A WHITER SHADE OF PALE

"'A Whiter Shade of Pale'" is a song by the British band Procol Harum. The single reached number-one in the UK Singles Chart on 8 June 1967 where it stayed for a total of six weeks.

Contents

Song profile

Recording and personnel

Chart performance and acclaim

Resemblance to Bach's work

Cover versions

References to the song

Authorship lawsuit

Notes and references

External links

Song profile

With its haunting tonality and Bach flavouring (both provided by Hammond organist Matthew Fisher), vocals by Gary Brooker, and mysterious lyrics by Keith Reid, "A Whiter Shade of Pale" reached #1 in several countries all over the world when released in 1967.
In the years since, it has become an enduring classic. In 2004, it was named the most-played record of the past 70 years in the United Kingdom by British performing rights group Phonographic Performance Limited. ^[1] More than 800 recorded cover versions by other artists are known. ^[2]
The original writing credits were for Brooker and Reid only. On December 20, 2006, Matthew Fisher won 40% of the music's copyright value and future royalties in a court case.

Recording and personnel

The song was performed and recorded at Olympic Studios by Gary Brooker providing the vocals and on piano, Matthew Fisher on the Hammond organ, David Knights on bass and Ray Royer on guitar. Drums were provided by session drummer Bill Eyden. At a re-recording session, a few days after the original one, drums were played by the band's then newly-recruited drummer Bobby Harrison. That version, though, was considered inferior, and one of the original mono recordings was chosen for release.
Producer for the record was Denny Cordell and Keith Grant was the sound engineer.^[3].

Chart performance and acclaim

The single was released on 12 May 1967. It entered the UK charts on May 25, 1967. In two weeks, it had reached number one, where it stayed for six weeks. All in all, it stayed 15 weeks on the UK chart. A May 1972 re-release stayed in the UK charts for a total of 12 weeks, and reached number 13 as highest.
Over time, "A Whiter Shade of Pale" has earned extensive critical acclaim.

★ It was named joint winner (along with Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody") of the Best British Pop Single 1952-1977 at the BRIT Awards, part of Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee.

★ ''Rolling Stone'' magazine placed "A Whiter Shade of Pale" as #57 of its 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004.

★ British TV station Channel 4 also placed the song at #19 in its chart of the 100 greatest number one singles.^[4]

Resemblance to Bach's work

The Hammond organ line of "A Whiter Shade of Pale" was inspired by the Johann Sebastian Bach's "Sleepers Awake" and "Air on a G String", but contrary to some belief, the song is ''not'' a direct copy or paraphrase of these or any other Bach piece.^[5]

Cover versions

Hundreds of artists have covered the song.^[6] A few by well known artists:

★ Alton Ellis, rocksteady

★ Annie Lennox

★ Big Jim Sullivan, 1968 RPM Records UK. Recently re-released on the Asian Lounge (vol 2) range from Irma Cafe.

★ Bonnie Tyler, on her 1981 Goodbye To The Islands album.

★ Charly García, a Spanish version

★ David Lanz, with Matthew Fisher on Hammond organ, performed an instrumental version^[7]

★ Elliott Yamin, provided as an iTunes bonus track on his 2007 ''Elliott Yamin'' album

★ Engelbert Humperdinck on his 2007 ''The Winding Road'' album.

★ Glenn Hughes

★ Gov't Mule, rock arrangement

★ Helge Schneider, funky free jazz

★ HSAS, performed a rock version on the ''Through the Fire'' album.

★ Joe Cocker

★ Van Morrison

★ Johnny Rivers, pop

★ King Curtis, jazz/blues

★ Marc Bonilla, included two versions on his 1993 "American Matador" album, one Instrumental and one with vocals.

★ Mariano Moreno, lounge version, released on ''Ultra-Lounge - On The Rocks, part one''

★ Michael Bolton, covered the song in his 1999 album ''

★ Percy Sledge, R&B

★ Roland Alphonso, "Hop Special" rocksteady

★ Sarah Brightman, operatic version featured on her 2000 ''La Luna'' album.

