There has been 43 single records to physically sale 10,000,000 copies. This is one of them and they are in the ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME. Remember this song was released in 1967. 54 years ago. Still powerful.
Well one of my favourite bands are Queen - because they are brilliant musicians, composers, songwriters - and Freddie Mercury - but the musicians were forgotten. They still live on - thanks to their good music .- they can do everything - but of cause some don't like it - - really - - in secret??
Don't worry about not understanding the lyrics. No one understands them. The main thing is how the music flows and how it feels. By the way, I believe that Gary Brooker was 61 years old when this performance took place. He was little more than a kid when this song was originally recorded. I think he sang it better at age 61 than at age 21.
Took me many years to understand the story. I am a musician not lyricist. But finally listened very carefully ,+ got it. But with all due Respect people can take whatever it means to them ; home ! Hint : its a story about the story about what happened.
What I noticed more than anything was, the wonderful audience ,no shouting and screaming just total silence, and respect. I must stop listening to it as I cry everytime.
Keith Reid, who wrote the lyrics has stated “I’d like the song to feel like a Dali painting looks. You know, clocks dissolving. You know fantastical things. You know the colors that somebody would use in a picture. You try to come up with that in words.”
These guys recorded this song like 50 years ago without the orchestra. It's still worth hearing. Never have I heard any song this produced this much. It was nothing short of magnificent.
This is one of those songs where you just don't need to understand what the lyrics are about. You just get to enjoy them. Yes, rock is both the "doo duh do" you air drummed, and it is soft ballads like this with many types in between. There are songs and artists that just do not fit into a specific category.
I think it actually gets worse if you realize what the lyrics are about. It's just about being drunk at a party with your rowdy mates and trying to get with some girl before she leaves with her friends. But there's a bit of Bach and a Chaucer reference in it so that makes it sophisticated.
Right you are .Sometimes i prefer lyrics that i don't fully understand as it allows me to fill in the gaps with what i want it to be .Bob dylan was like this on many of his songs . He admitted in an interview that on some of his songs like desolation , row he didn't know where that song came from . i think a lot of the best music is like this . an artist seems to tap into a song that is waiting to be discovered in an un manifest state . all that is necessary is to tune into the right frequency and it begins to flow outward .
"I really don't get the lyrics." Hey, you're not alone. Thousands of people have gone mad trying to figure them out. Just enjoy the music, and thank you for the beautiful reaction.
@@mickgrace2558 Yes; it's betrayal, love gone wrong. This can be an epic-level, soul-stirring experience to anyone and he indulges it fully. Wonderful, deep, obscure and classical references throughout.
Gary Brooker, the leader and singer songwriter for Harum is one of the best talents from the 60's with his thought provoking lyrics and music. I bought every one of his albums. My fav Album was "Shine On Brightly". And even today his voice still remains unchanged. Nice pick.. He recorded the song "Conquistador" in my home with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra in Canada.
Always loved this song but was never really sure what it was about until I got much older! "Conquistador" is another great song they did in 1971 or 72. Thanks Marie! Love your channel!
This is a timeless and very popular song, even today. The lyrics were a mystery in 1966 and still are today to my knowledge. Gary Brooker never explained them. The instrument you are so taken with is a Hammond B-3 two manual electric organ. Arguably the finest ever produced. I've owned and played one for nearly forty years, this is one of favorite pieces to play.
Bon Jour Marie ! The Intro ( Strings ) was played by a Baroque sounding Organ , Someone mentioned Bach Already and at your first go the Lyrics are kinda of difficult to understand , Music in the 60’s was unbelievably diverse that included flirting with Classical Music , to get some context on this performance I suggest to listen to the original along with Whaling Stories both original and from this Concert , By the Way regarding Classical Music and Rock you might want to listen to Nights in White Satin by The Moody Blues
Listen to the original from '67 and you'll find that Gary Brooker's voice hasn't changed in 50 years. Another great song from this concert is Conquistador. Think you'll be amazed by it too.
Thank you Marie for listening to this song. It brought back so many good memories I had tears streaming down my face. Pretty strange for a 70 year old biker. Had this song on 8-track and listened to it all the time. Thanks again.
When this song was first heard on the "radio" everyone called everyone else to listen. This was a game changer in our day. Go back and find the full length version and absolutely immerse yourself. Talk to your grandparents about their experience the first time👍
Great choice Marie. It's a beautiful song no matter which arrangement is used to perform it. So happy you are discovering so many different musical genres.
The melody is derived from a classic composition from Bach, so it is perfect for an orchestral accompanied performance. Have always loved this song, stay safe, Marie 🌹.
Was in HS 1967 when this was first released .. timeless classic You might want to listen to a clip back in the day .. that was done 40 years ago from this presentation
This is a perfect song. The weirdest thing about this performance is that Gary Brooker's voice is still really good. One of the best songs of all time.
Lead singer Gary Booker passed away in February 2022. There are old videos of Procol Harum on RUclips c.1967. He was 21 or 22. Amazing voice even then. And he was a handsome kid. He was happily married for about 54 years. The songwriter with the band was a fan of Salvador Dali. He liked the idea of composing lyrics in the same way. He heard someone at a party comment that a guest was turning a whiter shade of pale. There are more lyrics to this song. I found one rare clip of it on RUclips with him singing it. If they’re performed in order, the story makes more sense. I was about 9 when the song came out. Still makes me cry.
