A Whiter Shade of Pale ..This is an example of studio 1st. Before I watch it I will bet that you do not mention what made this song so iconic and memorable. The haunting sound of the organ is overshadowed in the live version
Profil Harum is a progressive rock group ,this song is from 1968 ,other hits ,homburg ,a salty dog , conquistador ,the lead singer was Gary Brooker,also lead singer for songs by Alan Parsons project ,song limelight
I've seen/listened to this performance several times previously and for the newly initiated, the original should be heard to get a better context to fully appreciate it. If classical/rock fusion is to your taste, you need to check out some of The Moody Blues! Ooops, I guess you have...
Procol Harum is Latin for 'Beyond these things'. They are an English prog rock band and the singer, Gary Brooker sadly passed away in 2022. This song was a worldwide hit in 1967 and Gary was nearly 70 years old when he performed this piece.
Henry Scott-Irvine's book on the story of the band says (p28) that it was the name of a cat; owned by an acquaintance of record producer Guy Stevens who suggested it - the band had no idea of the meaning of the words. The book says it was a corruption of Procol Harun, which has one Latin and one Arab word, possibly interpreted as 'light bringer from afar', which seems to work! I think the book is a good read, also going through the story of The Paramounts before Procol Harum were created, all based on the accounts of the people involved.
The great Gary Brooker had a good voice when he and Procol Harum recorded this iconic song in 1967. Gary's voice is like fine wine. It got better as he aged. Though he is gone now, he will never be forgotten as we keep listening to his music.
Search RUclips "Gary Brooker Whiter Shade of Pale Turku" and you will see a 9-minute version of this with one of the two "lost lyrics" that's equally spellbinding.
One of the greatest songs ever written. Gary Brooker had the pipes of a God. I finally got to see Procol Harum live about a decade ago before Gary passed away. Of course they sang this classic and Brooker still had those awesome pipes! It gave me chills hearing it live. And this performance with the orchestra is fantastic also.
Listened to this song hundreds of times in my youth. Until about a year ago, I had never heard this version with an orchestra backing. It adds so much to song.
Really good pipes for a 70-year-old rocker. Pianist/vocalist is Gary Brooker. I hear he passed in 2022. I have had the original version of this on my album collection/playlist since 1969. It never gets old. Glad you enjoyed it.
And you wonder why it has been said so many times that my generation, the 50s, 60s, and 70s had the absolute best music that ever was created. And, we enjoyed every minute and note of it as these songs came on the radio for the first time back in the day.
I was about 15 years old as my mother said: 'I heard such a beautiful song today'. And it was this song. It gives me tears in my eyes when I hear it again.
At the time, John Lennon called this song the most beautiful composition of all time. simply beautiful. congratulations for such an excellent reaction 👏👏👏
I can't believe how good Gary Brooker's voice still is at his age in this video. I was literally moved to tears hearing him perform their biggest hit so perfectly. He was a pioneer, one of the true greats of rock music. They have at least a dozen songs I like even better than this one. My three favorite albums in order, are "A Salty Dog", "Broken Barricades", and "Shine on Brightly", all filled with great songs. Some beautiful ballads, and some hard rockers that shouldnt be missed!
I was fortunate to see them with Jethro Tull many ,many years ago. But w/o an orchestra and it was still magical. You must also watch "Conquistador" from this live performance. It's unreal.
Got this song (the original studio version) on their debut vinyl record. This symphonic version of this song is really beautiful. Songtekst: We skipped the light fandango Turned cartwheels 'cross the floor I was feeling kinda seasick 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 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
This is one of my favorite all time songs and this performance is so magical! I really like your reaction style and think you are doing a great job! One small tip: I know English isn't your first language, but the idiom "it can only get better from here" actually means that it was really bad, and so it has to get better in comparison. Just one of those funny sayings in English that might not translate very well in other languages hahah.
Some singers who take great care of their voices only sound better as time transforms their sound. The emotional content of a voice is in the tiny imperfections that give it color and meaning. Gary Brooker started out with the voice of an angel, but still improved with time. Procol Harem added the right musicians to carry the message, and this arrangement just perfected the piece. Every time I hear this performance I wish I could have been there, but I am so very glad to be able to relive it with others. Thank you for a true heartfelt reaction to one of the most beautiful songs of my lifetime.
That whole set up of music and singing and talent is such a thing if best, it just can't be listened to without becoming emotional. And it can't even be explain as to why. ❤😢
This is music from a time when the singer/musicians depended on the uniquely rare commodity called talent. No computers aiding their voices so that the are actually in key. It's why music back then is still remembered and played today. Music from most performers today is forgotten about 3 - 6 months after it's released.
Love this song. I actually prefer the studio version from the 60's as it is the one I grew up on. This live version is very good though as it shows how powerful Gary Brooker's voice was even as he got older. "Conquistador" is another great song by Procol Harum. Sad to hear of his passing recently.
