Millenial checks out Procol Harum - A Whiter Shade of Pale for the first time (Live in Denmark)

[@suepall5425]

It was amazing growing up in the 60's and 70's. Our musical experience was unbelievable. So many genres. So much genius. We were incredibly lucky.

[@dorothyramser7805]

Just watching Whiter Shade of Pale now. We were indeed lucky. I think he is looking too hard for a meaning. Its 60s word painting. I'm guessing you know what i mean 'we are the egg men' ' hold you in his armchair you can feel his disease'. In this song many probably don't know Chaucer today....

[@suepall5425]

@@dorothyramser7805 I saw a video of John Lennon talking to a lost kind of guy outside his home who was trying to put meaning to the words of one of his songs. John said, "It's just a song mate. I'm just a musician." It was very kind of John to take the time to say this to this confused young man. But it sounds as if you know what I mean. I remember hearing Paul say in an interview that the words to the song "Jet" were about a black puppy that they got that they named Jet because he was jet black. You know the lyrics "We thought you were a lady, ah Jet, Oohoohoohooh...." Talking about the sex of the puppy. : ) I think I was still a teenager when I stopped trying to find profound meanings in the songs that I loved. Most of them are music collages of many colors as you inferred. Never the less, we were musically the luckiest generation.

[@dorothyramser7805]

@@suepall5425 i think the word painting in their lyric was akin to Alice in Wonderland - the walrus and the carpenter. The Beatles took the mundane and transported you into a whole new world. We were so lucky to have tickets... googoogaajoob!

[@dorothyramser7805]

@@suepall5425 i am amazed at the artists we saw for the first time. Legends now but were just there for us. Creativity overdrive. Just briĺiant and inspirational. We even found out about transcendental meditation.. 😊

[@suepall5425]

@@dorothyramser7805 It makes me feel sorry for these younger generations.

[@impudentdomain]

We were living in a golden age of music but we didn't know it at the time.

[@smittysmusictavern8278]

Amen

[@BarryL2697]

I did ... and still have lots of VINYL albums from late 60s/early 70s. BTW, your dog is beautiful!

[@itsonlyatail]

I did!

[@margaretstutts4362]

And the music still lives. I’m convinced I was born too late. I was so into all music but especially 60-90s rock music. I was born in the 60s.

[@b.j.wright74]

We started knowing about 20 yrs ago ...one of my good music memories😅

[@caseyj.1332]

Sometimes you just had to live in that era to get the feeling. Almost spiritual. Sometimes we couldn't even understand all the words but could still feel the music in our longhaired souls.

[@jerrieanderson2245]

I’m 70 and this still gives me goosebumps! Wonderful memories.

[@BarryL2697]

Great song for slow dancing when in High School!

[@lainie105]

I’m 66 and I still get goosebumps too! Excellent song sung by Gary Brooker who sadly passed in 2022. We had the most amazing music and were blessed beyond words! ✌️🎶

[@michaelgoble8200]

I’m 77. I have watched this live performance over and over again, more than any other video. It gives me goosebumps every time especially when he sits down at the drums. The goosebumps grow right up to the end when I sit back and watch it all over again.

[@MStanleyRoss]

1954, Great vintage lols

[@nancycurry1012]

Procol Harum recorded this live with my hometown orchestra in Edmonton, Alberta (Canada) and my singing teacher was in the choir that participated in the performance and recording. When the album was awarded a gold record, the choir received one that made the rounds of the members. I would have been about 16 at the time and was thrilled to see a real Gold Record in my singing teacher’s studio!

[@cathy3546]

Cool. I lived in YEG until 8 yrs ago. Still love Edmonton.

[@19571975]

Awesome story! Hang on to that memory.

[@orthogluchensnable6777]

How I miss the 60s and 70s the best music ever produced and will never be matched again

[@randyvant3058]

Keep listening to this song over the next 40 years and some meaning should start to come to you.

[@John-fv8sc]

When he wrote this 50 some years ago he probably didn't think it would still be loved today and would be performing it in this setting. Great song iam 67 and remember the first time I heard this and was as beautifully haunting as it is today.

[@tonylake9602]

He didn't write it..

