I'm old, saw them live in the late 60's at the Filmore East in NYC. I've been a bass player for more than 55 years, and the bass line in this song is simple perfection. Combined with the iconic Hammond B3 organ and Gary Brookers fantastic voice, many consider this to be one of the greatest rock songs ever written. I wouldn't argue.
I agree too! I’m 63 years old and have listened to this song forever. I still have no idea what it’s about, and I don’t care! It touches my heart with its beauty. I love this song. 🥰 You also reminded me to get some decent headphones so I hear more bass. I’ve been meaning to do that. I also want to hear the bass in Grand Funk Railroad’s 1969 “Inside Looking Out.” Thank you! 😘
I agree as to the greatest rock song ever written. As a former B3 Hammond Organ player, I loved playing this song. Played it all through the 70s and 80s. It was a song that made my day back during the Vietnam war. I love this arrangement with the orchestra playing in the background. I would even say that Johann Sebastion Bach would highly approve.
dont know music like you do friend, but i know what i like . i wore out 3 8track tapes listening to this album in the sixties . the greatest generation of music especially rock music ever. you couldnt get used to one classic song until another would come out. spent a lot of my money on music
I'm in my 30s and I too believe it is one of the greatest ever written. The lyrics are perfect, bassline and the Hammond sound are perfect moods for it, and you dont get any better vocals.
Gary Brooker had a good voice in 1967 at the age of 22 when this masterpiece was released. At 61 in 2006 for this performance, Gary's voice was beyond great. Couple that with this great orchestra and choir, and this great piece was shot out of the universe. Even though Gary is gone from this life, this performance will never be forgotten. Thank you Gary.
Whiter Shade of Pale is a true classic - one of the greatest pieces ever written - but this the greatest live performance of any song I've ever heard. Period.
Mark, is this Rock's first anthem? I am thinking so. It was delivered after PET SOUNDS but WHITER SHADE was one of the band's mainstays for at least a year before this single's release (1967). And it predates LET IT BE, HEY JUDE, STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN (which is often called the first anthem).
This is Procol Harum’s greatest hit. This legendary band is British and was formed in the golden sixties (1967). Here the founder and the leader of the band, Gary Brooker, shows that age has not affected his voice! Thanks for reacting to this one!
Could this be rock's first Anthem? It preceded HEY JUDE, LET IT BE, STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN, etc... it was released a year after PET SOUNDS, though, with that GOD ONLY KNOWS. (I don't consider that a rock anthem, though.)
Growing up in the 60's and 70's we exposed to such raw talent. We didnt appreciate the vass volume of greatness that was available to us. Now we can see what we experienced in your ears, eyes and soul. Thank you for going down our rabbit hole and recapturing all these treasures. ❤
We had some great music back then in the 60s and 70s. Back in 1968, when this was a hit my cute 13 yr old girlfriend and I loved this song. I want to go back and be 13 yrs old again.
This whole version is epic! Who needs Beat detective, Autotune, and quantization! This is the way music is supposed to sound . Not like pre-recorded dreck! Kudos to the Denmark Symphonic Orchestra who had to be way out of their comfort zone. Just EPIC!
his voice is amazing. The raspy tone he has now makes his voice richer. In a weird way he now sounds like Joe Cocker used to sound back in 1968 if you listen to the 1968 version of get By with a little help from my friends
It is not a band it is Denmark Orchestra very well known. The singer is Gary Brooker this group played this for the first time in 1967and now has 62, 000, 000 likes. He passed away a while ago. Brilliant. Love this since it came out I was just married in 1966 and was 21 when it came out. Blessings from South Africa.
John Lennon and Bruce Springstein considered this to be one of the best songs ever recorded. The chorus gives the performance a fuller sound. A rock classice
Some of the most iconic songs ever and being able to hear them with the switch of a radio dial. Then hit the record shops to get vinal LP's, pure magic. Not counting the concerts.
Oboe is the instrument you are referring to.. This song is one of ONLY 42 singles that sold over 10 Million copies. Also, there are over 1,000 KNOW covers of this song by other artist. This song reached number 1 in 19 countries in 1967 but only reached #5 on Billboard top 100. A TRUE Classic for sure. I grew in Oklahoma and out Radio Station back then was KOMA, an AM station out of Oklahoma City, and for about 5 or 6 weeks they played this song at least 6 times an hour!!
I was 6 when this song was released here in the UK it was one of my late mother who passed away in 2018 and i's all time favourite songs. If you want some goosebumps, have a look at one of the top ten guitarists of all time, king of the smooth cool instrumental, STEVE VAI, have a look at TENDER SURRENDER (SteveVaiHimself). Steve also plays with violinists, have a look at NOW WE RUN (SteveVaiHimself) with a great performance by drummer Jeremy Colson in now we run, not that long ago Steve vai had to have shoulder surgery and also had problems with the fingers on his other hand, but that didn't stop him recording KNAPPSACK (SteveVaiHimself) playing with ONE HAND !. Steve was also in a movie from 1986 CROSSROADS, in the EPIC GUITAR BATTLE SCENE between Steve vai AND RALPH MACCHIO (remember the KARATE KID!). Good verses evil. Best wishes from north east England.
