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A Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harum
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About this episode
Why has Procol Harum's surreal track ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’ remained enduringly popular for over 50 years? Soul Music hears the stories and memories of those who love it. Released in May 1967, it was the group's first single. It went to No. 1 in the UK, and stayed there for six weeks. Musicologist, Allan Moore, deconstructs the track and dismisses the almost universally accepted idea that it mimics Bach's ‘Air on a G String’. Film-maker, Chris Rodley, remembers the impact it had on him when he heard it for the first time, in the dead of the night, on pirate Radio Caroline. Musician, James Pollard, explains how he created a wedding march for a friend using this track as inspiration.…