page:
Half page ad for Atlantic artists Jerry Jeff Walker (Mr. Bojangles) and Otis Redding (Hard To Handle).

Half page ad for Immediate artists P. P. Arnold (Angel Of The Morning 45, Kafunta LP), Small Faces (The Universal 45, Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake LP) and The Nice (America 2^nd Amendment 45 and The Thoughts Of Emerlist Davjack LP).

Headlines:

IN TV-FILM SHOW WITH ELVIS!
by Ann Moses

NEW FREEDOM GIVES FACES PRIDE IN POP
We’re getting better ideas, better lyrics, says KENNY JONES
by Keith Altham

I Pretend gives him greatest ever reception – ’It’s embarrassing’
EVEN GALES CAN’T MAKE DES UNHAPPY!
by Richard Green

NINE HITS IN ROW, BUT MICK STILL UNHAPPY!
by Keith Altham
(Mick of Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich)

Tipped for the charts by Derek Johnson
Beach Boys, Do It Again

NME Top 5
1. ( 1) Baby Come Back, Equals
2. ( 2) Son Of Hickory Holler’s Tramp, O.C. Smith
3. ( 3) I Pretend, Des O’Connor
4. ( 5) Yesterday Has Gone, Cupid’s Inspiration
5. (11) Mony Mony, Tommy James & The Shondells

Tail-pieces by the Alley Cat

…On Saturday, Gary Brooker (lead singer with Procol Harum) married Swiss Miss Francoise Riedo…

(missing in action: NME July 27!)

I just thought I had to quote from Allen Evans’ review of Pink Floyd’s A Saucerful Of Secrets album:

"There seems to be increasing instances of basically good tracks being ruined by the now mandatory bit of extended psychedelic electronics, which unless constructive and well engineered (as in the case of Vanilla Fudge) means nothing and gets nowhere and is getting as corny as Italian suits." (NME August 10, 1968)

This from a guy who uses as much space of his LP-column for James Last and Julie Andrews as he does to bands like The Nice and The Doors.

 "The Truth about Me is that I’m… Pleasantly Insincere! And really that’s the Whole Truth, and nothing but." (Paul McCartney, NME August 17, 1968)

NME September 28, 1968

Front page: Full page ad for British tour of Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, June Carter and The Statler Bros.

Headlines:

GEORGE SAYS…
I WANT TO WRITE MEANINGLESS SONGS
by Alan Smith
(George being George Harrison)

CASUALS HAD ITALIAN EGINEER WITH COTTON WOOL IN HIS EARS!
by Alan Smith

JACK BRUCE ON CREAM SPLIT
’We reached a peak, and didn’t go further; we just got better at it’
by Nick Logan

Tipped for the charts by Nick Logan
Cream, Sunshine Of Your Love
Tommy James & the Shondells, Do Something To Me

NME Top 5
1. ( 1) Hey Jude, Beatles
2. ( 2) Those Were The Days, Mary Hopkin
3. ( 7) Jesamine, Casuals
4. ( 3) I’ve Gotta Get A Message To You, Bee Gees
5. ( 6) Hold Me Tight, Johnny Nash

News pages

POP STARS WAX POEMS LP
Arthur Brown, Carl Wayne of the Move and Traffic’s Chris Wood are among the many pop personalities who are contributing to an album of poetry and prose to be issued next month – a book of the material will be published simultaneously. other contributors include Tim Rose, Captain Beefheart, Keith West, Marc Bolan, John Peel, Soft Machine, lyricist Keith Reid, Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters and ex-Floyd Syd Barrett.

John Peel will read the poems on the LP, which is already half recorded. The book has passed the design stage, with drawings by Traffic’s Stevie Winwood and cover illustration by Manfred Klaus Voorman.

The ambitious project is the brainchild of Brian Morrison, manager of Pink Floyd, the Pretty Things and Tyrannosaurus Rex. He told the NME: "My impression on listening to recorded lyrics has been, for some time, that the artists involved would make good poets."

NME October 5, 1968
Front page: Full page ad for Cream’s The Sunshine Of Your Love (Polydor)

 Headlines:
JAGGER RAVED OVER BAND’S FIRST ALBUM
by Nick Logan

HOLLIES BIG FRIDAY: 23 HOURS OF IT!
Take a European trip with the ’Listen To Me’ stars
by Andy Gray

DAVE CLARK – SO PERFECT I WONDER IF HE’S REAL!
by Keith Altham

Engel’s singing in the Blackpool rain ... but sleep is what he really wants
by Richard Green
(Engel being Humperdinck)

Tipped for the charts by John Wells
Hollies, Listen To Me
Don Partridge, Top Man
Elvis Presley, You’ll Never Walk Alone

NME Top 5
1. ( 2) Those Were The Days, Mary Hopkin
2. ( 1) Hey Jude, Beatles
3. ( 3) Jesamine, Casuals
4. ( 8) Little Arrows, Leapy Lee
5. ( 5) Hold Me Tight, Johnny Nash

AMERICA CALLING
by June Harris

(excerpt)

Ten Years After arrived this week and kicked-off their current tour at the Fillmore East, appearing with Procol Harum.

Tail-pieces by the Alley Cat 

…Expect Procol Harum to rise again…