PROCOL HARUM - A Whiter Shade Of Pale - promo film #1 (Official Video)

Thank you my friend SGT (Join to see) for posting the official music video of Procol Harum performing 'A Whiter Shade Of Pale" in honor of the fact that on June 24, 1967, Procol Harum's ’A Whiter Shade Of Pale’ entered the Billboard chart, where it would peak at No 5.

Procol Harum background from {[allmusic.com/artist/procol-harum-mn [login to see] /biography]}

British rock group Procol Harum began life as a psychedelic band and evolved into one of the leading acts in art rock and prog rock, all without changing much about their essential approach. Lead singer and pianist Gary Brooker gave the group their trademark sound with his downbeat vocals and lush melodies, while primary lyricist Keith Reid added words that often pondered the unpredictability of fate in songs like "A Whiter Shade of Pale," "A Salty Dog," and "Conquistador." Their music was executed with keen skill and passion, and the band were also one of the first to experiment with large-scale orchestration as well as performing on-stage with a full symphony ensemble. 1967's Procol Harum featured their first and most enduring hit, "A Whiter Shade of Pale," and 1969's A Salty Dog is widely regarded as their masterpiece, while 1972's Procol Harum Live: In Concert with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra was a successful orchestral experiment. 2004's The Well's On Fire and 2017's Novum were studio highlights from the years after Brooker reunited the band in the 1990s.
Procol Harum's origins are as convoluted as their success was pronounced. Pianist Gary Brooker had formed a group at school called the Paramounts at age 14, with guitarist Robin Trower, bassist Chris Copping, singer Bob Scott, and drummer Mick Brownlee. After achieving some success at local youth clubs covering rock & roll hits, Brooker took over as vocalist from the departed Scott, and the group continued working after its members graduated; by 1962, they got a residency at the Shades Club in Southend. Brownlee exited the band in early 1963 and was replaced by Barry J. Wilson (aka B.J. Wilson), who auditioned after answering an ad in Melody Maker. Nine months later, bassist Chris Copping opted out of music and was replaced by Diz Derrick. The following month, the Paramounts' demo record got them an audition at EMI; they were signed to the Parlophone label with producer Ron Richards (best known for his work with the Hollies). The Paramounts' first single, "Poison Ivy," was released in January 1964 and reached number 35 on the British charts, and they got an important endorsement from the Rolling Stones, who called them their favorite British R&B band. However, none of the group's subsequent singles found any chart success, and in September 1966, the Paramounts went their separate ways.
Brooker chose to focus on his songwriting, which brought him into a partnership with lyricist Keith Reid, whom he met through R&B impresario Guy Stevens. By the spring of 1967, they had a considerable body of songs and began creating a band to play them. An advertisement in Melody Maker led to the formation of the Pinewoods, with Brooker as singer and pianist, Matthew Fisher on organ, Ray Royer on guitar, Dave Knights on bass, and Bobby Harrison on drums. Their first recording, produced by Denny Cordell, was of a piece of surreal Reid poetry called "A Whiter Shade of Pale," which Brooker set to music loosely derived from Johann Sebastian Bach's Air on a G String from the Suite No. 3 in D major. By the time this recording was ready for release, the Pinewoods had been rechristened Procol Harum. In early May, Cordell arranged for a release of the single on the Deram label. Cordell had sent a copy of "A Whiter Shade of Pale" to Radio London, one of England's legendary offshore pirate radio stations. After initial spins, Radio London was deluged with requests for the tune, while Deram rush-released the single in mid-May.

’A Whiter Shade Of Pale’ written by Gary Brooker / Keith Reid / Matthew Fisher
Lyrics
"We skipped the light fandango
Turned cartwheels 'cross the floor
I was feeling kinda 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
But 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 have just as well've been closed
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
And so it was that later.'

One classic Procol Harum song inspires me to post a few more
Procol Harum Conquistador Live at RTBF TV 1973
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbF_G0XFTK4

FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs SMSgt Lawrence McCarter LTC (Join to see) MAJ Dale E. Wilson, Ph.D. Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Sgt Albert Castro PO1 William "Chip" Nagel SSG Samuel Kermon SSG Franklin Briant A1C Riley SandersGySgt Thomas Vick CPL Douglas Chrysler SGT Randal Groover SP5 Geoffrey Vannerson Lt Col John (Jack) ChristensenChristensen] 1SG Dan Capri MSgt James Clark-Rosa SGT Charlie Lee

A great song.

Nice!