Procol Harum's NME coverage ...

28 February; 7 March, 11 April; 2 + 16 May 1970

These excerpts from New Musical Express, kindly selected for 'Beyond the Pale' by Yan Friis, show a few Procol dates in the UK, US tours planned, and a little bit of Fisher-press.

NME February 28, 1970

Front page: Pictures with short news captions on Doris Troy & Viv Stanshall, Diana Ross, Jackson 5, Lee Marvin, Booker T & the MG's, Gene Pitney, Sergio Mendes, Cuff Links.

Headlines:
Okay, so Venus sounds like it was cut in a toilet, but who cares?
by Gordon Coxhill

TOO MANY GROUPS CATCH EGO DISEASE
says Canned Heat's Bob Hite, who also raves over Bing!
by Alan Smith

OUR MUSIC IS FUNKLEGUM CLAIM CUFF LINKS

Are they really the Archies? No comment!
by Alan Smith

Herman and Hermits to work apart, but no split
Peter Noone tells Richard Green

Tipped for charts by Derek Johnson
Beatles, Let It Be
Gene Pitney, A Street Called Hope
Isley Brothers, Was It Good To You
Tremeloes, By The Way
Des O'Connor, I'll Go On Hoping
5^th Dimension, Blowing Away

NME Top 5
1. ( 4) I Want You Back, Jackson 5
2. ( 8) Wandering Star, Lee Marvin
3. ( 1) Love Grows, Edison Lighthouse
4. ( 2) Let's Work Together, Canned Heat
5. (17) Instant Karma, Plastic Ono Band

News pages:
My NME does mention Procol Harum, but I am afraid I cannot tell you what it's all about. When I was a teenager I cut out an ad on the other side of the page leaving just this:

NGES
e left Procol
o wrote "A
The group,
y EMI, has
Ellis - who
as well as

SHIT!
Is this a small note telling us that Matthew Fisher left the group? Someone please let BtP know

NME March 7, 1970

Front page: Full page ad for The Beatles' Let It Be (Apple) 45.
Headlines:

THE CANNED HEAT INTERVIEW
Bob Hite, Larry Taylor talk...
by Martin Webb

BROTHERHOOD FRIENDSHIP SCENE - Tony
(Brotherhood Of Man, that is)

BADFINGER GO BACK TO BEATLE-LAND
CONTROVERSY PAGE
WHY IS BRITISH POP OPTING OUT OF EUROPE?

Only two British acts in Dutch gala show and only one British act honoured.
by Andy Gray (in Amsterdam)
(from the TV show regarding the Edison statue awards)

(excerpt)

... and six US acts flew the Atlantic for the show, while Britain had only two acts across the Channel - J. Vincent Edwards and Procol Harum.

They did well, but what is the matter with Britain these days?....

...The PROCOL HARUM too, were quite classical in sound, specially Gary Brooker on piano, as he sang about a sinking ship. They finished strongly with Ride The Whisky Train.

Tipped for charts by Derek Johnson
David Bowie, The Prettiest Star
Radha Krishna Temple, Govinda
Clodagh Rodgers, Everybody Go Home The Party's Over
Status Quo, Down The Dustpipe
Malcolm Roberts, We Can Make It Girl

NME Top 5
1. ( 2) Wandering Star, Lee Marvin
2. ( 1) I Want You Back, Jackson 5
3. ( 4) Let's Work Together, Canned Heat
4. ( 3) Love Grows, Edison Lighthouse
5. ( 5) Instant Karma, Plastic Ono Band

NME April 11, 1970

Front page: Full page ad for Tom Jones's Tom album and Daughter Of Darkness 45 (both on Decca)

Headlines:
ROY CARR reveals why it took so long to release No 1 Simon & Garfunkel hits
EXHAUSTION PREVENTED PERFECTIONIST PAUL FROM WORKING

WHY PETER GREEN QUIT FLEETWOOD MAC
CLASH BETWEEN MUSIC BELIEFS AND BUSINESS
by Nick Logan

ASK-IN with a LED ZEPPELIN a week
Thinking as a sex symbol can turn you into a bad person - ROBERT PLANT
by Ritchie Yorke

Marching on Britain...
CREEDENCE'S 'BAND' TRIBUTE TO ROCK STARS
by Roy Carr

Tipped for charts by Derek Johnson
Hollies, I Can't Tell The Bottom From The Top
Tony Burrows, Melanie Makes Me Smile
Tom Jones, Daughter Of Darkness

NME Top 5:
1. ( 1) Bridge Over Troubled Water, Simon & Garfunkel
2. ( 2) Can't Help Fallin' In Love, Andy Williams
3. ( 3) Knock Knock Who's There, Mary Hopkin
4. ( 6) Young Gifted And Black, Bob & Marcia
5. (18) All Kinds Of Everything, Dana

Top 5 LPs
1. ( 1) Bridge Over Troubled Waters, Simon & Garfunkel
2. ( 2) Easy Rider, Soundtrack
3. ( 3) Paint Your Wagon, Soundtrack
4. ( 5) Fill Your Head With Rock, Various Artists
5. ( 4) Led Zeppelin Vol. 2, Led Zeppelin

News pages

... ONE NIGHTERS

... Procol Harum at Dagenham Roundhouse on April 18.

