Procol Harum's first year in the NME

Movie-madness: 23 September 1967

These excerpts from New Musical Express, kindly selected for 'Beyond the Pale' by Yan Friis, show the Beatles' influence as Procol's management flirt with film-projects – bizarre, since the personalities in the band could scarcely muster sufficient extroversion between them to make one screen exhibitionist.

Front page: Half page advertisement for Eric Burdon & The Animals’ Good Times, and pictures of among others The Beatles (from the filming of Magical Mystery Tour).

NME Top 5:

1 (1) The Last Time, Engelbert Humperdinck
2 (3) Excerpt From A Teenage Opera, Keith West
3 (5) Itchycoo Park, The Small Faces
4 (2) I’ll Never Fall In Love Again, Tom Jones
5 (8) Let’s Go To San Francisco, Flowerpot Men

PROCOL HARUM FILM

Procol Harum is expected to accept an invitation to make its movie début in a big-budget production which starts shooting in November. As well as appearing in the picture, the group would also write the musical score and several featured songs. The film is titled Seventeen Plus and is being produced by John Heyman’s company, which was also responsible for the controversial Paul Jones’ movie Privilege.

In a story written by Wolf Mankowitz, Procol would play a pop group which becomes more powerful than the Government as a result of teenagers being given voting powers. A budget of £750,000 has been allocated to the film.

The period from mid-November until the end of the year is being held free for the group to undertake this project – which explains why Procol Harum announced it would undertake no personal appearances in Britain this year. The only exception to this is likely to be a major London concert in the autumn, possibly at the Royal Festival Hall.

Harum will undertake a string of radio and TV dates to coincide with the release next Friday (29^th) of its second single Homburg.

They fly to America on October 21 for a three-week visit and, if the deal is finalised, will begin work on the movie immediately on its return to Britain.

Tipped for the charts by John Wells
Hollies, King Midas In Reverse
Mamas & Papas, Twelve Thirty
Dusty Springfield, What’s It Gonna Be
Mothers Of Invention, Big Leg Emma
Vince Hill, Love Letters In The Sand

Tail-pieces by the Alley Cat:

… Expect head-way for Procol Harum’s Homburg!…

Read more from the first year of Procol press