We skipped the light fandango: Whiter Shade of Pale is most played song

newslite ^ | April 15, 2009

[JoeProBono]

'A Whiter Shade of Pale' by Procol Harum is the most heard song of the last 75 years, it has been claimed.

The 1967 hit has been broadcast in public places more than any other song, found a chart compiled for BBC Radio 2.

Music licensing firm PPL say they took into account everywhere music is consumed in public, whether in the high street, on hospital radio, in pubs, clubs and supermarkets, in stadiums or on jukeboxes.

[JoeProBono]

VIDEO

We skipped the light fandango turned cartwheels 'cross the floor I was feeling kinda seasick but the crowd called out for more The room was humming harder as the ceiling flew away When we called out for another drink the waiter brought a tray

And so it was that later as the miller told his tale that her face, at first just ghostly, turned a whiter shade of pale

She said, 'There is no reason and the truth is plain to see.' But I wandered through my playing cards and would not let her be one of sixteen vestal virgins who were leaving for the coast and although my eyes were open they might have just as well've been closed

She said, 'I'm home on shore leave,' though in truth we were at sea so I took her by the looking glass and forced her to agree saying, 'You must be the mermaid who took Neptune for a ride.' But she smiled at me so sadly that my anger straightway died

If music be the food of love then laughter is its queen and likewise if behind is in front then dirt in truth is clean My mouth by then like cardboard seemed to slip straight through my head So we crash-dived straightway quickly and attacked the ocean bed

[Paul Heinzman]

Yet I never seem to get sick of it.

[cripplecreek]

It’s an awesome tune.

[karatemom]

As much as I like this tune, I am guessing that one would need a serious dose of LSD for the lyrics to make any sense. :)

[dfwgator]

Gary Brooker is one of my all-time favorite rock vocalists.

One of my favorite Alan Parsons tunes is “Limelight”, which Brooker sang on.

Also, if you saw the movie “Evita”, he made a brief appearance, on “The Rainbow Tour.”

[Alberta's Child]

Here's an interesting story about this song . . .

There was a DJ in New York City some years ago who thought John Lennon's greatest regret in life was that someone else wrote this song and not him. This DJ described many occasions where he would see Lennon driving somewhere in Manhattan in one of his expensive cars -- and it seemed that during every one of these encounters he would hear "A White Shade of Pale" playing on the car's stereo.

[Drammach]

What exactly is the light fandango, as opposed to the regular fandango?

On a side note, in honor of this being April, 2009, one should take a moment to find Jan & Dean’s “409” and play it.

The date and the song won’t coincide again for 100 years.

[JoeProBono]

A Whiter Shade of Pale Mike Butler in 'Lives of the Great Songs

[Revolting cat!]

VIDEO

Dead people.

[JoeDetweiler]

1. Procol Harum - A Whiter Shade Of Pale
2. Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
3. Everly Brothers - All I Have To Do Is Dream
4. Wet Wet Wet - Love Is All Around
5. Bryan Adams - (Everything I Do) I Do It For You
6. Robbie Williams - Angels
7. Elvis Presley - All Shook Up
8. Abba - Dancing Queen
9. Perry Como - Magic Moments
10. Bing Crosby - White Christmas

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7996979.stm

[Billthedrill]

Egad. I sort of expected to see Free Bird in the top 10...

[Drammach]

OOOPS! My mistake, it was the Beach Boys. Darn!

Giddyup 409

[Frantzie]

Seems like it has something to do with a possibly drunken UK lager lout getting seasick possibly on a channel ferry. He falls overboard and meets a mermaid.

I think the keyboard player sued to be included for songwriting credits because the organ bots were such an integral part of the song.

[detective]

“as the miller told his tale”

I always thought it was “as the mirror told its tale”. In so many rock songs the I never know the real lyrics. Tumbling Dice and other Rolling Stones songs are hard to make out and I have to guess at the lyrics. I have always liked Whiter Shade of Pale though.

[JoeProBono]

FANDANGO

LIGHT FANDANGO

[raybbr]

To "skip the light fandango" is a euphemism for dancing.

See here....

[karatemom]

Thank you!! It does seem to make a little more sense now. Can you now explain “Rainy Day women #12 and 36” or whatever the numbers were in the Dylan song???:)

[La Lydia]

There used to be a great website called “KissThisGuy.com” as in Jimi Hendrix, “Scuse me while I kiss the sky,” that had all kinds of mis-heard rock lyrics, and what they originally said. It was very, very funny. CCR: “There’s a bathroom on the right.”

[Frantzie]

In reading the lyrics of the song again - this lager lout appears to be playing in a band on a ship. The waiter brings another drink. Somehow he falls overboard or maybe the ship sinks and he hooks up with the mermaid.

Her face turned a whiter shade of pale? Maybe he was playing in a band on the Titanic and the lady realized the ship was going to sink. The boat sinks, he is so drunk he does not realize it and he meets a virgin mermaid???

Somebody help me here - throw me a bone. ;-)

[Nakota]

Still sounds like Bach to me.