Royalties tussle begins over 1967 hit

A CLASSIC of 1960s hippydom, Procol Harum’s A Whiter Shade of Pale, is at the centre of a less-than-peace-and-love tussle as former band members fight over the rights.

The tune echoed through London’s High Court yesterday as the band’s original organist Matthew Fisher made a case for his fair share of income generated by the 1967 hit. Fisher, 60, brought the action against Gary Brooker, Procol Harum’s singer, who defends his claim to being the tune’s sole writer. Fisher wants half the copyright and earnings.

Fisher is claiming royalties valued at around €1.48 million for the song, which sold 10m copies worldwide.

Credit for the song has always gone to Brooker and lyricist Keith Reid, another member of the original group.

But Fisher claims he wrote the organ solo at the song’s start and changed Brooker’s chord sequence.