“A Whiter Shade of Pale” was a gigantic hit for the British band Procol Harum and it became the anthem for the “summer of love.” They sold ten million records and it became one of the most popular songs of all time, with 800 cover versions made. The band fizzled out and was split up by 1977. The music licensing company PPL says “Pale” is the “most played song in public places over the last 75 years.” It brings in a lot of money and forty years after the fact, the in court bandmates are fighting over who wrote it. We don’t envy the judge who has to untangle this mess.
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Is there somebody who needs money again?
Janet, did you ‘Turn on ,Tune in and Drop Out’ in the Haight-Ashbury? Tell us some stories of your freaky summer!
How does that song go again? Can you humm a few bars?
Johnny winters sang it better.
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
Thank you 6:38 a.m.
Joyce Dewitt wrote that song.
The second guy from the right in the picture (larger orange collar) is Robin Trower. Robin continues to rock out clubs across the country and plays some of the best bluesy guitar you will EVER pay $40 to see. I cannot imagine him caring who wrote Whiter Shade of Pale, or him ever peforming organ trip music again. Bridge of Sighs and Too Rolling Stoned are far better songs.
clean: Keith Reid wrote the lyrics. There’s no disputing that. The lawsuit, which has now been settled in Matthew Fishers’ favor, is over whether his organ contribution constitutes co-authorship, and thus a share in residuals. He may never perform “organ trip music” again, but he probably still likes getting paid. And 40% of the royalties on one of the most popular and covered songs in recent history is probably worth going to court over.