Replace the cook!

Another one who wants writing credits

Well, not really, but ...

... the excerpt above is from Swedish singer/songwriter Anna Ternheim, chatting last year with readers of aftonbladet.se, Sweden's biggest newspaper. Translation:

"T asks: Which one, of all the songs in the history of the world do you wish you had written? (My choice: Jungleland by Springsteen).
Anna Ternheim says: Whiter shade of pale"

Well, that was before the court case, of course.

Anna Ternheim plays in Paris, Grenoble and Annecy in the next few days (see the concert dates on her web site).

For another Swedish singer that likes A Whiter Shade of Pale - and used the organ melody only: go to this page and scroll down to "Titiyo".

(A little note: Anna Ternheim's new album - released in Sweden i September - is called Separation Road. Any connection to the film Separation, with music by Matthew Fisher, is probably purely coincidental...)

Victorious brass band down under plays A whiter shade of pale

How do you win the Battle of the Bands Entertainment Festival for the third year running? By playing A Whiter shade of Pale, of course.

Read about the success of Australian Warringah Concert Brass in Battle of the Bands Final, 4barsrest.com (claiming to be "the world's most visited brass website". Funny, it looks like it's just made of electrons to me.)

And if you're around Sydney, you might just catch them playing in the coming days.

Hommage a Procol

Although this cover looks like one more variation on the Shine on Brightly-theme, it has a song from another Procol record: on "Hommage Symphonique", keyboardist Erik Norlander (below) plays "Conquistador", and a number of other progressive rock covers, originally recorded by Yes, Tull, Crimson etc.

Will be released on January 30, 2007 in US and Europe on the Think Tank Media label distributed by ProgRock Records, but is said to be available in Japan already.

Obsessed or just curious, you can pre-order your CD from thetank.com.

Procol Harum on Flickr

How many of you are familiar with the public photo web site Flickr?

Quite a lot of Procol materia there ... currently 99 pictures, record sleeves, concert pictures - among them excellent pictures by rosco57 from the concert in Morena, Italy, on October 26, 2006. And even an orchid a lily (thanks, Zoe!). Go have a look!

AWSoP on a paper banjo?

Now, what on earth might this sound like?

"... ending with a lovely, minimalist cover of Procol Harum's 'A Whiter Shade of Pale' (played on a fretless paper banjo)"

Read all about singer-songwriter Dan Reeder's "Sweetheart" CD in "German singer finds Sweetheart of a deal in Nashville".

Did anyone hear it?

It's that time again ...!

All hands on deck - it's that time of the year again!

The right honorable captains of the BtP ship, messrs. Roland and Jens are away ... and the ship is now in the hands of the replacement cook, and adrift in Swedish waters ... stay alert!