Whiter Shade of Pale
Procol Harum, released a debut single in May 1967, titled “A Whiter shade of Pale,” that has gained attention ever since.The song which reached number on the UK singles chart in June 1967, and was there for six weeks.
The single also reached number 5 on the US charts, and this was all without much promotion.
The tune which has a very haunting sound, and vocals by Gary Brooker, and unusual lyrics by Keith Reid, also made it to number one in other countries around the world.The title coming from a party that Reid was at, where he overheard a guy saying to a girl at the party, that she had “turned a whiter shade of pale.”
It has also been covered up to 900 times by other artists, and has featured on movie soundtracks such as, The Big Chill, Purple Haze, Breaking the Waves, The Boat That Rocked and New York Stories.
Annie Lennox, also did her own version which featured in the film The Net.
Back in 2009 it was the most played song played in public place in the UK, and Phonographic Performance Limited in 2004, named it the most played record by British broadcasting of the past 70 years.
It was also placed as the 57th Greatest Songs of All Time, by Rolling Stone.
In 2009, Matthew Fisher won co-writing credits on the music, in a ruling by te Law Lords of the House Of Lords.
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