Quite often a rock band brings out a ballad and it becomes a million seller, this is my favourite track and this is my most favourite performance, incredible ❤
It's often called one of the best songs of all time. There have been over 1,000 cover versions! Your dad will know it very well, I'm sure. The lyrics are not easy to explain, even for a native English speaker, but basically it's about an encounter between a man and woman.
Thank you for reacting to this masterpiece. If you like Procol Harum, other songs of theirs you might like are Homburg, A Salty Dog, and Conquistador. Thank you reaction.
Love your channel! Thank you for playing this song. I’m from Nova Scotia Canada and I grew up listening to this song in the 70s. It still gives me chills to this day at the age of 63. RIP Artist Gary Brooker Feb 2022.
I'm native English speaker. I could not understand many of the words he was singing. One of my favorite all time songs. Even tho it always induces a since of melancholia. I'm too old to be hitting on you, so I will say you have the prettiest eyes. If your Dad hasn't said it, I bet he's thought it.
I can't understand you not understanding the words, not understanding the lyrics is another thing. The lyrics are allusive and somewhat metaphorical in the style of Jonathan Swift and Lewis Carroll - see also Jefferson Airplane's White Rabbit.
@@vtbn53 You misunderstood. I have heard that song many times before where the individual words were distinct. The singer this time, or the sound engineer this time, or both, did a poor job. This is one of my all time fave songs.
Gary Brooker the Piano Player and Vocalist is the only Original member of the Group! "Procol Harum" is Latin for "Beyond These Things"! Gary's cat a Siamese was the Group's name inspiration! Their name was "The Paramounts" until 1967.
It's great seeing young people reacting to music that i heard in my youth. Music is like a river it's constantly moving on like the river of life, but occasionally you get a song that resists the flow of the time and picks up new fans along the way. The music is based on Barch's air on a g string and the lerics is based on the miller's tale taken from the Canterbury Tales by Jeffrey Chaulser
This is a beautiful song. It came out in the later sixties when I was in the 8 th grade. It immediately takes me back to that time and a middle school crush that I had on a cute blonde. It is timeless and will always take me back to that era.
Nice! Procol Harum was popular at the end of the 60’s and beginning of the 70’s. The most famous person to come out of this band was Robin Trower who went on to have a very successful solo career as a hard rocker. He is still around and in his 70’s. You should react to Bridge of Sighs or Too Rolling Stoned by Robin Trower.
Early Procol Harum ( 'beyond these things' in Latin - miss-spelled actually) - was a unique mixture of Bach / rock / surrealism / and blues - especially Robin Trower's contribution . He was not on the original recording of 'Whiter Shade of Pale ' -- but was on their first album .
I loved those first moments while you were trying to figure out how this related to "Rock and Roll". The expressions on your face were amazing! Great reaction!
Nice of you to react to this 1967 song. I was in college at the time and never knew much about the singers although it was one my favorites. I was very busy. This was dance music. Slow dance music. All of those old couple sitting there once danced to this music and probably still do. It may very well have been this song that first brought them together - love at first sight (or touch) you know. Thanks.
Their music is mainly based on both classical music and blues. They also have good rock songs. Great band, great singer, great text writer. Thanks Marie and warm regards from the Netherlands!
Yes Marie, you want to start to understand the 60s? The turmoil, the counter-culture, the vibe? This song embodies the aura of that incredible era. Iconic. Legendary. Beautiful.
Hi again Marie! To answer your questions : always were 5 members in band : Singer/pianist , organist, drummer, lead guitar and bass guitar. Only Gary Brooker - the singer/pianist is left from the original group. He also wrote the music for this song and is the guy on the far right in the photo you showed from 1967. As someone commented, the lead guitarist in 1967 was Robin Trower - who left soon after, but was the most “well known” person from the band. As several people said, the song uses imagery from Chaucer’s “The Miller’s Tale” to describe his feeling about a love affair that he just realized is over while sitting with a group of friends, including his girlfriend.. As I said in my other comment, it’s the “slow dance” nature of this song that is important- because it was one of the first songs of “our generation” that you could dance to like this - and therefore brings back a lot of memories for those of us from, say 55-75!
The Danish Symphony Orchestra introduces one of the most iconic songs of 1967. Musically, the arranger has made the brilliant choice of placing the melody in the minor key. This instantly conveys a wistful and nostalgic emotion to the listener. Then, just before Brooker's vocal entry, a lovely Tierce de Picardie signals a change in mood. Also, the live mix by the audio engineers of a full orchestra, choir, piano, B3 organ, guitars, bass, drums and vocal is absolutely stunning!
The orchestra and choir is The Danish National Orchestra (part of the Danish national television called DR), they do this every year with original gueststars
This performance in '06 is 40 yrs from it's release, he's about 65 here I believe...and still kills it today. I believe the intro is Moonlight Sonata, not part of original. I assure you, most people don't get the lyrics either, matters not...he's selling intensity and it's what you want it to be. Nice job!
Gary Brooker was the singer in the band Procol Harum back in the 60s I saw him in concert at the outdoor Amphitheater at the Minnesota Zoo with Bill Wyman from the Rolling Stones
Loved your reaction to this classic rock anthem! I never tire of this great 1967 hit! You are probably a great person to have a drink with and chat about memorable rock music!
Great song! Great reaction! I like most music, except for rap but I love classical music and my favorite instrument is the cello. I could listen to it all day long. Hugs from Idaho!
When it was released as a debut single in 1967 (obviously without the orchestra, but 'driven' by the sublime Hammond organ). It shot to no.1 in the record sales charts in at least 14 countries including the UK, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain and, of course, France! It is known to have been covered by more a thousand other artists and is officially the most broadcast record in the UK of the past 70 years!