This wonderful song won the prize for the best-ever slow-dance song. I love you reaction. It is 57 years now that I am listening to this song and I still seem to get your same feelings -- judging on your expressions and body language, at least -- any time I hear it. I can also highly recommend their second hit “Homburg” as well, from that same concert too. Thak you for sharing your emotions and apologies for my poor English.
Saw this band live right after this song was released and still to this day it is a beautiful masterpiece. This is the music I grew up on. Yes, Pink Floyd, Emerson Lake and Palmer, King Crimson, Rick Wakeman all of them were top level musicians . The 60s and 70s were an amazing era for music.
Hi, Inna! This is a very special video, I like to say it is two genre's meeting up at a makeshift castle in Denmark and the result is WHAT MUSIC IS ALL ABOUT! I believe the original video is approaching 100M views and it's easy to see why. I don't why I haven't discovered you yet. Perhaps it's because you haven't discovered Angelina Jordan yet. (Hint!) I know that day will be coming soon and that will be a special day for you. I just subscribed and I look forward to more reactions from you. I think we like the same kind of music.
Gary Brooker is the singer/pianist and one of the great voices of rock. This song was originally from 1967 and even the Beatles were awestruck by this song. Gary Brooker played with Procol Harum until his death a few years ago. I was fortunate to see them twice and they were incredible. Also, Brooker played piano on George Harrison's "All Things Must Pass" album and was in the movie "Evita" with Madonna. A true giant in rock history.
@gerrydantone6834 GARY BROOKER also played piano with musician friends of George Harrison, as well as his son Dhani, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Jeff Lynne, Albert Lee, Billy Preston and others at the "CONCERT FOR GEORGE." It was held at the ROYAL ALBERT HALL in London on NOV. 29, 2002 which was the first anniversary of George's death (Nov. 29, 2001) FABULOUS concert playing many of George's songs that HE wrote when in the Beatles and from his solo career. RAVI SHANKAR who was a very close friend of George's and who taught him to play the SITAR, did an opening for the concert playing several pieces on his SITAR with other east Indian musicians. That was magical. IF you have NEVER seen that concert, you should seek it out. It is also available on DVD. I know you can see some clips from it here on You Tube, especially "WHILE MY GUITAR GENTLY WEEPS" you will see Gary at the piano on the left side of your screen.
This has got to be the best performance of this timeless classic with Gary Brooker's spectacular voice. He sounded good until his death. Thanks Gary... R.I.P.
This song and arrangement brings back fond memories of my youth and of friend lost. I was the concert pianist for the Kansas City Philharmonic Orchestra and played accompaniment for Procol Herum on three occasions at the Star light theaterx2 and Lyric Opera house once. The lead singer, Gary Brooker I am proud to say was a friend of mine. Gary didn't play piano himself in those days. When Gary passed away the musical world grew a bit darker and the void he left will never be filled.
My understanding is that the song is about a man confronting his wife over her infidelity. That's the reference to "the miller's tale," which in Chaucer is about a wife who is loving another man. He's feeling sick, his world falling apart, and as he confronts her, she turns pale. This is why the song is sung with such slow pain.
@@MelodyMan69 Keith Reid, who write the lyrics: "I’d been listening to music since I was 10, from ’56 to ’66 - The Beatles, Dylan, Stax, Ray Charles. The period of A Whiter Shade of Pale was the culmination of that 10 years of listening. But my main influence was Dylan. I could see how he did it, how he played with words. I’d met Pete Townshend through Guy Stevens, and he’d put my name forward when Cream were looking for a lyricist. Then Guy put me and Gary together. I was writing all the time. A Whiter Shade of Pale was just another bunch of lyrics. I had the phrase ‘a whiter shade of pale’, that was a start, and I knew it was a song. It’s like a jigsaw where you’ve got one piece, then you make up all the others to fit it. I was trying to conjure a mood as much as tell a straightforward, girl-leaves-boy story. With the ceiling flying away and room humming harder, I wanted to paint an image of a scene. I wasn’t trying to be mysterious with those images, I was trying to be evocative. I suppose it seems like a decadent scene I’m describing. But I was too young to have experienced any decadence, then. I might have been smoking when I conceived it, but not when I wrote. It was influenced by books, not drugs. It was twice as long, four verses. The fourth wasn’t any great loss, but you had the whole story in three. When I heard what Gary’d done with them, it just seemed so right. We felt we had something very important. As soon as we played it for anyone, we got an immediate response."
This is a psychedelic rock ballad - singer is Gary Brooker, who we lost last year. This is one of the most covered and famous rock ballads ever written.
for the real feel of this song , you should watch the original first performed in the 60's . procol harem was the group and it was rock an roll we all felt back in the day , when people still had souls .
