"A Whiter Shade of Pale" by Procol Harum, Reaction/Analysis by Musician/Producer

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  • Опубліковано 25 гру 2024

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  • @Fnipernackle
    @Fnipernackle 5 місяців тому +68

    A few years ago, I was listening to this while cleaning my basement. My daughter, who was around 4 at the time, came in and asked, "What's that pretty song?" I restarted it, and we danced together. It's one of my most favorite memories.

    • @barbarasarkesian6426
      @barbarasarkesian6426 4 місяці тому +3

      I love that. What a memory

    • @juliecrane9647
      @juliecrane9647 4 місяці тому +2

      Your daughter has a great ear for fine music...like you.
      My 3 girls made me the proudest when, as each left for college, my CD collection got smaller and smaller.
      CD collection ? Yes I've grands now...
      Where are the years... cherish all of yours with her. 😊

    • @glennstach4439
      @glennstach4439 4 місяці тому +1

      The orchestra was there when they MADE the Album and hit the charts !!!! 👍🏿👍🏽👍✌🖖🍁🌻💛🇺🇦

  • @JosephCampos-g9j
    @JosephCampos-g9j 3 місяці тому +13

    I love the fact that a older man..can deliver...and show the younger generation..this is how you do it...

  • @JEmmertz
    @JEmmertz 7 місяців тому +57

    A Whiter Shade of Pale was a masterpiece when it first came, and this performance adds layers upon layers of sweet goodness to it.

  • @melissakhalar1842
    @melissakhalar1842 7 місяців тому +25

    Rest in Peace Mr Gary Brooker.

  • @Billydoesyoutubenow
    @Billydoesyoutubenow 4 місяці тому +13

    If this isn’t played at my funeral, I will dig my way out and play it. Such a deeply, rich, no $ rich, song❤️. RIP Mr Brooker.

  • @felixnorman9562
    @felixnorman9562 11 днів тому +3

    He never lost his voice, God bless him!

  • @eh1702
    @eh1702 4 місяці тому +13

    One of my sisters walked up the aisle to this in the early 70s. It was the sing they first ever danced to. They are to this day the happiest married couple I ever knew. Everyone attaches many layers of feelings to this song, I think.

  • @williamthornton609
    @williamthornton609 6 місяців тому +29

    Why does this always bring tears? RIP Gary

  • @brentabbott3954
    @brentabbott3954 6 місяців тому +18

    This version of this song being played live always hits the feels.

  • @kms250
    @kms250 7 місяців тому +21

    Like a fine wine Gary’s rendition here aged finely! One for the ages!

  • @kevino4846
    @kevino4846 6 місяців тому +9

    Considering that Gary Brooker was 60 years old there, this is the best performance of their song. It would be pretty rare to have a singer and his song sound better at 60 than at 20, but this is what he achieved. His older voice had a timbre that couldn't be found in twenty-something vocal cords. Truly remarkable performance. RIP Gary

  • @cindipossidento5688
    @cindipossidento5688 7 місяців тому +31

    The oboe and organ got to me.
    Gary’s voice was absolutely stunning.

    • @bartdrennon1764
      @bartdrennon1764 5 місяців тому +1

      It's not easy to make an oboe sound that good. She played beautifully.

    • @eh1702
      @eh1702 4 місяці тому +1

      Oops, I thought it was a clarinet. I was in awe at her breathing.

  • @savannahortega7797
    @savannahortega7797 4 місяці тому +15

    This performance always makes me cry. It’s always been one of my favorite songs. Perfection

  • @savannahortega7797
    @savannahortega7797 4 місяці тому +8

    I’ve read so many interpretations of this song. I guess we each need to use our imagination. No one, and I mean no one can sing it better than him. That beautiful raspy voice.

  • @daleennis3140
    @daleennis3140 6 місяців тому +10

    He was a genius,you ought to hear him do the Salty Dog,at the same concert!

  • @TGriffiths-ve6nw
    @TGriffiths-ve6nw 2 місяці тому +2

    Most of us live our lives in relative obscurity. We come, we go. This performance by Gary gives him a legacy that will never die.
    Thank you Gary for the memories.

  • @dbcanada
    @dbcanada 7 місяців тому +22

    Thanks, Jeff. Man, that song takes me right back to 1967 when it was released. It gives me tears of nostalgia.