[@TenCapQuesada]

Actually, Keith Reid wrote it - he passed away in March this year, intending to tell everyone what it was really about, but he didn't have the time. RIP to a great talent.

[@tonylake9602]

@@TenCapQuesada that must of been some trip.heart breaking if you think about it.r.i.p.

[@cynthiamgrooms8195]

It’s certainly a rarity for such an Artist of his caliber back in The Day, to actually end up Better in his Twilight Years!!! This arrangement is a True Masterpiece IMHO, as one who heard it in its infancy.

[@baskervillebee6097]

Timeless, Timeless Classic. He sounded just that good in 1967. No change.

[@djspotti7624]

This is the song I heard when I was 14 maybe 15 years old and knew I would be listing to music for the rest of my life!

[@TerriKnight-x3s]

He sounds the same as he did in the 60’s. Remarkable!

[@spencerantoniomarlen-starr3069]

Yeah, after seeing this video and being blown away, I went back and listened to the original, and I was shocked at how similar his voice sounded in the studio version!

[@pamelamorgan422]

I think he does also this song is on my list to be played at my funeral have 20 of my favorite 60s and 70s songs given to my younger cousin to be sure they are played. Not being morbid but have went to so many funerals when they couldnt decide what music to be played.my mother played music on record player or radio growing up and my dads family would get together and play piano and guitars on weekends great memories .the older generation are playing and listening to music in heaven now

[@musik102]

​@@spencerantoniomarlen-starr3069Don't you mean that Gary's voice still sounds like Ray Charles

[@curtismcintosh4870]

When you sell 10 million copies of a single record people still want to hear you sing it 50 years later.

[@jacquesummers4766]

I totally agree with you

[@makelikeatree1696]

AI could not write this song. This is what makes us human.

[@sillililli01]

R.I.P. Gary Brooker. Your voice will never be forgotten. Thank you for sharing it.

[@johnwillis4706]

I had the distinct honor to play accompaniment for procol harum in 1969, 1971, and 1973 as Concert Pianist for the Kansas City Philharmonic and later K.C. Symphony Orchestra. Gary, ever the consummate musical genius, composed this arrangement in 1969. The Philharmonic was one of the first Orchestras to play it. Our first Performance we had violinists in tears as they played. It just moved the musicians that much. Gary didn't play piano then as he does here, he could but didn't, rather he focused on vocals. Gary and I became friends and his passing has left a huge hole in the music world. There will never be another like him. Reat easy, my friend.

[@Dragonfly_64795]

All I can say is Wow, what an honor for you indeed and a memory to last a lifetime for you. You can certainly see the emotions on the violinist’s faces,along with the heartfelt vocals, as his has to be the most emotional, powerful song on so many levels…. it’s incredible that it still affects people so much ❤

[@ac1646]

Thank you for this. 🥰 How amazing. xx

[@bawillard2578]

Thank you appreciate the insight

[@goatscansing]

What a story. Thanks for sharing.

[@kathleenkarsten5739]

What a wonderful story to share with us! Thank you. ❤

[@sandyboudreaux-barber9586]

We were so lucky to be young in the sixties. I remember dancing to this song many many times. What wonderful memories

[@bobby-ov9qn]

1942 is when I entered. And yes, the music was fantastic

[@michaelsnyder6922]

My favorite song of all time. First time I heard it I almost burst into tears for no apparent reason. Still gets me every time.

[@redwoods7370]

To think that these were just songs we heard on the radio. I'm 68 and just didn't understand what I was listening to back then. Love KZbin for having all the great music from that era. So easy to access and appreciate now.

[@kathywilmesherr2281]

Imagine the 70s...all of us in bell-bottom, hip hugging jeans, halter tops for the girls, and big sleeved shirts for the guys. No chairs, laying on blankets with coolers to sit on. All of knew ALL the words to every single song, and we sang along. Choirs of 10-40 thousand. In the grass. Singing at the top of our lungs. It was amazing. You can't know it if you hadn't been there. Total Righteous music. Nothing ever better than the 70s. Nothing.

[@pattiblount2046]

Uh……..nothing!

[@briandriscoll1480]

You nailed it!

