But at the end of the day the conclusive sentiment of the singer seems to be akin to happily accepting that his lady friend has indeed decided to part ways. And for the record, as of 2021, only about 40 songs in history have ever achieved this great feat. It's about a relationship. The success of this song has led to “a whiter shade of pale” being adopted as a common phrase in the English lexicon. He conceptualized it after overhearing a party attendee say to a lady, “You’ve turned a white shade of pale”. This was the most-played song in … For instance, it has been recognized as being both the most-played song in public and the most-played song on air in the UK throughout the 20th century and into the 21st. A whiter shade of pale . Together Again #7. Concerning the two omitted verses, which are not usually featured in recordings of this song, Procol Harum are known to render them during live performances. Louder is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. In a Songfacts interview, he explained: "It's sort of a film, really, trying to conjure up mood and tell a story. And he further stated that “A Whiter Shade of Pale” wasn’t meant to “combine” rock with classical”. So with that pretext in mind, we can decipher the wording more effectively than some others analysts who have put over-emphasis on the aforementioned references or have mistakenly concluded that Reid wrote them while being wasted on drugs. There is seemingly a whole lot going on in “A Whiter Shade of Pale”. Air On A G String was the starting point but the rest was invention, with constant reference to Bach-like breaks and atmosphere.”. The long and protracted tale behind UK prog legends Procol Harum's 1967 number one smash hit A Whiter Shade Of Pale. The instrumental to this track, according to Gary Brooker, was partially inspired by “Air on the G String”, a tune originated by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) circa 1730. From the onset it is obvious that the singer and the other subject of the song, his romantic interest, are together in some sort of party setting. The song describes a drunken seduction attempted by the song's narrator on an unnamed woman. An early explanation from Reid was that he was at a "gathering" where "some guy looked at a chick and said to her, 'you've gone a whiter shade of pale'. 'A WHITER Shade Of Pale' is lyrically a pile of pretentious rubbish which makes the mistake of assuming the mantle of literature. Not only is the instrumental partially based on a song dating all the way back to the 17th century, but there are also references to the likes of “the miller”, “16 vestal virgins” and “Neptune” which truly gives the lyrics a mythological, esoteric feel. He defiled one of the versions and was forever banned from that time and push forward to 1967. Indeed we see at the beginning of the second verse that she has no discernible – or at least admitted – reason for leaving him. This is exactly it. The tune has held a particularly strong standing in Procol Harum’s homeland of the United Kingdom. Visit our corporate site. I found this: “The song explores what it means to be wrecked, in more than one sense of the word. 13.3M. Mescaline is more physical. Meanwhile in writing the lyrics, Keith said he was inspired by a number of musicians, amongst them being the Beatles, Ray Charles and Stax (Records). Legend of a song by Procol Harum still gets me. Do you know the song "A Whiter Shade of Pale" What does it mean? The general consensus is that “A Whiter Shade Of Pale” is a snapshot of a drunken sexual escapade gone awry. Answer Save. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. A friend of Matthew Fisher’s went on to explain that the musician did not wait some 40 years, from when the song first came out, to file the aforementioned lawsuit per se. Please deactivate your ad blocker in order to see our subscription offer, Daniel Biro announces online concert for May, Karnivool reschedule The Regeneration Tour to April/May 2022, Acolyte release powerful video for new single Resentment, Listen to Texan ‘choral rockers’ The Polyphonic Spree’s take on a Rush classic. But in all, it reads like one of those types of scenarios where homegirl has basically come to the realization that the time has come for her to move on with her life. Procol Harum recorded this song, over a two-week period, in Olympic Sound Studios, which is located in London. I hope it helps you understand the song. The first verse of the song obviously describes the trip the author is on. He overheard someone at the party saying to a woman, "You've turned a whiter shade of pale", and the phrase stuck in his mind. Most Brits and I have enjoyed it for years. Rather he had considered doing so as early as 1972. ... has said that he was just trying to "paint a picture with words." “It came along at just the right moment, and meant so much to so many people at a formative time,” considers Brooker. After topping the Dutch Top 40 in 1967, it went on to also do the same on the Netherlands’ Single Top 100 in 1972, having also recharted on the UK Singles Chart that year. I think it make