Written by: Gary Brooker, Keith Reid & Matthew Fisher
Released: 1967
US Charts: #5
UK Charts: #1 (6 weeks)
Other Charts: #1 (Australia), #1 (Germany) #1 (Ireland)
“A Whiter Shade of Pale” is still one of the songs whose lyrics I still cannot decipher. Perhaps it is because of this, that it is still one of the classic songs of the 60s. In fact, in 2004 it was named the most-played song by British broadcasting in the last 70 years. Such a statistic demonstrates how much regard people still have for the song.
I think there are 2 aspects that make this song a memorable classic. Firstly, it is the mysterious, yet soft and smooth rhythm of the Hammond organ. From the beginning until the end of the song, this is the dominant sound and it is by and large a very natural easy listening rhythm. However, there is something about it that makes it sound haunting with a tinge of sadness. I can’t explain this in words, but I’m sure you will know what I mean when you hear the song.
The second aspect is the mysterious lyrics. Just listening to the song by itself, it is difficult to understand what’s being sung. You then think that if you’re able to get the lyrics that it all make sense. Wrong. The lyrics themselves are not clear and simply present, in my opinion, random images from either a weird dream or from an acid trip. It’s no secret that LSD was the trend in the psychedelic rock era of the late 1960s. I’m leaning towards an acid trip, however, I haven’t been able to confirm this and I would certainly appreciate it if someone was able to clarify this point.
It took me literally months to found out the name of this song after first hearing it on the radio. The reason being that I wasn’t able to understand the lyrics. It was only after searching various websites that I finally stumbled upon its name and the group who sung it. About the group Procol Harum, it seems to me that after some research, that the group was pretty much a one-hit wonder. “A Whiter Shade of Pale” was their first song and their most successful song but after that, they had relatively minor hits.
Despite that, this song is still an enduring classic that deserves all critical acclaim and accolades it receives. Enjoy the song, and if you’ve already heard it before, enjoy once again!
Lyrics can be accessed here.
Chords can be accessed here.
Feel free to comment on this song and/or my review below.
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{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Hi, thanks for the good “0;A Whiter Shade of Pale” – PROCOL HARUM : All Time Classic Songs | Showcasing The Greatest Songs Ever Made” post. Would it be possible, that i can write a story about this post in our local newspaper? I would be really happy if i can do this and i will give you a link from a german blog too. Please answer. Greetings Goldpreise