Usually, a piece of music in its original version is the best thing you can hear. I have known this piece since it was released in 1967, it has accompanied me all my life. Here Gary Brooker has managed to interpret A Whiter Shade Of Pale even better than he did in 1967. Unfortunately, he has already passed away. R.I.P. Gary The original version in 1967 had 4 verses. Because the song was much longer than usual at over 4 minutes, two verses were left out. Keith Reid said: "No problem, it works just like that." But with verses 3 and 4, things become clearer. Here are all four verses: We skipped the light fandango turned cartwheels 'cross the floor I was feeling kinda seasick but the crowd called out for more The room was humming harder as the ceiling flew away When we called out for another drink the waiter brought a tray And so it was that later as the miller told his tale that her face, at first just ghostly, turned a whiter shade of pale. She said: "There is no reason and the truth is plain to see." But I wandered trough my playing cards and would not let her be one of sixteen virgins who were leaving for the coast and although my eyes were open they might have 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 home on shore leave" Though in truth we were at sea So I took her by the looking glass and forced her to agree saying: "You must be the mermaid Who took Neptune for a ride." But she smiled at me so sadly 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 feed of love the laughter is its queen and likewise is 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.
My brother and I loved this song all of our lives, but it was one of his Top 3. When he died at the very young age of 42 (7 years ago) when we played this at his wake it struck me that this song can bring a tear of sadness to your eye as you smile so happily. It haunts you to your bones as it lifts you on angels wings... The lyrics are not meant to tell any one story, it is meant to encompass the entirety of the "human experience"...
HELLO0O0O0 miss Marie! 👍another awesome video!! I was born in 1966 growing up through the 70's and 80's I also listened to music of the 60's....🤗🤗 Keep smiling and be safe angel eyes!!
I have loved this song since the 60’s, the orchestra and choir joining Procol Harum just makes the song mor beautiful. Gary Brooker was ahead of his time in rock.
Piano, organ, drums, bass, lead guitar. The band has always been five members. This song was their first hit and is a classic. The organ theme is a melody from Bach and the song has a structure similar to some Baroque music. I saw them live twice in the late 60's & early 70's & they are a real rock & roll band but they have facets that are unusual for rock music. They use melodic structures that are based in classical music and lyrics that were influenced by people like Bob Dylan. They recorded a live album with the Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Symphony in 1971. The band has done concerts like this several times. Their music lends itself to orchestral arrangements. Whiter Shade is slow, melancholy, and seems to be a poorly remembered story of a drunken evening in the singer's past when his girl suddenly left him. There are references to history: Vestal Virgins and the Miller's Tale, ; it tells of a relationship - something makes her face turn pale; something makes her leave the relationship; too much to drink; elements of surrealism from French films like Last Year in Marienbad. It is a great example of how music, poetry, literature and film all influenced rock music in the 60's. I was in college in the 60's and I remember racing to a record store for a new album from a favorite band on the release date. Anything from Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Doors, and a few other bands were worthy of this kind of attention. Get the album and start listening to it over and over. The fact that we are still listening to this music tells us how timeless much of it is. I am fascinated by the reaction videos on RUclips of young people hearing The Righteous Brothers or David Bowie or Luciano Pavarotti for the first time. There were no music videos before about 1980; there were no computers to modulate voices and correct vocal mistakes in real time; music was done live on TV; concerts were unaided by electronic doctoring. Much modern music is crafted by video and aural editing and even live performances are not so live as we like to think. Famous singers have been caught lip-synching their own songs. You picked a great arrangement of a great song. I loved hearing your comments. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of songs to listen to from the day the Beatles emerged to the anger of punk rock. Keep it up.
Procol Harum is a 5 member Rock/Pop Band of the 1960 with Gary Brooker - lead singer / pianist. Other band members as in 2018 were Matthew Fisher - keyboard, Marc Brzezicki - Drummer, Matthew Pegg - Bass guitar and Geoff Whitehorn - Guitarist. A few band members have changed over the years. A whiter shade of pale was their debut single released in 1967 and went straight to number 1 in the UK charts at the time. The song is believed to be about a drunken one night stand that went horribly wrong. Reference to the 'Miller' telling his tale is taken from Geoffry Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and gives us a subtle hint of what the song is all about. There is also a "missing" original section in the lyrics with speaks of a "mermaid" that took King Neptune for a ride. This can be heard in the other versions of the song. Yes there a quite a few. Fourteen years after Procol Harum had disbanded in 1977, the Band got back together again in 1991 because Gary Brooker had realised that there were many people out there who were still big fans of the group, and in particular the song A whiter shade of pale. The song celebrated it 50th Anniversary in 2017 with the release of a Studio remix. The decision to include an orchestra with the band was taken by Gary Brooker in 2006. It was intended to add to the rather "sombre" but beautiful musical arrangement that gave the song a sense of foreboding, but it is the strained vocals of Gary Brooker and the way that he delivers the story and the song to his audience that is powerful and emotional. Gary sings from his very soul as he tells us this story. There are many cover versions of the song and a few variations coming from the band itself. The song itself is Iconic. Sadly Gary Brooker lost his fight against Cancer and he died on 19th February 2022 aged 75.