[@Grammichal]

YES❣️❣️

[@phyllisrogers847]

Oh I know what you're talking about I'm 72 years old those were the good old days never be nothing like it again do you remember the elephant legs God I remember those days so good I would give anything to go back oh my goodness thanks for letting me have a little bit of those memories again

[@Sloth_Hikes]

I miss those days so much.

[@randyharmon717]

This guys singing is out of this world that’s lasted over fifty years that has only gotten better over time. The choir and every instrumentalist in this performance deserve a ten along with the original artist. Thank you very much many many time it reaches feeling that we forget we ever had goose bumps perfection.

[@jerryrpettus1926]

We still had the best music. They have lots of wonderful and sometimes funny songs with the most poetic lyrics.

[@Eurynomea]

Perfection. Gary Brooker is sorely missed (he left us last year). His voice is like a finely aged whisky and smooth tobacco.

[@sueflynn9886]

What a wonderful description of his voice! X

[@bryandamkaer3646]

Such a beautiful , timeless classic. One of the best ballads ever written and exemplified in this performance. R.I.P. Gary Brooker.... thank you

[@catzkeet4860]

This is an orchestral mix of a song that was originally done by Procol Harum a 5 piece band out of Essex. The guy singing is the singer..... he's still got it.

[@arronsturgeon5746]

I think 1965 -1975 was the golden age of rock music.

[@nunya8903]

I’d agree!

[@98avro98]

@@nunya8903 No, it started sooner.

[@nunya8903]

@@98avro98 Yea, anything before this was awesome too! Back when there was no auto tune and everyone played REAL INSTRUMENTS! As for ROCK MUSIC, I’d still say this was the best era! All music is magical to me!

[@bristolgirl7346]

Correct, you don't need to understand this song to love and appreciate. And be completely mesmerized. Pure genius!❤

[@itsonlyatail]

Will any of the singers of 2024 music be admired in over 50 years! I’m old but the best music in history!

[@moosecat]

Even with a full choir and orchestra, nothing but NOTHING will hold back the mighty mighty Hammond Organ!!!

[@windmill10]

The sound of the sixties and seventies 😍

[@debbylou5729]

Or a small synthesizer.

[@jeremyskinner7545]

B3 isn't just a Bomber.... It was THE BOMB!!!

[@richardrobideaux8726]

This is by far the best reactor on KZbin.

[@lanaj1107]

You can tell that Gary took care of his instrument. To sing that easily and strongly at his age is amazing. RIP Gary. ♥️ Edit to add... This was influenced by Bach, I believe.

[@SueK51]

Right you are, lanaj. If you listen to J.S. Bach's 'Air on the G String,' you'll hear the similarities very clearly. This was truly an amazing performance. RIP Gary Brooker.... one of the best.

[@brucefrank5556]

He did take care of his voice but he was only about 60 years old at the time of this recording.

[@EndtheWokeMadness]

There is an interview with Gary saying that the music of the song came to him while playing with a Bach figure.

[@vincentwhitley1119]

Most singers lose the top of their Register no matter what but Gary didn't....RIP

[@kevino4846]

@@brucefrank5556 Few sixty-year-olds can sing that well.

[@firstchoice7761]

We sure had great music back then, I'm 81 and happy to say I got to see many of these bands in person.

[@spacefanatic]

The 60's studio version of this song (I am that old) is great but this live version is stupendous as it has more depth with the choir and orchestra. Gary Brooker's voice aged like a fine wine. R.I.P. Gary.

[@briandriscoll1480]

More like a fine whiskey.

[@kevino4846]

Perfectly said.

[@franceslecompte1355]

It reminds me of my youth. When things were still magical

[@annettesailors]

One of the first "rock" songs I heard in 7th grade and have absolutely loved ever since. I am 63 and it still gives me chills. Thank you.

[@robinroberts2803]

yes!! i’m 61 i cried the first time i heard it ♥️

[@robertwhite3503]

62, and we had this as the final song of our weekly school hops (discos). A last chance for a slow dance!

[@troyturton8197]

61 here & same story. Still makes me tear up a bit, all this time later. Who ever listens to this new version, should listen to the original right after. The non orchestra band pretty well nailed it, right along with him.

