MEMORABLE MONDAYS: Procol Harum

 If you want to understand the root of progressive rock, or the bands that helped shape other bands, you cannot walk through without taking a look at Procol Harum. You may have heard A Whiter Shade of Pale played somewhere, and they received an honor for it from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018. So how did this band come about?

Back in 1966, the Paramounts were unable to generate further success after their single Poison Ivy and they disbanded. The lead, Gary Brooker, decided to focus on songwriting. His old friend Guy Stevens introduced him to lyricist Keith Reid. In 1967, after failing to find an artist interested in performing their work, the duo decided to form a band with their songs as the sole material. Brooker in addition to vocals and piano was proficient at organ, trombone, cornet, piano accordion and Bengal flute. Barrie Wilson agreed to stay and rehearse for the new group. Some auditions brought bassist David Knights, guitarist Richard Brown, and organist Alan Morris. A lack of money and gigs left the group with only Knights staying. 

They went back on the search, obtaining organist Matthew Fisher and guitarist Ray Royer. More auditions brought Bobby Harrison on as the drummer. They often chose band members by personality rather than just talents. Guy Stevens became their manager. They named their band after a friend's cat, but took the name down wrong over the phone. It should have been Procul Harun. Instead, they are known as Procol Harum. 

Their debut single, A Whiter Sahde of Pale, began getting airplay on pirate radio station Radio London, prompting Deram Records to rush release it. It was an instant success, reaching number one on the UK Singles charts for six weeks, and shared the same spot in 11 other countries. In the US, it peaked at 5 and has since sold over 10 million copies worldwide. Jonathan Weston was brought on around this time to co-manage the band. They did their first live gig at the Speakeasy club in London. Jimi Hendrix was an early vocal supporter of the band, even attending their first show and going on stage to join them. 

Later that year, the band announced departures of Royer and Harrison, along with splitting from Weston as manager. Fisher said this came because they planned the UK tour too early, so they did not make much money from the tour. The departures of management and band members caused a lot of expenses and lawsuits. This caused their debut album to delay its release in the UK until December, causing the band to lose traction with the British audience. 

Their second album, Shine On Brightly, saw a greater move into progressive rock stylings. It reached number 24 in the US but failed to chart in the UK. They began being labelled as one hit wonders in their home country, while finding success in the US. They spent most of their time touring America due to this. A Salty Dog was their next successful release and found success in the UK. The album is now considered a rock classic, appealing to fans of The Beatles, The Moody Blues, and Pink Floyd. They were offered to perform at Woodstock, but could not due to Trower's wife expecting a baby and the return to England. In 1969, Fisher left the band and was replaced by Chris Copping. 

By 1971, the disparity in styles caused more rifts in the band. After the release of fifth album Broken Barricades, Trower left to form his own power trio. He was replaced by Dave Ball, and Alan Cartwright replaced Copping's bass when Copping played on organ. They ended up having to fight an accounting dispute. They went on to sign with Chrysalis Records and had a successful UK tour opening for Jethro Tull. 

The new symphonic rock stylings continued with their next release, Grand Hotel. It performed decent in the US, but did not chart in the UK. They returned to their hard rock sound with Exotic Birds and Fruit in 1974. They attempted to dispel the symphonic image and had a similar sound to their debut album. The album's sleeve was absent of lyrics. 

More personnel changes plagued the band, causing a decline in sales in the later 70s. Procol's Ninth had them focusing more on structure of the songs than the work itself. This carried into Something Magic, where the producers were not impressed with their "make it up as we go" studio work. After the promotional tour for the album, Procol Harum was no more...until later.

The band reformed in 1991, after Reid and Brooker teamed up for writing again in 1989. The Prodigal Stranger sales were modest, and the band once more looked different. The bands other ventures caused inactivity again until 1993, where they began touring again with new band members, one of them being Ian Wallace from King Crimson. Brooker promised Procol Harum would be playing in the 2000s.

Although Matthew Fisher had left, they released album The Well's on Fire in 2003. Brooker became the only original performing member. The issue stemmed from a lawsuit about credits on Whiter Shade of Pale, with Fisher winning in 2006. They continued focusing more on a live schedule than recording new music, releasing live albums as they went long. 

Brooker began experiencing health issues due to falling. His first occurred in 2012, when he fell and obtained a skull fracture. His second happened on stage while promoting their latest and final release, Novum, in 2017. When Brooker died in 2022, the group disbanded permanently. 

A group plagued by lawsuits and lineup changes, they experimented and changed the landscape of what rock could be. Definitely take a dive if you have not already.