Expanded Procol Harum reissues (2015)

Henry Scott-Irvine (also on Facebook) - who wrote the liner notes for some of the releases, as well as a recent group bio - may also be knowledgeable as to the possibilities of a CD release of The Elusive PH, or the reasons for its non-release. Though I wouldn't expect him to have any influence as to whether it ever occurs.

 

It's good. Really good. Many don't like it, but that's often because many people aren't used to mono records. Very focused, punchy sound. I really like it.

 

Yes

 

I think the Magdalene you're referring to was on the third disc of the 30th Anniversary Anthology released on Westside in 1997 (I think). That Disc 3 was really good; it had a stereo Whiter Shade, and an all-instrumental backing track. It also had the single version of A Salty Dog in mono only - the stereo mix was missing entirely from the set (Disc 2 combined both A Salty Dog and Home albums, but without the former's title track. A real shame ...)

 

Here's the U.S. A&M 1968 promo poster for SHINE ON BRIGHTLY I found recently...striking and printed on reflective foil - 20" x 31" (the most elaborately designed promo poster I've seen from this era).

 

I've never seen that poster. A bit bizarre but quite striking.

 

That's a beautiful promo poster. Having seen one myself, I can say that your photo only hints at how striking it actually is. I'm sure you'd agree. Congrats on finding one!

 

Thanks - definitely a favorite, design wise, of the late '60s promotional items (along with the posters I have for The Byrds' YOUNGER THAN YESTERDAY and Scott Walker's SCOTT 4). Unfortunately, shop posters were very arbitrarily included in the marketing campaigns for albums in the mid-to-late '60s (Elektra's consistent printing of them to a standard template notwithstanding)...and usually nothing more than a bland enlargement of the album cover with a bit of copy (oddly enough - the early '60s Beatles promo posters tend to be more graphically deluxe and properly laid out than from RUBBER SOUL onwards) - as you're aware I'm sure, budget was usually devoted to trade/magazine ads instead of point-of-purchase materials (of which SHINE ON BRIGHTLY has a similar one with this alternate cover-session photo differently cropped and straight b&w with no color treatment).

Things did get more regular in the early '70s for lithographed promotional ephemera. Was surprised that the European Procol Harum collector who maintains a museum of sorts linked on the PH website does not appear to have the SHINE ON BRIGHTLY poster, so surviving examples must be quite scarce - somewhat surprising since, what I've found searching for many years, is that the more beautiful the piece, the more likely the ephemera was saved in numbers in its original era (case in point: the YOUNGER THAN YESTERDAY poster which, though very collectable, is proportionately common).

This is the earliest example I've seen from A&M, but just a bit later, there were posters done for Humble Pie, the Flying Burrito Brothers, Cat Stevens and another Moss/Cordell collaborative effort, Joe Cocker. Most of these, save for the Burrito Brothers (which isn't particularly impressive IMO), are common. Keep hoping for a Dillard & Clark or Gene (solo) WHITE LIGHT to surface, but instinct tells me these were not printed.

 

Incidentally, have also dreamed of finding either a US A&M or UK Island promo poster for Fairport Convention Circa '69. To my knowledge, not one has surfaced, leading to suspicion they weren't printed (a fairly common UK Island poster for Sandy Denny's first solo LP exists). UK A&M did print up a nice poster with complementary artwork for the first Strawbs though. Suspect that the US A&M promotional push for SHINE ON BRIGHTLY had to do with the recent worldwide success of "A Whiter Shade of Pale" on Deram before that stable moved from the Decca organization to A&M domestically and Regal-Zonophone elsewhere and an attempt to capitalize on that momentum...

 

You wouldn't have a link to a photo of this by chance?!

 

Wish I'd saved the jpeg...it was an eBay auction - I probably remember the seller though.

 

Do any recent re-issues focus on their singles?

