Procol Harum’s song “A Whiter Shade of Pale” is one of the most beautiful songs ever made. But in August 2006, the band took it to a whole new level when they performed it live with the Danish National Concert Orchestra and Choir at Ledreborg Castle in Denmark. It was a magical performance that made the song even more powerful.
Gary Brooker, the band’s lead singer, once admitted that the song was inspired by Johann Sebastian Bach’s Suite No. 3 in D Major. So, having a full orchestra play along made perfect sense. The grand performance brought out the classical beauty of the song in a way no one had heard before.
The concert featured 15 songs played with the orchestra, and the entire show was later released as a live album. But the highlight was “A Whiter Shade of Pale.” The orchestra opened with a breathtaking instrumental, making the melody shine like never before.
After 90 seconds, Brooker joined in, and despite being 61 years old at the time, his voice sounded just as strong and soulful as it did in 1967. The performance became a huge hit on the internet, racking up an incredible 99 million views on YouTube.
Choosing to collaborate with the Danish National Concert Orchestra was a brilliant move for Procol Harum. The band’s music already had a classical feel, so the orchestra made it even richer and deeper. The choir’s voices blended beautifully with the music, making the performance unforgettable.
Fans all over the world loved it. People flooded the comment section with praise, saying things like, “Without a doubt the best and most emotionally felt version of this masterpiece,” and “One of the greatest songs ever written. No other singer captures the song like he does.”
Another highlight of the concert was “A Salty Dog,” where the choir’s moving harmonies added a haunting beauty to the famous piano introduction.
“A Whiter Shade of Pale” is Procol Harum’s biggest hit, topping the charts in the UK, Canada, France, and Germany. Released on May 12, 1967, the song became one of the best-selling singles of all time, selling over 10 million copies worldwide.
The song is also a symbol of the 1967 Summer of Love and is often ranked among the greatest songs ever. Rolling Stone magazine placed it at number 57 on their list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. With over 1,000 cover versions recorded by different artists, it’s clear that musicians love it just as much as fans do.
At first, the songwriting credits for “A Whiter Shade of Pale” only listed Gary Brooker and Keith Reid. Brooker composed the music, and Reid wrote the lyrics. However, in 2009, their bandmate Matthew Fisher won a legal battle to be recognized as a co-writer of the music.
Keith Reid once explained the meaning behind the lyrics in an interview with Uncut Magazine. He said, “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. I wasn’t trying to be mysterious with those images, I was trying to be evocative.”
When asked about what inspired the song, he added, “I suppose it seems like a decadent scene I’m describing. But I was too young to have experienced any decadence then. I might have been smoking when I conceived it, but not when I wrote. It was influenced by books, not drugs.”
For those who love Procol Harum’s music and want to hear more, the band’s official channels are the best place to go. Their YouTube channel features incredible performances like the orchestral version of “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” and their Facebook page is a great way to stay connected.
Whether you’ve been a fan for years or are just discovering them now, these platforms let you experience the unique mix of classical and rock that only Procol Harum can create.
