In an interview with Uncut magazine, Reid shed a little light on the song’s origin and meaning. Jim Beviglia Obviously the track was available in the height of the swinging sixties. Are you a songwriter? The line should read although my eyes were open they might just as well’ve been closed. var _g1; Complete your Procol Harum collection. 2 tracks (7:06). Also in the studio that week were; Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Titch, Dusty Springfield and The Tremeloes. “When it was at Number One, a Rolls Royce appeared at my flat to pick me up for Top Of The Pops. TOTPWatch: Procol Harum performed A Whiter Shade Of Pale on Top Of The Pops on five occasions; 25 May 1967. "A Whiter Shade of Pale" is the debut single by the British rock band Procol Harum, released 12 May 1967. A Whiter Shade of Pale Brooker / Fisher / Reid. “I had the phrase ‘a whiter shade of pale,’ that was the start, and I knew it was a song,” he said. There was a problem. This is what I got from listening to the song. if ( localStorage.getItem(skinItemId ) ) { } catch(e) {}, by _g1.setAttribute('srcset', _g1.getAttribute('data-srcset')); Woops. Can anyone explain the words from the song 'A Whiter Shade Of Pale' by Procol Harum? The general consensus is that “A Whiter Shade Of Pale” is a snapshot of a drunken sexual escapade gone awry. Just crank up the volume everytime I hear opening organ chords. Become a member. The baroque roquers of Procol Harum (Richmond, London) became world famous after the delivery of a few superb symphonic pop prototypes. The label is A&M.The record is M-. She says there is no reason and the truth is plain to see. Here are the subtext of the lyrics: 1. 8 June 1967. Alan Freeman was the host. _g1.classList.remove('lazyload'); I understand that when John Lennon heard it he played it constantly and he was just as captivated as the rest of the rock world by the Bach inspired song. Nothing on earth is the ghostly color of a corpse. Addeddate 2020-11-04 16:13:49 Identifier procol-harum-a-whiter-shade-of-pale-06.-cerdes-outside Scanner Internet Archive HTML5 Uploader 1.6.4 My intepretation is that it's about a man who lost his woman who died because of drugs. 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. I’m wondering if maybe she was pregnant and it was plain to see she was. Formed in the 1960s, progressive rock band Procol Harum are best known for their multimillion-selling single "A Whiter Shade of Pale" which is the most played record by a British artist of the last 70 years.Procol Harum's extraordinary career now spans almost 50 years. The third verse has been heard in live performances by Procol Harum… HEY CHRIS…THATS PART OF WHAT I THOUGHT…TOO…YOU KNOW LIKE THE OLD GUY THAT WAS A MILLER…AND HE WOULD SIT AROUND OR THEY WOULD…THE REGULARS…SITTING AROUND THEIR FAVORITE…PUB…AND HE WOULD TELL WAR STORIES…AND LIKE YOU SAID GOT DRUNK…AND PONDERED THE MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE…AND…GOT…OLD… But despite the instant success, Brooker wasn’t about to get carried away by pop stardom. Discover releases, reviews, credits, songs, and more about Procol Harum - A Whiter Shade Of Pale at Discogs. But, the song still gets air play today and possibly will for many generations to come. “A Whiter Shade Of Pale” is believed to be a poetic journey through a drunken seduction, which is described by way of references to sex as a form … Therefore the Millers tale was something that she was afraid someone might figure out who she was. Original lyrics of A Whiter Shade Of Pale song by Procol Harum. Non hai capito le parole? Procol Harum’s singer Gary Brooker was responsible for writing the music, although Fisher’s organ part was so prominent that he also eventually received a songwriting credit after a protracted court battle. var _g1; I believe the line although my eyes were open I might just as well’ve been blind, means he didn’t figure out that she had been one of the Vestal virgins. 