  • @edster612
    @edster612 3 місяці тому +8

    Possibly one of the most perfect songs ever written.

  • @mentalwedgee
    @mentalwedgee 6 місяців тому +12

    I'm an old FOH guy, and you know what I mean when I say there are moments that transcend a "performance." This was one of those moments that can only be defined as magic.

  • @AtmosphericSoundArt
    @AtmosphericSoundArt 7 місяців тому +13

    There are songs that are timeless. This is one of them.

  • @keithkerr6869
    @keithkerr6869 7 місяців тому +52

    Since there is no video of Bach or Beethoven available - I am going to go ahead and say that this 2006 performance is the greatest LIVE musical performance that I have ever seen. This is a truly Iconic song & Gary never sounded better - mix in the choir, organ and the National Symphony Orchestra and it is pure magic!!!

    • @barbarasarkesian6426
      @barbarasarkesian6426 4 місяці тому +2

      Agreed

    • @kristianmarsh5589
      @kristianmarsh5589 27 днів тому +1

      I concur, it’s absolutely incredible, it’s surpassed comfortably numb Pompeii for me by a country mile!

  • @michaelgwfrogwelge
    @michaelgwfrogwelge 7 місяців тому +18

    The orchestral arrangement was added to their repertoire in 1971 and first recorded in Canada with the Edmonton Symphony. It blew my mind then 🙃and still blows me way... 😎

  • @bjm9071
    @bjm9071 7 місяців тому +15

    Better than the original which I loved since I was 10 years old.

  • @mgalego4729
    @mgalego4729 7 місяців тому +35

    I got tears in my eyes when I first saw this video, years ago…

    • @cindipossidento5688
      @cindipossidento5688 7 місяців тому

      I cried like a baby when I saw this video……. Just blew me away. I had heard this song as a young teen, but appreciate it so much more now.
      My father bought a Hammond organ back in the day, I wish he was alive at the time this song was released, he would have loved it …..
      RIP, Dad, and Gary Brooker

  • @jjackflash8907
    @jjackflash8907 6 місяців тому +7

    There is nothing like a Hammond organ and Leslie speakers.

  • @cottontopprintshop452
    @cottontopprintshop452 7 місяців тому +22

    😶What is it about this song?! I've watched 4 reactors do this in a row and I still tear up every single time! Is it the Music, the lyrics, the organ, the choral singers, the strings, his voice??!! I just Love this and yet can hardly listen to it and not cry!

    • @wpollock1
      @wpollock1 7 місяців тому +1

      Yes....same here. I think it is the sheer beauty of the song and performance.

  • @lavenderbluemama953
    @lavenderbluemama953 7 місяців тому +25

    Oh my gosh, the first time I heard this version, I cried. And all subsequent listens still give me goosebumps. This song came out 2 years before I was born & I don't think I heard it very often on the radio, but enough that when the organ came in, I remembered & was transported back in time.
    Whenever I hear grand orchestral or choral music in any song it gives me a glimmer of hope for humanity. At our best we are capable of things such as these. It reminds me to each day strive to be a better version of myself, rather than trudging through life barely surviving the onslaught of daily news. Which is how I find myself here!

  • @steve-qe1sv
    @steve-qe1sv 7 місяців тому +10

    Was love from age 14 on a transistor radio to age 73 on high tech headphones. This was amazing!

  • @sst3d
    @sst3d 7 місяців тому +22

    Not sure about you…I’m 68 years old. I’ve seen and done some terrible things…I’ve seen and done some wonderful things..I can’t remember crying about any of it…this version of this song makes me shed a tear or two every time. A+ reaction,sir …well done

  • @LucilleW-n4c
    @LucilleW-n4c 5 місяців тому +10

    i listen to him daily, what a voice and what a song!!!

  • @Duh6666666
    @Duh6666666 7 місяців тому +14

    He's still got it, what a performance!

    • @Straydogger
      @Straydogger 7 місяців тому +7

      R.I.P. Gary Brooker.

  • @АлексейШагинян-р4о
    @АлексейШагинян-р4о 7 місяців тому +14

    Легендарное произведение!!! Вспомнил свою молодость.Спасибо Вам за память об этой группе.С Уважением и приветом из Санкт-Петербурга!!! Россия.

