jomel77 - A Whiter Shade of Pale

jomel77
May 20, 2024 05:00pm
<p>"<strong>A Whiter Shade of Pale</strong>" is a song by the English rock band <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procol_Harum" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Procol Harum</a> that was issued as their debut record on 12 May 1967. The single reached number 1 in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK_Singles_Chart" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">UK Singles Chart</a> on 8 June and stayed there for six weeks.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Whiter_Shade_of_Pale#cite_note-8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><sup>[8]</sup></a> Without much promotion, it reached number 5 on the US <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_Hot_100" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Billboard</em> Hot 100</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Whiter_Shade_of_Pale#cite_note-9" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><sup>[9]</sup></a> One of the anthems of the 1967 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_of_Love" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Summer of Love</a>, it is one of the most commercially successful singles in history, having <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_singles" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sold more than 10 million</a> copies worldwide.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Whiter_Shade_of_Pale#cite_note-10" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><sup>[10]</sup></a> In the years since, "A Whiter Shade of Pale" has become an enduring classic, with more than 1,000 known cover versions by other artists.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Whiter_Shade_of_Pale#cite_note-11" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><sup>[11]</sup></a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Whiter_Shade_of_Pale#cite_note-12" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><sup>[12]</sup></a></p><p>With its <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bach" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bach</a>-derived instrumental melody, soulful vocals, melancholic tone, and unusual lyrics, the music of "A Whiter Shade of Pale" was composed by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Brooker" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gary Brooker</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Fisher_(musician)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Matthew Fisher</a>, while the lyrics were written by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Reid" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Keith Reid</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Whiter_Shade_of_Pale#cite_note-pc49-13" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><sup>[13]</sup></a> Originally, the writing credits only listed Brooker and Reid. In 2009, Fisher won co-writing credit for the music in a unanimous ruling from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_Lords" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Law Lords</a>.</p><p>In 1977, the song was named joint winner (along with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_(band)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Queen</a>'s "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohemian_Rhapsody" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bohemian Rhapsody</a>") of "The Best British Pop Single 1952–1977" at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brit_Awards" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Brit Awards</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Whiter_Shade_of_Pale#cite_note-14" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><sup>[14]</sup></a> In 1998, the song was inducted into the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammy_Hall_of_Fame" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Grammy Hall of Fame</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Whiter_Shade_of_Pale#cite_note-15" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><sup>[15]</sup></a> In 2004, the performing rights group Phonographic Performance Limited recognized it as the most-played record by British broadcasting of the past 70 years[16], and Rolling Stone placed it 57th on its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". In 2009, it was reported as the most-played song in the last 75 years in public places in the UK.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Whiter_Shade_of_Pale#cite_note-17" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><sup>[17]</sup></a></p><p>The song has been included in many music compilations over the decades and has also been used in the soundtracks of numerous films and television shows, including <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Chill_(film)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>The Big Chill</em></a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_Haze_(film)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Purple Haze</em></a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breaking_the_Waves" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Breaking the Waves</em></a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Boat_That_Rocked" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>The Boat That Rocked</em></a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tour_of_Duty_(TV_series)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Tour of Duty</em></a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_(TV_series)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>House M.D.</em></a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Scorsese" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Martin Scorsese</a>'s segment of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Stories" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>New York Stories</em></a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonewall_(2015_film)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Stonewall</em></a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oblivion_(2013_film)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Oblivion</em></a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Burns" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ken Burns</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynn_Novick" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Lynn Novick</a>'s documentary series <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Vietnam_War_(TV_series)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>The Vietnam War</em></a>, the 2022 limited series <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Offer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>The Offer</em></a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memory_(2023_film)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Memory</em></a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billions_(TV_series)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Billions</a>. Cover versions of the song have also been featured in many films, for example, by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Curtis" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">King Curtis</a> in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Withnail_and_I" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Withnail and I</em></a> and by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annie_Lennox" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Annie Lennox</a> in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Net_(1995_film)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>The Net</em></a>.</p>