1968: Procol Harum brilla intensamente

Contenido de esta entrada:

Introducción

El sencillo Quite Rightly So

Lanzamiento del álbum

Enlaces, letras y opinión personal

Artículo anterior de Procol Harum: 1967: El primer álbum de Procol Harum

Artículo siguiente de Procol Harum: 1969: El perro saleroso de Procol Harum

Sitio oficial de Procol Harum: Procol Harum - Beyond the Pale

Facebook oficial de Procol Harum: Procol Harum | Facebook

Portada del álbum Shine On Brightly

Introducción

El anterior artículo lo dedicamos al primer álbum homónimo de Procol Harum.

En este artículo continuamos su historia hasta la publicación de su segundo álbum Shine On Brightly.

Edición especial 2 CDs. Si deseas comprarlo pincha aquí

El sencillo Quite Rightly So

Tras la publicación de su primer álbum  homónimo lanzaron un sencillo que pasó sin pena ni gloria, Quite Rightly So, con la cara B In The Wee Small Hours Of Sixpence. Fue publicado el 22 de marzo de 1968 en el Reino Unido. En la lista británica solo permaneció una semana en el puesto 50.

Pantallazo de la lista británica

En abril de 1968 fue lanzado en Estados Unidos con las canciones cambiadas de cara.  De la misma manera fue publicado en Canadá, India, Italia o Grecia. En Estados Unidos fue publicado con A&M Records que a finales de los 60 quería añadir algunos artistas británicos en su sello y así lo hicieron, además de Procol Harum, Cat Stevens, Joe Cocker, Humble Pie, Fairport Convention, Free, the Move, Strawbs y Spooky Tooth. Quite Rightly So es la canción que abriría su próximo álbum Shine On Brightly del que servía de adelanto pero In The Wee Small Hours Of Sixpence no sería incluida inicialmente. Posteriormente en las ediciones en CD aparecería como bonus track.

Portada del sencillo en Italia.

Manteniendo el mismo orden de las canciones que Reino Unido, fue publicado en España. El título de las canciones fue traducido Así ha de ser / A la hora de los fantasmas. 

Portada del sencillo en España

Otros países en los que se respetó el orden de las canciones fueron Francia, Bélgica, Australia, Nueva Zelanda y Países Bajos.

Portada del sencillo en Francia

CARA A

QUITE RIGHTLY SO

Enlaces

Quite Rightly So

Quite Rightly So [2009 Remaster - Mono]

Procol Harum - Shine On Brightly - 01 - Quite Rightly So

Procol Harum "Quite Rightly So"

Procol Harum - Quite Rightly So

Letras

For you (whose eyes were opened wide whilst mine refused to see)

I'm sore in need of saving grace. Be kind and humour me

I'm lost amidst a sea of wheat

where people speak but seldom meet

And grief and laughter, strange but true

Although they die, they seldom cry

An ode by any other name I know might read more sweet

Perhaps the sun will never shine upon my field of wheat

But still in closing, let me say

for those too sick, too sick to see

though nothing shows, yes, someone knows

I wish that one was me

Videos

Actuación en el programa de la televisión alemana Beat Club en 1968:

Procol Harum - Quite Rightly So (1968) - YouTube

Actuación en el programa de la televisión alemana Beat Club en 1971:

Procol Harum - 05 - Quite Rightly So (1971) - YouTube

En vivo en el Union Chapel de Londres en 2003:

Procol Harum - Quite Rightly So - YouTube

CARA B

IN THE WEE SMALL HOURS OF SIXPENCE

Enlaces

Procol Harum "In The Wee Small Hours Of Sixpence" (B-Side)

In the Wee Small Hours of Sixpence [2009 Remaster - Mono]

Procol Harum "In The Wee Small Hours Of Sixpence" (Alternate Version)

Procol Harum " in the wee small hours of sixpence " 2020 stereo b-side,

Procol Harum - In The Wee Small Hours Of Sixpence - 1968 45rpm

Letras

In the wee small hours of sixpence

And the lighted chandelier

Stands a rusty old retainer

Whose old eyes are filled with tears

For his master, Good Sir Galant

Who is now off to the wars

And although his eyes are crying

We know grief is not the cause

And if grief is not the reason

He must be of sterner stuff

And his sword though old and rusty

Must be blunt as sharp enough

In the wee small hours of sixpence

And the broken window pane

Stand the remnants of the evening

Who are waiting all in vain

For the crowing of the cockerel

Showing morning is not night

But the air is filled with silence

And the daylight is not bright

But still darkness is no reason

We are men of sterner stuff

And our swords though old and rusty

Still are blunt as sharp enough

In the wee small hours of sixpence

And the hat-stand in the hall

Waiting only for the morning

Shadows flitting 'cross the wall

And perhaps that old retainer

Whom now giving of his all

May have once been just as we are

And now has no face at all

But still grief was not the reason

He was made of sterner stuff

And his sword though old and rusty

Still was blunt as sharp enough

Videos

Actuación en el programa de la televisión alemana Beat Club en 1971:

Procol Harum - In The Wee Small Hours Of Sixpence (1971) - YouTube

Lanzamiento del álbum

El segundo álbum de estudio del grupo, Shine On Brightly, fue grabado entre finales de 1967 y principios de 1968 y fue lanzado en octubre de 1968 en los Estados Unidos con A&M, pero se retrasó hasta diciembre de 1968 en el Reino Unido en donde fue lanzado con el sello discográfico Regal Zonophone. Es considerado un álbum precursor del rock progresivo.

Portada del álbum en Estados Unidos.

Las versiones originales para el Reino Unido y los Estados Unidos de las dos primeras canciones del disco ("Quite Rightly So" y "Shine On Brightly") difieren entre ambas. El álbum fue re-lanzado en varias ocasiones, incluyendo una remasterización del 2009 con bonus tracks (incluyendo la cara B del sencillo del apartado anterior) y tomas alternativas.

Tras su lanzamiento, Jim Miller, escribiendo para Rolling Stone, fue desfavorable: "El primer lanzamiento de Procol Harum fue generalmente más satisfactorio, especialmente porque este nuevo álbum muestra poco en el camino de un crecimiento sorprendente: el grupo aparentemente ha elegido refinar su antiguo enfoque y el resultado musical, aunque generalmente se puede escuchar, no es consistentemente interesante".

Todas las canciones escritas y compuestas por Gary Brooker y Keith Reid, excepto Quite Rightly So y In Held 'Twas in I" que también está acreditado Matthew Fisher.

Enlaces, letras y opinión personal

CARA 1

A1 Quite Rightly So     3:40

 Ya visto en el apartado anterior

Mi opinión sobre la canción:

Canción pop con aires de rock progresivo. El órgano me suena al Genesis primigenio.

A2 Shine On Brightly  3:32

Como se había hecho una versión del tema Homburg en italiano, ellos mismos prueban a hacerlo con el tema Shine On Brightly, titulándose Il Tuo Diamante. y lo lanzaron en sencillo a la vez que el álbum con el tema Fortuna en la cara B que es en realidad Repent Walpurgis de su anterior álbum.

Procol Harum "Il Tuo Diamante" (Shine On Brightly - Italian Version)

Portada del sencillo Il tuo diamante publicado en Italia

Enlaces

Procol Harum - Shine On Brightly - 02 - Shine On Brightly

Shine On Brightly

Procol Harum "Shine On Brightly"

Letras

My Prussian-blue electric clock's

alarm bell rings, it will not stop

and I can see no end in sight

and search in vain by candlelight

for some long road that goes nowhere

for some signpost that is not there

And even my befuddled brain

is shining brightly, quite insane

The chandelier is in full swing

as gifts for me the three kings bring

of myrrh and frankincense, I'm told,

and fat old Buddhas carved in gold

And though it seems they smile with glee

I know in truth they envy me

and watch as my befuddled brain

shines on brightly quite insane

Above all else confusion reigns

And though I ask no-one explains

My eunuch friend has been and gone

He said that I must soldier on

And though the Ferris wheel spins round

my tongue it seems has run aground

and croaks as my befuddled brain

shines on brightly, quite insane

Videos

Actuación en el programa de la televisión alemana Beat Club en 1971:

Procol Harum - 01 - Shine On Brightly (1971) - YouTube

Mi opinión sobre la canción:

Rock progresivo

A3 Skip Softly (My Moonbeams)   3:47

Enlaces

Skip Softly (My Moonbeams)

Procol Harum - Shine On Brightly - 03 - Skip Softly (My Moonbeams)

Procol Harum "Skip Softly (My Moonbeams)"

Procol Harum:-'Skip Softly My Moonbeams'

Procol Harum - Skip Softly (My Moonbeans)

Letras

Skip softly, my moonbeams, avoid being seen

Pretend that perhaps you are part of a dream

which (seen by some other such person as me)

would only glow smiling and nod and agree

Skip softly, my moonbeams, for I have heard tell

that the stairs up to heaven lead straight down to hell

that pride is the last thing which comes before fall

I'd as soon talk to you as make love to a wall

Mi opinión sobre la canción:

Canción estilo vodevil de las que le gustan a Peter Gabriel.