[@53mandevilla]

Me too, but jr high! 😊😊😊

[@motsy15]

same age and still makes you feel some kinda way..

[@karencrookshank4971]

First 45rpm I ever bought. I was 10 years old. I saw Procul Harum at the Empire Pool Wembley, London that year. Just Gary playing the organ and using his magnificent voice, plus the other couple of lads in the band. Absolutely sublime. Makes me cry every time, it’s so beautiful. RIP beautiful Gary. You’re sorely missed here in your homeland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇬🇧💔

[@skyraider1656]

This song is what my daughter and I danced to at her wedding in 2004. This version with the full orchestra and choir is the best version I’ve heard. My daughter and I would dance in our kitchen to this song when she was little and would stand on my feet. I’m 77 years old now and she’s 45. A fond memory from way back when.

[@Music-Is-Real-Love]

Beautiful.

[@nunya8903]

One of the best songs out there. Procol Harum was an amazing band. Very unique. They were mostly classically trained musicians.

[@deborahdennehy9937]

The lead singer/pianist/songwriter was incredible. He sadly died 2022 after suffering from cancer. Just a genious, this particular song was/is very well known & incredible to listen to. Miss him dearly.😓😓

[@pattyandersen5516]

That’s so sad. I’ve been enjoying them since they started.

[@TerriKnight-x3s]

I was so sad when he passed.

[@DeniseMarieplaylearnteach]

I’ve loved this song ever since I heard it in the summer of 1967 right before I entered high school. I’ve never worried about analyzing it. Just enjoy it for its beautiful sound and the feelings it evokes.

[@jennifersherman8838]

Exactly! The song is an experience in itself. Sit back. Relax. Enjoy. Simple.

[@kevino4846]

Same. Spent the summer avoiding seniors😂😬

[@TerriKnight-x3s]

So have I. It’s iconic

[@johnmrog]

In my opinion, the key words in the entire song are "as The Miller told his tale". The Miller's Tale in "The Canterbury Tales" is a tale of infidelity, specifically of a wife cuckolding her husband. Thus, to me, this song is a song about infidelity. "Her face at first just ghostly turned a whiter shade of pale", i.e. the color left her face after she was confronted by her partner with her infidelity. "She said there is no reason and the truth is plain to see", i.e. there really is no reason I've been sleeping around but it's plain to see our relationship is over. "But I wandered through my playing cards and would not let her be", i.e. what card can I play to make her stay? "One of sixteen vestal virgins who were leaving for the coast", i.e. the girls are taking a girl's trip to the beach and we all know what often happens on "girls trips" to the beach, don't we? "And although my eyes were open they might just as well have been closed", i.e. he thought he was aware of things but everything took him totally by surprise. IMO this is the most rational "reading" of these lyrics since the tone of this song is very sad. (And it's absolutely OK for many to disagree with me.)

[@itsmeagain1745]

I like your interpretation.

[@fredericknalaremah939]

And for 50 years I have been singing...''as the mirror told it's tale', like mirror, mirror on the wall etc. I prefer my version.

[@johnmrog]

@@fredericknalaremah939 Hahahaha... to thine on self be true, brother!

[@theresamiller4333]

Oh man, your interpretation is so there I’m embarrassed I am just now getting it!😂

[@edwincutler6696]

I was 15 when I first heard this song. I spent the summer working for a rancher out in the middle of nowhere in rural Nebraska. I had to sleep in a trailer by myself and the nights were so lonely. I would listen to KOMA out of Oklahoma City, OK. Percy Sledge sang that rendition. Somehow the music and the lyrics took me places I'd never been before and expressed the pain that I felt in my heart. I never really understood the lyrics. Thank you for your interpretation, it makes sense. The song still sends me.

[@P-J-W-777]

I would have to say between the 50;s to 80’s no better music has been made. Those were the absolute best generations for music. It was real! No AutoTune! It was wonderful and lasting. It will never be able to be reproduced on the same level in the same way. This man’s voice is like a fine wine and has only gotten better with time.

[@Music-Is-Real-Love]

💯

[@QuicknStraight]

Hard to believe you never heard this song before. It's an absolute rock class. The organ part just sets the song so beautifully.