  • @SandraJones-py1bd
    @SandraJones-py1bd 6 місяців тому +12

    One of my all time favorite songs and performances.

  • @savannahortega7797
    @savannahortega7797 4 місяці тому +3

    I’ve read so many interpretations of this song. I guess we each need to use our imagination. No one, and I mean no one can sing it better than him. That beautiful raspy voice. This song just moves the soul like no other

  • @sammy2840
    @sammy2840 7 місяців тому +15

    I tear up every time I hear this! Just magnificent! His voice cuts through with perfect pitch! Wow!❤

  • @willowen1221
    @willowen1221 6 місяців тому +6

    Grew up in the UK listening to some iconic bands. This tune tops the list for me. A classic❤

  • @gregharmon3797
    @gregharmon3797 7 місяців тому +12

    This song is so beautiful it makes you want to cry

  • @erickvermeulen9734
    @erickvermeulen9734 5 місяців тому +9

    Loved your expression at the start, the orchestra plays so beautiful. And when Gary Brooker starts to sing, I get tears in my eyes every time.

  • @paulkossak7761
    @paulkossak7761 7 місяців тому +13

    Must have watched this video 100 times since i first saw it about 5 years ago. Epic!

  • @naknaksdadn572
    @naknaksdadn572 7 місяців тому +9

    This is certainly one for the ages!

  • @allanellis5827
    @allanellis5827 4 місяці тому +3

    I don’t think there is another song that touches me so deeply. You just want it to go on forever. Thank you so much.

  • @thunderstruck5484
    @thunderstruck5484 5 місяців тому +9

    All that greatness and a choir of Angels, thanks

  • @JulieLevinge
    @JulieLevinge 2 місяці тому +1

    Incredible that Gary Bookers voice managed to improve with age✊❤️

  • @tommyzoo
    @tommyzoo 7 місяців тому +9

    every time I hear this song it completely fills me with emotion and I end up feeling a mixture of pride in the music and composition but also a strange sadness that I cannot explain. Absolutely love how they composed it and as has been said many times the mix of the band, the orchestra and the choir is perfection. Great reaction, thank you so much

  • @jimwebster7317
    @jimwebster7317 7 місяців тому +11

    I too have enjoyed this masterpiece before. Beautiful rendition. I hope some of your younger fans can appreciate this true classic. Thanks Jeff

  • @johnwinton2209
    @johnwinton2209 7 місяців тому +7

    Our watched it, as all music lovers do. In awe, and in appreciation of what you are seeing, and hearing.
    It is one of the best live performances, of all time.

  • @gozirraizroose
    @gozirraizroose 7 місяців тому +7

    I've seen this video a lot of times and it always moves me. Such a great rendition.

  • @cherylwilliams834
    @cherylwilliams834 5 місяців тому +12

    I can't believe Gary is gone. What a loss for the earth, but a great gain for Heavens choir.....

  • @noblshtplz
    @noblshtplz Місяць тому +1

    I recall the 1st time I heard this song off an old album called "Johnny Rivers at the Whiskey A-Go-Go". It was during one of my brothers numerous house parties when I was probably 13 or 14. Even then, when Procol Harem was considered another long haired British invasion band, the whole room stopped & people listened to this iconic piece with wonder & appreciation on their faces. The brillance of this song lives on today. Thank goodness there are some things that never change.
    ✌️❤️🎶🎤

  • @peachesb-georgia1125
    @peachesb-georgia1125 2 місяці тому +1

    WOW is the only way I can describe this performance... this song first out my first summer i spent in NY...it was a nicer time for all of us 😉...

  • @pepevisedo7304
    @pepevisedo7304 7 місяців тому +4

    An exceptional song, an emotional performance by Gary Brooker and memories from all those years ago... It's satisfying to do it every once in a while. Totally agree with you, Jeff.

  • @jahl14
    @jahl14 7 місяців тому +5

    A salty dog. Same venue is awesome!

  • @davidrauh8118
    @davidrauh8118 7 місяців тому +6

    This entire concert, which I have on DVD, is fabulous. Their version of Conquistador, A Salty Dog, Simple Sister and Grand Hotel are second to none.