"Whiter Shade of Pale" is one of the most widely distributed and covered pop hits of all time. Because "Whiter Shade was such a massive hit at the start of the band's career, it overshadowed at lot of great work by the band. It is worth noting that Procol Harum's other hit "Conquistador" is well worth a listen too.
Thanks for adding another review of this song that I can listen to occasionally. This is a complete song that just cannot be matched today it seems. Every single thing about this song is just outstanding and moving.
I remember slow dancing to this song at High School dances in the 1970s. Yes, Moody Blues would be similar in some ways. Both bands did utilize orchestras for some of their music. I think you might like the band Yes, another Progressive Rock band who has a classical sound at times though they did it without orchestra, usually as a result of their keyboardists most notably Rick Wakeman. Though Yes did use an orchestra, I believe for the Magnification album which came much later in their career.
This is what I call soft rock mixed with soul! Imagine them having done this song live with André Rieu.. There would have been a river of tears flowing from that performance! 😭😭
Brings back fond memories of a friendly little bar to gather with some wonderful people and this great song was frequently played and everyone would sing along.❤
Procol Harum was always a very underrated band, and thereby, one of the best kept secrets of my youthful musical explorations in the late 1960's and the 1970's. While all of my friends were distracted by The Beatles and the Stones, and Elton John, I was in the record stores, uncovering these obscure musical treasures.
Inna this song touched my heart it's so melancholic Procol Harun and his song A whinter Shade of Pale, it was a wonderful performance you know, it almost made me cry😭😂, nice video Amiga, exelente reaction, it was really gorgeous!❤️🥹✌️🇮🇹🇬🇧🇺🇲🇺🇦🇲🇽
I'm jealous of the people in the audience. that would have been an experience, that venue and performance. when you get a big orchestra and chorus like this it's really moving. and my god his voice was still so good after so many years.
Never be embarrassed or ashamed of your tears …they just show you were listening with your soul. It’s not that we like to see a woman cry it’s because her honest reaction is priceless…and such a privilege to witness
this was 2006 but prior to the 1970's people had to be able to sing and play instruments to become musical stars. no auto tune, no gimmicks, no half naked people dancing around., just be there with a mic and belt it out. A Whiter Shade of Pale” was released as a single in May of 1967, and a worldwide hit throughout that summer. The single reached number 1 in the UK Singles Chart on 8 June and stayed there for six weeks. Having sold more than 10 million copies worldwide.[
🇨🇦 The Danish National Symphony Orchestra consists of over 70 Choir members and over 100 musicians ! During the summer they like to hold outdoor concerts with invited artists like Procol Harum ! Procol Harum is a British progressive rock band that began in 1967, and has always consisted of a Drummer, two Guitarists, an Organist and Garry Brooker on the Piano ! The original members are all gone now, with the passing of Garry ( RIP) ! This song pretty much became an Anthem for Boomers ! I would also recommend reacting to the DNSO's version of "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" ! 🇨🇦
This is a classic i remember from when i was a child and only remembered it when Lucy Thomas done a cover of this obviously not with the orchestra like this but its still a beautiful cover you should check out.
Every time I hear this song, I can feel all the nervousness, weight and passion of the first meeting between young people (in a old way psicodelic version)
What you just witnessed was a great band doing a great song. There is actually a longer version of this song with extra verses. Kind of fills in the rest of the song.
I wish those of us who lived as kids back in the 1960s (and through the 1970s) knew then how much we were spoiled by the magnificent contemporary music released day upon day. It was kind of natural to be completely knocked out by a new popular tune once a week or so, and my album collection took on a life of its own. "A Whiter Shade of Pale" is part of the soundtrack of my youth but I have to admit that I'd reached the stage before where I'd heard the (brilliant) original recording too often. One of their other masterpieces, "Conquistador" became my go-to favourite, and I do hope it will soon get the same exposure online (featured in this same concert). Have to say though, the first time I saw this video some five years ago, it completely knocked me off this planet emotionally. This orchestral arrangement is just sublime and I cannot imagine how much poorer our lives would have been without "A Whiter Shade of Pale".
The fact that a young person like you listen to music of this age, gives me hope for the next generation. Kudos young woman. Love from Norway. Edit: Oh and I see you listen to Moody Blues as well? My god lady, you are different. Go through the record "Threshold of a Dream" By Moody Blues. You gonna love it. I think all of it is on you tube. I give you a huge digital hug.
I was just 8 years old when this song came out. I loved it then and I still get emotional hearing it. You should listen to the original version as well. You won't be disappointed.
Sadlly lead singer Gary Brooker passed away in 2022. This performance was from the 2000s and his voice sounded just as good if not BETTER here than on the original studio recording about 40 years prior in 1967.
I have been a fan of theirs since 1967. They were a rock band but used classical motifs and on occasion utilized orchestras. Check out other songs from this concert like Conquistador, Grand Hotel and A Salty Dog, just to mention a few. You won't be disappointed.