Rest in peace Mr. Gary Brooker. 2/19/22 the most beautiful song ever written and sung. You will be missed so very much thank you for whiter shade of pale 50 yrs running,
I first heard this in 1967 and I still love it to this day I'm 60 now and this is all we had to listen to back then (thank god) God bless Gary Broker he is 75 years old now
The GROUP'S name is Procol Harum, the singer's name is GARY BROOKER, he is the original lead singer since 1967 for the GROUP Procol Harum, His voice sounds just as good now as it did in 1967. I was 20 years old in 1967 and have loved "A Whiter Shade of Pale" since then,
Most of the band members of the orchestra are likely brought up hearing that song because it was a huge hit in Denmark so they know it by heart and it's probably dear to their hearts. 😘😘😘
This is my favorite performance of this classic! The full orchestra really gives it the weight it needs. And Gary's voice sounds better here than the original, recorded decades earlier. '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'. Stone Cold Classic!!
Gary Brooker is 61 here. Fingers crossed, I hoped he'd nail those high notes at 9:45 & he most certainly does, resoundingly, as he did almost 40 years before. I was 12 when the song came out in 1967. It made an instant & lasting impression then. It's a timeless, perfect song because all the elements come together perfectly. As the miller told his tale . . .
I too remember the first time I heard it in 1967 and have been a fan ever since, got all their albums and seen them live 9 times,such a shame Gary passed away recently
You can tell that song means something deep with him, the emotions he puts into it is amazing. Thanks for doing the live review, brings so much more to the song.
Respect, your one of first to react to this song,your analysis so perfect, little wonder so many on u tube are now reacting to this, but most impressed with you,feel you understood everything so well✊♥️ R.I.P. Gary🌹♥️🌹
Thank you Dave for this reaction, I've seen the band live, but he with a big orchestra like that, it was beautiful thank you. 👍 Be safe, be strong and keep smiling. 👍💞👍
I am now also an "old" (70 years) man and I first heard this song in 1967. I was just separated from my first love and on the train ride home I tried to cut my wrists while listening to this song - a bit drunk. What - thank God - because of my intoxication then but has not worked. But this song has accompanied me my whole life until today; I know the original, but, I must say, this version with the aged, much better Gary Brooker is even better by far. AND, I confess, every time (I listen to it very often) I am crying because it is so beautiful, so emotional and because it reminds me of the days of my youth described above. I am an obsessive music lover and open to all styles.... ...POP, RNB, Classik, Folksongs ?? ...I would have only one designation for this kind of music: Gigantic music - this also includes - in my opinion -... "Stearway to Heaven" Led Zeppelin - "Child of Time" Deep Purple - "Nothing Else Matters" Metallica - "The Sound of Silence" Distpurbed - "A Whiter Shade of Pale" Procol Harum - "Maid of Orleans" O M D - "We are the Woorld" USA for Africa - "Purple Rain" Prince - "Waiting for a Girl like You" Foreigner - "Always You" Anggun mit Schiller - "Diamante" Zuccero - "Baker Street" Gary Rafferty - "Night in White Satin" Moody Blues - "The First Time Ever I saw You" Roberta Flack - "Mad World" Gary Yules - "Adiemus" Carmina Slovenica - "Ecce, quomodo moritur / Will You be There" Perpetuum Jezzile
Procul Harum was formed in1967, broke up in 1977 and then reformed in 1991. This concert was part of a tour. Following from WIKI. The band resumed a limited touring schedule in 2005, with Josh Phillips replacing Fisher on Hammond, leaving Brooker as the only original performing member. In June 2006 they played at the Isle of Wight Festival. In August they played two outdoor concerts with the Danish Radio Orchestra at Ledreborg Castle in Denmark, which were tele-recorded. An hour-long edit of the show was broadcast on Christmas morning 2008 on Danish Channel DR2 and the full concert was issued on DVD on 11 May 2009 (with six extra tracks from a Danish television recording of the band from 1974). Later in 2006 they played in Switzerland, Norway and Denmark, but with Geoff Dunn replacing Brzezicki on drums, because the latter's other band Casbah Club was touring with The Who.[18] However, Dunn ended up replacing Brzezicki for the band's European tour in 2007. Recordings from the Italian concerts were later released as One Eye to the Future - Live in Italy 2007. Procol Harum also played an orchestral concert in Sweden on 30 June. They performed with the Gävle Symphony Orchestra at the outdoor opera venue Dalhalla, near Rättvik.
They still tour to this day. They most recently toured in the U.S. in 2019, and I was lucky enough to go to three of their concerts. This song is my favorite song ever. Love Gary Brooker and love Procol Harum. Check out more of them!
So glad to see you picking up on this one. It's another masterpiece that spans decades. Poetry set to music. Check out A Salty Dog for another masterpiece.