★ Tommy Sands, (not the American) on ''To Shorten the Winter: An Irish Christmas''

★ Wailing Souls, reggae

★ Willie Nelson & Waylon Jennings, country

★ Zakk Wylde with Black Label Society covered the song in ''Hangover Music Volume VI''

★ Dan Reeder

References to the song

★ Among its many appearances in film are: a version by saxophonist King Curtis in the motion picture ''Withnail and I'' (it being Richard E. Grant's favourite song), the Alan Parker feature film ''The Commitments'', where it is briefly analysed without agreement, the hit film ''The Big Chill'' whose soundtrack was also a bestseller, as the end credit music for Sandra Bullock's ''The Net'' and the TV miniseries ''The Tenth Kingdom'' and the italian movie ' 'I Cento Pass'' (One Hundred Steps, 2000), by Marco Tullio Giordana.

★ This song appeared in the Japanese commercials for the Nissan Silvia (S13). Three variations of the commercial featuring this song exist.

★ In the book ''The Perks of Being a Wallflower'', the song is on a mixed tape Charlie makes for Patrick.

★ In chapter 13 of the English version of the manga series Maison Ikkoku, the main character says, "Maybe it's 'a salty dog' that makes you a whiter shade of pale!"

★ It is featured extensively in Martin Scorsese's segment of "New York Stories".

★ "The New York Rock Ensemble" at Freedomburger album, make a very armonic version.

★ The song can be heard playing over the house PA system just before the Jimi Hendrix Experience takes the stage at the beginning of ''Jimi Hendrix Experience - Live at Winterland''.

★ In an episode of the mini-series ''The 10th Kingdom'', character Tony Lewis claims he can hear "A Whiter Shade of Pale" playing in the background of the dark forest. (And it is, very faintly, but increases in volume as the characters begin to fall asleep.)

★ In an episode of the series 3rd Rock From The Sun particularly in Season 1 of Episode 14 "The Dicks Are Changing", the song can be heard playing over the closing credits.

★ Mylo Hatzenbuhler spoof, "Whiter Shade of Pail" from album, "To All the Cows I've Milked Before"

★ Tony Soprano greets his family in the morning with the chorus, in the second episode of "The Sopranos"

★ A piece of musical history education software in William Gibson's 1996 novel ''Idoru'' mentions the song during a discussion of its distinctive musical structure: ''"DESH," he said, triggered by her glance, "the Diatonic Elaboration of Static Harmony. Also known as the Major Chord with Descending Bassline. Bach's 'Air on a G String,' 1730. Procol Harum's 'A Whiter Shade of Pale,' 1967."''

★ A Japanese near-cover of "A Whiter Shade of Pale" is an important plot element in an episode of the tokusatsu television show ''Ultraman Tiga'' that focused on a pop singer.

Authorship lawsuit

In 2005, Procol Harum organist Matthew Fisher filed suit in the Royal Courts of Justice against Gary Brooker and his publisher, claiming that Fisher co-wrote the music for the song.^[8] Fisher, now a computer programmer in Croydon, South London, claimed a £1 million share of copyright and past sales and put his argument before a High Court judge in London in November 2006. Brooker insisted that the 1967 song was written before Fisher joined the band.^[9]
Fisher won the case on 20 December, 2006 but was awarded a 40% share of the copyright, rather than the 50% he was seeking and was not granted past royalties.^[10]
Gary Brooker and publisher Onward Music were granted leave to appeal, which is scheduled to be heard by a three judge panel on October 2 or October 3, 2007.

Notes and references

1. Procol Harum Shades Rivals in UK Survey
2. A Whiter Shade of Pale Versions - Martin's Collection
3. "Procol Harum Beyond The Pale" by Claes Johansen. SAF Publishing, London, 2000.
4. THE 100 GREATEST No.1 SINGLES
5. What Bach Piece is A Whiter Shade of Pale?
6. Cover versions of Procol Harum songs
7. Beyond the Pale Procol Harum
8. A Whiter Shade of Pale authorship lawsuit
9. http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2006520357,00.html
10. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6196413.stm

External links

★ Procol Harum fan site page on the song – extensive information

★ Fan collection site dedicated to A Whiter Shade of Pale

★ Fan collection of all known cover versions of A Whiter Shade of Pale