It is J.S. Bach who should claim royalties for 'A Whiter Shade of Pale'.

Publication: Spectator

Publication Date: 18-NOV-06

Bookmark this article Print this article Link to this article Email this article Digg It! Add to del.icio.us RSS

COPYRIGHT 2006 The Spectator Ltd. (UK)

Itseems that Matthew Fisher has been, these past 39 years, the dog that didn't Bach. Or perhaps did; one of the two. Mr Fisher is the former organist of the once popular group Procol Harum and is now, somewhat late in the day, suing a former bandmate for the royalties to the group's biggest (nay, only) hit single, 'A Whiter Shade of Pale'.

They've all been in court this last week, grey, grizzled and embittered.

Now, come on; even the most reclusive, diffident, fogeyish Spectator reader will have heard this lachrymose dirge at some point in the last few decades, even if it was just on the mobile phone ringtone possessed by that rather vulgar young man who somehow joined your party when you were out murdering God's creatures with shotguns last August. Even the most desiccated high court judge must have heard the bloody song by now, unless he is stone deaf. It has ubiquity. It is, in fact, one of the most popular songs ever, ever, ever in the history of the world. Oh, world.

The song has always been credited to the acknowledged leader of Procol Harum, pianist and singer Gary Brooker, and the lyrics * described in my 1974 edition of the NME Book of Rock as...

Read the full article for free courtesy of your local library.