The Elusive Procol Harum (a WCF original, # 718)

 

USA: 1971/2

Pressed in larger quantities than the preceding three titles in WCF’s 700 series.

Source:  WPLJ-FM radio broadcast from the A&R Studios in New York, 12 April 1971 during their North American tour. The date confirms my placing of the 700 series in the months between mid-1971 to early 1972.

Unfortunately, this pressing did not come out well, only earning a “Gm” rating in HOTWACKS “with the exception of ‘Fare Thee Well’, which is very poor.”.  HOTWACKS continues that this is also available on CBM 718 “from original plates”. I have never seen the CBM copy and without having compared the matrices, I would not make this claim and suggestion that there was a relationship between the two labels (other than CBM copying several of WCF’s titles, as we have seen so far).  Previously, we saw another case of identical matrix numbers for their respective copies of Led Zeppelin’s Blueberry Hill.

The correct track list is:

1 Memorial Drive
2 Still There’ll be more
3 Nothing that I didn’t know
4 Simple Sister
5 Luskus Delph
6 Shine On Brightly
7 Whaling Stories
8 Broken Barricades
9 Juicy John Pink
10 A Salty Dog
11 Whisky Train
12 Power Failure

Gary Brooker (voice & piano)
Chris Copping (Hammond organ, bass)
Robin Trower (guitar, bass)
BJ Wilson (drums)

**

TMOQ later released a significant quality upgrade of the first 10 tracks with the matrix # 1844 A/B. The four digit TMOQ titles are seen as Ken’s part of the output following his ouster from TMOQ by Dub and his father.

**

death 531 & 532: A trip to Seattle 1: PROCOL HARUM ‘Snails And Pentagrams’ & SUPERTRAMP ‘LIVE’

Reversing the name listed for production yields john w., with the ‘w’ likely representing ‘Wizardo’.

About 50 copies were pressed on blue PVC (100 on black):

Made in Southern California, 1977

Matrix variations: 75321-A / – B  or  WRMB 532-A / WRMB 532-B

 

Date & Venue: April 20 ’77 – Seattle Arena [is this the same venue as the Seattle Center Coliseum, now known as KeyArena?]

Two photos of the band on stage two days later in Vancouver can be seen here: http://mermaidskissgallery.com/concerts/supertramp-col/index.html

The above poster was for the Portland, OR show at the Paramount Theater on April 17 ’77. Now the insert below for what is supposed to be the Seattle recording says “Paramount” also, someone must have gotten confused.

A few copies got out undetected that have a different matrix on side 2: W 532B and play four Who songs: A Quick One, Easy Goin’ Guy, Shakin All Over and Boris The Spider

Also the usual limited run on K&S:

The Death/K&S LP has:

Side 1: Dreamer / Rudy (Gs) / Fools Overture
Side 2: Lady / Crime Of The Century

 

Described as “Vgs”. My issue is that I have looked at every surviving recorded fragment from this tour and “Rudy” was never played or captured at any other time and it is singled out here for worse quality. Could it be from a different source and year (it was part of their 1976 shows)?

Set lists for 1977 “Even In The Quietest Moments” Supertramp shows: (a. Dan Lampinski ‘Boston June 12’ recording):

01 School
02 Ain’t Nobody But Me
03 Give A Little Bit
04 Bloody Well Right
05 Sister Moonshine
06 From Now On
07 Hide In Your Shell
08 Poor Boy (cut)
09 Babaji
10 Asylum
11 Dreamer
12 Another Man’s Woman
13 Fool’s Overture
14 E: Two Of Us
15 Crime Of the Century

b.) Jaap Eden Hall, Amsterdam, Holland, 11 Oct 1977

1 School
2 Ain’t Nobody But Me
3 Give A Little Bit
4 Bloody Well Right
5 Sister Moonshine
6 From Now On
7 Hide In Your Shell
8 Asylum
9 Poor Boy
10  Babaji
11  Dreamer
12  Another Man’s Woman
13  Fool’s Overture

***

Set list for Procol Harum (identical with LP track list):

Conquistador
Simple Sister
Grand Hotel
Whaling Stories
The Mark of the Claw
Pandora’s Box (listed as “The Spanish Maine”)
The Unquiet Zone (listed as “No Wings”)
A Salty Dog

Listed as “Gm” in HW.

1990: PROCOL HARUM FIVE AND DIME

TAKRL says: “Really 1960,but we already had one. Omigosh, our first numerical catalogue error.”

January1976 radio show. London.

1- Conquistador – 4:25
2- The Unquiet Zone – 6:10
3- Beyond The Pale – 3:39
4- All This And more – 3:52
5- Salty Dog – 5:02
6- I Keep Forgetting – 3:58
7- Blue Danube Treatments – 8:13
8- I Can’t Help Myself>>Nothing But The Truth – 4:59
9- A Whiter Shade Of Pale – 7:21 total time 47:47

GARY BROOKER, voice & piano
CHRIS COPPING, Hammond organ
ALAN CARTWRIGHT, bass
MICK GRABHAM, guitar
B.J. WILSON, drums

[This album is on Youtube in its entirety:

then follow the links to the rest of the tracks (click on “Watch on Youtube”) on bottom right.]

1920: PROCOL HARUM TALES WITH TANGRAMS

Cover says “recorded during the 1974 British Tour supporting [their album] “Exotic Birds And Fruit” “.

Side 1: Conquistador – 4:18
As Strong As Sampson – 5:36
Whaling Stories – 9:46
New Lamps For Old – 4:12

Side 2: Bringing Home The Bacon – 4:10

Simple Sister – 5:55
The idol – 6:36
Butterfly Boys – 3:28
Nothing But The Truth – 3:06