For those of you who are wondering about the meaning of the song... you need to find the version which includes all 4 verses. He only ever recorded 2 of them, and it's the other 2 that make sense of them. So why didn't he record all of them? Well the video of his live concert with all 4 verses is 9 minutes long. Maybe he'll finally record the complete song on a greatest hits album one day. Anyway, the story takes place on a ship at sea, during a wild party. He has his sights set on a girl who's part of the group, and she's so drunk that with the ship going up and down, she's getting sea-sick and she turns a whiter shade of pale. Anyway, he won't take no for an answer (wouldn't let her be a Vestal virgin), and she eventually warms up to him and even tries to play a fantasy game of sorts with him but he's too literal or drunk to understand (3rd verse). He realizes his "faux pas" and changes his tune, and she gives in to his charm and he gets what he was after (4th verse). Now you know... the rest of the story!
@@yetanother4989 Come to find out that it's already recorded. The original studio recording was 26 minutes long, which they cut down to 3 minutes for the radio! So it's sitting there somewhere in the record company's vault. We just need to make our voices heard to encourage them to release it!
Ja, Denmark has become their own having such awesome outdoor concerts und symphony that ist quite equal to das others of Europe. :-) Like your reaction much...warm hugs. Auf Wiedersehen aus Wiesbaden :-)
Hi, I have been listening to Gary Brooker who founded Procol Harum in 1967, He Just past away on Feb 19th, 2021, best song was ever written, Based on The Canterbury Tales written in 1383 - 1400, my all favorite song ever RIP Mr. Gary Brooker will miss you dearly already,
Maybe I'm just getting soft headed or mellowing out, but this song and your reaction brought tears to my eyes.... I remember when this song was first released...
Back in the 60s, when this song came out, radio stations were differentiated by genre, such as “country & western,” “classical,” “jazz,” and “rock.” Some songs didn’t fit neatly into these categories, and sometimes it was due to the personal appearance of the musicians. For example, today, it doesn’t matter what hair style a musician wears - if they play what we think sounds like country music, then it is country music! Back in the 60s, however, a man had to wear short hair and a “country” costume if he wanted to be considered a country singer. So, a lot of music which could not be played on any other stations ended up on the “rock” stations even if they were not really “rock” as we think of it today. That’s what happened with this band - they had long hair when they were young and therefore their music was played on the “rock” stations and identified as “rock” music, even though it really wasn’t. On another note, this song was the main theme song from a movie which came out back then - The Big Chill. That name actually refers to “death,” and so does the name of this song - A Whiter Shade of Pale. Probably a bunch of useless information, but you seemed confused by the fact this is referred to as a rock song when it clearly isn’t. But, the “rock” radio stations were the only ones who would play music by “long haired hippies” back then, so this group and their music got stuck in that genre!
What many do not know; When the organ plays the famous theme (cantus firmus), a 300 year old piece sounds! The Air from the orchestral suite No. 3 by J.S.Bach BWV 1068. (Air on G-String).
Lyrics are based on the Millers tale from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, the music is by Bach and the vocals by Gary Brooker. With the orchestra it takes the song from majestic to sublime
![OsamaSon - ik what you did last summer [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4DIQDnu3mr4/mqdefault.jpg)
That moment when you realize your grandparents were way cooler than you will ever be.
Exactly right!
Yep, we were!
I too remember this in the charts and the impact it made. Must be getting old.
You hit the nail on the head there, Barry! We were.
Yeah... you got it, my friend!!!
There has been 43 single records to physically sale 10,000,000 copies. This is one of them and they are in the ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME. Remember this song was released in 1967. 54 years ago. Still powerful.
Well one of my favourite bands are Queen - because they are brilliant musicians, composers, songwriters - and Freddie Mercury - but the musicians were forgotten. They still live on - thanks to their good music .- they can do everything - but of cause some don't like it - - really - - in secret??
Don't worry about not understanding the lyrics. No one understands them. The main thing is how the music flows and how it feels. By the way, I believe that Gary Brooker was 61 years old when this performance took place. He was little more than a kid when this song was originally recorded. I think he sang it better at age 61 than at age 21.
Took me many years to understand the story. I am a musician not lyricist. But finally listened very carefully ,+ got it. But with all due Respect people can take whatever it means to them ; home !
Hint : its a story about the story about what happened.
You are so correct and how did he do it better at 61? But he did.....amazing---Ahhhh- the 60's - what a decade for music-
gary was 71 when he did this, he died in February 2022.
Their is a story behind the lyrics.
@@uliwehner 61or 62 he was. In 2006. He was 76 when he passed away
What I noticed more than anything was, the wonderful audience ,no shouting and screaming just total silence, and respect.
I must stop listening to it as I cry everytime.
Well it is music - not just rhythm -
Keith Reid, who wrote the lyrics has stated “I’d like the song to feel like a Dali painting looks. You know, clocks dissolving. You know fantastical things. You know the colors that somebody would use in a picture. You try to come up with that in words.”
These guys recorded this song like 50 years ago without the orchestra. It's still worth hearing. Never have I heard any song this produced this much. It was nothing short of magnificent.
This is one of those songs where you just don't need to understand what the lyrics are about. You just get to enjoy them. Yes, rock is both the "doo duh do" you air drummed, and it is soft ballads like this with many types in between. There are songs and artists that just do not fit into a specific category.
I think it actually gets worse if you realize what the lyrics are about. It's just about being drunk at a party with your rowdy mates and trying to get with some girl before she leaves with her friends.
But there's a bit of Bach and a Chaucer reference in it so that makes it sophisticated.