Great reaction, so pure and true. Sadly, Gary Brooker passed away in February 2022. RIP Gary. Thank you for your music since the 1960's. This classic will never be forgotten Sir, nor will you and your amazing talent.
Believe it or not, his voice is very close to what it was as a young man. Check out the original version of this song. Also, try Conquistador from this same live concert in Denmark 2006.
Gary was definitely one of the iconic British voices of the sixties - he sounds as good as ever there. Allan Clarke was another of those iconic British voices of that period.
I've listened to this over a hundred times, I'm sure, and it never loses it's emotional zing or it's beautiful uniqueness. Just an indescribable composition of voices and instruments and mixtures of sounds and types of groups, just blows you away!!!!
What a tune, i have no knowledge on how to make music, but this tune is beyond good,it hits me in the soul, and i like when people who know their stuff agree it is awesome forgetting he recorded it 30/40 years earlier l.
It's a Hammond B-3 organ. It has a very distinctive sound. The organ itself doesn't have any speakers. It's connected to separate Leslie speakers (a brand of speaker) that provides the audible sound. The vibrato is created with a spinning speaker inside of a cabinet. The faster the spinning, the faster the vibrato. There's a switch on the organ that controls the vibrato. This player does a good job playing with vibrato versus no vibrato.
Bit of trivia that a lot of younger reactors don't get - the lyric "...as the Miller told his tale" is a reference to the Miller's Tale from the Canterbury Tales by Geoffery Chaucer.
Interesting that there are so many interpretations of this song, One of the beautiful video montages put together for Whiter Shade, (by Kevin Reagan), thought The Miller's tale referred to the founder of the Millerites, and Millers prediction of the "End of Time" in the 1850's. It is sad that video is no longer up. Whiter Shade one of the great Songs of the '60's. So nice to see this reaction.
Another fun fact is that Brooker wrote two more verses to this song that he wanted on the original recording, but the record label told the band to cut them as the run-time would have been too long for the 3minute pop song standard... The four verse version was never recorded in the studio, but they have played it live over the years... It surprises me in later years they never cashed in by releasing a four verse version of what is the Most Played song in the last 70 years !! Thank god Queen stood up to their record label when they wanted to cut the runtime of Bohemian Rhapsody !!!
@@TheComputec Keith Reid, the lyricist who collaborated with Procol Harum for most of the band's existence, actually wrote the words while Gary Brooker & organist Matthew Fisher composed the music (partly inspired by Bach). The two extra verses (not heard here nor on the original) are as poetic & clever as the first two, referring to the ocean & Neptune & mermaids. I so wish PH had put the full version on vinyl back in the day. Cheers.
Great assessment. You explained wonderfully. Brooker hits high notes on a word without a vowel -- "was" & it's done so incredibly. A singing lesson in the middle of a concert. RIP Gary. This is a great legacy for you. Gary Brooker passed away on Feb. 2022. This song was a major hit in 1967 & charted on both rock stations & R&B stations. A feat that seldom happens. If I'm not mistaken I wouldn't be surprised if singer/pianist Gary Brooker also wrote the orchestral arrangement for this concert. Orchestras in Denmark are superb.
Great reaction!! I grew up with this kind of music. Gary wrote the orchestration for this -- it wasn't part of the original song. He added it later on. It was based on two Bach works -- "Air on the G String," and "Sleepers, Wake!" He had a one of a kind talent. The instrument you were talking about is an oboe. Piccolos are wind instruments -- an oboe is a woodwind. It uses a reed insted of just breath. And yes, it was a Hammond organ you heard.
Great reaction! It was fun waiting and watching your expressions knowing what was coming up. When you got to the part when Gary started to sing you did not disappoint your face was awesome hearing him. Thanks that was fun. It almost like hearing again for the first time.
I remember this song from when I was a little kid, just started school little. I've loved this song over 50 years. This version is just incredible. Gerry Brooker still sounds like he did in the 60s. I think the orchestra is playing Bach, I think lol. Thanks so much for playing this and rattling my brain fog away. Check out the album version and also another one called Conquistador. Total banger ✌🏻&💓
Procol Harum was an band from London, England. "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" was the group's first hit in 1967. Gary Brooker was the lead singer and piano player.
I’m so grateful that the world can see/hear this. It wasn’t always like this. Amazing live performances that were only experienced, not shared. This dude’s voice is just ridiculous. It’s better here than the original recording. It has more rasp, and it just comes off less pretentious, despite the orchestra. So beautiful.
The instrument the woman was playing was an Oboe, which is actually a woodwind instrument. Many people mistake its sound to be a flute, which is a common mistake. This orchestra is phenomenal, and Procol Harum is so awesome in this live performance. RIP Gary. ❤😢
54 years since this song was released. Think about that people. Amazing that Gary Brooker's voice has only got better thru the years. So much quality music is out there for anyone that is willing to look for it. "Nights in White Satin" is another that's making the rounds. Amazing and wonderful music made without the benefit of computers.
The group is call Procol Harum, and fun fact. They got the name from a friend of the band who had a cat name Procol Harum. He later tried to sue the group for using the name. I don't think he won.