  • @Royal_BLT
    @Royal_BLT 7 місяців тому +9

    🇨🇦 1967's anthem ! Two things ! 1) #InMyHumbleOpinion the Best music created, written, played, or sung in the last Century, was performed between 1959 & 1989 ! #BoomersRock
    2) The Danish National Symphony Orchestra holds many of these concerts and some are outdoors like this one ! They often include invited guests like the British Rock Band, Procol Harum ! The DNSO consists of over 70 Choir members and over 100 Musicians ! Second only to this song is Procol Harums "Conquistador" ! 🇨🇦

    • @betmo
      @betmo 7 місяців тому +2

      agreed...once in awhile a song stands out after that...but the sheer volume of great music will never be matched

  • @barrysustins2589
    @barrysustins2589 7 місяців тому +10

    RIP Gary Brooker

  • @eh1702
    @eh1702 4 місяці тому +3

    Can we just take a moment to appreciate the circular breathing of the woman on the clarinet there?

  • @miltonslocum8957
    @miltonslocum8957 7 місяців тому +5

    I was in college when this came out and I've loved ever since. The orchestral arrangement and choir just takes it to another level. And Gary's voice is not only strong but brings a certain gravitas to this beautiful classic song. Bravo👏👏

  • @brendahipsher273
    @brendahipsher273 6 місяців тому +4

    Yes, I agree. Thank you. East Tennessee, USA. ❤

  • @grahamblair-g1q
    @grahamblair-g1q 7 місяців тому +7

    Listen to "A Salty Dog" and "An Old English Tale" from the same concert. Brilliant !.

  • @fgrady1
    @fgrady1 7 місяців тому +2

    Just watching your reactions is satisfaction enough for me. Yes, I’m in total agreement, this is a superlative version. I believe it was in the nineties I saw Gary do PH’s most revered songs while he toured in Ringo’s All Star band. A real treat!
    Since you loved that performance, I have to recommend “A Salty Dog” from the same concert, live in Denmark in 2006. It’s my all time favorite Procol Harum song and the orchestra and choir here just make the arrangement soar!

  • @johnthegreek5836
    @johnthegreek5836 7 місяців тому +13

    You take a classic rock song from 1968/1969, add an orchestra and choir and it becomes an amazing masterpiece

  • @AdvertisingWorks-y9w
    @AdvertisingWorks-y9w 7 місяців тому +2

    This is just magical. 50 years after it was recorded, this version is a masterpiece.

  • @edgarsnake2857
    @edgarsnake2857 Місяць тому +1

    Loved your reaction to this outstanding performance. I saw them many times as a four and five piece. Always epic.

  • @davidlevine1697
    @davidlevine1697 7 місяців тому +4

    this concert video, IMO, is one of the best ever.
    this song is one in particular that i can remember the first time i heard it being played. it was Christmas time and i was at Ye Olde Leather shop in Wilmington VT getting fitted for a suede leather jacket with stars on the cuffs that i was buying for myself. it was snowing and the entire village was decorated with gold lights for the holidays.
    i love how music can evoke such fond memories decades later. its one reason i like reaction videos. they let me relive that excitement and joy vicariously through UA-camrs like yourself.
    does anyone else get the chills when they hear an oboe? i find it to be one of my favorite sounds. that and french or english horns. so mellow sounding.
    for me, their best album is A Salty Dog.
    i would love to hear Leonid and Friends cover this with their orchestral friends in tow?
    tyvm for posting.
    ☮❤🙏

