Rock-tober 03, 2014

Procul Harum took its name from their former manager's friend's cat who used to sell them drugs. The friend - not the cat. Anyway, the cat's name was a Latin phrase which, very roughly translated, means "beyond those things".

Whatever works. I know a band that named itself after the pastor of a church I once attended, A true story from my time at Auburn, the band Iratowns is still active and you can check out their story here or even their facebook page. Procul Harum, on the other hand, not so much. Their last single was released in 1975.

However, early in the bands history, when it came time to launch a single, the band was undecided and several songs were in contention, including one called "Salad Days Are Here Again". Thank the rock-n-roll gods they gave the nod to today's feature.

"Whiter Shade of Pale" was released in 1967 off the self-titled album Procul Harum. Liner notes and Internet sources say the inspiration for the song came from a party band members were attending. Someone said to a girl present, "You're a whiter shade of pale." I don't know what the girl did with that resounding compliment, but the band members fashioned an entire song from the phrase that went on to be their first and biggest hit.

Although there's a story being told by the lyrics, what draws me in is the melancholy melody droned out by the keyboard. It's haunting and definitely vintage. It's also been pointed out that it shares a few bars with Bach's "Air on a G-String".

As a Rock-tober bonus, I'll toss in one of the best known works from Mr. Johann Sebastian Bach as a comparison. Imagine Mr. B's surprise at making this esteemed playlist...