Procol Harum

Procol Harum , progressive rock kings who hit it big with “A Whiter Shade of Pale.” Membership : Gary Brooker, pno., voc. (b. London, England, May 29, 1945); Keith Reid, lyrics (b. London, England, Oct. 10, 1946); Brooker Fisher, org. (b. London, England, May2 9, 1946); Ry Royer, gtr. (b. Oct. 8, 1945); Dave Knights, bs. (b. Islington, London, England, June 28, 1945); Bobby Harrison, drm. (b. East Ham, London, England, June 28, 1943). After their first single, Royer and Harrison left, to be replaced by guitarist Robin Trower (b. London, England, March 9, 1945) and drummer Barry J. “B. J.” Wilson (b. Middlesex, England, March 18, 1947; d. Ore., 1989). Knights and Fisher left the group in 1969, to be replaced by organist-bassist Chris Copping (b. Southend, Essex, England, Aug. 29, 1945). Trower departed in 1971. Procol Harum disbanded in 1977 and reunited in 1991 with Brooker, Reid, Fisher, and Trower.

Procol Harum began their evolution as The Para-mounts, a rhythm-and-blues group formed in Essex, England, around 1961. The group comprised pianist Gary Brooker, guitarist Robin Trower, and bassist Chris Copping, later joined by drummer B. J. Wilson in 1963. Recording a series of unsuccessful British R&B singles, The Paramounts persevered until 1966, when Brooker formed a songwriting team with lyricist Keith Reid. Procol Harum was formed in April 1967, with Brooker, Reid, organist Matthew Fisher, guitarist Rob Royer, bassist Dave Knights, and drummer Bobby Harrison. Their debut single on Deram, “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” featured Reid’s mythic and surreal lyrics and the ominous organ playing of Fisher. It became a smash British and American hit and launched Procol Harum into international prominence. However, both Royer and Harrison soon departed, and Brooker recruited former Paramounts Robin Trower and B. J. Wilson for the completion of their debut album. Procol Harum served as an excellent first release, containing nine Brooker-Reid collaborations including “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” the foreboding “Something Following Me,” the raunchy “Mabel,” “Conquistador,” and the powerful five-minute tour de force, “(Outside the Gates of) Cerdes.” Intellectually as well as emotionally stimulating, the album demonstrated that rock music could be intelligent and challenging.

Touring the U.S. for the first time in 1967 and 1968 as “Homburg” was becoming a moderate American hit single, Procol Harum next recorded Shine on Brightly. Issued in the U.S. on A&M Records, the album included “Skip Softly (My Moonbeams),” “Rambling On,” and the title song, yet featured the 18-minute “In Held Twas in I,” which depicted a stunning musical and lyrical journey from the depths of self-pity and depression to regal affirmation and renewed faith. Their next album, A Salty Dog, was their masterpiece, exploring a number of musical avenues enhanced by various dubbed-in sounds. It was filled with excellent songs, all with lyrics by Reid, such as the title song, “The Milk of Human Kindness,” “Too Much between Us,” “All This and More,” “Pilgrim’s Progress,” and the amusing but fateful “Boredom.”

However, after producing A Salty Dog, Matthew Fisher left Procol Harum to become a producer and pursue a neglected solo career. Dave Knights also departed, and he and Fisher were replaced by a single new member, bassist- organist Chris Copping, another former member of The Paramounts. Reduced to a performing quartet, Procol Harum emphasized the forceful guitar playing of Robin Trower on Home and Broken Barricades. Home included two Trower-Reid collaborations, “Whisky Train” and “About to Die,” as well as Brooker-Reid compositions such as “Still There’ll Be More” and “Your Own Choice.” Broken Barricades contained three more melodies provided by Trower, most significantly the tribute to Jimi Hendrix, “Song for a Dreamer,” in addition to Brooker and Reid’s “Simple Sister,” “Power Failure,” and the lurid “Luskus Delph.”

In July 1971, Robin Trower departed Procol Harum. The group realigned with Brooker, Wilson, Copping (who switched to organ), guitarist Dave Ball, and bassist Alan Cartwright. While touring North America in late 1971, Procol Harum was invited to record with the Edmonton Symphony Orch. in Canada. Live recordings of the concert became an instant surprise success, garnering the group critical acclaim and an expanded audience. The album, which compiled several of the group’s early songs and the “In Held Twas in I” suite in full orchestral and choral treatment, yielded the group’s third and final hit, “Conquistador,” originally included on their debut album. Procol Harum then switched to Chrysalis Records for Grand Hotel. However, their fortunes began to fade with Exotic Birds and Fruit, a decidedly “hard rock” effort. Procol’s Ninth, produced by legendary producers Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, included the favorite “Pandora’s Box,” but Something Magic fared poorly and Procol Harum disbanded in 1977. Gary Brooker subsequently recorded several solo albums before becoming a regular member of Eric Clapton’s touring band in the late 1980s.

Upon leaving Procol Harum, Robin Trower formed the short-lived group Jude with Scottish vocalist Frankie Miller, former Stone the Crows bassist Jim Dewar, and former Jethro Tull drummer Clive Bunker. Trower next formed his own powerhouse trio with Dewar (who performed vocals) and drummer Reg Isidore. Their debut album for Chrysalis, Twice Removed from Yesterday, sold marginally despite the stunning Jimi Hendrix-derived guitar playing of Trower on songs such as “Hannah” and “Man of the World.” Bridge of Sighs became a best-seller, at least in the U.S., where Trower consciously concentrated his efforts. Former Sly and The Family Stone drummer Bill Lordan replaced Isidore for the For Earth Below album. Subsequent Robin Trower albums through 1980 sold well, with Long Misty Days yielding Trower’s only (minor) hit, “Caledonia.” Dewar left in 1980 and Trower formed B.L.T. with Lordan and former Cream bassist Jack Bruce in 1981. Trower soon recorded Truce with Bruce before reforming his own band with Dewar for his final Chrysalis album Back It Up. In 1986, he recorded the independently released Passion and resumed touring, later switching to Atlantic Records.

In 1991, Procol Harum reunited with Gary Brooker, Keith Reid, Matthew Fisher, and Robin Trower for The Prodigal Stranger and a new round of touring, with Tim Renwick substituting for Trower. In 1993, Windsong U.K. issued the live BBC Radio One concert Robin Trower and, in 1995, Brooker, Fisher, and Trower recorded The Long Goodbye with the London Symphony Orch. for RCA.

Discography

Procol Harum (1967); Shine on Brightly (1968); A Salty Dog (1969); Home (1970); Broken Barricades (1971); Live with the E/Dennis McIntireonton Symphony Orchestra (1972); Grand Hotel (1973); Exotic Birds and Fruit (1974); Procol’s Ninth (1975); Something Magic (1977); The Chrysalis Years (1973–1977) (1989); The Prodigal Stranger (1991).

—Brock Helander