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I always thought that meant that he (they) got drunk. “Now, younger people hear it and it still sounds full of atmosphere. (1998), The Symphonic Music (1995), + many compilations including Secrets of the Hive (2007), One Eye to the Future, The Best of – Then and Now (2010) Picture sleeve: many. Log In. No matter whether you buy one or twenty the postage is still the same $3.50 TOTAL (in the U.S.) YOU KNOW THE MEANING OF LIFE THING AND THE MOURNFUL MELANCHOLYNESS OF LIFE…THINKING OF BACK WHEN THEY WERE YOUNG AND USED TO SKIP THE LIGHT FANDANGO….YOU KNOW…DANCE PARTY…AND HAD A…LIFE…OH…AND CHASE THE BABES…I WAS 11 YEARS OLD WHEN THAT SONG CAME OUT ITS STILL ONE OF MY FAVORITES…I NOW KNOW HOW THOSE FOLKS FELT…EVEN BACK THEN…. _g1.setAttribute('srcset', _g1.getAttribute('data-srcset')); Wut ever we all get out of it we all can agree to , roll one up and burn it down, and TURN IT UP,!!! “Keith Reid [Procol Harum lyricist] had written the lyrics and posted them to me,” recalls pianist/singer Gary Brooker. “The miller’s tale” is the second tale of the book “The Canterbury Tales”,’ written by Chaucer. Visit our corporate site. Leggi la traduzione e guarda il video della canzone di A Whiter Shade Of Pale, tratta dall'album Greatest Hits: Procol Harum di Procol Harum. “Keith Reid [Procol Harum lyricist] had written the lyrics and posted them to me,” recalls pianist/singer Gary Brooker. Procol Harum – A Whiter Shade Of Pale. Turned a whiter shade of pale She said, "I'm here on a shore leave," Though we were miles at sea. } Cosa aspetti? You will receive a verification email shortly. But what is it about A Whiter Shade Of Pale that has made it so enduring and iconic? The hit reached number one in the UK Singles Chart on June 8th, 1967 and remained there for six whole weeks! A Vestal virgin is buried alive if they have sex. "A Whiter Shade of Pale" was the debut single by the British rock band Procol Harum. 3 (BWV 1068) in D major, given the more vivid title A Whiter Shade of Pale by the band. Album: Procol Harum … plus! Listen free to Procol Harum – A Whiter Shade of Pale (A Whiter Shade of Pale, Lime Street Blues). Watch official video, print or download text in PDF. A MISSING verse has been discovered to the celebrated Sixties song 'A Whiter Shade of Pale' which explains its meaning, according to the music writer who tracked it down. With Procol Harum it was a bit of a mess for a few weeks, bit of a shock. Please deactivate your ad blocker in order to see our subscription offer, White Willow's Jacob Holm-Lupo teams up with Prog writer for new concept work, Wardruna celebrate the Winter Solstice by sharing epic new single Andvevarljod, Prognosis unveil new line-up with video for brand new single Dark Waters, Gandalf's Fist release new festive single Witchwood. But when you consider some of the concoctions that sounded ridiculous on paper and yet turned out to be pure magic when recorded, it’s clear that hit songs are produced by a combination of talent, inspiration, luck, and some sort of pixie dust that floats around recording studios but only alights on certain musicians at certain times, like it did for Procol Harum when they recorded “A Whiter Shade Of Pale.”. A Whiter Shade of Pale Think about that color, what does it mean? Wayne from Salem, Va In Latin "Procol Harum" means Far From These Things or Something More Than This. Without much promotion, it reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. © "A Whiter Shade of Pale", surprisingly declared by the BBC to be the most played song in public places in the past 75 years, has also famously been the subject of a bitter feud between … Thank you for signing up to Prog. Don’t let it bother you. if ( localStorage.getItem(skinItemId ) ) { I pointed out this detail And forced her to agree, Saying, "You must be the mermaid Who took King Neptune for a ride. _g1 = document.getElementById('g1-logo-mobile-inverted-img'); With the ceiling flying away and room humming harder, I wanted to paint an image of a scene.”, The general consensus is that “A Whiter Shade Of Pale” is a snapshot of a drunken sexual escapade gone awry. The original lyrics had four verses, of which only two are heard on the original recording. Enter the American Songwriter Lyric Contest! What can be said about A Whiter Shade Of Pale? } catch(e) {}, try { The single reached number 1 in the UK Singles Chart on 8 June 1967 and stayed there for six weeks. One more clarification, vestal virgins had a 30 year contract so it wasn’t a lifetime. 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