[@elizabethness3629]

MASTERPIECE !!! Love Peace n RESPECT xxx

[@olanaowen7320]

I always get goosebumps when I watch this performance. I feel like this is maybe one of the top 10 songs of all time at least lyrically. And with putting all of these gorgeous musicians together with it it's astounding.

[@CabinFever52]

Turn a whiter shade of pale---the only words of the song I have ever understood, but still love it.

[@dominochappin]

And the choir!

[@michaelsrowland]

It is the best song ever

[@TexCyn14]

Amazing how he can belt out those notes exactly the way he did it back in 1967. Amazing vocals!

[@wg7644]

No, he doesn't ---- he does it BETTER than he did years ago.

[@lizz5235]

He belts them out better than in 1967!

[@davidshattock9522]

Gary Brooker passed away earlier this year rip gary

[@mikedineen7857]

The lyrics are a great discussion. But no one knows the real story.

[@TrevorReznik-pi7bc]

@@wg7644 His voice sounds fuller and better.

[@Ray1969.]

One of only 46 songs to ever sell over 10 million copies. Not to mention one of the greatest live performances of all time!!

[@EileenHall-j9f]

I love you, and your intelligent reactions. From a 76 year old woman, respect.

[@rayshelld791]

Im 80. How i remembered when this hit the radio.

[@kelleebowers8525]

I never understood the lyrics, but that doesn’t stop it from being my all time favorite song! Simply beautiful

[@crazyfingers19]

There are 2 more verses that weren’t on the album. Not sure they help with an explanation, but, they are cool.

[@DavidWatkinsDave-pz7gv]

I don't think anyone understands the lyrics that was mentioned in the movie The Commitments I think its just one of those songs that anyone can put whatever meaning they like to it. Just superb music, that's what I get out of it.

[@kimamey]

I think a lot of their songs were like that.

[@luv2fly745]

And her face at first just ghostly turned a whiter shade of pale🎵🎶🎼🎹 I absolutely love this masterpiece performance but loved the original just as much in the day. Great music endures through the generations as this young man discovered. RIP Gary Brooker ❤❤💔

[@valeriequerol1469]

Me too. But it says so much about my goose bumps and tears of emotion at every time I hear it. I discovered this song in my teenage time 13years in 80. We can’t explain why some songs have a magic power effect in the soul.

[@wdking8833]

He's been singing this song for over FIFTY YEARS and he still has pipes! I've been listening to this song for, yep, over 50 years and it still floors me.

[@saritadugat3708]

Shoot I always thought it was haunting when I heard almost 60 years ago. Not sure what it all meant but I loved them and now when I hear it with the orchestra & Gary singing it’s still haunting but extremely beautiful. ❤

[@flippinpages6550]

One of my all time favorite songs. I saw them sing this at the Old Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco in 1967 They were playing along with The Doors and there were only about 50 people at the concert. mind blowing.

[@majastalrud3484]

Wow!❤

[@CurtisPoppenhouse]

If you listen to the original, this man's voice hasn't changed at all

[@kevino4846]

Except for the better. In his early sixties there, his voice attained a timbre that his younger voice wouldn't have. The best performance of the song, all things considered, in my opinion.

[@baskervillebee6097]

He sounded just like this in 1967. Amazing.

[@mguerramd]

In contrast, Ian Anderson lost his voice . So sad.

[@drcheriquinn]

This came out the year I graduated from high school, 1967. In 2017 we had a 50 year reunion and the dance floor was full on this song.

[@Farsider3955]

Did you do cartwheels? 🙂

[@brucehursman8874]

Goosebumps. He sounds just like he did in the 70s. Excellent version

[@dianepalma606]

I saw them live in 1970. I can't believe his voice is still this great!

[@kenhall5551]

Gary Booker, who sings this Has been doing this in the band, Proco Harum for over 50 years. His voice is even better now, although it's always been good. Gary passed away earlier this year. This song was a big part of my teen years. It's a classic. Thanks for reacting to it!

[@MsThebeMoon]

I didn't know he passed. Seen Procal Harum open for Ten Years After in 72' and then then opening for Jethro Tull in 2012.