A4 Wish Me Well       3:18

Enlaces

Procol Harum "Wish Me Well"

Procol Harum - Shine On Brightly - 04 - Wish Me Well

Wish Me Well

Procol Harum:-'Wish Me Well'

Wish Me Well - PROCOL HARUM

Letras

You know I caught a glimpse, thought I understood

but I left it all far behind

Now if I'd known then what I know now

do you think I would've been so blind?

Gonna take myself to the wishing well

I'm gonna make myself one last wish

and if you follow me there, better bring what you've found

'cause my night has come and I'm going down

Gonna buy myself a big rocking chair

and when I'm sitting in that, then no-one will peek

And my friends will come, they'll see what I'm suffering from

How I wish, how I wish I could rock myself to sleep

Gonna take myself to the wishing well

gonna make myself one last wish

If you follow me there, better bring what you've found

'cause my night has come and I'm going down

Mi opinión sobre la canción:

Tema rockero

A5 Rambling On     4:31

Enlaces

Procol Harum "Rambling On"

Rambling On

Procol Harum - Shine On Brightly - 05 - Rambling On

Procol Harum:-'Rambling On'

Letras

Our local picture house was showing a Batman movie

You see this guy fly up in the sky, thought to myself, 'Why shouldn't I?'

So I bought a pair of wings, went up upon a wall

I was about to jump into the air when a guy from the street called

He said, 'Hey wait a minute! Don't you realize the danger?

What do you think you are, some kind of angel?'

I considered for a minute, realized he spoke the truth.

For the barbells on my eyelids only emphasised my youth

and the sawdust in my plimsolls means the same to him as me

But that's neither here nor further, so I spoke considerately

'Now if you understand just what I'm trying to say,

whatever you do, don't grin, you'll give the game away!'

By now a crowd had gathered and it seemed that all was lost

In the anger of the moment I had diced with death and lost

It seemed to me the time was right so I burst into song

In the anger of the moment the crowd began to sing along

I could not see a way out of this predicament

Just then a breeze came through the trees and up in the air I went

I must have flown a mile, or maybe it was eight

Thought to myself pretty soon I'd hit the Golden Gates

Just then a passing bird for no reason I could see

took a peck at my wings and that was the end of me

I went down, hit the ground faster than the speed of sound

Luckily I broke no bones only tore my underclothes

Mi opinión sobre la canción:

Bonita balada.

CARA 2

B1 Magdalene (My Regal Zonophone)          2:50

Enlaces

Procol Harum "Magdalene (My Regal Zonophone)"

Magdalene (My Regal Zonophone)

Procol Harum- Magdalene, my regal zonophone

Procol Harum:-'Magdalene My Regal Zonophone'

Magdalene, My Regal Zonophone / Procol Harum

Letras

Though I know the night has fallen and the sun's sailed out to sea

I will wait here for the band to play the trumpet voluntary

And with one foot on the seashore and the other in the sand

I will stand here plaiting daisies whilst you play the piano-grand

Caprice, your bugle blew away the cobwebs from my ears

and for once I stood quite naked. Unashamed, I wept the tears

which I tried to hide inside myself from me, I mean from you

but the shame I found too painful and the pain it only grew

Magdalene, my Regal Zonophone

.

Videos

Actuación en el programa de la televisión alemana Beat Club en 1971:

Procol Harum - 06 - Magdalene, My Regal Zonophone (1971) - YouTube

En directo desde Copenhague en 2001:

Procol Harum - Magdalene // Copenhagen - 2001 - YouTube

Mi opinión sobre la canción:

Canción a ritmo militar.

B2 In Held 'Twas in I     17:31

a)  "Glimpses of Nirvana"

b)  "'Twas Teatime at the Circus"

c)  "In the Autumn of My Madness"

d)  "Look to Your Soul"

e)  "Grand Finale"

El título de la suite "In Held 'Twas in I" es un acróstico. Se forma tomando la primera palabra de la letra en cada uno de los primeros cuatro movimientos así como la primera palabra del sexto verso en el primer movimiento:

"In the darkness of the night..."                     Del movimiento 1, "Glimpses of Nirvana"

"Held close by that which some despise..."     Del sexto versículo del movimiento  1

"′Twas tea-time at the circus..."                     Del movimiento 2, "′Twas Teatime at the Circus"

"In the autumn of my madness..."                     Del movimiento 3, "In the Autumn of My Madness"

"I know if I'd been wiser..."                             Del movimiento 4, "Look to Your Soul"

En agosto de 1971, Procol Harum fue invitado a actuar con la Orquesta Sinfónica de Edmonton en Edmonton, Alberta. La grabación del concierto se publicó en el álbum Procol Harum Live with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. En el se incluyó la suite "In Held 'Twas in I". El álbum consiguió la certificación de disco de oro en 1972.

