Procol Harum consists of Brooker Gary (piano/vocals), Brzezicki Mark (drums/percussion), Fisher Matthew (organ), Pegg Matt (bass guitar), Reid Keith (words), Whitehorn Geoff (guitar).
Procol Harum is a British progressive rock band, formed in the 1960s. They are best known for their #1 hit single " A Whiter Shade of Pale", though they have had a devoted cult following throughout their career.
Some of the roots of Procol Harum are in a live band led by Gary Brooker and Robin Trower called The Paramounts, popular performers in the early 1960s. They signed to Parlophone in 1963 (see 1963 in music) and released "Poison Ivy", a moderate British success in 1964 (see 1964 in music). They were unable to recreate this success, however, and the band fell apart in 1966 (see 1966 in music).
In early 1967, Brooker began working as a singer/songwriter and formed Procol Harum with non-Paramounts: poet Keith Reid, Hammond organist Matthew Fisher, guitarist Ray Royer and bassist David Knights. At Olympic Studios, with session drummer (and non-Paramount) Bill Eyden and producer Denny Cordell, the group recorded " A Whiter Shade of Pale." The song was officially released on May 12, 1967. With the sudden success of " A Whiter Shade of Pale" and The Moody Blues' " Nights in White Satin", their label Deram Records became known as the premiere progressive rock label.
With its haunting tonality and Bach flavouring, both provided by Fisher, soulful vocals and mysterious lyrics, "A Whiter Shade of Pale" reached #1 on the British charts and did almost as well in the United States, reaching #5. In the years since, it has become an enduring classic, placing on several polls of the best songs ever.
Right after " A Whiter Shade of Pale" became a hit, the band set out to leverage their studio success by touring; their live debut was opening for Jimi Hendrix in 1967 (see 1967 in music).
