Procol Harum's first year in the NME

Novello award: 30 March 1968

These excerpts from New Musical Express, kindly selected for 'Beyond the Pale' by Yan Friis, show Brooker and Reid winning Britain’s international song of the year award for A Whiter Shade Of Pale.

Front page:

Half page advertisement for ‘the best in British bands’, naming Ken MacKintosh And His Band, Bob Miller And His Millermen and Johnny Howard And His Band.

Half page advertisement for Gene Pitney’s British tour with Don Partridge, Simon Dupree & the Big Sound, Status Quo and Amen Corner.

Main feature headlines

DAVE DEE WHIPS UP FANS by Keith Altham

DAVE GROWS UP; PETER LABOURER? MICKY THE NUT! HERMIT MIKE

That’s how Hollywood actress SUSAN HOWARD sees MONKEES by Alan Smith

 AMEN IN DEPTH first of a new series by Alan Smith: ANDY FAIRWEATHER-LOW

 DAVY’S COMING HOME TO DATE LOVE OF HIS LIFE
Lulu talks about her great romance by Richard Green

 Tipped for the charts by Derek Johnson:

Gene Pitney, Somewhere In The Country
Herd, I Don’t Want Our Loving To Die
Status Quo, Black Veils Of Melancholy

NME Top 5:

1 (6) Lady Madonna, Beatles
2 (3) Delilah, Tom Jones
3 (1) Cinderella Rockefella, Esther & Abi Ofarim
4 (5) The Dock Of The Bay, Otis Redding
5 (2) Legend Of Xanadu, Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich

News pages:

NOVELLO ’OSCAR’ WINNERS NAMED

(Winners of the Ivor Novello Awards, excerpt):

BRITAIN’S INTERNATIONAL SONG OF THE YEAR

1. A Whiter Shade Of Pale (Gary Brooker-Keith Reid)

… The awards were presented on Tuesday in a special BBC show, which was recorded for broadcast on Radio 1 and 2 next Tuesday (2^nd) at 9–15 pm. Among those taking part are the Joe Loss Orchestra, compere Brian Matthew, and various guest artists and Award winners.

Read more from the first year of Procol press