A Whiter Shade Of Pale - Procol Harum Songs You Need To Know

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In 1967, Procol Harum was still in the process of putting together it’s original line-up when it got the chance to record its first single, “A Whiter Shade of Pale.” Two weeks later, they had the number 1 hit in the UK and shortly after it was dominating the charts through Europe and the US. The song kicked off the summer of love in England with its melancholy, psychedelic sound world and soulful performance.

“A Whiter Shade of Pale” was recorded at Olympic Sound Studios in London with producer Denny Cordell. Cordell, who was still in his early twenties, had already produced hit singles like Georgie Fame’s “Yeah Yeah” and The Moody Blues “Go Now.” Mike Lease (who would later play in the band Freedom, with some of the original Procol Harum musicians) described Cordell’s process in the late sixties: “Primarily Cordell was always looking for a sound. He could create a great atmosphere in the studio and though he never intervened with the musicians’ way of playing he nevertheless managed to always end up getting things the way he wanted them.”

Cordell booked a three hour session to record the song, and it only took two takes with no overdubs. Perhaps this was due to the fact that the band members already knew the song well; they had recorded a demo version previously, which had gotten them the attention of Cordell in the first place. So when they entered Olympic studios there really was only one missing piece…. A drummer.

The demo had been recorded with a musician nicknamed “Tubs Drubs” but Cordell wasn’t convinced by his playing. The band held auditions for a new drummer, and only found Bobby Harrison, a day before the recording was scheduled.

“A Whiter Shade of Pale” was released on May 12, 1967. Two weeks later it had reached number one in the UK, remaining there for almost six weeks. It also hit number one in several other countries including Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa and Spain. In the US, the song hit number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart and number 22 on the Soul Charts.

Its legacy has been lasting and its influence has been continually reaffirmed with historians citing it as one of the key songs that kicked off the summer of love in the UK and that really defined the psychedelic sound of late sixties England. In 1977, it was recognized as “The Best British Pop Single” since 1952 at the inaugural BRIT awards in honor of Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee. In 1998, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and in 2018, it was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s new singles category.

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