I agree with everything you say,they are my all time favourite band and I have all of their songs.Nice to hear from someone else who appreciates their music.
Great recommendations! How I miss those days when we'd spend our paper delivery money (or whatever other job for spare cash) on albums we only heard the one radio hit of, knowing we'll enjoy each and every track for the rest of our lives. Money spent on Procol Harum was always money very well spent. It's kind of possible to do the same today still, but the digital age has changed the landscape too much, for better or worse.
Great reaction from a delightful lady. i have also just watched your reactions to the live performances of The Moody Blues, Phil Collins, The Beatles and Queen, all of which were world class. Some other world class performances you may care to react to are James Blunt singing "Monsters" - the official video.(Beware this will break your heart - you won't need a tissue, you will need a whole box of them). It is unlike anything else in the music world. Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman singing "Time to Say Goodbye". Sir Tom Jones singing "I Won't Crumble With You If You Fall" on The Voice (UK) 2022. Another heartbreaker. Dame Shirley Bassey singing "This Is My Life" at The Royal Albert Hall 1973. Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballe singing "Barcelona" in 1987. Also you may care to check out Luciano Pavarotti, Roy Orbison, Barbra Striesand, Meatloaf, Sinead O'Connor and Edith Piaf.
What a great tune, I love when people appreciate music that moves me and you have some great taste !! For me music's as much about expression of emotion in an expressive and moving way that instills similar feeling in others
I first heard this song some 55 years ago. It's one of those that sticks with you. While this version is awesome the original starts out with the organ part that's after the first verse here. The guy playing piano and singing is Gary Brooker an original member of the band. Sadly he passed away, here his voice is a little gruffer, but still soulful. Here's the original from 1967. ruclips.net/video/Mb3iPP-tHdA/видео.htmlsi=SRW2jvkSIxj7xiTo The Moody Blues were contemporaries of these guys. I guess both were/are considered progressive rock bands.
A very good performance of a beautiful song. It is mostly based on J.S.Bachs Air. Its so surprising that the singer can sing it like this after 40 years.
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A Whiter Shade of Pale ..This is an example of studio 1st. Before I watch it I will bet that you do not mention what made this song so iconic and memorable. The haunting sound of the organ is overshadowed in the live version
Profil Harum is a progressive rock group ,this song is from 1968 ,other hits ,homburg ,a salty dog , conquistador ,the lead singer was Gary Brooker,also lead singer for songs by Alan Parsons project ,song limelight
I've seen/listened to this performance several times previously and for the newly initiated, the original should be heard to get a better context to fully appreciate it.
If classical/rock fusion is to your taste, you need to check out some of The Moody Blues! Ooops, I guess you have...
Every time a huge rockstar from the 70s and 80s does a show backed up by a philharmonic orchestra, you know this is going to something very special.
Procol Harum was actually from the 60's
@@keithpittell3944 Started.
Procol Harum is Latin for 'Beyond these things'. They are an English prog rock band and the singer, Gary Brooker sadly passed away in 2022. This song was a worldwide hit in 1967 and Gary was nearly 70 years old when he performed this piece.
Henry Scott-Irvine's book on the story of the band says (p28) that it was the name of a cat; owned by an acquaintance of record producer Guy Stevens who suggested it - the band had no idea of the meaning of the words. The book says it was a corruption of Procol Harun, which has one Latin and one Arab word, possibly interpreted as 'light bringer from afar', which seems to work!
I think the book is a good read, also going through the story of The Paramounts before Procol Harum were created, all based on the accounts of the people involved.
@@MikeFisher-123 Yes, I heard about the cat name 👍
A timeless classic
Reminds me of my youth when this song was a hit. Of course back then you had to listen over and over again to get the lyrics.
Duty has me confused, yet this light of sighter has my eyes bright and balling. Thank you! From all that could have slid a mountain.
The great Gary Brooker had a good voice when he and Procol Harum recorded this iconic song in 1967. Gary's voice is like fine wine. It got better as he aged. Though he is gone now, he will never be forgotten as we keep listening to his music.
I'm 59. Makes me cry every time. The best version of THE best song ever.
I'm 67yrs old and yes ❤❤❤
Search RUclips "Gary Brooker Whiter Shade of Pale Turku" and you will see a 9-minute version of this with one of the two "lost lyrics" that's equally spellbinding.
One of the greatest songs ever written. Gary Brooker had the pipes of a God. I finally got to see Procol Harum live about a decade ago before Gary passed away. Of course they sang this classic and Brooker still had those awesome pipes! It gave me chills hearing it live. And this performance with the orchestra is fantastic also.
1967
Lucky You this is Beautiful
Listened to this song hundreds of times in my youth. Until about a year ago, I had never heard this version with an orchestra backing. It adds so much to song.
Perfect song, perfect place, perfect orchestra, perfect reaction, Inna... really an emotional song to hear many times, that always will be amazing!!!!
