Beyond the Pale | Revisiting Procol Harum’s Groundbreaking Debut

Few debut albums in British rock history carry the weight and influence of Procol Harum. Originally released in January 1968, it followed the phenomenal worldwide success of the band’s debut single A Whiter Shade of Pale - a record that defined the summer of 1967 and helped usher in a new era of ambitious, classically infused rock. Now, over half a century later, Procol Harum returns in a newly remastered vinyl edition, cut at Abbey Road Studios and including a bonus 12-inch EP featuring both A Whiter Shade of Pale and its follow-up Homburg, along with their original B-sides.

This reissue offers a chance to rediscover an album that was truly ahead of its time - a collection that captured the poetic vision of lyricist Keith Reid, the soulful intensity of Gary Brooker’s voice and piano, and the unique interplay of Robin Trower (guitar), B.J. Wilson (drums), David Knights (bass), and Matthew Fisher (Hammond organ). As Jimmy Page later reflected, “Procol Harum’s debut was a pretty happening album.”

The Song That Started It All

It’s impossible to talk about Procol Harum without first revisiting the shadow of A Whiter Shade of Pale. That spectral single, released in May 1967, became the fastest-selling British debut of the decade. It topped charts across Europe, reached No.1 in the UK, No.5 in the US - despite no television appearances - and would go on to sell millions worldwide. Over 1,000 cover versions have been registered, and it remains one of pop’s most enduring and mysterious masterpieces.

Built around Fisher’s haunting Bach-inspired organ line and Brooker’s mournful melody, A Whiter Shade of Pale blurred the boundaries between baroque composition and psychedelic soul. Producer Denny Cordell and Deram Records’ Tony Hall recognised its power immediately - Hall allegedly played the demo on repeat until the early hours of the morning. Brooker later recalled his inspiration: “I sat down one day and tried to play Air On A G String. I started off with the bass line and put in some chords… only the first four notes are the same, and then it starts to change.”

Gary Brooker sat with us in his home studio in 2020 to introduce some of his favourite and key tracks of Procol Harum. Here he talks about the intricate melodies of Conquistador.

An Album Born from Change

Behind the scenes, Procol Harum’s early months were turbulent. Original members Ray Royer and Bobby Harrison departed soon after Pale’s success, replaced by guitarist Robin Trower and drummer B.J. Wilson - the definitive line-up that would go on to record the Procol Harum album proper. Sessions took place at Advision Studios in the summer of 1967, with Cordell producing and Gerald Chevin engineering.

As the new reissue highlights, Procol Harum was recorded almost live - each track captured in just a handful of takes, with minimal overdubs. The result was a raw, immediate sound that showcased the band’s extraordinary musicianship and chemistry. Kenny White, a close friend of Wilson’s, remembered it vividly: “The album was recorded in two 12-hour sessions over two days… I had my head resting next to Robin Trower’s Marshall amp for hours. His playing was fantastic as was B.J.’s drumming. They gave the best performances of their entire career on that album.”

Songs of Imagination and Intrigue

From the opening charge of Conquistador - a track Brooker and Reid had originally written for The Beach Boys - the album established Procol Harum as far more than one-hit wonders. She Wandered Through the Garden Fence blends whimsical humour with macabre imagery, while Something Following Me channels Dylan’s surreal lyricism through Brooker’s dramatic vocal delivery.

Elsewhere, Mabel offers light relief with its playful Lovin’ Spoonful-inspired bounce, complete with African percussion from Rocky Dijon (later of Rolling Stones fame). In contrast, Cerdes (Outside the Gates Of) and A Christmas Camel delve into the gothic and the mystical, fusing literary allusion and bluesy intensity.

The album closes with Repent Walpurgis, an instrumental tour de force written by Fisher. A swirling fusion of Bach, Tchaikovsky and blues, it remains one of the great epics of late-60s rock - a fitting finale that leaves the listener awestruck.

A Singular Vision

Visually, the album stood apart too. Its black-and-white sleeve - a delicate woodcut illustration created by lyricist Keith Reid’s girlfriend, known simply as Dickinson - evoked the elegance of Aubrey Beardsley rather than the psychedelic excess of the time. The reverse carried a single line of instruction: “To be listened to in the spirit in which it was made.” It’s advice that still holds true.

Upon release, Procol Harum did not initially find its audience in the UK, though the US version reached No.47 on Billboard. Time, however, has been kind. Reappraised as one of the most forward-looking British debuts of the 1960s, it stands as a bridge between R&B, psychedelia, classical music and poetry - an album that paved the way for progressive rock’s grandeur and introspection.

Even Elton John and Bernie Taupin would later cite Brooker and Reid as unique inspirations: “Gary Brooker and Keith Reid are the only people we could ever compare ourselves to! A Whiter Shade Of Pale and Homburg are both like a Dali painting... or works by Jean Cocteau.”

Gary Brooker: The Procol Harum Story Interview by Mark Powell (2018)

The Legacy Lives On

This new Abbey Road-cut vinyl edition of Procol Harum restores the album’s clarity and power, allowing listeners to experience its textures and tones as never before. The inclusion of the bonus 12-inch EP - collecting A Whiter Shade of Pale, Homburg, and their B-sides Lime Street Blues and Good Captain Clack - completes the story of a band that redefined what rock music could be.

Procol Harum remains one of the most distinctive and daring albums of its era - a record that fused art and soul, intellect and emotion, and left an indelible mark on everything that followed. As Brooker once said of his most famous creation, “When the guy lit up the cigar, everything just went cool.”

More than fifty years on, the same can be said for Procol Harum itself.

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