    • @StrateleStudios
      @StrateleStudios  7 місяців тому +2

      I love stories like this, thank you for sharing! 🫶

    • @davidlevine1697
      @davidlevine1697 7 місяців тому

      @@StrateleStudios thanks. at 72 years old, and having spent the 60s, 70s and 80s seeing some of the most iconic artists of the time live, it just brings back so many memories. music really is the catalyst for me when it comes to remembering the little things that made the years of my youth what they were. we lived day to day waiting for the next LP to drop.
      in our house if you wanted anything musical, it would eventually show up. records, tapes, concert tickets, record players, cassette recorders, even instruments. my dad whose day job (after he had kids) was a professional musician worked in the construction business to support his family. he would take side jobs at night or on weekends for extra money. i remember he was putting a new floor in a music store and he bartered with the owner for instruments. he came home with 3 accordions. small, medium and large. he told us to learn how to play so we could be the hit of the party and get girls. we thought he was nuts. rock and roll was on the rise and we thought that was so square. all we knew at the time about accordion music was the Lawrence Welk Show. little did i know that zydeco would become a huge genre years later, and that made the accordion hip. lol
      living in remote rural VT sometimes we had to wait weeks to get our hands on new releases . when my dad started to travel for work that ended. he would always come home on Fridays with the latest 45 RPMs s that were rising in the AM charts. at Christmas time he would go to Korvettes record store in NYC and buy a stack of 20 or 30 albums ( they were $2/pc back then) put them under the tree, and tell my brothers and i to just divvy them up between us. he knew what each of us liked and wished for, so i don't remember ever fighting over them with my brothers.
      UA-cam has helped us all to relive those times, and its a place to find some of the most obscure recordings of the time.

  • @gogglebox2427
    @gogglebox2427 Місяць тому

    And, youngsters, this is how you write a masterpiece that will live for 100 years or more.
    The nearest I've found among younger musicians is Chinese Singer, Composer, Arranger Hua Chenyu. He recently held a live stream Symphony Concert of his Rock, Rap, Pop, SynthPop, Ballads... Hits. But is willing to switch up his music in multiple ways.
    Such a beautiful version of A whiter shade of pale. 😍

  • @patricklemeur4607
    @patricklemeur4607 7 місяців тому +2

    MERCI de nous rappeler ce succès phénoménal!..vous êtes un connaisseur ! ok GARY ..

  • @stevecunningham2759
    @stevecunningham2759 Місяць тому

    As great as this song is in musical history and my memory, the production of this epic event and video is amazing!

  • @ADC.Guitar
    @ADC.Guitar 7 місяців тому +4

    Always punctual and indispensable! Good boy!!!👍

  • @mdudley52
    @mdudley52 4 місяці тому +2

    Have to appreciate that Hammond B3 sound,nothing like it.

  • @ullikause8849
    @ullikause8849 7 місяців тому +2

    Besser geht es nicht ! 👍👍👍👍👍 Grüße aus Heisingen (Germany)

  • @ВикторПартыко-я6э
    @ВикторПартыко-я6э 7 місяців тому +2

    Спасибо тебе за твою доброту и душевность.

  • @JosephCampos-g9j
    @JosephCampos-g9j 3 місяці тому

    I couldn't believe it if I was there...must of been amazing

  • @charlesallison146
    @charlesallison146 7 місяців тому +2

    Even if you didn't like the song you would still have to love the arrangement...

  • @MrBFC3
    @MrBFC3 7 місяців тому +1

    Rest in peace Gary. The strings definitely enhanced the already sad and ethereal lyrics of the song. Choir was good. I guess Lennon used to get.... happy and listen to this over and over and over. Yeah you're hooked into the story with the opening lyrics and just want to keep listening... happy or not. But a great performance of a truly iconic song. 🎹🍷💙

  • @JT-wn7wb
    @JT-wn7wb 7 місяців тому +2

    Heartfelt performance! Thank you!!

  • @robertgrant4987
    @robertgrant4987 2 місяці тому +1

    Procol harem are from my home town, Southend-on-Sea England 😊

  • @margaritabosschaerts8851
    @margaritabosschaerts8851 7 місяців тому +2

    I first heard this song 50 years ago and It still brings back beautiful memories.Thank you so much ,if you can,listen to Nights in White satín.Greetings from Mallorca❤

  • @richardtodd7295
    @richardtodd7295 7 місяців тому +1

    Triggers memories that fit into my pre 1995 set of standards. Outstanding video. Thank you for this great request.

  • @mastercez
    @mastercez 6 місяців тому +2

    Thank you, Sir1

  • @sammy2840
    @sammy2840 7 місяців тому +3

    Love your reviews, by the way! You are a musician and know not to talk over music! Thanks!