The greatest performance of the best track ever written, R.I.P Gary ❤
What I find amazing is that these were young men that created this masterpiece.
And it has only improved with age.
He has now passed. This was number one worldwide in 67. It's based on the melody of Air On A G String
Bach, yes.
And the Millers tale, by Chaucer 1390.
Really good pipes for a 70-year-old rocker. Pianist/vocalist is Gary Brooker. I hear he passed in 2022. I have had the original version of this on my album collection/playlist since 1969. It never gets old. Glad you enjoyed it.
He was in his early 60's when this was recorded. I agree with the rest.
Procol Harum, Moody Blues, Yes... there were so many great progressive Rock bands. I love seeing younger people find these masterpieces.
And you wonder why it has been said so many times that my generation, the 50s, 60s, and 70s had the absolute best music that ever was created. And, we enjoyed every minute and note of it as these songs came on the radio for the first time back in the day.
We 'baby boomers' were so lucky. Wouldn't swap music places with any other.
You just witnessed perfection
This was one of the greatest songs of 1967!!!
Humans can create SUCH indescribable beauty when they join together ❤
My mother's favorite song, wishing her peace in heaven 🥀❤
I was about 15 years old as my mother said: 'I heard such a beautiful song today'. And it was this song. It gives me tears in my eyes when I hear it again.
At the time, John Lennon called this song the most beautiful composition of all time. simply beautiful. congratulations for such an excellent reaction 👏👏👏
He actually said " it's one of the best songs I've heard for a while ", not quite the same thing, but is a great record.
When the organ starts, that is how the original song from the 60s was. Saw them like in the 60s in NYC, great band!
I can't believe how good Gary Brooker's voice still is at his age in this video. I was literally moved to tears hearing him perform their biggest hit so perfectly. He was a pioneer, one of the true greats of rock music. They have at least a dozen songs I like even better than this one. My three favorite albums in order, are "A Salty Dog", "Broken Barricades", and "Shine on Brightly", all filled with great songs. Some beautiful ballads, and some hard rockers that shouldnt be missed!
I was fortunate to see them with Jethro Tull many ,many years ago. But w/o an orchestra and it was still magical.
You must also watch "Conquistador" from this live performance. It's unreal.
The organ used in the song is a Hammond which makes a lot of difference when played well. Perfect for this song.
Got this song (the original studio version) on their debut vinyl record. This symphonic version of this song is really beautiful. Songtekst:
We skipped the light fandango
Turned cartwheels 'cross the floor
I was feeling kinda seasick
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
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
FYI.
There were later versions that ADDED 2 extra verses.
Help to explain the 'encounter' a little better.
Cheers.
I have those two extra verses written down somewhere. As far as I know, there is only one recording with three verses and none with all 4.
Small insight, you see Gary's eyes closed as he sings. He is actually in the place where those words were first formed and picturing it.
This is one of my favorite all time songs and this performance is so magical! I really like your reaction style and think you are doing a great job!
One small tip: I know English isn't your first language, but the idiom "it can only get better from here" actually means that it was really bad, and so it has to get better in comparison. Just one of those funny sayings in English that might not translate very well in other languages hahah.
Its good seeing young people listening and watching us old generation ❤❤
I have loved this song since it was first released in 1967 - this is a fantastic live version.
Some singers who take great care of their voices only sound better as time transforms their sound. The emotional content of a voice is in the tiny imperfections that give it color and meaning. Gary Brooker started out with the voice of an angel, but still improved with time. Procol Harem added the right musicians to carry the message, and this arrangement just perfected the piece. Every time I hear this performance I wish I could have been there, but I am so very glad to be able to relive it with others. Thank you for a true heartfelt reaction to one of the most beautiful songs of my lifetime.
One of the live performances ever ❤
i concur
One of the live performances ever.
It's called Rock , the band is called Procol Harum , and the singer is the Great, Late Gary Brooker. RIP Gary.
You are dearly missed.
A masterpiece and a masterful performance. How lucky the crowd was to witness this❤❤
That had to be an amazing experience that defined one great moment in their lives.
It made me happy to see you so moved by a song that's almost 60 years old. 👏👏👏👏
That whole set up of music and singing and talent is such a thing if best, it just can't be listened to without becoming emotional. And it can't even be explain as to why. ❤😢
This is music from a time when the singer/musicians depended on the uniquely rare commodity called talent. No computers aiding their voices so that the are actually in key. It's why music back then is still remembered and played today. Music from most performers today is forgotten about 3 - 6 months after it's released.
This was rock and roll back in the day. My first 8 track tape was Procol Harum. Thanks for the reaction. Stay happy.
There are only just over 40 songs that have sold over 10 million copies worldwide. This is one.
WOW. WHAT R THE OTHERS
Real music...what a concept .