sense, really ! Stay Another Day (Less Sad Mix) #10. All rights reserved. Song Meanings and Facts © 2021. He overheard someone at the party saying to a woman, "You've turned a whiter shade of pale," and the phrase stuck in his mind. Thank you for signing up to Prog. The drug referred to in the song is coke, but it could be any drug overdose. I was immediately taken with the immense length of the original four verses with a chorus on each, and the narrative form it took, with its mysterious characters and goings-on.”, Brooker had been working on melody inspired by classical composer Johann Sebastian Bach, saying: “Throughout 1966 I had followed with interest the work of the Jacques Loussier Trio and the Swingle Singers, who had made an art of adapting Bach pieces. This is "Procol Harum-A Whiter Shade Of Pale" by musicki24 on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them. He took a time travel back to ancient times and he saw the procession of the 16 Vestal versions that guard of the tumor Vesta. But his “main influence” was Bob Dylan himself. And again, trying to make too much sense of the lyrics which come after this point can prove to be a fool’s errand. Procol Harem was not a “one hit wonder.” Have you listened to “Conquistador?” It is a lyrical masterpiece. Originally the writing of this song was credited exclusively to Procol Harum’s Keith Reid and Gary Brooker. Jul 16th 2019 report. 5 #1. The miller is obvious. One of 16 vestal virgins who were leaving for the coast. (this girl was drunk as a skunk and a miller ,a tradesman, tells the story to those who would listen) She said there is no reason, and the truth was plan to see. But within the context of the song, the reason “that her face… turned a whiter shade of pale” is because, obviously, she came to experience a high level of emotional discomfort. It’s a single with almost incomprehensible lyrics, has been the subject of drawn-out legal proceedings, and is the most played record by British broadcasting over the past 70 years or so. In 1967, British group Procol Harum released one of the few singles to sell 10 million copies worldwide: “A Whiter Shade of Pale.” The members that recorded the song were Gary Brooker (vocals and piano), Matthew Fisher (Hammond M-102 organ), bassist David Knights, Ray Royer on guitar and session drummer Bill Eyden (later replaced by Bobby Harrison). The first verse is pretty clear to me: they are a band, they are very coked up while doing a show, skipped a light show and did everything they could to impress instead. I'm going to find out. Procol Harum is a rock band from the UK. It is then in the chorus that we are introduced to the titular phrase, itself being a challenging, or let’s say open-ended allegory in and of itself. The song came out as part of Procol Harum’s debut album, which itself is entitled Procol Harum. and although my eyes were open He wasn’t drunk he was high most likely on LSD. I've been wanting to know what the song A Whiter Shade of Pale by the band Procol Harum is about since 1967, when I first heard it. (If you think that's procrastination, let me tell you about my fiction writing.) Regardless of genre or meaning behind the song, one thing is undebatable…“A Whiter Shade Of Pale” is one of the greatest songs in the history of rock and roll. A WHITER SHADE OF PALE In a slow 4 Words and Music by KEITH REID and GARY BROOKER We skipped the light- fan - dan - go, turned cart - wheels 'cross the She said, Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely #3. That may explain why he also began the narrative in a party-like setting. The single is A Whiter Shade Of Pale, the debut release from Procol Harum that not only topped the UK charts for six weeks, but also made it to Number Five in America. In other words, it’s as if they and the others in the venue are having a real-good, carefree time. The second one was actually what is referred to as a Scopitone video – a direct ancestor to music videos themselves. And when he originally conceived the song it consisted of four verses. Some have said it has to do with a sexual encounter. All right. But within the context of the song, the reason “that her face… turned a whiter shade of pale” is because, obviously, she came to experience a high level of emotional discomfort. “A Whiter Shade Of Pale” became a huge hit around the world, reached number 5 on the US charts, and is now one of fewer than 30 singles to have sold over 10 million copies worldwide. This song is obviously about death from an overdose of drugs. And concerning the unconventional, Latin-sounding name of the group, it actually doesn’t have any true interpretation. 77,312 2,899. more tracks from the album Starke Gefuhle, Vol. 4 Answers. © Mon Ami M'A Quittée #9. “When it was at Number One, a Rolls Royce appeared at my flat to pick me up for Top Of The Pops. drunk – and on the verge of partaking of even more alcohol. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), which was hippyish in and of itself. And the track reached number 1 in nearly 15 different countries, including most notably the UK Singles Chart. The song was written by band members Keith Reid and Gray Brooker, whose haunting melancholy vocals went a long way to making the song a number one hit in the UK as well as all over Europe. And “A Whiter Shade of Pale” was amongst the first songs to be enshrined therein. But rather at the time, “it’s just that Bach’s music was in (him)”. Without much promotion, it reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. The single is A Whiter Shade Of Pale, the debut release from Procol Harum that not only topped the UK charts for six weeks, but also made it to Number Five in America. “A Whiter Shade of Pale” is a very special track for Procol Harum. It has no "original" meaning whatsoever--just the meaning we choose to assign to it. This song is hauntingly beautiful, and I'm very curious about what the lyrics mean. But despite the instant success, Brooker wasn’t about to get carried away by pop stardom. There was a problem. A Whiter Shade of Pale (by Procol Harum, 1967) I don’t know the writer’s intent or inspiration. In 1998, it was inducted into the highly-distinguished Grammy Hall of Fame. A Whiter Shade of Pale by Procul Harum released in 1967 has become a pop standard. John Lennon was said to be a great fan of the song and was known to have played it repeatedly on the record player fitted in his psychedelic Rolls Royce. Or stated otherwise, it has sold in excess of 10,000,000 copies which is a remarkable feat. The producer of this track was the late Denny Cordell (1943-1995), an English musician who was actually born in Argentina. Historically this track is part and parcel of a period of time known as the Summer of Love, specifically as far as the UK is concerned. This classic also proved popular enough to have its own promotional films back in the days when music videos were only afforded to the most-successful of acts, like the Beatles. Keith Reid is noted as being the primary writer, lyric-wise, of “A Whiter Shade of Pale”. Posted by Bruce Kahl on April 19, 2005. In Reply to: Whiter shade of pale posted by Snoopy on April 19, 2005: What is the meaning of "a whiter shade of pale"? According to music historian Harvey Kubernik, in the context of the Summer of Love, "A Whiter Shade of Pale" was the "one song [that] stood above all others, its Everest-like status conferred by no less than John Lennon and Paul McCartney, who were enthralled by the Chaucerian wordplay and heavenly Baroque accompaniment". In fact this track holds the distinction of being one of the highest-selling singles of all time. Its chief problem is its lack of humour. Elton John’s homey) alongside Hollywood actor Harry Dean Stanton but none of the actual members of Procol Harum. Your email address will not be published. And he went on to elaborate that “in those days it wasn’t just a question of how good is your song” but also “how good of a recording can you make”. “Keith Reid [Procol Harum lyricist] had written the lyrics and posted them to me,” recalls pianist/singer Gary Brooker. And the reason why she is uncomfortable is basically because she is using the same aforementioned setting to let the singer know that she is in fact leaving him. Between then and actually filing, he sought consul on the matter four times. And the reason why she is uncomfortable is basically because she is using the same aforementioned setting to let the singer know that she is in fact leaving him. All Rights Reserved. My wife has taken a… That phrase stuck in my mind." However, it wasn’t until 2005 that the lawyer he consulted that time around, Jens Hill, agreed that Fisher actually had a case. But what is it about A Whiter Shade Of Pale that has made it so enduring and iconic? In fact the Beatles’ main songwriters, Paul McCartney and John Lennon, were themselves said to have been heavily impressed by “A Whiter Shade of Pale”, with Lennon in particular taking a special liking to the tune. Some of the notable names to have done so include the following: Some lesser known acts such as The Hesitations (1968) and R. B. Greaves (1970) even managed to chart with their renditions. BA1 1UA. Or stated differently, Brooker was able to compose the instrumental based on “a bar or two” of the aforementioned classic as a starting point. And once again in terms of the UK especially, it should also be noted that “A Whiter Shade of Pale” came out just two weeks the Beatles’ most-celebrated album, Sgt. Powered by - Designed with the Hueman theme, “Eazy Sleazy” by Mick Jagger (ft. Dave Grohl), “Do You Wanna Come Over?” by Britney Spears, completely omitted from standard versions. I mean people now use it all the time. If the songwriter of 'A Whiter Shade Of Pile', Keith Reid, heard the song 'A Hazy Shade Of Winter' in 1966 and thought that it was a good song and he tried to write a song like this as he described 'It's sort of film, really, trying to conjure up the mood and make a story.' Though at times they’ll only sing the third and not the fourth. Procol Harum's lyricist Keith Reid wrote the words to this song. It struck me as a very useful phrase, a whiter shade of pale. Keith Reid got the title and starting point for the song at a