NME May 2, 1970

Front page: Big feature on Simon & Garfunkel's concert in Royal Albert Hall:
Simon and Garfunkel's amazing reaction to London concert
AUDIENCE HYSTERIA DISMAYED THEM
by Miranda Ward

Magic Weavers of contentment
by Andy Gray

Headlines:
INVITE ME TO BRITAIN
pleads 'homesick' Steve Wonder
Who says he may marry in six months!
by Alan Smith

Final part of...
ON TOUR WITH CREEDENCE
LENIN'S BIRTHDAY IN EAST BERLIN AND DOUG AND STU'S IN GAY PAREE!
by Roy Carr

JETHRO HAVEN'T FALLEN VICTIM TO THE MIGHTY DOLLAR
IAN answers the: Yaroo, you've sold-out critics
by Nick Logan

Tipped for charts by Derek Johnson
Supremes, Up The Ladder To The Roof
Bobbie Gentry, If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody
Chicago, Make Me Smile

NME Top 5
1. ( 1) Spirit In The Sky, Norman Greenbaum
2. ( 2) All Kinds Of Everything, Dana
3. ( 3) Bridge Over Troubled Water, Simon & Garfunkel
4. ( 5) Gimme Dat Ding, Pipkins
5. ( 8) Never Had A Dream Come True, Stevie Wonder

TOP 5 LPs
1. ( 1) Bridge Over Troubled Water, Simon & Garfunkel
2. ( 6) McCartney, Paul McCartney
3. ( 2) Andy Williams's Greatest Hits, Andy Williams
4. ( 3) Led Zeppelin Vol. 2, Led Zeppelin
5. ( 4) Easy Rider, Soundtrack

News pages:

POPLINERS

... Procol Harum begins eight-week U.S. tour on June 15...

Lord Sutch's supergroups!
(excerpt)

When Lord Sutch appears in concert at London Lyceum on Sunday, May 10, his Heavy Friends group will include Procol Harum's Matthew Fisher, Gun's Adrian Curtis, the Stones' original drummer Carlo Little, Deep Purple's Nick Simper and ex-Plastic Penny Brian Keith - plus Roy Young, Sid Berry and Dave Wendells. Among others who may be appearing are the Who's Keith Moon and John Entwistle and Deep Purple's Richie Blackmore ... (all names [sic])

NME May 16, 1970

Front page:
Gossip-pics of Frank Sinatra & Prince Phillip, Mick Jagger (from Ned Kelly), Christie, The Who, Art Garfunkel (with a copy of NME), Traffic - and Bill Martin with Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Alan Ball.

Headlines:
The BAND'S ROBBIE ROBERTSON talks to NICK LOGAN
'We were just a scrounge road group when we met Bob Dylan'

A HIT SINGLE? WE'RE JUST GETTING OUR KICKS
says MOODY RAY THOMAS

'Let's face it, America is where the money is'
by Richard Green

WHO AM I? asks JULIE!
by Alan Smith
(Julie Felix, that is)

Tipped for chart by Derek Johnson
Four Tops, It's All In The Game
Fleetwood Mac, The Green Manalishi
Arrival, I Will Survive

NME Top 5
1. ( 1) Back Home, England World Cup Squad
2. ( 2) Spirit In The Sky, Norman Greenbaum
3. ( 9) House Of The Rising Sun, Frijid Pink
4. (14) Daughter Of Darkness, Tom Jones
5. ( 3) All Kinds Of Everything, Dana

Top 5 LPs
1. ( 1) Bridge Over Troubled Water, Simon & Garfunkel
2. ( 2) McCartney, Paul McCartney
3. ( -) Let It Be, Beatles
4. ( 3) Andy Williams's Greatest Hits, Andy Williams
5. ( 8) Benefit, Jethro Tull

News pages:

One-night stands

... Procol Harum at London Lyceum on June 5 ...

I had cut out something from that newspaper, so the Extravaganza ad was hurt, unfortunately ...