I’ve been listening to this since 1967, I was 14. I also owned Johnny Rivers 1967 album Realization, and he covers it beautifully. Great album by the way❤️
I thoroughly agree re the Johnny Rivers version, which I remember well (& is in my currentdigital music library). Gary Brooker's tone & interpretation are so unique & powerful that you'd think the song is uncoverable but JR nailed it. Very soulful & evocative.
You mentioned the vibrato on the organ. The Hammond B3 organ was (and still is) a standard in many, many rock songs. I used to do sound at a club in St Paul and when a band brought in a B3, it took 6 men to hoist it up onto the 3' high stage. But it is almost always accompanied by a Leslie speaker (which took 4 men to lift). The Leslie speaker has a rotating speaker which spins so you hear the speakers going in and out of phase with each other that gives it that "vibrato" kind of sound which is very distinctive. The player can control how fast the speakers spin, giving them total control over the effect. It can be very hauntingly beautiful as this song demonstrates.
Procol Harum is his bands' name, and the orchestration was just an accompaniment for this concert. Procol Harum means, beyond these things. I am old so I have always loved this song, and I am new here.
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 And the waiter brought a tray And so it was that later As the miller told his taleThat 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 they would not let her be One of sixteen vestal virgins Who were leaving for the coast And although my eyes were open wide They might have just as well 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 She said, "I'm here on a shore leave," Though we were miles at sea. I pointed out this detail And forced her to agree, Saying, "You must be the mermaid Who took King Neptune for a ride. " And she smiled at me so sweetly That my anger straightway died. 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 If music be the food of love Then laughter is it's queen And likewise if behind is in front Then dirt in truth is clean My mouth by then like cardboard Seemed to slip straight through my head So we crash-dived straightway quickly And attacked the ocean bed 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
In April 1967, Brooker began working as a singer-songwriter and formed Procol Harum with non-Paramounts Keith Reid (poet), Hammond organist Matthew Fisher, guitarist Ray Royer and bassist David Knights. Guy Stevens, their original manager, named the band after a Burmese cat, which had been bred by Eleonore Vogt-Chapman and belonged to Liz Coombes. The cat's "cat fancy" name was Procul Harun, Procul being the breeder's prefix.
"Thank you so much, Thank you for having us."
Truly heartfelt and humble, especially for a performance just blessed by God.
I'm old, saw them live in the late 60's at the Filmore East in NYC. I've been a bass player for more than 55 years, and the bass line in this song is simple perfection. Combined with the iconic Hammond B3 organ and Gary Brookers fantastic voice, many consider this to be one of the greatest rock songs ever written. I wouldn't argue.
I agree too! I’m 63 years old and have listened to this song forever. I still have no idea what it’s about, and I don’t care! It touches my heart with its beauty. I love this song. 🥰 You also reminded me to get some decent headphones so I hear more bass. I’ve been meaning to do that. I also want to hear the bass in Grand Funk Railroad’s 1969 “Inside Looking Out.” Thank you! 😘
Has Gary’s voice changed since 1967?...hardly,!
I agree as to the greatest rock song ever written. As a former B3 Hammond Organ player, I loved playing this song. Played it all through the 70s and 80s. It was a song that made my day back during the Vietnam war. I love this arrangement with the orchestra playing in the background. I would even say that Johann Sebastion Bach would highly approve.
dont know music like you do friend, but i know what i like . i wore out 3 8track tapes listening to this album in the sixties . the greatest generation of music especially rock music ever. you couldnt get used to one classic song until another would come out. spent a lot of my money on music
I'm in my 30s and I too believe it is one of the greatest ever written. The lyrics are perfect, bassline and the Hammond sound are perfect moods for it, and you dont get any better vocals.
Gary Brooker had a good voice in 1967 at the age of 22 when this masterpiece was released. At 61 in 2006 for this performance, Gary's voice was beyond great. Couple that with this great orchestra and choir, and this great piece was shot out of the universe. Even though Gary is gone from this life, this performance will never be forgotten. Thank you Gary.
So glad new, young people are discovering this masterpiece.
You know you're good when you start singing and 3000 people stop cheering under 2seconds to hear you.... That's when you've made it....
Whiter Shade of Pale is a true classic - one of the greatest pieces ever written - but this the greatest live performance of any song I've ever heard. Period.
Eu tendo a concordar com vossa assertiva.
Without a doubt
incredible performance - music at it's best... no pre recorded junk - talent all around...
Mark, is this Rock's first anthem? I am thinking so. It was delivered after PET SOUNDS but WHITER SHADE was one of the band's mainstays for at least a year before this single's release (1967). And it predates LET IT BE, HEY JUDE, STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN (which is often called the first anthem).
agreed
My opinion... its music perfection!
This is Procol Harum’s greatest hit. This legendary band is British and was formed in the golden sixties (1967). Here the founder and the leader of the band, Gary Brooker, shows that age has not affected his voice! Thanks for reacting to this one!
Yes, the great music years. Oh, how I miss them.
