Procol Harum – Procol Harum (Vinyl Edition: LP & 12″ EP)

Music cannot be divorced from its context; if Starcastle had released their debut album a decade earlier, in 1966, they would be hailed as prog-rock visionaries and not Yes clones. Procol Harum, named after their friend’s cat’s pedigree name, may not have produced the finest prog around, but they were definitely one of the most important in the genre’s foundation, pushing out multi-part suites before King Crimson had even formed.

But their story began firmly rooted in the psychedelic, soul and blues genres that were popular by the late 60s. In May 1967, the band experienced overwhelming success with their debut single, A Whiter Shade of Pale, which is thankfully included in this set as an EP with Homburg on the other side. The combination of Matthew Fisher’s Bach-inspired Hammond organ theme with Keith Reid’s signature surreal lyrics made it a chart-topping hit. The group couldn’t have possibly expected it to be so popular that it would endure all these years later and be covered by more than a thousand artists. When I spoke to Dave Greenslade of Colosseum, I asked if he was inspired by this song when composing Beware the Ides of March, and his answer was very coy; the similarity is undeniable.

Such is the popularity of the single that it’s overshadowed the group’s entire career, including their debut album, where the track isn’t present. In the US, Deram wisely opted to include A Whiter Shade of Pale at the start of the album, but this LP follows the Regal Zonophone edition that was released to the UK public a few months later in December 1967.

Things start well with the dynamic and upbeat Conquistador, which showcases the compositional and technical abilities of the group whilst remaining accessible. For my tastes, however, most of the album is a slew of blues-based music where the only exceptional element is Keith Reid’s idiosyncratic lyricism. Even on deep cuts such as Salad Days (Are Here Again), Reid doesn’t let up with mysterious, hilarious lyrics like:

Your skin crawls up an octave, your teeth have lost their gleam,
The peaches snuggle closer down into the clotted cream.

For my taste, however, good lyrics aren’t much when the arrangement itself is forgettable. I reckon Jon Anderson of Yes desensitised me to paying attention to lyrics when most of his own are just nonsense words strung together to sound good – what is a ‘khatru’ anyway? It doesn’t help that Procol Harum has always sounded muddy compared to the group’s later output. These are perfectly listenable tunes that you’d probably hear me singing along to if I ever heard them live, but I don’t think I’ve ever been in the mood to put on the blues slog of Cerdes (Outside the Gates of), for example.

Things finally pick up with the raucous comedic vaudeville of Good Captain Clack, which delights but doesn’t outstay its welcome at an incredibly brief 90 seconds, ending on an ominous minor chord. The song was also featured as a B-side to the rather drab Homburg, and the single version is also on the EP here. The two versions sound the same, so I searched for differences until I discovered that the gong that is played after the bridge is omitted on the single. I happen to find the gong iconic, but you can decide which version you prefer. On Side One, Mabel also shows the band’s vaudeville tendencies, but is a lot less taught and purposeful, almost delirious.

This gives way to the final and most important track of the original album, Fisher’s classically-inspired instrumental Repent Walpurgis. The five-minute brooding tour de force has another Bach-inspired break in the centre, this time from the very well-known Prelude No. 1 in C Major, which some fans of RPI might know from Contaminazione, the seminal Bach-themed 1973 album by Il Rovescio della Medaglia. The break gives way to Gary Brooker delivering forceful chords on the piano before Robin Trower joins the fray with a searing guitar solo. I’m not sure about the rest of the album, but Repent Walpurgis is undeniably prog.

The band may have had a strong start commercially with A Whiter Shade of Pale, but I’d argue their strong musical start came a year later with their second album, Shine on Brightly, featuring their early masterpiece suite In Held ‘Twas in I. The band do show some early promise here, but it would be quite hard to predict the giant evolution in sound the group would go through over the following decade. Procol Harum may not be the group’s finest album, but for A Whiter Shade of Pale and Repent Walpurgis alone, it’s an essential part of the collection.

TRACK LISTING
SIDE ONE
01. Conquistador (2:38)
02. She Wandered Through the Garden Fence (3:26)
03. Something Following Me (3:37)
04. Mabel (1:56)
05. Cerdes (Outside the Gates of) (5:09)

SIDE TWO
01. A Christmas Camel (4:48)
02. Kaleidoscope (2:54)
03. Salad Days (Are Here Again) (3:39)
04. Good Captain Clack (1:30)
05. Repent Walpurgis (5:06)

Time – 34:39

Bonus 12-inch EP
SIDE A
01. A Whiter Shade of Pale (4:08)
02. Lime Street Blues (2:54)

SIDE B
01. Homburg (3:57)
02. Good Captain Clack (single version) (1:33)

Time – 12:29

Total Time – 47:08

MUSICIANS
Gary Brooker – Vocals, Piano
Robin Trower – Guitar
Matthew Fisher – Hammond Organ
Dave Knights – Bass
B. J. Wilson – Drums
Keith Reid – Lyrics
~ With:
Ray Royer – Guitar (A Whiter Shade of Pale)
Bill Eyden – Drums (A Whiter Shade of Pale)

ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Esoteric Recordings | Cherry Red Records
Catalogue#: ECLECLP 2924
Country of Origin: UK
Date of Release: 31^st October 2025

LINKS
Procol Harum – Website | Facebook (Group) | Info at Cherry Red Records