Procol Harum's first year in the NME

'Homburg Hat': 29 July 1967

These excerpts from New Musical Express, kindly selected for 'Beyond the Pale' by Yan Friis, show PH slowly sliding down the chart, replaced at the top by wayward genius, flower-power and angst ... Procol decide to prolong their UK inactivity ...

NME Top 3:

1 (1) All You Need Is Love, The Beatles
2 (7) San Francisco, Scott McKenzie
3 (3) It Must be Him, Vikki Carr

6 (5) A Whiter Shade Of Pale, Procol Harum

And A Whiter Shade Of Pale climbs to No 5 in the Billboard charts.

Tipped for the charts by Derek Johnson:

Tremeloes, Even The Bad Times Are Good
Alan Price Set, The House That Jack Built
Cat Stevens, A Bad Night
Warm Sounds, Sticks And Stones
New Vaudeville Band, Green Street Green
Spencer Davis Group, Time Seller

News pages:

Procol to France, US; next single September?

Procol Harum, which announced two weeks ago that it would undertake no British personal appearances until September, has now decided to prolong this UK inactivity until December. The group will, however, play overseas dates during the early autumn – commencing with a ten-day tour of casinos and opera houses in the South of France from September 9.

Procol returns from France in time for radio and TV promotion on its new single, which is another Gary Brooker / Keith Reid composition with the working title of Homburg Hat.

The record will probably be issued on September 22, but as previously indicated in the NME it is not yet clear which label will release the Harum’s future discs. Its first LP, comprising all Brooker / Reid compositions [sic], is now almost completed and is planned for end-of-September release.

Procol’s new manager Tony Secunda announces the group will visit America for ten days in October, to promote its second single. Besides TV dates and radio interviews, a few personal appearances may be arranged for the Harum in the New York area.
 

Click here to see the Homburg advertised in NME

Read more from the first year of Procol press