Procol Harum

Procol Harum

Summary

File under: 

Discography:

In the music library:

Links: Official web site     Twitter     Facebook

Iconic.

Essential.

Outstanding.

Interesting.

Intriguing.

Significant.

Obscure.

The name may or may not have originated from a pedigreed Burmese cat that may or may not have belonged to their original manager Guy Stevens (or a friend, versions of the story differ). It might or might not translate as beyond these things (of these far off things might be more accurate, but there's no doubt the band that set out to tour on the back of A Whiter Shade of Pale were a reincarnation of a Southend R&B band called the Paramounts.

Originally comprising pianist Gary Brooker, guitarist Robin Trower and bassist Chris Copping with a singer (Bob Scott) and drummer Mick Brownlee, the Paramounts date back to the very early sixties, playing rock'n'roll at youth clubs and dances. By 1962, Scott was gone, Brooker took over vocal duties and the group had picked up a residency at Southend's Shades Club thanks to a repertoire that was heavy on American R&B. Predictably, the lineup shuffles continued with a switch of drummers that brought B.J. Wilson to the band, and a change of bass players when Chris Copping set off to study at Leicester University in September 1963.

A demo (The Coasters' Poison Ivy and Bobby Bland's Further on up the Road) landed them an audition at EMI, and subsequently a contract with Parlophone label. Poison Ivy hit the lofty heights of # 35 in the British charts, drew an endorsement from the Rolling Stones (their favourite British R&B band) but that was as far as things went. Reduced to gigs backing Sandy Shaw and Chris Andrews the band split in September 1966, and Gary Brooker decided he was going to become a songwriter.

Brooker met lyricist Keith Reid through London R&B promoter Guy Stevens around the time Reid turning up on the doorstep of Elektra Records’ London office. Joe Boyd was the label’s British rep, and White Bicycles recounts his reaction to Reid's search for a deal based solely on some typewritten verses. I found him amiable but crazy. Who ever signed someone on the basis of a few stanzas of doggerel? Boyd subsequently booked the band to play London’s UFO Club the evening A Whiter Shade of Pale was released.

More...

© Ian Hughes 2015