Right you are .Sometimes i prefer lyrics that i don't fully understand as it allows me to fill in the gaps with what i want it to be .Bob dylan was like this on many of his songs . He admitted in an interview that on some of his songs like desolation , row he didn't know where that song came from . i think a lot of the best music is like this . an artist seems to tap into a song that is waiting to be discovered in an un manifest state . all that is necessary is to tune into the right frequency and it begins to flow outward .
One of THE quintessential rock songs on the '60s.
It reminds me of my youth!
Of all time!
What a timeless and beautiful song. I'm sure that people will still love this song in 100 years.💜🤍💜🤍 Thank you for the memory.
This is the music of my youth, I loved it.
Hands down one of my most favorite songs of all time and of the many versions they've done this one is at the top
"I really don't get the lyrics." Hey, you're not alone. Thousands of people have gone mad trying to figure them out. Just enjoy the music, and thank you for the beautiful reaction.
The lyrics relate to writings of a "Canterbury Tales". Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer between 1387 and 1400.
@@mickgrace2558 Yes; it's betrayal, love gone wrong. This can be an epic-level, soul-stirring experience to anyone and he indulges it fully. Wonderful, deep, obscure and classical references throughout.
Gary Brooker, the leader and singer songwriter for Harum is one of the best talents from the 60's with his thought provoking lyrics and music. I bought every one of his albums. My fav Album was "Shine On Brightly". And even today his voice still remains unchanged. Nice pick.. He recorded the song "Conquistador" in my home with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra in Canada.
❤️
Keith Reid wrote the lyrics, Gary created the music to go with them. Amazing team and entire band = astoundingly tight and good!
I lived in Edmonton: 10602 81st Ave. I had no idea of the connection to Conquistador! Thanks! They demolished that beautiful house 🥲
Always loved this song but was never really sure what it was about until I got much older! "Conquistador" is another great song they did in 1971 or 72. Thanks Marie! Love your channel!
So now you know what it is about? Please tell me!
This is a timeless and very popular song, even today. The lyrics were a mystery in 1966 and still are today to my knowledge. Gary Brooker never explained them. The instrument you are so taken with is a Hammond B-3 two manual electric organ. Arguably the finest ever produced. I've owned and played one for nearly forty years, this is one of favorite pieces to play.
Bon Jour Marie ! The Intro ( Strings ) was played by a Baroque sounding Organ , Someone mentioned Bach Already and at your first go the Lyrics are kinda of difficult to understand , Music in the 60’s was unbelievably diverse that included flirting with Classical Music , to get some context on this performance I suggest to listen to the original along with Whaling Stories both original and from this Concert , By the Way regarding Classical Music and Rock you might want to listen to Nights in White Satin by The Moody Blues
this song is from my era..... so iconic....you can look back at this like i looked at George Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue
Listen to the original from '67 and you'll find that Gary Brooker's voice hasn't changed in 50 years. Another great song from this concert is Conquistador. Think you'll be amazed by it too.
❤️
And Salty Dog
Thank you Marie for listening to this song. It brought back so many good memories I had tears streaming down my face. Pretty strange for a 70 year old biker. Had this song on 8-track and listened to it all the time. Thanks again.
When this song was first heard on the "radio" everyone called everyone else to listen.
This was a game changer in our day.
Go back and find the full length version and absolutely immerse yourself.
Talk to your grandparents about their experience the first time👍
Great choice Marie. It's a beautiful song no matter which arrangement is used to perform it. So happy you are discovering so many different musical genres.
The melody is derived from a classic composition from Bach, so it is perfect for an orchestral accompanied performance.
Have always loved this song, stay safe, Marie 🌹.
I am sure a few of the orchestra members enjoyed this song in their younger days while enjoying things that were not 100% legal.
Air on a g string
Was in HS 1967 when this was first released .. timeless classic
You might want to listen to a clip back in the day .. that was done 40 years ago from this presentation
Gary Brooker M.B.E - R.I.P. This is an absolutely perfect performance in every way possible. it cannot be topped.
This is a perfect song. The weirdest thing about this performance is that Gary Brooker's voice is still really good. One of the best songs of all time.
Lead singer Gary Booker passed away in February 2022. There are old videos of Procol Harum on RUclips c.1967. He was 21 or 22. Amazing voice even then. And he was a handsome kid. He was happily married for about 54 years. The songwriter with the band was a fan of Salvador Dali. He liked the idea of composing lyrics in the same way. He heard someone at a party comment that a guest was turning a whiter shade of pale.
There are more lyrics to this song. I found one rare clip of it on RUclips with him singing it. If they’re performed in order, the story makes more sense.
I was about 9 when the song came out. Still makes me cry.
The meaning of the song is a love encounter gone wrong. The meaning is secondary to the performance of the song. Just listen and enjoy.
That's news to me .
Quite often a rock band brings out a ballad and it becomes a million seller, this is my favourite track and this is my most favourite performance, incredible ❤
Thanks for this one. Brings back high school memories.
Can't ask for much more than that. A Beautiful Lady, Reacting to a Beautiful Song. 👍
It's often called one of the best songs of all time. There have been over 1,000 cover versions! Your dad will know it very well, I'm sure.
The lyrics are not easy to explain, even for a native English speaker, but basically it's about an encounter between a man and woman.
Thank you for reacting to this masterpiece. If you like Procol Harum, other songs of theirs you might like are Homburg, A Salty Dog, and Conquistador. Thank you reaction.
❤️
Love your channel!
Thank you for playing this song. I’m from Nova Scotia Canada and I grew up listening to this song in the 70s.
It still gives me chills to this day at the age of 63.
