Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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PROCOL HARUM

UK rock band, began as the Paramounts early '60s, playing R&B covers in Southend (singles collected on Whiter Shades Of R&B '83 on Edsel): Gary Brooker (b 29 May 1945, Southend; d 19 February 2022, Surrey), piano, vocals; Robin Trower (b 9 March 1945, London) on guitar; Barrie (B. J.) Wilson (b 18 March 1947), drums; Chris Copping (b 29 August 1945), bass. Brooker had a bluesy, Ray Charles-influenced voice and a tune from J. S. Bach; Keith Reid (b 10 October 1946) provided mysterious words; with Matthew Fisher (b 7 March 1946, London) on organ, David Knights on bass (b 28 June 1945), Ray Rowyer on guitar, Bobby Harrison on drums, they recorded 'Whiter Shade Of Pale', at no. 1 UK/5 USA, which with the Beatles' 'All You Need Is Love' and Scott McKenzie's 'San Francisco' was one of the singles of the 'Summer of Love' '67, on Decca's Deram label. Some thought the follow-up 'Homburg' was a better record (on venerable Regal Zonophone label, A&M in USA). Rowyer and Harrison quit; Trower and Wilson were recruited to finish Procol Harum '67 (Latin for 'beyond these things', or perhaps the name of somebody's cat). The first edition of the LP bravely did not include the big hit (but did in the USA); they were influential for their two-keyboard approach.

Shine On Brightly '68 and Salty Dog '69 were '60s classics, with Reid's lyrics, Wilson's unusually free drumming, members doubling on celeste, recorder, marimba etc though the hit was so big the band were regarded as one-hit wonders, especially in the UK. Fisher went solo '69 (Journey's End '73, I'll Be There '74, Matthew Fisher '80, Strange Days '81; he ran his own studio in South London); Copping replaced Knights on bass, doubled on organ; albums Home '70, Broken Barricades '71 were patchy, Trower's Jimi Hendrix fixation taking over; he went solo, replaced by Dave Ball (b 30 March 1950); Copping switched to organ full time, Alan Cartwright (b 10 October 1945) joined on bass; Procol Harum: In Concert With The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra '72 was their biggest hit LP in USA at no. 5, included surprise hit 'Conquistador' (the original version a track on the first album). Mick Grabham (ex-Cochise) replaced Ball on Grand Hotel '73; Exotic Birds And Fruit '74 was strong rock, B. J. Cole guesting on steel guitar. The last two didn't chart in UK, but Procol's Ninth did '75, perhaps because it was produced by Leiber and Stoller. Something Magic '77 was their last LP for a while, centred on ambitious, flawed 18-minute 'Worm And The Tree'.

Reid went into management; Brooker was part of Paul McCartney's Rockestra, then made solo albums No More Fear Of Flying '79, Lead Me To The Water and Echoes In The Night '85; Trower made a dozen power trio albums '73-88 of which Bridge Of Sighs and For Earth Below '74-5 were top ten USA, and came back with Someday Blues '97 on Demon. Harum are still remembered for the first hit, but each LP had something of merit; reissues and compilations abound. Procul Harem regrouped sporadically, led by Brooker, who was named a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2013, and continued making albums (The Prodigal Stranger 1990, The Well's On Fire 2003, Novum 2017, and a single of Brooker-Reid songs ('War Is Not Healthy' and 'Missing Persons', 2021).