His voice still reaches deep inside you.
His voice is even betternow
I think his voice sounds even better, deeper, more raspy!! Like aged fine wine!!🎙
Could this be rock's first Anthem? It preceded HEY JUDE, LET IT BE, STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN, etc... it was released a year after PET SOUNDS, though, with that GOD ONLY KNOWS. (I don't consider that a rock anthem, though.)
Growing up in the 60's and 70's we exposed to such raw talent. We didnt appreciate the vass volume of greatness that was available to us.
Now we can see what we experienced in your ears, eyes and soul.
Thank you for going down our rabbit hole and recapturing all these treasures. ❤
We had some great music back then in the 60s and 70s. Back in 1968, when this was a hit my cute 13 yr old girlfriend and I loved this song. I want to go back and be 13 yrs old again.
50 yr old song that still gives chills. His voice is even better now. You just let a performance like this wash over you.
U got that right from chicago.
This whole version is epic! Who needs Beat detective, Autotune, and quantization! This is the way music is supposed to sound . Not like pre-recorded dreck! Kudos to the Denmark Symphonic Orchestra who had to be way out of their comfort zone. Just EPIC!
it it just me, or does Gary sing it better in this performance than when he was younger?
A lot of us think so!
Not just you
His voice got richer with time.
His sense of pitch is much better, especially on the high notes.
@@steveneardley7541 I agree. But also the richness and texture of his voice sound better in my ears.
OMG his voice has barely changed. If anything, it's deeper and gives the song now a more profound meaning to many boomers.
his voice is amazing. The raspy tone he has now makes his voice richer. In a weird way he now sounds like Joe Cocker used to sound back in 1968 if you listen to the 1968 version of get By with a little help from my friends
Old man with an even older soul come to bless ours.
His vocals and the music brought me to tears... Really Heart felt! God Bless them all ➕💒💕💋
Yes, I think he actually improved in the way you said.
It is not a band it is Denmark Orchestra very well known. The singer is Gary Brooker this group played this for the first time in 1967and now has 62, 000, 000 likes. He passed away a while ago. Brilliant. Love this since it came out I was just married in 1966 and was 21 when it came out. Blessings from South Africa.
Classic performance by in my opinion the greatest band of all time backed by a wonderful orchestra and choir
John Lennon and Bruce Springstein considered this to be one of the best songs ever recorded. The chorus gives the performance a fuller sound. A rock classice
God bless him for doing this concert for all posterity. This was the Beatles' favorite song in 1967 according to interviews I've seen and read.
I purchased this record way back in the 60s but be assured this version is without doubt the best.
Some of the most iconic songs ever and being able to hear them with the switch of a radio dial. Then hit the record shops to get vinal LP's, pure magic. Not counting the concerts.
Oboe solo.. heart tugging. Sublime. Orchestra, choir, Hammond organ, Gary Brooker vocal & piano.
Oboe is the instrument you are referring to.. This song is one of ONLY 42 singles that sold over 10 Million copies. Also, there are over 1,000 KNOW covers of this song by other artist. This song reached number 1 in 19 countries in 1967 but only reached #5 on Billboard top 100. A TRUE Classic for sure. I grew in Oklahoma and out Radio Station back then was KOMA, an AM station out of Oklahoma City, and for about 5 or 6 weeks they played this song at least 6 times an hour!!
I was 6 when this song was released here in the UK it was one of my late mother who passed away in 2018 and i's all time favourite songs. If you want some goosebumps, have a look at one of the top ten guitarists of all time, king of the smooth cool instrumental, STEVE VAI, have a look at TENDER SURRENDER (SteveVaiHimself). Steve also plays with violinists, have a look at NOW WE RUN (SteveVaiHimself) with a great performance by drummer Jeremy Colson in now we run, not that long ago Steve vai had to have shoulder surgery and also had problems with the fingers on his other hand, but that didn't stop him recording KNAPPSACK (SteveVaiHimself) playing with ONE HAND !. Steve was also in a movie from 1986 CROSSROADS, in the EPIC GUITAR BATTLE SCENE between Steve vai AND RALPH MACCHIO (remember the KARATE KID!). Good verses evil. Best wishes from north east England.
Listening to Procol Harum. Gives me the same chills that been dormant for years
One of the songs that defined the 60s, but like all good music, it is also timeless.
Rest in peace Mr. Gary Brooker. 2/19/22 the most beautiful song ever written and sung. You will be missed so very much thank you for whiter shade of pale 50 yrs running,
I first heard this in 1967 and I still love it to this day I'm 60 now and this is all we had to listen to back then (thank god) God bless Gary Broker he is 75 years old now
The GROUP'S name is Procol Harum, the singer's name is GARY BROOKER, he is the original lead singer since 1967 for the GROUP Procol Harum, His voice sounds just as good now as it did in 1967. I was 20 years old in 1967 and have loved "A Whiter Shade of Pale" since then,
This melody always stirs my feelings but multiplied with the added orchestration
The most beautiful melody I've ever heard. A classic.