RIP Artist Gary Brooker Feb 2022.
Just love when youngins finally hear our music 🎶 😮
I'm native English speaker. I could not understand many of the words he was singing. One of my favorite all time songs. Even tho it always induces a since of melancholia. I'm too old to be hitting on you, so I will say you have the prettiest eyes. If your Dad hasn't said it, I bet he's thought it.
I can't understand you not understanding the words, not understanding the lyrics is another thing. The lyrics are allusive and somewhat metaphorical in the style of Jonathan Swift and Lewis Carroll - see also Jefferson Airplane's White Rabbit.
@@vtbn53 You misunderstood. I have heard that song many times before where the individual words were distinct. The singer this time, or the sound engineer this time, or both, did a poor job. This is one of my all time fave songs.
@@carlopton In that case I would go and get your hearing checking, as I am 67 and heard him perfectly.
@@vtbn53 Nice. Thank you.
@@carlopton Bollocks.
This is an all time classic, no matter how old you are, it's musical culture, it's that simple.
a very beautiful song which marked all its génération of hippies, you should listen to the version of the 60s.
Gary Brooker the Piano Player and Vocalist is the only Original member of the Group! "Procol Harum" is Latin for "Beyond These Things"! Gary's cat a Siamese was the Group's name inspiration! Their name was "The Paramounts" until 1967.
He was 61 when he gave this performance. Still knocked it out of the park.
Very good choice to react to, this has been one of my favorites since it came out in '67.
He was 23 years old 1967. Listen to the record too.❤️
Thank you for sharing another great reaction, it was beautiful.
I've been listening to this song for many years and I still don't know what it means, but it's so beautiful I don't even care! lol
the band didn't know what it means :)
@@cthomish The words are 'surreal' -- they are not meant to give you a direct story . They are usually from the subconscious mind .
One of my favorite classic songs from the 60's.
It's great seeing young people reacting to music that i heard in my youth. Music is like a river it's constantly moving on like the river of life, but occasionally you get a song that resists the flow of the time and picks up new fans along the way. The music is based on Barch's air on a g string and the lerics is based on the miller's tale taken from the Canterbury Tales by Jeffrey Chaulser
This is a beautiful timeless song!
Sweet reaction, Marie!
This is a beautiful song. It came out in the later sixties when I was in the 8 th grade. It immediately takes me back to that time and a middle school crush that I had on a cute blonde. It is timeless and will always take me back to that era.
Nice! Procol Harum was popular at the end of the 60’s and beginning of the 70’s. The most famous person to come out of this band was Robin Trower who went on to have a very successful solo career as a hard rocker. He is still around and in his 70’s. You should react to Bridge of Sighs or Too Rolling Stoned by Robin Trower.
❤️
Early Procol Harum ( 'beyond these things' in Latin - miss-spelled actually) - was a unique mixture of Bach / rock / surrealism / and blues - especially Robin Trower's contribution . He was not on the original recording of 'Whiter Shade of Pale ' -- but was on their first album .
ขนลุก น้ำตาไหล วันเวลาช่างผ่านไปเร็วจริง นี่คือเพลงโปรดของผมฟังตั้งแต่เด็กยันแก่❤❤❤
I loved those first moments while you were trying to figure out how this related to "Rock and Roll". The expressions on your face were amazing! Great reaction!
Gary Brooker...one of the greatest voices ...ever
Nice of you to react to this 1967 song. I was in college at the time and never knew much about the singers although it was one my favorites. I was very busy. This was dance music. Slow dance music. All of those old couple sitting there once danced to this music and probably still do. It may very well have been this song that first brought them together - love at first sight (or touch) you know. Thanks.
This song came out in ‘67 and caught my attention when it did.
We had to figure out the words from the radio!
Til we got the album! Love you and your reactions! Big fan! Look back! Go deep!
Their music is mainly based on both classical music and blues. They also have good rock songs. Great band, great singer, great text writer. Thanks Marie and warm regards from the Netherlands!
Yes Marie, you want to start to understand the 60s? The turmoil, the counter-culture, the vibe? This song embodies the aura of that incredible era. Iconic. Legendary. Beautiful.
I googled the song with the lyrics showing. The melody is hauntingly beautiful and beautifully sung.
Went to one of their concerts in 1968, and Whiter Shade of Pale is still very striking.
Whiter Shade of Pale that's Gary Brooker on the piano from Procol Harum back in 1967
Hi again Marie!
To answer your questions : always were 5 members in band : Singer/pianist , organist, drummer, lead guitar and bass guitar. Only Gary Brooker - the singer/pianist is left from the original group. He also wrote the music for this song and is the guy on the far right in the photo you showed from 1967. As someone commented, the lead guitarist in 1967 was Robin Trower - who left soon after, but was the most “well known” person from the band. As several people said, the song uses imagery from Chaucer’s “The Miller’s Tale” to describe his feeling about a love affair that he just realized is over while sitting with a group of friends, including his girlfriend.. As I said in my other comment, it’s the “slow dance” nature of this song that is important- because it was one of the first songs of “our generation” that you could dance to like this - and therefore brings back a lot of memories for those of us from, say 55-75!
The Danish Symphony Orchestra introduces one of the most iconic songs of 1967. Musically, the arranger has made the brilliant choice of placing the melody in the minor key. This instantly conveys a wistful and nostalgic emotion to the listener. Then, just before Brooker's vocal entry, a lovely Tierce de Picardie signals a change in mood. Also, the live mix by the audio engineers of a full orchestra, choir, piano, B3 organ, guitars, bass, drums and vocal is absolutely stunning!
