In fact this track holds the distinction of being one of the highest-selling singles of all time. Or stated otherwise, it has sold in excess of 10,000,000 copies which is a remarkable feat. The song came out as part of Procol Harum’s debut album, which itself is entitled Procol Harum. And the track reached number 1 in nearly 15 different countries, including most notably the UK Singles Chart.Īfter topping the Dutch Top 40 in 1967, it went on to also do the same on the Netherlands’ Single Top 100 in 1972, having also recharted on the UK Singles Chart that year. Additionally it reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, despite receiving limited promotion in the United States. A Smash-HitĪs far as hits go, no act could have asked for a bigger success than “A Whiter Shade of Pale”. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” (1967), which was hippyish in and of itself. In fact the Beatles’ main songwriters, Paul McCartney and John Lennon, were themselves said to have been heavily impressed by “A Whiter Shade of Pale”, with Lennon in particular taking a special liking to the tune. The Summer of Love is another name given to the summer season of 1967, which was one of the highlights of the hippie-inspired 1960s in the Anglo-American world.Īnd once again in terms of the UK especially, it should also be noted that “A Whiter Shade of Pale” came out around the same time the Beatles’ most-celebrated album, “Sgt. Historically this track is part and parcel of a period of time known as the Summer of Love, specifically as far as the UK is concerned. And why? This is because it is the first track the band ever recorded and released, the latter having transpired via Deram Records on. “A Whiter Shade of Pale” is a very special track for Procol Harum. When did “A Whiter Shade of Pale” come out? Procol Harum are by and large a one-hit wonder, with this song being their one hit. Procol Harum is a rock band from the UK. They actually formed way back in 1967 and, outside of taking the entire 1990s off, have for the most part been active throughout the decades. And concerning the unconventional, Latin-sounding name of the group, it actually doesn’t have any true interpretation. However, it is probably due the fact that they are verily confusing. But at the end of the day the conclusive sentiment of the singer seems to be akin to happily accepting that his lady friend has indeed decided to part ways. It’s not exactly clear why this happened.
In ConclusionĪnd again, trying to make too much sense of the lyrics which come after this point can prove to be a fool’s errand. For instance, the last two verses of the song are completely omitted from standard versions of “A Whiter Shade of Pale”. And this of course leaves the singer himself wondering why exactly such is transpiring. But in all, it reads like one of those types of scenarios where homegirl has basically come to the realization that the time has come for her to move on with her life. Indeed we see at the beginning of the second verse that she has no discernible – or at least admitted – reason for leaving him. It is then in the chorus that we are introduced to the titular phrase, itself being a challenging, or let’s say open-ended allegory in and of itself. But within the context of the song, the reason “that her face… turned a whiter shade of pale” is because, obviously, she came to experience a high level of emotional discomfort.Īnd the reason why she is uncomfortable is basically because she is using the same aforementioned setting to let the singer know that she is in fact leaving him.
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