  • @sharcrum
    @sharcrum 2 місяці тому

    Just spectacular. ❤

  • @barryanderson3910
    @barryanderson3910 7 місяців тому +1

    Great reaction, Jeff. I see this is frequently acclaimed as their best performance of this song. Other than hearing this song many times when it came out, I didn't know a whole lot about Procol Harem. Looking at the lyrics again, I really could not follow the story. Then I did a search and found that due to the length of the song, two of the original verses were dropped. After reading them, I was more confused than ever. Maybe it's just my age. Anyway, the article I read brought out some interesting facts about the song and the group. Do a search on - A Whiter Shade of Pale hits 50: a 10-point guide to its riddles - to read the article.

  • @JaykleMusic
    @JaykleMusic 7 місяців тому

    One of the greatest songs ever written I love it!!!!

  • @gregharmon3797
    @gregharmon3797 7 місяців тому +2

    I was going to request this one, one of my favorite songs

  • @BilKen3004
    @BilKen3004 4 місяці тому

    That is one of one...bravo

  • @jeanluney1362
    @jeanluney1362 2 місяці тому +1

    LYRICS:
    We skipped the light fandango
    turned cartwheels 'cross the floor
    I was feeling kinda seasick
    but the crowd called out for more
    The room was humming harder
    as the ceiling flew away
    When we called out for another drink
    the waiter brought a tray
    And so it was that later
    as the miller told his tale
    that her face, at first just ghostly,
    turned a whiter shade of pale
    She said, 'There is no reason
    and the truth is plain to see.'
    But I wandered through my playing cards
    and would not let her be
    one of sixteen vestal virgins
    who were leaving for the coast
    and although my eyes were open
    they might have just as well've been closed
    She said, 'I'm home on shore leave,'
    though in truth we were at sea
    so I took her by the looking glass
    and forced her to agree
    saying, 'You must be the mermaid
    who took Neptune for a ride.'
    But she smiled at me so sadly
    that my anger straightway died
    If music be the food of love [see note, left, about this verse + its opening]
    then laughter is its queen
    and likewise if behind is in front
    then dirt in truth is clean
    My mouth by then like cardboard
    seemed to slip straight through my head
    So we crash-dived straightway quickly
    and attacked the ocean bed

  • @MrTails36
    @MrTails36 7 місяців тому +1

    King Curtis’ version of this live at Fillmore West is worth a listen as well

  • @kimlouise-rf5rr
    @kimlouise-rf5rr 3 місяці тому

    MASTERCLASS!

  • @donmehl556
    @donmehl556 2 місяці тому +1

    Procol Harum has many other songs you should check out. This was just their #1 hit. It was played so many times I got burned out on it. Just like Hey Jude. Check out the songs on their Live with the Edmonton Orchestra album.

  • @doghouse151
    @doghouse151 2 місяці тому +1

    I know you loved this reaction how about reacting to "Conquistador" from this same concert with the full orchestra. I'd you've to hear it. Thanks.

  • @ljcor1899
    @ljcor1899 7 місяців тому +1

    Amazing masterpiece!

  • @jerrybrooks4717
    @jerrybrooks4717 4 місяці тому +1

    A song for history

  • @sandrisjansons1515
    @sandrisjansons1515 7 місяців тому +2

    Harmonically organ epic part reminds Bach's Air on a G string.

  • @RichardJobrey
    @RichardJobrey 5 місяців тому

    Amazing and then more

  • @betmo
    @betmo 7 місяців тому +2

    something told me you'd enjoy this one ;) ❤

  • @StevenKHarrison
    @StevenKHarrison 4 місяці тому

    add strings, rinse and repeat. add a choir, rinse and repeat. A great song no doubt...

  • @eh1702
    @eh1702 4 місяці тому +1

    Try Colin Vearncombe (Black) singing Wonderful Life. There is a beautiful and simple live version on youtube, a channel called oldieradio950 - uploaded by a German radio station. It has none of the arrangement or instrumentals of the original release, just two guys sitting with guitars. (the radio host on backing). It showcases the lyrics and Vearncombe’s unfussy, soulful voice. It has real magic to it.

  • @deanwimbridge9318
    @deanwimbridge9318 6 місяців тому

    Classic 👏

  • @Brandi6666
    @Brandi6666 17 днів тому

    Epic epic epic🤘❤️

  • @dagmar.6954
    @dagmar.6954 7 місяців тому +4

    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.