I saw Gary Brooker at outdoor Amphitheater with Bill Wyman from the Rolling Stones and other musicians beautiful concert
The orchestra and choir is The Danish National Orchestra (part of the Danish national television called DR), they do this every year with original gueststars
This performance in '06 is 40 yrs from it's release, he's about 65 here I believe...and still kills it today. I believe the intro is Moonlight Sonata, not part of original. I assure you, most people don't get the lyrics either, matters not...he's selling intensity and it's what you want it to be. Nice job!
What an incredible performance - Gary Brooker still doing it.
Love you Marie! Blessings!
Gary Brooker was the singer in the band Procol Harum back in the 60s I saw him in concert at the outdoor Amphitheater at the Minnesota Zoo with Bill Wyman from the Rolling Stones
A good, heart-felt reaction video. Your passion is "wow."
Loved your reaction to this classic rock anthem! I never tire of this great 1967 hit! You are probably a great person to have a drink with and chat about memorable rock music!
That's a Hammond B3 organ with Leslie speakers that had spinning horns. Totally unique sound.
Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, "The Miller's Tale" seems to be the image behind the song. I have always loved it.
There's something undeniably and irresistably cool about that old feller. I could watch him sing for hours.
Great song! Great reaction! I like most music, except for rap but I love classical music and my favorite instrument is the cello. I could listen to it all day long. Hugs from Idaho!
When it was released as a debut single in 1967 (obviously without the orchestra, but 'driven' by the sublime Hammond organ). It shot to no.1 in the record sales charts in at least 14 countries including the UK, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain and, of course, France! It is known to have been covered by more a thousand other artists and is officially the most broadcast record in the UK of the past 70 years!
Yes this is procol harum. Awesome Marie love your reaction to this band
Usually, a piece of music in its original version is the best thing you can hear. I have known this piece since it was released in 1967, it has accompanied me all my life. Here Gary Brooker has managed to interpret A Whiter Shade Of Pale even better than he did in 1967. Unfortunately, he has already passed away. R.I.P. Gary
The original version in 1967 had 4 verses. Because the song was much longer than usual at over 4 minutes, two verses were left out. Keith Reid said: "No problem, it works just like that." But with verses 3 and 4, things become clearer.
Here are all four verses:
We skipped the light fandango
turned cartwheels 'cross the floor
I was feeling kinda seasick
but the crowd called out for more
The room was humming harder
as the ceiling flew away
When we called out for another drink
the waiter brought a tray
And so it was that later
as the miller told his tale
that her face, at first just ghostly,
turned a whiter shade of pale.
She said: "There is no reason
and the truth is plain to see."
But I wandered trough my playing cards
and would not let her be
one of sixteen virgins
who were leaving for the coast
and although my eyes were open
they might have 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 home on shore leave"
Though in truth we were at sea
So I took her by the looking glass
and forced her to agree
saying: "You must be the mermaid
Who took Neptune for a ride."
But she smiled at me so sadly
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 feed of love
the laughter is its queen
and likewise is 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.
My brother and I loved this song all of our lives, but it was one of his Top 3. When he died at the very young age of 42 (7 years ago) when we played this at his wake it struck me that this song can bring a tear of sadness to your eye as you smile so happily. It haunts you to your bones as it lifts you on angels wings... The lyrics are not meant to tell any one story, it is meant to encompass the entirety of the "human experience"...
HELLO0O0O0 miss Marie!
👍another awesome video!! I was born in 1966 growing up through the 70's and 80's I also listened to music of the 60's....🤗🤗
Keep smiling and be safe angel eyes!!
I have loved this song since the 60’s, the orchestra and choir joining Procol Harum just makes the song mor beautiful. Gary Brooker was ahead of his time in rock.
❤ He's been practicing that song for over 50 years singing that song.
R.I.P.
Piano, organ, drums, bass, lead guitar. The band has always been five members. This song was their first hit and is a classic. The organ theme is a melody from Bach and the song has a structure similar to some Baroque music. I saw them live twice in the late 60's & early 70's & they are a real rock & roll band but they have facets that are unusual for rock music. They use melodic structures that are based in classical music and lyrics that were influenced by people like Bob Dylan. They recorded a live album with the Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Symphony in 1971. The band has done concerts like this several times. Their music lends itself to orchestral arrangements.
Whiter Shade is slow, melancholy, and seems to be a poorly remembered story of a drunken evening in the singer's past when his girl suddenly left him. There are references to history: Vestal Virgins and the Miller's Tale, ; it tells of a relationship - something makes her face turn pale; something makes her leave the relationship; too much to drink; elements of surrealism from French films like Last Year in Marienbad. It is a great example of how music, poetry, literature and film all influenced rock music in the 60's.
I was in college in the 60's and I remember racing to a record store for a new album from a favorite band on the release date. Anything from Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Doors, and a few other bands were worthy of this kind of attention. Get the album and start listening to it over and over.
The fact that we are still listening to this music tells us how timeless much of it is. I am fascinated by the reaction videos on RUclips of young people hearing The Righteous Brothers or David Bowie or Luciano Pavarotti for the first time. There were no music videos before about 1980; there were no computers to modulate voices and correct vocal mistakes in real time; music was done live on TV; concerts were unaided by electronic doctoring. Much modern music is crafted by video and aural editing and even live performances are not so live as we like to think. Famous singers have been caught lip-synching their own songs.
You picked a great arrangement of a great song. I loved hearing your comments. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of songs to listen to from the day the Beatles emerged to the anger of punk rock. Keep it up.