[@peggywildsmith6002]

@@MsThebeMooncool. All three are great favorites of mine. We had the best generation for music.

[@fridaylong2812]

Brooker.

[@NeilLewis77]

One of my earliest memories of music trivia was being told as a little boy that the lyrics to whiter shade of pale are utter gibberish yet it's one of the best songs ever written.

[@smittysmusictavern8278]

I just posted this but saw your post and thought I would bring it to your attention as well. I found this today. Not gibberish you'll be happy to know. The song is about a guy, who later in life, is the miller telling his story of himself and a woman. Stranded at sea and both hallucinating and close to death. This is him as he watches the woman finally dying. ""Her face at first just ghostly, turned a whiter shade of pale."

[@NeilLewis77]

@@smittysmusictavern8278 ah yes that makes sense. I'm 40 and never heard that. The lyrics make alot more sense when you know the singer is hallucinating lol

[@smittysmusictavern8278]

@@NeilLewis77 Apparently, I was wrong. The author said it was about picking up a chick. That really sux.

[@NeilLewis77]

@@smittysmusictavern8278 haha it's fine mate. It's poetry. No matter what it's an absolute peach of a song.

[@mojobag01]

You nailed the mystical aspect of the song straight off. It's a cheeky snippet of Bach and a huge helping of English melancholy. One of only 40-odd songs to have sold over 10 million physical copies.

[@andrewlayton9760]

"And so it was, later, as the miller told his tale, that her face at first just ghostly, turned a whiter shade of pale" Chaucer's Canterbury tales.

[@dollbabe2]

I caught that was the Miller's Tale,I remember it from high school, but was that an actual line from Chaucer?

[@AbuLaith1963]

​@@dollbabe2"Trip the light fantastic" is taken from John Milton's poem L'allegro written in 1632. So obviously the members of Procol Harum were conversant with classical English poetry - Milton and Chaucer - as well as Bach.

[@lharrill7229]

Sadly we lost this hugely talented man just a couple of years ago. RIP Mr Booker.

[@jonpappaj-son3071]

Had my first slowdance and first kiss listening to this fantastic song. Growing up in the 60's & 70' was kind good

[@LindaMarquette]

When singers sang from the heart and put everything into the song ….. God I miss it so much!!! ❤🙏😢

[@debrablumrogers5096]

A beautiful song .RIP Gary Brooker, you are greatly missed.😥💔 What a cutie pie on your lap , absolutely precious 💕🐾

[@CabinFever52]

yes, both of them.

[@franklaforte7873]

I challenge anyone to name one entertainer today that preforms such beautiful music today ! Bravo

[@bobby-ov9qn]

I see you are still waiting #frank.

[@hurricane827]

Eddie vedder

[@joanlarochelle792]

Adam Lambert

[@russ4338]

I am 69 years of young, We all listened to it when it first came out, we would call it a pantie dropper.

[@Rebelheart06]

For Sure!!!

[@Orroz44]

I remember being alone at home, lying on the floor and playing this over and over and over.

[@fredericknalaremah939]

The greatest pop song ever written...don't know why it's just the music , the voice and the keyboards, like a giant instant hook! I will never forget my first hearing the tune that left me shouting at the radio...Play it again! That memory will live until I die!

[@SteveT935]

Many people, myself included, believe this is the defining song of the late 60’s.

[@robinnnnnnnnnnnn]

Yes. THE Greatest Song of all time.

[@markthoele1808]

It certainly got a lot of radio play.

[@TerriKnight-x3s]

It was

[@nunya8903]

Absolutely!💯

[@amyg918]

One of the best! So lucky to have grown up with such great music - it's the timeframe of my life

[@theresav8326]

There were many songs I did not understand the meaning.. I watch reaction videos today and learn more of their meanings.. I love the creativity of the 60’s and 70’s .. unbelievable talented artist..

[@bobcolby5607]

Just found your channel. I appreciate your genuine appreciation for these artist. I’m 72 and I still will say late 50’s thru to mid 70’s were some of the greatest artist and music ever.

[@hudsonhollow]

Saw them live in D.C in the Spring of 1969. They opened for Iron Butterfly. Robin Trower was playing guitar with them at the time. Amazing show. The song is about a young, inexperienced man, whose lines were obviously failing, but he was too drunk to see that he was. Missed opportunity. We've all been there in our youth.