Procol Harum was a Progressive Rock band from the 1960s and 70s mostly. Gary Brooker (rip) is the singer.
Love this song. I actually prefer the studio version from the 60's as it is the one I grew up on. This live version is very good though as it shows how powerful Gary Brooker's voice was even as he got older. "Conquistador" is another great song by Procol Harum. Sad to hear of his passing recently.
One of my favorite bands. Gary doesn't miss a beat with this song. He still sounds the same as he did years ago. RIP GARY.
This wonderful song won the prize for the best-ever slow-dance song. I love you reaction. It is 57 years now that I am listening to this song and I still seem to get your same feelings -- judging on your expressions and body language, at least -- any time I hear it. I can also highly recommend their second hit “Homburg” as well, from that same concert too. Thak you for sharing your emotions and apologies for my poor English.
Saw him live twice - once way back in the 80s at Crystal Palaceand then at Douglas Adams's birthday bary with Save the Rhino .. he was just brilliant!
His voice never failed him until the day he past
Saw this band live right after this song was released and still to this day it is a beautiful masterpiece.
This is the music I grew up on.
Yes, Pink Floyd, Emerson Lake and Palmer, King Crimson, Rick Wakeman all of them were top level musicians .
The 60s and 70s were an amazing era for music.
Beautiful reaction with this iconic song❤️
Even as the artist ages, their music never grows old. This will be a forever classic, as most all their music
I have loved this classic since forever. Live versions of the song I didn't know though, and now I am thoroughly impressed... again!
Hi, Inna! This is a very special video, I like to say it is two genre's meeting up at a makeshift castle in Denmark and the result is WHAT MUSIC IS ALL ABOUT! I believe the original video is approaching 100M views and it's easy to see why. I don't why I haven't discovered you yet. Perhaps it's because you haven't discovered Angelina Jordan yet. (Hint!) I know that day will be coming soon and that will be a special day for you. I just subscribed and I look forward to more reactions from you. I think we like the same kind of music.
Gary Brooker is the singer/pianist and one of the great voices of rock. This song was originally from 1967 and even the Beatles were awestruck by this song. Gary Brooker played with Procol Harum until his death a few years ago. I was fortunate to see them twice and they were incredible. Also, Brooker played piano on George Harrison's "All Things Must Pass" album and was in the movie "Evita" with Madonna. A true giant in rock history.
@gerrydantone6834 GARY BROOKER also played piano with musician friends of George Harrison, as well as his son Dhani, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Jeff Lynne, Albert Lee, Billy Preston and others at the "CONCERT FOR GEORGE." It was held at the ROYAL ALBERT HALL in London on NOV. 29, 2002 which was the first anniversary of George's death (Nov. 29, 2001) FABULOUS concert playing many of George's songs that HE wrote when in the Beatles and from his solo career. RAVI SHANKAR who was a very close friend of George's and who taught him to play the SITAR, did an opening for the concert playing several pieces on his SITAR with other east Indian musicians. That was magical. IF you have NEVER seen that concert, you should seek it out. It is also available on DVD. I know you can see some clips from it here on You Tube, especially "WHILE MY GUITAR GENTLY WEEPS" you will see Gary at the piano on the left side of your screen.
This has got to be the best performance of this timeless classic with Gary Brooker's spectacular voice.
He sounded good until his death.
Thanks Gary... R.I.P.
This song and arrangement brings back fond memories of my youth and of friend lost. I was the concert pianist for the Kansas City Philharmonic Orchestra and played accompaniment for Procol Herum on three occasions at the Star light theaterx2 and Lyric Opera house once. The lead singer, Gary Brooker I am proud to say was a friend of mine. Gary didn't play piano himself in those days. When Gary passed away the musical world grew a bit darker and the void he left will never be filled.
My understanding is that the song is about a man confronting his wife over her infidelity. That's the reference to "the miller's tale," which in Chaucer is about a wife who is loving another man. He's feeling sick, his world falling apart, and as he confronts her, she turns pale. This is why the song is sung with such slow pain.
Not my understanding. In fact, tgere was a 5 verse version that explains it was an encounter of Love with a Staff Member of a Cruise Ship. 🇦🇺
@@MelodyMan69 Keith Reid, who write the lyrics: "I’d been listening to music since I was 10, from ’56 to ’66 - The Beatles, Dylan, Stax, Ray Charles. The period of A Whiter Shade of Pale was the culmination of that 10 years of listening. But my main influence was Dylan. I could see how he did it, how he played with words.
I’d met Pete Townshend through Guy Stevens, and he’d put my name forward when Cream were looking for a lyricist. Then Guy put me and Gary together. I was writing all the time. A Whiter Shade of Pale was just another bunch of lyrics. I had the phrase ‘a whiter shade of pale’, that was a start, and I knew it was a song. It’s like a jigsaw where you’ve got one piece, then you make up all the others to fit it. I was trying to conjure a mood as much as tell a straightforward, girl-leaves-boy story. With the ceiling flying away and room humming harder, I wanted to paint an image of a scene. I wasn’t trying to be mysterious with those images, I was trying to be evocative. I suppose it seems like a decadent scene I’m describing. But I was too young to have experienced any decadence, then. I might have been smoking when I conceived it, but not when I wrote. It was influenced by books, not drugs.