Procol Harum is a 5 member Rock/Pop Band of the 1960 with Gary Brooker - lead singer / pianist. Other band members as in 2018 were Matthew Fisher - keyboard, Marc Brzezicki - Drummer, Matthew Pegg - Bass guitar and Geoff Whitehorn - Guitarist. A few band members have changed over the years. A whiter shade of pale was their debut single released in 1967 and went straight to number 1 in the UK charts at the time. The song is believed to be about a drunken one night stand that went horribly wrong. Reference to the 'Miller' telling his tale is taken from Geoffry Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and gives us a subtle hint of what the song is all about. There is also a "missing" original section in the lyrics with speaks of a "mermaid" that took King Neptune for a ride. This can be heard in the other versions of the song. Yes there a quite a few. Fourteen years after Procol Harum had disbanded in 1977, the Band got back together again in 1991 because Gary Brooker had realised that there were many people out there who were still big fans of the group, and in particular the song A whiter shade of pale. The song celebrated it 50th Anniversary in 2017 with the release of a Studio remix. The decision to include an orchestra with the band was taken by Gary Brooker in 2006. It was intended to add to the rather "sombre" but beautiful musical arrangement that gave the song a sense of foreboding, but it is the strained vocals of Gary Brooker and the way that he delivers the story and the song to his audience that is powerful and emotional. Gary sings from his very soul as he tells us this story. There are many cover versions of the song and a few variations coming from the band itself. The song itself is Iconic. Sadly Gary Brooker lost his fight against Cancer and he died on 19th February 2022 aged 75.
There were 5 members: piano, organ, drums, and 2 guitar players.
Btw the message of the song is 🤷♀️🤷♀️🤷♀️😁❤️
Awesome love to see you smile you light up the room.
A Hymn to my Nostalgia.
Back in the sixties they were Procol Harum one of my favorite groups Gary Brooker was part of the group
For those of you who are wondering about the meaning of the song... you need to find the version which includes all 4 verses. He only ever recorded 2 of them, and it's the other 2 that make sense of them. So why didn't he record all of them? Well the video of his live concert with all 4 verses is 9 minutes long. Maybe he'll finally record the complete song on a greatest hits album one day. Anyway, the story takes place on a ship at sea, during a wild party. He has his sights set on a girl who's part of the group, and she's so drunk that with the ship going up and down, she's getting sea-sick and she turns a whiter shade of pale. Anyway, he won't take no for an answer (wouldn't let her be a Vestal virgin), and she eventually warms up to him and even tries to play a fantasy game of sorts with him but he's too literal or drunk to understand (3rd verse). He realizes his "faux pas" and changes his tune, and she gives in to his charm and he gets what he was after (4th verse). Now you know... the rest of the story!
I wonder if the band did all verses to this song
Sadly since Gary passed away last year we will never get to hear a recording of all 4 verses
@@yetanother4989 Come to find out that it's already recorded. The original studio recording was 26 minutes long, which they cut down to 3 minutes for the radio! So it's sitting there somewhere in the record company's vault. We just need to make our voices heard to encourage them to release it!
Ja, Denmark has become their own having such awesome outdoor concerts
und symphony that ist quite equal to das others of Europe. :-)
Like your reaction much...warm hugs. Auf Wiedersehen aus Wiesbaden :-)
Beautiful reaction, subscribing now!
I was very fortunate, my wife and I saw Procol Harum live many years ago.
He was about 60 in this performance... Blessed with such pipes
Hi, I have been listening to Gary Brooker who founded Procol Harum in 1967, He Just past away on Feb 19th, 2021, best song was ever written, Based on The Canterbury Tales written in 1383 - 1400, my all favorite song ever RIP Mr. Gary Brooker will miss you dearly already,
Get your facts right. Mr Brooker died in 2022.
Maybe I'm just getting soft headed or mellowing out, but this song and your reaction brought tears to my eyes.... I remember when this song was first released...
Back in the 60s, when this song came out, radio stations were differentiated by genre, such as “country & western,” “classical,” “jazz,” and “rock.” Some songs didn’t fit neatly into these categories, and sometimes it was due to the personal appearance of the musicians. For example, today, it doesn’t matter what hair style a musician wears - if they play what we think sounds like country music, then it is country music! Back in the 60s, however, a man had to wear short hair and a “country” costume if he wanted to be considered a country singer. So, a lot of music which could not be played on any other stations ended up on the “rock” stations even if they were not really “rock” as we think of it today. That’s what happened with this band - they had long hair when they were young and therefore their music was played on the “rock” stations and identified as “rock” music, even though it really wasn’t.
On another note, this song was the main theme song from a movie which came out back then - The Big Chill. That name actually refers to “death,” and so does the name of this song - A Whiter Shade of Pale.
Probably a bunch of useless information, but you seemed confused by the fact this is referred to as a rock song when it clearly isn’t. But, the “rock” radio stations were the only ones who would play music by “long haired hippies” back then, so this group and their music got stuck in that genre!
BEAUTIFUL...
I love this song my French beauty!
Just imagine the process in the work just to put all this together
What many do not know; When the organ plays the famous theme (cantus firmus), a 300 year old piece sounds! The Air from the orchestral suite No. 3 by J.S.Bach BWV 1068. (Air on G-String).
Lyrics are based on the Millers tale from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, the music is by Bach and the vocals by Gary Brooker. With the orchestra it takes the song from majestic to sublime
Thank you for the great job, well done