[@jeffreybooth5129]

Iron butterfly should have opened for them surely

[@BJMauck]

That had to be an amazing concert! I agree, Procol Harum should have been the headliner.

[@janyshendrickson3833]

In 1977 Procol Harum's "A Whiter Shade of Pale (music by the late great Gary Brooker and Matthew Fisher, lyrics by Keith Reid) co-won/tied with Queen's "Bohemian Rapsody" for Best British Pop Single from 1952 to 1977. It has gone on to be the most widely played song in public places within the UK in the last 75 years. There are more than 1,000 cover versions of this song.

[@RitaBowen1]

A song like this one is one where you just sit back close your eyes and let the music take you sometimes you don't have to understand the lyrics feel the music

[@JJthelonelybullinasia]

Arguably the most perfect rock ballad ever written.

[@lokisan100]

Absolutely!

[@donnamoskowitz4978]

I don't think anyone understands the meaning of this song which is genius of Gary so everyone could interpret it by the way it made them feel. Just my two cents. This is the most beautiful performance of this song I've ever heard and I'm 65! Thanks for sharing and love from Texas🤠🤠🤠

[@garyzink1927]

100% agree, age 66 and peace from Northern Michigan!

[@Professor1789]

Keith Reid always said he wanted to create a Dali landscape in the imaginations of listeners. He got there!

[@juliecrane9647]

The miller told his tale line refers to Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. The miller loved a woman who was already spoken for. It helps a little in getting the song but of course we can give any song a meaning we choose. I can hear a song of my youth and I'm there at that place with those friends and holding the memory of that point in my life where I heard it for the 1st time. This song is beautiful no matter how we slice it ....yes ?

[@azizaibrahim1155]

A beautiful version but you must listen to the original studio version from the 60’s . Love from 🇨🇦

[@lupitamihita1261]

This is on my list of permanent all time favorites.

[@robprussock8697]

Conquistador was another Procul Harem classic!

[@renee8437]

One of the greatest Songs ever! One of the greatest Bands ever. One of the greatest Voices ever. Absolutely Legendary!

[@improperbostonian6722]

Music with class. 🥂So much for your generation to discover from mine enjoy!

[@Dol-pk2nn]

Song of our youth . Brings back good memories .. Nostalgic...😊

[@dagmar.6954]

Love this song. I actually prefer the studio version from the 60's as it is the one I grew up on. This live version is very good though as it shows how powerful Gary Brooker's voice was even as he got older. "Conquistador" is another great song by Procol Harum. Sad to hear of his passing recently.

[@shirleymongold1201]

I heard him say he wanted the lyrics to be like a Picasso painting

[@shirleymongold1201]

Conquistador has always been one of my favorites

[@u4riahsc]

I can’t decide if I liked the original or this version the most.

[@nadiakent4082]

I think that the song is evergreen for the reason you touched on. The music itself is very reminiscent of a graduation or wedding, or even a funeral. Watershed moments in life at a key transition. Yet the words to the song make it highly interpretative. We create our individual story and we can see the importance of a seemingly chance event as a lifetime inflection point that the music’s harmony gives us. Points in life we are ever rarely aware of in reality. The innate worry of missing these important moments raises the importance of all moments of our life, and makes our life more important in general. It challenges the idea that important moments in life are few, but what if that is wrong? What if our lives are just filled with them? Paradoxically it doesn’t make the important moments of your life less important, but your entire life more. So it captures your emotional attention, as you realize you are surrounded by overwhelming possibilities.

[@torspomedia5861]

When I was a teeny kid in the early 80's, I picked this from my dad's record collection and ever since loved the song. Amazing live performance, had never seen this before.

[@hsvblack]

Pure brilliance and one of the best songs ever

[@awesomeRN2006]

There are several theories about what the lyrics actually mean. One is that the song is related to The Miller's Tale in "The Canterbury Tales" by Chaucer. She is unfaithful, he wants to know why, and she shrugs and says "there is no reason"....another part of the song talks about feeling "seasick" (perhaps giddy) about performing ("the crowd called out for more")....and I have heard that "the face once ghostly turned a whiter shade of pale" is about someone overdosing on drugs. What all of these have in common is that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when these things are happening. Perhaps not as satisfying as an "official" explanation from the songwriter, but all are interesting in their own right, I guess.