It was twice as long, four verses. The fourth wasn’t any great loss, but you had the whole story in three. When I heard what Gary’d done with them, it just seemed so right. We felt we had something very important. As soon as we played it for anyone, we got an immediate response."
This is a psychedelic rock ballad - singer is Gary Brooker, who we lost last year. This is one of the most covered and famous rock ballads ever written.
for the real feel of this song , you should watch the original first performed in the 60's . procol harem was the group and it was rock an roll we all felt back in the day , when people still had souls .
"Whiter Shade of Pale" is one of the most widely distributed and covered pop hits of all time. Because "Whiter Shade was such a massive hit at the start of the band's career, it overshadowed at lot of great work by the band. It is worth noting that Procol Harum's other hit "Conquistador" is well worth a listen too.
Yet another Iconic English band. They all make me so proud to be English born n bred.
Thank you for checking this out. Easily on my list of 10 greatest rock songs of all time.
Subscribed purely because of your reaction. The unbridled joy and passion you're displaying is a joy to behold. Thank you so much ❤
So glad you enjoyed this one. It always makes me smile even without the orchestra.
The sound of the Hammond organ takes me back to the 60's like nothing else ever could!
The music we had back then was just wonderful and to think they had such limited equipment, real talented musicians.
One of my all time favorites, U should check out their original, done 39 years earlier too..
Incorrect, it was actually released in 1967, so nearly 57 years ago
@@Llydrwydd You're not wrong, but he referenced this performance of 2006, which was 39 years after the original studio recording.
@@JacoWium Yes, that's certainly true. I misunderstood.
Thanks for adding another review of this song that I can listen to occasionally. This is a complete song that just cannot be matched today it seems. Every single thing about this song is just outstanding and moving.
You were RIGHT ON about your Moody Blues stament. Your a great first time reactor of this song.
I remember slow dancing to this song at High School dances in the 1970s. Yes, Moody Blues would be similar in some ways. Both bands did utilize orchestras for some of their music. I think you might like the band Yes, another Progressive Rock band who has a classical sound at times though they did it without orchestra, usually as a result of their keyboardists most notably Rick Wakeman. Though Yes did use an orchestra, I believe for the Magnification album which came much later in their career.
His voice has actually gotten even better with age.
This is what I call soft rock mixed with soul! Imagine them having done this song live with André Rieu.. There would have been a river of tears flowing from that performance! 😭😭
Brings back fond memories of a friendly little bar to gather with some wonderful people and this great song was frequently played and everyone would sing along.❤
Daylight until 11 pm there in summer..
Procol Harum was always a very underrated band, and thereby, one of the best kept secrets of my youthful musical explorations in the late 1960's and the 1970's.
While all of my friends were distracted by The Beatles and the Stones, and Elton John, I was in the record stores, uncovering these obscure musical treasures.
I know perfection doesn't exist, but man....this performance came damm close
It was a very popular rock & roll song,and still is!
I've seen this many times but your genuine reaction gave it another layer of joy.
Inna this song touched my heart it's so melancholic Procol Harun and his song A whinter Shade of Pale, it was a wonderful performance you know, it almost made me cry😭😂, nice video Amiga, exelente reaction, it was really gorgeous!❤️🥹✌️🇮🇹🇬🇧🇺🇲🇺🇦🇲🇽
I love so much the mix of the two different styles of music.....just amazing
one of those singers that only come along once and a song that is timeless but powerful.
What an emotional performance of that fantastic song. Thank you so much for sharing.
I'm jealous of the people in the audience. that would have been an experience, that venue and performance. when you get a big orchestra and chorus like this it's really moving. and my god his voice was still so good after so many years.
Never be embarrassed or ashamed of your tears …they just show you were listening with your soul.
It’s not that we like to see a woman cry it’s because her honest reaction is priceless…and such a privilege to witness
this was 2006 but prior to the 1970's people had to be able to sing and play instruments to become musical stars. no auto tune, no gimmicks, no half naked people dancing around., just be there with a mic and belt it out. A Whiter Shade of Pale” was released as a single in May of 1967, and a worldwide hit throughout that summer. The single reached number 1 in the UK Singles Chart on 8 June and stayed there for six weeks. Having sold more than 10 million copies worldwide.[
🇨🇦 The Danish National Symphony Orchestra consists of over 70 Choir members and over 100 musicians ! During the summer they like to hold outdoor concerts with invited artists like Procol Harum !
