Editing Procol Harum (section)

=== "A Whiter Shade of Pale" and debut album (1967–1968)===
[[File:Procol Harum original lineup with Harrison and Royer.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|The original lineup of Procol Harum. Left to right: Bobby Harrison, Matthew Fisher, Gary Brooker, David Knights, Ray Royer.]]
In April 1967 the group entered [[Olympic Studios]] in London to record their debut single, "[[A Whiter Shade of Pale]]". They were joined by session drummer [[Bill Eyden]] in place of Harrison (though Harrison did play on the B-side "Lime Street Blues"), producer [[Denny Cordell]] and sound engineer Keith Grant. With a structure reminiscent of [[Baroque music]], the song features a [[countermelody]] loosely based on [[J. S. Bach]]'s [[Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068|Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Major]]  played by Fisher's [[Hammond organ]]. An enthusiastic response from listeners of the [[pirate radio]] station [[Wonderful Radio London|Radio London]] prompted [[Deram Records]] to rush-release the single for 12 May 1967.<ref name=LS17/> It was an instant worldwide success, reaching No. 1 on the [[UK Singles Chart]] for six weeks and the same spot in eleven countries. In three weeks, it became the fastest selling record by a new group.<ref name=MM19670603>{{cite web|url=https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/the-procol-harum--a-sound-to-remember|title=The Procol Harum - A Sound to Remember|first=Nick|last=Jones|work=Melody Maker|date=3 June 1967|via=[[Rock's Backpages]]|access-date=13 March 2022}}</ref> In the US, it peaked at No. 5 and the song has since sold over 10 million copies worldwide.
Around the same time, Cordell suggested that Jonathan Weston be brought in to co-manage the band with Stevens.<ref name=LS17/>

Procol Harum played their first live gig at London's [[Speakeasy]] club on the day "A Whiter Shade of Pale" was released on 12 May 1967. They performed a set of mostly Brooker/Reid songs mixed with covers of [[Bob Dylan]], [[The Rascals]] and [[Tim Rose]] tunes. [[Jimi Hendrix]] was an early vocal supporter of the band and attended their first show where, at the start of their performance of Rose's "[[Morning Dew]]", he went on stage, took Knights' bass and joined in.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.procolharum.com/99/ph_hendrix.htm|title=King Jimi, he was there: Procol and Hendrix|first=David|last=Percy|publisher=ProcolHarum.com|access-date=11 March 2022}}</ref>

After 18 June, the group would not play live in the UK until the following year.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.procolharum.com/99/tavistock_ticket.htm|title=Procol Harum Detail of the last gig of the original line-up in Torquay|via=Procol Harum|access-date=1 August 2022}}</ref><ref name=MM19680106>{{cite web|url= https://www.procolharum.com/99/tavistock_times.htm|title=Procol Harum Tavistock Times report of June 16 1967 gig of original line-up.|via=Procol Harum|access-date=1 August 2022}}</ref>

On 15 July 1967, the group announced the June departure of Royer and Harrison and their split from Weston as manager. Fisher later said that the major issue for the split with Weston was when he organised an extensive UK tour for Procol Harum too soon after the release of "A Whiter Shade of Pale", resulting in the group performing "for £60 per night instead of £500."<ref name=LS17/> Following the addition of guitarist [[Robin Trower]] and the return of B. J. Wilson, the band secured new management under [[Tony Secunda]].<ref name=RM67>{{cite web|url=https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/procol-harum-the-harum-troubles|title=Procol Harum: The Harum Troubles|work=Record Mirror|date=30 September 1967|via=[[Rock's Backpages]]|access-date=13 March 2022}}</ref> The departures brought about what Brooker described as "great lawsuits and expense" from Royer, Harrison, and Weston, and initial session drummer Eyden filed his own suit.<ref name=LS17>{{cite web|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/procol-harum-the-ultimate-tale-of-a-whiter-shade-of-pale|title=Procol Harum: The ultimate tale of A Whiter Shade of Pale|first=Marcus|last=Gray|date=8 June 2017|publisher=Loudersound|access-date=14 March 2022}}</ref> Roughly three months into their partnership with Secunda, the band hired two Americans, Bennett Glotzer and Ronnie Lyons, to manage them in the US.
[[File:Procol Harum early 1968.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Procol Harum {{circa|early 1968}} {{br}}From left: Knights, Trower, Brooker, Wilson, Fisher]]
The group's follow-up single, "[[Homburg (song)|Homburg]]", was released in September 1967. The song reached No.&nbsp;6 in the UK and No.&nbsp;34 in the US. In the same month their debut album, ''[[Procol Harum (album)|Procol Harum]]'', recorded between the two hit singles, was released in the US. Brooker said its release soon after the singles put the band in good stead in the US, but the problems created by the line-up changes, subsequent lawsuits and new management delayed its release in the UK until December. Brooker said it was at this point where the band "had lost the British audience."<ref name=RS71>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/procol-harum-and-facts-of-life|title=Procol Harum and Facts of Life|first=Andrew|last=Bailey|date=10 June 1971|magazine=Rolling Stone|via=[[Rock's Backpages]]|access-date=14 March 2022}}</ref>