Procol Harum's NME coverage ...

12 October, 26 October, 23 November 1968

These excerpts from New Musical Express, kindly selected for 'Beyond the Pale' by Yan Friis, show Procol Harum scoring at the Fillmore when they were badly needed back home!

NME October 12, 1968

Front page: Full page ad for The Who’s Magic Bus (Track)

Headlines:

MARY HOPKIN FRANKLY SAYS SHE HAS NO MANAGER, AND NEVER HAS HAD!
by Alan Smith

DAVY JONES speaks out about the MONKEES AND HIS OWN FUTURE PLANS
by David Lillicot

The Trems, who put an armadillo into the Top Ten, tell Richard Green
THE OLD ROUTINE’S GETTING A BIT OF A DRAG

BARRY REVEALS BEE GEES PLANS AND TAKES YOU ROUND HIS PENTHOUSE PAD
by Nick Logan

Tipped for the charts by John Wells
The Who, Magic Bus
Val Doonican, If I Knew Then What I Know Now
Jim Reeves, When You Are Gone
Bruce Channel, Try Me
Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & the Trinity, Road To Cairo
Long John Baldry, Mexico
Eclection, Please

NME Top 5
1. ( 1) Those Were The Days, Mary Hopkin
2. ( 3) Jesamine, Casuals
3. ( 2) Hey Jude, Beatles
4. ( 4) Little Arrows, Leapy Lee
5. ( 5) Hold Me Tight, Johnny Nash

AMERICA CALLING
by June Harris

Ten Years After’s American opening at the Fillmore East last weekend, sharing the bill with Procol Harum and Country Joe and the Fish, was sensational!

The two English groups practically wiped the floor with their American counterparts, each outfit sustaining lengthy standing ovations which, although becoming the thing now at the Fillmore, are still only reserved for great musicians.

Procol have improved 100 per cent since their last tour here, scoring at the Fillmore, one of the last dates on their current swing, a huge personal success…

NME October 26, 1968

Front page:
Half page ad for Dusty Springfield’s 45 I Will Come To You and forthcoming LP Dusty…definitely (both on Philips)
Also pics of Jimi Hendrix, Hollies, Who and Tremeloes

Headlines:
LIVE-FOR-THE-MOMENT LEAPY ACTS OUT BEING AT No 2
by Richard Green

A happy JOE COCKER who this week leaps to No 6: I’M NOT A POP PIN-UP… I’M GRUESOME
by Keith Altham

Tipped for the charts by Derek Johnson
O.C. Smith, Little Green Apples
Anita Harris, Le Blon
Moody Blues, Ride My See-Saw
Des O’Connor, One, Two, Three O’Leary 

NME Top 5
1. ( 1) Those Were The Days, Mary Hopkin
2. ( 2) Little Arrows, Leapy Lee
3. ( 3) Jesamine, Casuals
4. ( 4) Hey Jude, Beatles
5. ( 5) My Little Lady, Tremeloes

Tail-pieces by the Alley Cat

…U.S. group Hesitations have updated Procol Harum’s Whiter Shade Of Pale ...

NME November 23, 1968

Front page:

Full page ad for Dusty Springfield’s Son-Of-A-Preacherman 45 (Philips)

Headlines:

ENGEL FALLS IN LOVE WITH HIS NEW HOME
by Jan Nesbit
(Engelbert, that is)

ASK-IN with CHART-TOPPER BARRY RYAN
by Keith Altham

Jimi – the phenomenon who was replaced by Mickey Mouse
The ACCIDENT THAT HELPED HENDRIX CONQUR the WORLD
by Chas Chandler / Keith Altham

The double-image TURTLES GO TOPLESS - and almost bottom-less as well!
by Ann Moses

Tipped for the charts by Derek Johnson
Tom Jones, A Minute Of Your Time
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap, Over You
Cliff Richard, Don’t Forget To Catch Me
Manfred Mann, Fox On The Run
Crazy World Of Arthur Brown, Nightmare
Gene Pitney, Yours Until Tomorrow

also a small review of
The Nice, Brandenburger (Immediate)(excerpt):

"In fact, I didn’t know the Nice had it in them, because the performance is brilliant. Those of you who have heard the Jacques Loussier Trio play Bach will know what to expect."

NME Top 5:
1. ( 2) Eloise, Barry Ryan
2. ( 1) The Good, The Bad And The Ugly, Hugo Montenegro
3. ( 4) This Old Heart Of Mine, Isley Brothers
4. ( 8) Breaking Down The Walls Of Heartache, Bandwagon
5. ( 3) With A Little Help From My Friends, Joe Cocker

Tail-pieces by the Alley Cat

… One year since Procol Harum’s last chart entry…

The NME Reader’s Poll for 1968 (printed December 7, 1968) is the pits for any fan of Procol Harum. The group and its members are not mentioned anywhere. To capture the No. 20 slot in the best British Group-section would only have taken 189 votes (Manfred Mann and Fleetwood Mac ties at No. 20 with 189 votes), and Gary Brooker only needed 151 votes to capture the No 20 slot in the British Male Singer-section, but he is nowhere to be seen.

What a bringdown.

(Missing in action: the NME December 14, 1968 issue) I hope this is not the issue where Shine On Brightly is reviewed. I find it highly unlikely, though, ’cos the EMI album ads doesn’t mention it at all…

And that was 1968 for you. What a depressing year for Procol-fans.