Procol Harum is a British progressive rock band that began in 1967, and has always consisted of a Drummer, two Guitarists, an Organist and Garry Brooker on the Piano ! The original members are all gone now, with the passing of Garry ( RIP) !
This song pretty much became an Anthem for Boomers !
I would also recommend reacting to the DNSO's version of "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" ! 🇨🇦
This is a classic i remember from when i was a child and only remembered it when Lucy Thomas done a cover of this obviously not with the orchestra like this but its still a beautiful cover you should check out.
Every time I hear this song, I can feel all the nervousness, weight and passion of the first meeting between young people (in a old way psicodelic version)
What you just witnessed was a great band doing a great song. There is actually a longer version of this song with extra verses. Kind of fills in the rest of the song.
I wish those of us who lived as kids back in the 1960s (and through the 1970s) knew then how much we were spoiled by the magnificent contemporary music released day upon day. It was kind of natural to be completely knocked out by a new popular tune once a week or so, and my album collection took on a life of its own. "A Whiter Shade of Pale" is part of the soundtrack of my youth but I have to admit that I'd reached the stage before where I'd heard the (brilliant) original recording too often. One of their other masterpieces, "Conquistador" became my go-to favourite, and I do hope it will soon get the same exposure online (featured in this same concert). Have to say though, the first time I saw this video some five years ago, it completely knocked me off this planet emotionally. This orchestral arrangement is just sublime and I cannot imagine how much poorer our lives would have been without "A Whiter Shade of Pale".
I love the song and the setting is beautiful as well.😊❤
The fact that a young person like you listen to music of this age, gives me hope for the next generation. Kudos young woman. Love from Norway.
Edit: Oh and I see you listen to Moody Blues as well? My god lady, you are different. Go through the record "Threshold of a Dream" By Moody Blues. You gonna love it. I think all of it is on you tube. I give you a huge digital hug.
I was 16 when this song was released and now 73. I love it everytime just like I am listening for the first time.
Ditto
I was just 8 years old when this song came out. I loved it then and I still get emotional hearing it. You should listen to the original version as well. You won't be disappointed.
This song makes me cry in joy every time I listen to it!
Thank you! ✌❤🎶🎶❤✌
Sadlly lead singer Gary Brooker passed away in 2022. This performance was from the 2000s and his voice sounded just as good if not BETTER here than on the original studio recording about 40 years prior in 1967.
I have been a fan of theirs since 1967. They were a rock band but used classical motifs and on occasion utilized orchestras. Check out other songs from this concert like Conquistador, Grand Hotel and A Salty Dog, just to mention a few. You won't be disappointed.
I agree with everything you say,they are my all time favourite band and I have all of their songs.Nice to hear from someone else who appreciates their music.
Great recommendations! How I miss those days when we'd spend our paper delivery money (or whatever other job for spare cash) on albums we only heard the one radio hit of, knowing we'll enjoy each and every track for the rest of our lives. Money spent on Procol Harum was always money very well spent. It's kind of possible to do the same today still, but the digital age has changed the landscape too much, for better or worse.
Great reaction from a delightful lady.
i have also just watched your reactions to the live performances of The Moody Blues, Phil Collins, The Beatles and Queen, all of which were world class.
Some other world class performances you may care to react to are
James Blunt singing "Monsters" - the official video.(Beware this will break your heart - you won't need a tissue, you will need a whole box of them). It is unlike anything else in the music world.
Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman singing "Time to Say Goodbye".
Sir Tom Jones singing "I Won't Crumble With You If You Fall" on The Voice (UK) 2022. Another heartbreaker.
Dame Shirley Bassey singing "This Is My Life" at The Royal Albert Hall 1973.
Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballe singing "Barcelona" in 1987.
Also you may care to check out Luciano Pavarotti, Roy Orbison, Barbra Striesand, Meatloaf, Sinead O'Connor and Edith Piaf.
It was my mother's favourite song. It was played at her funeral at her request. She was 98.
This is so touching, thank you so much for sharing with us
What a great tune, I love when people appreciate music that moves me and you have some great taste !! For me music's as much about expression of emotion in an expressive and moving way that instills similar feeling in others
Since this version has been on RUclips I've seen it many times. I can't think of any other song that got better with age.
So Perfect... Thank You..
I first heard this song some 55 years ago. It's one of those that sticks with you.
While this version is awesome the original starts out with the organ part that's after the first verse here.
The guy playing piano and singing is Gary Brooker an original member of the band.
Sadly he passed away, here his voice is a little gruffer, but still soulful.
Here's the original from 1967.
ruclips.net/video/Mb3iPP-tHdA/видео.htmlsi=SRW2jvkSIxj7xiTo
The Moody Blues were contemporaries of these guys. I guess both were/are considered progressive rock bands.
A very good performance of a beautiful song. It is mostly based on J.S.Bachs Air. Its so surprising that the singer can sing it like this after 40 years.