party. For instance, the last two verses of the song are completely omitted from standard versions of “A Whiter Shade of Pale”. The song is a sexual odyssey where the girl is breaking up with boy but they have one last "fandango" (in this case a sexual dance) where he, for lack of a better team goes hard at it giving her extreme pleasure with multiple orgasms, turning her, a whiter shade of pale. Then I spent about an hour sifting through random yahoo! The Summer of Love is another name given to the summer season of 1967, which was one of the highlights of the hippie-inspired 1960s in the Anglo-American world. Procol Harum are by and large a one-hit wonder, with this song being their one hit. In celebration of the 50 th anniversary of “A Whiter Shade Of Pale,” I’ve decided to share three videos (below). It’s not exactly clear why this happened. Watch the song video Whiter Shade of Pale. and would not let her be. Whiter shade of pale. That is what really happened it was a time traveling quantum leap backward where he hoped to stay up because he filed a beautiful goddess he was banned forever from that time time. 'A whiter shade of pale' refers to being under the influence of coke, and taking another rail to go "a whiter shade of pale". Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Please refresh the page and try again. I've had it. The organ strains of Procol Harum's "A Whiter Shade of Pale" sounded through Court 56 of Britain's High Court as the band's former organ player, Matthew Fisher, … About A Whiter Shade of Pale "A Whiter Shade of Pale" is the debut single by the British rock band Procol Harum, released 12 May 1967. “Keith Reid [Procol Harum lyricist] had written the lyrics and posted them to me,” recalls pianist/singer Gary Brooker. Of course a song of this magnitude has had plenty of covers. However in his opinion, “A Whiter Shade of Pale” “was the one that recorded the best”. It also parallels with the Titanic tragedy. This is because it is the first track the band ever recorded and released, the latter having transpired via Deram Records on 12 May 1967. I asked who had booked it, the driver said, ‘Your manager.’ We sacked him and I took the bus!”. Look it up. A miller is any type of moth that has white, powdery wings. Also the implication is that they are quite smashed – i.e. "A Whiter Shade of Pale" is the debut song by the British band Procol Harum, released 12 May 1967. But as the man who actually wrote the words, Keith Reid, has explained, his goal in writing this classic was to put forth a “straightforward, girl-leaves-boy story”. They actually formed way back in 1967 and, outside of taking the entire 1990s off, have for the most part been active throughout the decades. The song, “A Whiter Shade Of Pale”. In recent times, the song has been the subject of a protracted court case, with organist Matthew Fisher claiming he co-wrote the music with Brooker. Ever been on one? However, it is probably due the fact that they are verily confusing. Bath Turned a whiter shade of pale. It reflects an era that, perhaps, they wish they could have experienced.”. Join Me in Death #6. Sign up below to get the latest from Prog, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox! The original lyrics had four verses, of which only two are heard on the original recording. Additionally it reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, despite receiving limited promotion in the United States. And in 1977 the Brit Awards gave it the distinction of being The Best British Pop Single 1952-1977, an accolade it shared with “Bohemian Rhapsody” (1975) by Queen. And there were other tracks from the early days of Procol Harum which they were equally fond of. “I’d been working on a musical idea, which until then had been purely instrumental, when I opened the post and A Whiter Shade Of Pale was on the top of other lyrics. The first one, with Peter Clifton as its director, was shot in Witley Court, the ruins of a large 17th century mansion in England. Because LSD melts In your mind not in your mouth. Du Trägst Keine Liebe In Dir #5. As far as one-hit wonders go, no act could have asked for a bigger success than “A Whiter Shade of Pale”. And the last one was helmed by Joel Gallen and featured Bernie Taupin (i.e. And this of course leaves the singer himself wondering why exactly such is transpiring. According to Keith, this hit song came about during the band’s first recording session. In 2004 the song also made it onto the top 60 of Rolling Stone’s notable ranking of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. I was just reading an article in the New York Times and they were talking about a drink called absinthe and they called the absinthe a lighter shade of green. In 2005, Matthew Fisher, another old school member of the crew who left in 2004, sued Brooker, who remained leader of the band, under the claim that he (Fisher) also co-wrote “A Whiter Shade of Pale” (Keith Reid left Procol Harum when they first disbanded in 1977 and never returned to the fold.). The original lyrics had four verses, of which only two are heard on the original recording.