Most of the band members of the orchestra are likely brought up hearing that song because it was a huge hit in Denmark so they know it by heart and it's probably dear to their hearts. 😘😘😘
A massive hit in Australia too, where it was #1 for 8 weeks.
This is my favorite performance of this classic! The full orchestra really gives it the weight it needs. And Gary's voice sounds better here than the original, recorded decades earlier. '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'. Stone Cold Classic!!
Conquistador is another beautiful song by this great band The version they perform here live in Denmark...same concert is just masterful!
The rock band is Procol Harum and the lead singer is Gary Brooker. He passed a year ago, but in 2008 he sounded just like he did 50 years earlier.
Gary Brooker is 61 here. Fingers crossed, I hoped he'd nail those high notes at 9:45 & he most certainly does, resoundingly, as he did almost 40 years before. I was 12 when the song came out in 1967. It made an instant & lasting impression then. It's a timeless, perfect song because all the elements come together perfectly. As the miller told his tale . . .
I too remember the first time I heard it in 1967 and have been a fan ever since, got all their albums and seen them live 9 times,such a shame Gary passed away recently
Most beautiful tune ever!.
The guy's name is Gary Brooker, and his band is Procol Harum (Procall Hair-um,) and that is an oboe at the beginning. 👍
Gary Brooker's voice is like Fine Wine 1967 Classic if this doesn't pull at your Heart strings you have no Soul
You can tell that song means something deep with him, the emotions he puts into it is amazing. Thanks for doing the live review, brings so much more to the song.
Gary Brookers voice had not changed in 40 years. Saw these guys live in London in 67.
Respect, your one of first to react to this song,your analysis so perfect, little wonder so many on u tube are now reacting to this, but most impressed with you,feel you understood everything so well✊♥️
R.I.P. Gary🌹♥️🌹
Doesn't get any better than this....Hammond organ - what a distinctive sound.
Thank you Dave for this reaction, I've seen the band live, but he with a big orchestra like that, it was beautiful thank you. 👍 Be safe, be strong and keep smiling. 👍💞👍
I am now also an "old" (70 years) man and I first heard this song in 1967. I was just separated from my first love and on the train ride home I tried to cut my wrists while listening to this song - a bit drunk. What - thank God - because of my intoxication then but has not worked. But this song has accompanied me my whole life until today; I know the original, but, I must say, this version with the aged, much better Gary Brooker is even better by far.
AND, I confess, every time (I listen to it very often) I am crying because it is so beautiful, so emotional and because it reminds me of the days of my youth described above.
I am an obsessive music lover and open to all styles....
...POP, RNB, Classik, Folksongs ?? ...I would have only one designation for this kind of music: Gigantic music - this also includes - in my opinion -...
"Stearway to Heaven" Led Zeppelin -
"Child of Time" Deep Purple -
"Nothing Else Matters" Metallica -
"The Sound of Silence" Distpurbed -
"A Whiter Shade of Pale" Procol Harum -
"Maid of Orleans" O M D -
"We are the Woorld" USA for Africa -
"Purple Rain" Prince -
"Waiting for a Girl like You" Foreigner -
"Always You" Anggun mit Schiller -
"Diamante" Zuccero -
"Baker Street" Gary Rafferty -
"Night in White Satin" Moody Blues -
"The First Time Ever I saw You" Roberta Flack -
"Mad World" Gary Yules -
"Adiemus" Carmina Slovenica -
"Ecce, quomodo moritur / Will You be There" Perpetuum Jezzile
Procul Harum was formed in1967, broke up in 1977 and then reformed in 1991. This concert was part of a tour. Following from WIKI. The band resumed a limited touring schedule in 2005, with Josh Phillips replacing Fisher on Hammond, leaving Brooker as the only original performing member. In June 2006 they played at the Isle of Wight Festival. In August they played two outdoor concerts with the Danish Radio Orchestra at Ledreborg Castle in Denmark, which were tele-recorded. An hour-long edit of the show was broadcast on Christmas morning 2008 on Danish Channel DR2 and the full concert was issued on DVD on 11 May 2009 (with six extra tracks from a Danish television recording of the band from 1974).
Later in 2006 they played in Switzerland, Norway and Denmark, but with Geoff Dunn replacing Brzezicki on drums, because the latter's other band Casbah Club was touring with The Who.[18] However, Dunn ended up replacing Brzezicki for the band's European tour in 2007. Recordings from the Italian concerts were later released as One Eye to the Future - Live in Italy 2007. Procol Harum also played an orchestral concert in Sweden on 30 June. They performed with the Gävle Symphony Orchestra at the outdoor opera venue Dalhalla, near Rättvik.
They still tour to this day. They most recently toured in the U.S. in 2019, and I was lucky enough to go to three of their concerts. This song is my favorite song ever. Love Gary Brooker and love Procol Harum. Check out more of them!
RIP Gary. Love your voice. Thanks for the reaction.❤
So glad to see you picking up on this one. It's another masterpiece that spans decades. Poetry set to music. Check out A Salty Dog for another masterpiece.