Procol Harum - In Held 'Twas In I [Live With The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra]

Enlaces

Procol Harum "In Held 'Twas In I" (Part 1) /  Procol Harum "In Held 'Twas In I" (Part 2)

In Held 'Twas In I: a) Glimpses of Nirvana

In Held 'Twas In I: b) Twas Teatime at the Circus

In Held 'Twas In I: c) In the Autumn of My Madness

In Held 'Twas In I: d) Look to Your Soul

In Held 'Twas In I: e) Grande Finale

Letras

[Glimpses of Nirvana]

In the darkness of the night, only occasionally relieved by glimpses of Nirvana as seen through other people's windows, wallowing in a morass of self-despair made only more painful by the knowledge that all I am is of my own making ...

When everything around me, even the kitchen ceiling, has collapsed and crumbled without warning. And I am left, standing alive and well, looking up and wondering why and wherefore.

At a time like this, which exists maybe only for me, but is nonetheless real, if I can communicate, and in the telling and the bearing of my soul anything is gained, even though the words which I use are pretentious and make you cringe with embarrassment, let me remind you of the pilgrim who asked for an audience with the Dalai Lama.

He was told he must first spend five years in contemplation. After the five years, he was ushered into the Dalai Lama's presence, who said, 'Well, my son, what do you wish to know?' So the pilgrim said, 'I wish to know the meaning of life, father.'

And the Dalai Lama smiled and said, 'Well my son, life is like a beanstalk, isn't it?'

Held close by that which some despise

which some call fake, and others lies

And somewhat small

for one so tall

a doubting Thomas who would be?

It's written plain for all to see

for one who I am with no more

it's hard at times, it's awful raw

They say that Jesus healed the sick and helped the poor

and those unsure

believed his eyes

- a strange disguise

Still write it down, it might be read

nothing's better left unsaid

only sometimes, still no doubt

it's hard to see, it all works out

['Twas Tea-time at the Circus]

'Twas tea-time at the circus: King Jimi, he was there

Through hoops he skipped, high wires he tripped, and all the while the glare

of the aching, baking spotlight beat down upon his cloak

and though the crowd clapped furiously they could not see the joke

'Twas tea-time at the circus, though some might not agree

as jugglers danced, and horses pranced and clowns clowned endlessly

But trunk to tail the elephants quite silent, never spoke

and though the crowd clapped desperately they could not see the joke

[In the Autumn of My Madness]

In the autumn of my madness when my hair is turning grey

for the milk has finally curdled and I've nothing left to say

When all my thoughts are spoken (save my last departing birds)

bring all my friends unto me and I'll strangle them with words

In the autumn of my madness which in coming won't be long

for the nights are now much darker and the daylight's not so strong

and the things which I believed in are no longer quite enough

for the knowing is much harder and the going's getting rough

[Look to Your Soul]

I know if I'd been wiser this would never have occurred

but I wallowed in my blindness so it's plain that I deserve

for the sin of self-indulgence when the truth was writ quite clear

I must spend my life amongst the dead who spend their lives in fear

of a death that they're not sure of, of a life they can't control

It's all so simple really if you just look to your soul

Some say that I'm a wise man, some think that I'm a fool

It doesn't matter either way: I'll be a wise man's fool

For the lesson lies in learning and by teaching I'll be taught

for there's nothing hidden anywhere, it's all there to be sought

And so if you know anything look closely at the time

at others who remain untrue and don't commit that crime

Videos

Video de un fan:

In Held 'Twas In I: b) Twas Teatime at the Circus - YouTube

Mi opinión sobre la canción:

Impresionante suite de rock progresivo.

Mi opinión personal sobre el álbum:

Procol Harum va evolucionando hacia el rock progresivo. Esto en principio no gusta a sus adeptos que esperaban éxitos como el de A Whiter Shade of Pale, pero que tendrá su recompensa en el futuro.

Créditos

Dave Knights – bajo

B.J. Wilson – batería

Robin Trower – guitarra, teclados

Gary Brooker – piano y voz

Keith Reid – textos

Matthew Fisher – órgano, piano

Créditos técnicos:

Tony Visconti - asistente de producción

Tom Wilkes - dirección de arte

George Underwood – diseño de portada