Procol Harum

[goldfinger]

Whiter Shade of Pale....

wot an inspiration... was it Gary Brooker

who watched the cigar ad on TV , then went

to the piano to play the theme... and got it

slightly wrong

... but this went on to inspire one mega song

that was the spirit of the summer of love 1967

The organ... those amazing lyrics......

We skipped a light fandango,

Turned cartwheels 'cross the floor.

I was feeling kind of seasick,

But the crowd called out for more.

The room was humming harder,

As the ceiling flew away.

When we called out for another drink,

The waiter brought a tray.

And so it was that later,

As the miller told his tale,

That her face at first just ghostly,

Turned a whiter shade of pale.

She said there is no reason,

And the truth is plain to see

That I wandered through my playing cards,

And would not let her be

One of sixteen vestal virgins

Who were leaving for the coast.

And although my eyes were open,

They might just as well have been closed.

And so it was later,

As the miller told his tale,

That her face at first just ghostly,

Turned a whiter shade of pale.

It hit no 1 on 8th June.... that must have

been around the time Sg Pepper was released !

The song was an inspiration ... a steal too,

but Im sure J.S. Bach would have been pleased with the international hit..

More than 900 cover versions so far !

I bet that song has kept Gary in cigars over the years.. not to say the odd Rolls Royce !

Gary has a great voice too

( bit of a Paul Mac lookalike )

.

[bluesboy]

Here's the Songfacts.

[goldfinger]

Interesting....releasing 10 albums before breaking up in 1977 ....not a bad run !