Had the BIGGEST Song of the Year...But NOBODY Knew HOW To Pronounce Band’s Name! | Professor of Rock

Coming up, the story of a song that writers Gary Brooker and Keith Reid said was like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. A Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harum the song that would sell 10 million copies and the band name most people had no idea how to say! A Whiter Shade of Pale was Very complex and in the end, the song was over 10 minutes long…it had so many layers and lyrical twists and turns it was like a foreign film…. Problem is this was in a time when radio wouldn’t play songs over 4 minutes long so the band had to figure out how to trim it. This meant leaving two whole verses on the cutting room floor… The song became an instant classic and the de facto hit of one of 1967 the Summer of Love... In fact when Paul McCartney heard it he freaked out. It didn’t sound like anything on radio but would anyone ever hear the full song? Also, could anyone solve or decode this cryptic song… after it went to the top of the charts the world over...on its way to selling 10 million copies the band behind it fractured immediately. would they ever have another hit? It’s the story of a classic that many legends wished they had written... on Professor of Rock.

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Hey music junkies, Professor of Rock, always here to celebrate the greatest artists and the greatest songs of all time. If you have ever saved a cassette tape or several tapes from being eaten by your boombox with the might pen or pencil then this channel is for you. Make sure to subscribe below right now. click the notification button so that you Never miss out. We have some big interviews coming this year. We also have a Patreon you'll want to check out. We just put up a 15-minute video with many interview clips that you can only see there and we have a new series starting there soon.

So It’s high time for another edition of our series The New Standards. This show takes an in-depth look into songs that transcend genre, decade, and fads - songs that are musical monuments in our culture and society. On previous episodes, we have covered Hey Jude by The Beatles, Hotel California by The Eagles, and Dreams by Fleetwood Mac. Today we are taking a deep dive into the mysterious and masterful “A Whiter Shade of Pale” by Procol Harum.

So our story begins on May 17, 1967 Paul McCartney was out on the town in London. That night he met a 25-year-old freelance photographer named Linda, the future Mrs. McCartney. But the evening was memorable for another reason as well. While frequenting a nightclub called the Speakeasy, Paul, Linda, and a group of friends discovered the debut single of a new local band. Said McCartney, “It was the first evening any of us had ever heard a record called A Whiter Shade of Pale with words about feeling seasick.

The lyrics were all very strange and poetic and the theme was a famous Bach theme but we didn't know that. We just thought... what an incredible record! ... And we were all trying to guess who it was. So we had to go to the booth and ask, 'What was that one you just played?' and he said, 'Oh yes, Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harum. 'Procol what? Is it Latin or something?'”

I’m sure Sir McCartney must have had a similar reaction to many of us who heard this enigmatic tune for the first time. It’s like falling under a spell. It’s musical sorcery really.