[@jwmson7791]

Just more proof that the 70’s was the greatest decade of music….EVER! I can remember this playing on radio all the time. ♥️

[@PC-dc1kv]

It’s from 1967

[@x0539p]

RIP Gary Brooker! This was a beautifully written song 50 years ago and it is hauntingly beautiful with the orchestra. You need to listen to their song “Conquistador” live with the ‘edmonton Symphony Orchestra. It has a faster tempo but is just as wonderful.

[@deloisphillips831]

One of my all-time favorites ❤

[@johnthegreek5836]

This performance is a masterpiece

[@elizabethness3629]

Getting old now BUT This was SOOOO GOOD xxx FEEDS my SOUL xxxxx

[@darrenjackson2705]

In an interview with Uncut magazine, Reid shed a little light on the song’s origin and meaning. “I had the phrase ‘a whiter shade of pale,’ that was the start, and I knew it was a song,” he said. “It’s like a jigsaw where you’ve got one piece, then you make up all the others to fit in. I was trying to conjure a mood as much as tell a straightforward, girl-leaves-boy story. With the ceiling flying away and room humming harder, I wanted to paint an image of a scene.” The general consensus is that “A Whiter Shade Of Pale” is a snapshot of a drunken sexual escapade gone awry. Yet the song defies a specific interpretation, instead conjuring various shades of melancholy which are embellished by the mournful music and Brooker’s pained delivery. Even when you can’t quite understand their meaning, Reid, who was clearly influenced by Dylan’s surreal story songs from the mid-60’s, writes lines that leave a lasting impact, right from the immortal opener: “We skipped the light fandango.” Attempts to wrangle these lyrics into linear coherence are thwarted at every turn, in part by red herrings (Reid claimed that the line “As the miller told his tale” has nothing to do with Chaucer) and by the demands of pop radio (Two extra verses were excised to keep the running time low.) Don’t let it bother you. - per an interview on the American Songwriter page

[@JPOlson]

I am another one who smile when the young people say they have never heard of these singers. These are the singers who are true singers with no auto tune. We have some awesome younger singers for the youth of today but these singers from the 60, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s music is simply priceless. Michael Jackson, Prince during this era, credited singers like James Brown, Jackie Wilson and many more. We cannot leave out Sam Cooke. Oh my the list goes on.

[@Aroha016]

He sounds the same as he did back in 1967 This song has been part of my life since then❤

[@DebBooher]

Just subbed today and came across this. Brings back memories as this was my high school prom theme in 1976 Wiesbaden Germany. I graduated from the same high school Priscilla Presley went to and for a short time Prince was my classmate but he did not graduate from there. Thank you, having some fond memories right now. I must say I am loving these reaction videos of some of the best music that was ever produced to this day. Light and love❤️🥰💕

[@samgordon8315]

Ever since I was a teenager I've been mesmerized by both the song Whiter Shade of Pale and Conquistador and here it is 50 years later and still mesmerizing me.

[@bobbiemarsden4340]

To hear all these instruments play together is absolutely heavenly❤

[@KimWiedmaier-fh6wh]

He still has a beautiful voice..❤

[@charlayned]

They partied, then she goes out and somehow she's dead. A ghost he's trying to chase, just out of reach, in the mirror. Turned a whiter shade of pale. I have loved this song since it came out in 1967. It brings back memories of a transistor radio in a leather case, a towel in the backyard, laying out in the sun and singing my 10 year old heart out.

[@MegaSeth22]

yes. either od'd or; "one of 16 vestied virgins, who were leaving for the coast", sacrificed.

[@kerrihennebury7616]

Arguably one of the best 60’s songs. His vocals, the oscillating organ… just perfection.

[@singluna888]

One of my all time favorite songs. Sounds just like he did when it first came out. Love your dog.

[@wesmartyn3829]

Been listening Procal for over 4 decades. And now, a youngster going to give it a listen. Impressive.