Great reaction, so pure and true. Sadly, Gary Brooker passed away in February 2022. RIP Gary. Thank you for your music since the 1960's. This classic will never be forgotten Sir, nor will you and your amazing talent.
Believe it or not, his voice is very close to what it was as a young man. Check out the original version of this song. Also, try Conquistador from this same live concert in Denmark 2006.
Yes. Oboe. And a Hammond B3 organ with a Leslie cabinet.
Gary was definitely one of the iconic British voices of the sixties - he sounds as good as ever there. Allan Clarke was another of those iconic British voices of that period.
I've listened to this over a hundred times, I'm sure, and it never loses it's emotional zing or it's beautiful uniqueness. Just an indescribable composition of voices and instruments and mixtures of sounds and types of groups, just blows you away!!!!
One of THE best songs ever!!! I was 15 when it was "born" in 1967 and I'll never get tired of it!!!🎵🎼🎶💜🎧🎤🎸🤘
I love the way your face expressed nothing but joy throughout the song.
What a tune, i have no knowledge on how to make music, but this tune is beyond good,it hits me in the soul, and i like when people who know their stuff agree it is awesome forgetting he recorded it 30/40 years earlier l.
It's a Hammond B-3 organ. It has a very distinctive sound. The organ itself doesn't have any speakers. It's connected to separate Leslie speakers (a brand of speaker) that provides the audible sound. The vibrato is created with a spinning speaker inside of a cabinet. The faster the spinning, the faster the vibrato. There's a switch on the organ that controls the vibrato. This player does a good job playing with vibrato versus no vibrato.
His voice hasn't changed much from his 60's voice. Always powerful and yet soothing.
Great reaction! Insightful and real. The song was absolutely beautifully performed as well.
His voice is perfect!! amazing song
Simply amazing song. A true masterpiece
Bit of trivia that a lot of younger reactors don't get - the lyric "...as the Miller told his tale" is a reference to the Miller's Tale from the Canterbury Tales by Geoffery Chaucer.
Interesting that there are so many interpretations of this song, One of the beautiful video montages put together for Whiter Shade, (by Kevin Reagan), thought The Miller's tale referred to the founder of the Millerites, and Millers prediction of the "End of Time" in the 1850's. It is sad that video is no longer up. Whiter Shade one of the great Songs of the '60's. So nice to see this reaction.
Another fun fact is that Brooker wrote two more verses to this song that he wanted on the original recording, but the record label told the band to cut them as the run-time would have been too long for the 3minute pop song standard... The four verse version was never recorded in the studio, but they have played it live over the years... It surprises me in later years they never cashed in by releasing a four verse version of what is the Most Played song in the last 70 years !!
Thank god Queen stood up to their record label when they wanted to cut the runtime of Bohemian Rhapsody !!!
Thanks man ! When I sing this in shower I thought the lyric was when the mirror told its tale.
@@TheComputec Keith Reid, the lyricist who collaborated with Procol Harum for most of the band's existence, actually wrote the words while Gary Brooker & organist Matthew Fisher composed the music (partly inspired by Bach). The two extra verses (not heard here nor on the original) are as poetic & clever as the first two, referring to the ocean & Neptune & mermaids. I so wish PH had put the full version on vinyl back in the day. Cheers.
Such a beautiful song. One of my favorites. Great reaction, you are very insightful. Very much enjoyed.
one of rocks most famous songs - this is a mind blowing performance
Great assessment. You explained wonderfully.
Brooker hits high notes on a word without a vowel -- "was" & it's done so incredibly. A singing lesson in the middle of a concert.
RIP Gary. This is a great legacy for you. Gary Brooker passed away on Feb. 2022. This song was a major hit in 1967 & charted on both rock stations & R&B stations. A feat that seldom happens.
If I'm not mistaken I wouldn't be surprised if singer/pianist Gary Brooker also wrote the orchestral arrangement for this concert. Orchestras in Denmark are superb.
Great reaction!! I grew up with this kind of music. Gary wrote the orchestration for this -- it wasn't part of the original song. He added it later on. It was based on two Bach works -- "Air on the G String," and "Sleepers, Wake!" He had a one of a kind talent. The instrument you were talking about is an oboe. Piccolos are wind instruments -- an oboe is a woodwind. It uses a reed insted of just breath. And yes, it was a Hammond organ you heard.
Great reaction! It was fun waiting and watching your expressions knowing what was coming up. When you got to the part when Gary started to sing you did not disappoint your face was awesome hearing him. Thanks that was fun. It almost like hearing again for the first time.
I remember this song from when I was a little kid, just started school little. I've loved this song over 50 years. This version is just incredible. Gerry Brooker still sounds like he did in the 60s. I think the orchestra is playing Bach, I think lol. Thanks so much for playing this and rattling my brain fog away. Check out the album version and also another one called Conquistador. Total banger ✌🏻&💓
Procol Harum was an band from London, England. "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" was the group's first hit in 1967. Gary Brooker was the lead singer and piano player.
