Brooker was the pianist, lead vocalist and the songwriter of “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” I think, one of the most important songs in music history. He died of cancer on February 19.
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February 23, 2022, 12:53 PM
Flash-LB
Damn, I was just listening to this song on the way home yesterday.
RIP
February 23, 2022, 01:03 PM
9x18
I almost posted Procol Harum as my favorite band. I really enjoy their music.
Originally posted by TMats: . . . one of the most important songs in music history.
Indeed. RIP Gary.
February 23, 2022, 01:50 PM
pedropcola
I had to listen to the video because I had no idea and never even heard the name Procol Harum before. Asked the wife and she drew a blank as well. Then I listened and of course recognized the song. Procol Harum, does that mean something?
February 23, 2022, 02:14 PM
TMats
quote:
Originally posted by pedropcola: I had to listen to the video because I had no idea and never even heard the name Procol Harum before. Asked the wife and she drew a blank as well. Then I listened and of course recognized the song. Procol Harum, does that mean something?
Google Fu
quote:
Keith Reid describes how the name came about:
It's the name of a cat, a Siamese cat. It's the pedigree name, and it belonged to a friend of ours, just somebody that we used to hang out with when we were forming the band. One day, somebody pulled out the cat's birth certificate and said 'Have a look at this', and the name of the cat was Procol Harum. And somebody else, in fact a chap called Guy Stevens who was quite instrumental in Gary [Brooker, the singer and pianist] and myself getting together in the first place, said, 'Oh, you must call the group Procol Harum'. And we just accepted that. We never even questioned it, never even thought if it was a good name, we just went ahead with that suggestion.
Once we put the record out, people started to say, 'Oh, it's Latin, and it means 'beyond these things'. But in fact, we had spelled it incorrectly. It should have been P-R-U-C-U-L, I think, or P-R-U-C-O-L H-A-R-U-M. I believe that's right anyway. If we'd spelled it correctly; it would have meant beyond these things. But it seemed quite apt. That was it really. It was the suggestion of a friend and we just stuck with it.
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February 23, 2022, 03:23 PM
Jelly
RIP Gary Brooker. So sad to see this news. Brings back some good memories. In our high school garage band A Whiter Shade of Pale was one of the audience favorites. I played the keyboards in the band. So it was a very fun song for me to play. I really liked the Gary Brooker Union Chapel version of A Whiter Shade of Pale.
February 23, 2022, 03:52 PM
nhtagmember
sad news
February 23, 2022, 04:24 PM
jhe888
He did skip the light fandango.
RIP
The fish is mute, expressionless. The fish doesn't think because the fish knows everything.
February 23, 2022, 08:37 PM
recoatlift
RIP Gary, see you on the other side.
February 23, 2022, 10:05 PM
Sailor1911
Skip the light fandango, man. RIP Good stuff.
Place your clothes and weapons where you can find them in the dark.
“If in winning a race, you lose the respect of your fellow competitors, then you have won nothing” - Paul Elvstrom "The Great Dane" 1928 - 2016
February 23, 2022, 11:05 PM
mcrimm
Just listened to WS of P today. RIP
I'm sorry if I hurt you feelings when I called you stupid - I thought you already knew - Unknown ................................... When you have no future, you live in the past. " Sycamore Row" by John Grisham
February 24, 2022, 08:06 AM
TMats
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February 24, 2022, 08:28 AM
coloradohunter44
Sad to hear. Iconic music he sung for sure. RIP.
"Someday I hope to be half the man my bird-dog thinks I am." FBLM LGB!
February 24, 2022, 08:40 AM
nhtagmember
he was also a major contributor to The Concert for George in re-writing the arrangements along with Clapton and Lynn
a great talent gone
February 24, 2022, 09:51 AM
mcrimm
One of the things I always loved about that song was the organ part. It was played through a big boy Leslie speaker. I played through one back in the day. The speaker has two speeds that actually spin the speakers. The low speed is a slow, smooth doppler effect. A switch on the keyboard shifts it to high speed for that rapid effect you hear on the chorus. Watch at the 5:20 mark on the hjs157 video as he goes from slow to fast on the Leslie. Wonderful sound.
I'm sorry if I hurt you feelings when I called you stupid - I thought you already knew - Unknown ................................... When you have no future, you live in the past. " Sycamore Row" by John Grisham
February 24, 2022, 11:07 AM
jhe888
quote:
Originally posted by mcrimm: One of the things I always loved about that song was the organ part. It was played through a big boy Leslie speaker. I played through one back in the day. The speaker has two speeds that actually spin the speakers. The low speed is a slow, smooth doppler effect. A switch on the keyboard shifts it to high speed for that rapid effect you hear on the chorus. Watch at the 5:20 mark on the hjs157 video as he goes from slow to fast on the Leslie. Wonderful sound.
There is nothing that sounds like a Hammond B3 through a Leslie. I was at a show of the Band of Heathens a few years ago, and the keyboard guy had a real Hammond organ. What I didn't know was that he also had a Leslie until he turned it on during one number. What a sound when you hear it live. It is incredible.This message has been edited. Last edited by: jhe888,
The fish is mute, expressionless. The fish doesn't think because the fish knows everything.
February 24, 2022, 11:22 AM
TMats
Some may not know that George Harrison and David Gilmour both played through a Leslie quite often. Harrison played guitar on the Cream song, “Badge,” and you can hear the Leslie effect on his playing. Lots of guitar players have used a Leslie; however, I’ll agree, nothing beats the sound of a B3 played through a Leslie.
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February 24, 2022, 03:42 PM
john1
In 2001 we had KTNN on the truck radio when coming across AZ and were treated to a Navajo guy singing "A Whiter Shade of Pale" with some personal interpretation of the lyrics. That was memorable.