 

It depends what you mean by 'recent'. This is from 2002:



It covers the period 1967-1991, and includes some nice rarities:

1-1 A Whiter Shade Of Pale [Mono Version]
1-2 Lime Street Blues [Mono Version]
1-3 Homburg [Mono Version]
1-4 Good Captain Clack [Mono Version]
1-5 Il Tuo Diamante [Mono Version][Shine On Brightly]
1-6 Fortuna [Mono Version][Repent Walpurgis]
1-7 Quite Rightly So [Mono Version]
1-8 In The Wee Small Hours Of Sixpence [Mono Version]
1-9 Quite Rightly So [Alternate Take][Mono Version]
1-10 Rambling On [Mono Version]
1-11 In The Wee Small Hours Of Sixpence [Alternate Take With Different Vocal
1-12 A Salty Dog [Mono Version]
1-13 Long Gone Geek [Mono Version]
1-14 The Devil Came From Kansas [Mono Version]
1-15 Boredom [Mono Version]
1-16 Whisky Train [Edit]
1-17 About To Die [Mono Version]
1-18 Broken Barricades [Mono Version]
1-19 Power Failure [Mono Version]
2-1 Simple Sister [Stereo]
2-2 Song For A Dreamer [Stereo]
2-3 Homburg [Stereo]
2-4 Conquistador [Studio Version]
2-5 Conquistador [Live][Stereo]
2-6 Luskus Delph [Live][Stereo]
2-7 A Salty Dog [Live][Stereo]
2-8 All This And More [Live][Stereo]
2-9 Robert's Box [Edit][Stereo]
2-10 A Rum Tale [Stereo]
2-11 Grand Hotel [Edit][Version]
2-12 Bringing Home The Bacon [Stereo]
2-13 Fires (Which Burnt Brightly) [Stereo]
2-14 Souvenir Of London [Stereo]
2-15 Toujour's L'Amour [Stereo]
2-16 Nothing But The Truth [Stereo]
2-17 Drunk Again [Stereo]
2-18 Beyond The Pale [Stereo]
2-19 Fresh Fruit [Stereo]
3-1 Pandora's Box [Stereo]
3-2 The Piper's Tune [Stereo]
3-3 The Final Thrust [Edit][Version]
3-4 Taking The Time [Stereo]
3-5 As Strong As Samson [Remix][Version]
3-6 The Unquiet Zone [Stereo]
3-7 Adagio di Albinoni [Stereo]
3-8 Blue Danube [Live][Stereo]
3-9 Wizard Man [Stereo]
3-10 Backgammon [Stereo]
3-11 Something Magic [Stereo]
3-12 All Our Dreams Are Sold [Stereo]
3-13 The Truth Won't Fade Away [Stereo]
3-14 A Dream In Ev'ry Home [Edit][Version]
3-15 (You Can't) Turn Back The Page [Stereo]
3-16 One More Time [Stereo]
3-17 Perpetual Motion [Stereo]
3-18 Learn To Fly [Stereo]
3-19 Into the Flood [Stereo]

 

Thanks. Any single disc recommendations? Others have suggested the first album.

 

Hotdog. Exactly what are you seeking. That singles double set is pretty much what you would want.

Course you can purchase all the esoteric releases. Or pick up the salvos cheap

 

Phew. Nice to see 19 pages dedicated to talking about my favourite band.

 

Very interesting thread.
Some years ago I purchased the first three albums on Salvo and, given the speed issues that I discovered on this thread, I decided to order the Esoteric reissue of the first two albums (S/T and Shine On Brightly).
Do you folks suggest getting also the Esoteric A Salty Dog?
It's unclear to me if there's a consensus on the Salvo vs Esoteric comparison for the third album.
Thank you

 

I do not think there really is a "concensus" on the Esoteric vs. Salvo for Salty Dog and Home. Personally I think they are darn close, with the exception of differences in the extras.

Personally I have been leaning to the Esoterics lately. I think there is a tad more attention to detail, but really I think you could be happy with both.

The comparison with Shine on Brightly is a layup; Esoteric wins big.

For the first album, I way prefer Esoteric but some say they can not detect the speed issues. So in that case I suppose its a toss up. But not for me, YMMV. Some of the extras vary between the two.

But then again I have some Gazza, Repertoires, etc. lying around also. Kind of a sickness.

 

Thank you, can't wait for the Esoterics first two albums to arrive...

 

No, just a sign of good musical taste.

 

Live in Concert with Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, has this one received a 2015 Reissue ?

 

AFAIK, no. Latest reissue is the Salvo one.

 

Thank You , and I suppose there isn't much else that could be added , the 2009 Salvo Covers it.

 

Well any other live recording from the same era would be a welcomed addition ;-)

 

A better mastering than the salvo would be welcome.