Procol Harum was on my go-to list since 67
Brings back a lot of memories. That's the year I met my late hubby. We were married 47 years 🤩
I’m so grateful that the world can see/hear this. It wasn’t always like this. Amazing live performances that were only experienced, not shared.
This dude’s voice is just ridiculous. It’s better here than the original recording. It has more rasp, and it just comes off less pretentious, despite the orchestra. So beautiful.
I don't think people realize including myself how much work can really go into pulling something like this off
Great job of understanding the entire song.
The instrument the woman was playing was an Oboe, which is actually a woodwind instrument. Many people mistake its sound to be a flute, which is a common mistake. This orchestra is phenomenal, and Procol Harum is so awesome in this live performance. RIP Gary. ❤😢
Procul Harun is the name of the band. That’s Gerry Booker singing. If I’m not mistaken
Procol Harum and Gary Brooker.
Only two mistakes Darlene - the band and the singer! 😁
Great song
I wish I could have seen them when I was younger! Thank You so much for the Wonderful reaction!!
54 years since this song was released. Think about that people. Amazing that Gary Brooker's voice has only got better thru the years. So much quality music is out there for anyone that is willing to look for it. "Nights in White Satin" is another that's making the rounds. Amazing and wonderful music made without the benefit of computers.
I love that you appreciate every note.
This song was usually the last song on the dancefloor when I was a teenager MANY years ago in Norway. MEMORIES! ;)
Gary's voice has aged marvelously. I believe it's actually gotten better,
you have good awareness of the music and the singer.
Loved your reaction and insightful comments. This is the first time that I have seen one of your videos. You have a new subscriber.
The English Horn is Perfect! What a song! What a voice! Thanks!
The group is call Procol Harum, and fun fact. They got the name from a friend of the band who had a cat name Procol Harum. He later tried to sue the group for using the name. I don't think he won.
they have a video of 1967 when he sang it with the band Procul Harum. His name is Gary Brooker
I'm glad you enjoyed it as much as I did. What a great song...sung by Gary brooker.
Wow - there is at least 50 live reaction videos of this song on RUclips. YOURS IS THE BEST!! Congrats!
I’ve been listening to this since 1967, I was 14. I also owned Johnny Rivers 1967 album Realization, and he covers it beautifully. Great album by the way❤️
I thoroughly agree re the Johnny Rivers version, which I remember well (& is in my currentdigital music library). Gary Brooker's tone & interpretation are so unique & powerful that you'd think the song is uncoverable but JR nailed it. Very soulful & evocative.
Two friends of mine got married to this back In the sixties they are still together
Perfect Singer and music
I've watched a ton of these breakdowns/reactions of this song - this one is by far the best.
Just thought I'd add: Procul Harum was the name of his cat. This whole feline thing is much older than the internet!
You mentioned the vibrato on the organ. The Hammond B3 organ was (and still is) a standard in many, many rock songs. I used to do sound at a club in St Paul and when a band brought in a B3, it took 6 men to hoist it up onto the 3' high stage. But it is almost always accompanied by a Leslie speaker (which took 4 men to lift). The Leslie speaker has a rotating speaker which spins so you hear the speakers going in and out of phase with each other that gives it that "vibrato" kind of sound which is very distinctive. The player can control how fast the speakers spin, giving them total control over the effect. It can be very hauntingly beautiful as this song demonstrates.
Gary Brooker is the singer - still got it after all these years - nice reaction.
Gary Brooker , Great Voice.& Virtuoso at his craft.
Procol Harum is his bands' name, and the orchestration was just an accompaniment for this concert. Procol Harum means, beyond these things. I am old so I have always loved this song, and I am new here.
Top notch reaction!
Easily one of my favs from my youth !!!
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
And the waiter brought a tray
And so it was that later
As the miller told his taleThat 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 they would not let her be
One of sixteen vestal virgins
Who were leaving for the coast
And although my eyes were open wide
They might have just as well 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
She said, "I'm here on a shore leave,"
Though we were miles at sea.
I pointed out this detail
And forced her to agree,
Saying, "You must be the mermaid
Who took King Neptune for a ride. "
And she smiled at me so sweetly
That my anger straightway died.
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
If music be the food of love
Then laughter is it's queen
And likewise if behind is in front
Then dirt in truth is clean
My mouth by then like cardboard
Seemed to slip straight through my head
So we crash-dived straightway quickly
And attacked the ocean bed
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
Thank you for posting the full lyrics
Just found this channel. I love your passion for the music 🎶
In April 1967, Brooker began working as a singer-songwriter and formed Procol Harum with non-Paramounts Keith Reid (poet), Hammond organist Matthew Fisher, guitarist Ray Royer and bassist David Knights. Guy Stevens, their original manager, named the band after a Burmese cat, which had been bred by Eleonore Vogt-Chapman and belonged to Liz Coombes. The cat's "cat fancy" name was Procul Harun, Procul being the breeder's prefix.
An excellent reaction recognizing all the facets of the performance.
I was 18 when this came out in 1967.. Gary Brooker is actually singing it better in this live video than the original....