Gary Brooker brought back to life on unique version of A Whiter Shade of Pale on Think Loud 4 Parkinson’s charity record

New charity album ‘Think Loud 4 Parkinson’s’ contains a unique version of Procol Harum’s 1967 number one ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’ along with Leo Sayer’s cover of The Beatles’ ‘Eleanor Rigby’ set to the music of Michael Jackson’s ‘Billie Jean’.

A unique version of Procol Harum’s ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’ featuring late singer Gary Brooker is among the songs on new charity album ‘Think Loud 4 Parkinson’s’.

The LP was put together by esteemed manager Ian Grant - who helped steer the careers of Big Country, The Cult, The Stranglers, Elizabeth McGovern and many more - and music producer Paul Mitchell, along with two others, in response to Grant’s own experience living with Parkinson’s disease for the last nine years.

All profits from the LP go to Cure Parkinson’s to help the charity fund their vital research into the neurodegenerative disease. It features an array of covers and rare tracks from an array of music legends such as singer Leo Sayer, Queen drummer Roger Taylor and former Spandau Ballet frontman Tony Hadley.

For the special version of ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’, Paul took the performance of the song from the ‘Remembering Gary Brooker’ memorial concert that took place at G Live in Guilford, England, on December 4, 2023.

That performance features a 15-year old live vocal recording of Gary - who passed away from cancer in February 2022, at the age of 76 - matched to Procol Harum’s live rendition of the track in tribute to the singer at that gig.

Speaking at the launch of the album at the offices of Cure Parkinson’s in London, Paul said: “Gary’s widow Frankie Brooker very kindly allowed us to take some tracks from that concert.

“The ‘Whiter Shade of Paler’ version on this - and this is how valuable this album is going to be - is super rare.

“The music is the band playing live in December 2023, but the vocal is Gary Brooker’s vocal from Boston in 2010 and it’s all synchronised together. It is an absolute one-off.”

Procol Harum keyboard player Josh Phillips was also in attendance at the album’s launch and admitted hearing Gary sing on the 1967 number one single again was an emotional experience, both at that memorial show and on the album.

He said: “This was the last song we did, ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’, and very kindly Gary’s wife Frankie Brooker has allowed for the charity to take this recording. Paul did an extraordinary job putting this together because the vocal is taken from the gig.

“When we did that show we knew that Gary’s vocal was going to come through the monitors. My god it was like the heavens opened, like the skies cleared and we could see Gary again. I remember looking up at this big screen and Gary was looking down at me

“The recording is incredible.

“I was in Procol Harum for 30 years so hearing Gary was quite a thing, really.”

Josh, 62, hopes fans will appreciate the song because it is a reminder of what a wonderful singer Gary was.

Speaking to BANG Showbiz, he added: “Gary sang like an angel every night, right up until he was ill. He’s possibly one of the most brilliant singers in the world and possibly one of the most underrated British rock ‘n’ roll singers of all time.

“God bless his soul. I love that man and I miss him terribly.”

Other highlights on the LP include a new version of ‘60s hit ‘Let There be Drums’ which features British guitar legend Hank Marvin and Roger Taylor, a cover of The Animals’ ‘House of the Rising Sun’ by Arthur Brown and Leo Sayer’s interpretation of The Beatles’ ‘Eleanor Rigby’ which has been set to the music of Michael Jackson’s ‘Billie Jean’.

Speaking about the R’n’B version of the 1966 song, Leo said: “I actually made two versions - one of them was almost a grunge style cover, believe it or not.

“I put a Michael Jackson inspired version on in the end.

“The song felt fitting, ‘Ah, look at all the lonely people.’ Well, people who are going through Parkinson’s will tell you it can be one of the loneliest experiences in the world.”

The album is out now and its release follows news that Ozzy Osbourne has chosen Cure Parkinson’s to receive part of the proceeds from Black Sabbath’s farewell show at Villa Park this summer.

Pete Townshend and The Who have also shown their support with a £20,000 donation from the band’s Double O Charity in support of the album and charity.

'Think Loud 4 Parkinson's' tracklist:

'Think Loud' - Kindred Spirit, Leo Sayer, John Illsley

'All Right Now' - Kindred Spirit, Arthur Brown, Sonia Kristina

'Angels' - Kindred Spirit, Marcella Detroit, Tony Hadley

'Meet on the Ledge' - Fairport's Cropredy 20

'Tobacco Road' - Richard Thompson, Hugh Cornwell

'Soul Mining - Leo Sayer, Marcella Detroit

'House of the Rising Sun' - The Crazy World of Lockdown feat Arthur Brown

'Old Dingo' - John Cooper Clarke

'I Can't Stand the Rain' - Ann Peebles, Deborah Bonham

'Over My Shoulder' - Mike and The Mechanics

'Let There Be Drums' - KODO drums, Hank Marvin, Roger Taylor