Procol Harum, the late ’70s UK band known for hits like “Whiter Shade Of Pale”, and their legendary members (Robin Trower, Keith Reid, Matthew Fisher), released Shine On Brightly in 1968. This album was their second studio work.
On June 29, UK label, Esoteric Records will reissue a Boxed 3CD expanded remaster of Shine On Brightly. This title has alredy been remastered several times and expanded with various mono and early versions of tracks from this album. The last expanded remaster was released in 2009 via Salvo Records.
For this reissue, there will be a new remaster, augmented by the the mono issue of Shine On Brightly, and 20 extra tracks, nine of them previously unreleased. Those include studio session tracks, three BBC radio session from 1968, and radio edits. This 3CD set will add in a booklet with more photos, original artwork, a poster memorabilia, and a new essay. All of this is housed in a clamshell box.
CD1: SHINE ON BRIGHTLY
THE STEREO MIX REMASTERED
01. QUITE RIGHTLY SO
02. SHINE ON BRIGHTLY
03. SKIP SOFTLY (MY MOONBEAMS)
04. WISH ME WELL
05. RAMBLING ON
06. MAGDALENE (MY REGAL ZONOPHONE)
07. IN HELD TWAS IN
Ia. GLIMSPES OF NIRVANA
08. IN HELD TWAS IN
Ib. TWAS TEA TIME AT THE CIRCUS
09. IN HELD TWAS IN
Ic. IN THE AUTUMN OF MY MADNESS
10. IN HELD TWAS IN
Id. LOOK TO YOUR SOUL
11. IN HELD TWAS IN
Ie. GRAND FINALE
BONUS TRACKS
12. IL TUO DIAMANTE (“SHINE ON BRIGHTLY” ITALIAN VERSION) (MONO) RECORDED IN SEPTEMBER 1967
13. QUITE RIGHTLY SO
14. IN THE WEE SMALL HOURS OF SIXPENCE
CD2:
A & B SIDES OF SINGLE:
“SHINE ON BRIGHTLY ”THE MONO MIX REMASTERED
(PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED ON CD)
01. QUITE RIGHTLY SO
02. SHINE ON BRIGHTLY
03. SKIP SOFTLY (MY MOONBEAMS)
04. WISH ME WELL
05. RAMBLING ON
06. MAGDALENE (MY REGAL ZONOPHONE)
07. IN HELD TWAS IN
Ia. GLIMSPES OF NIRVANA
08. IN HELD TWAS IN
Ib. TWAS TEA TIME AT THE CIRCUS
09. IN HELD TWAS IN
Ic. IN THE AUTUMN OF MY MADNESS
10. IN HELD TWAS IN
Id. LOOK TO YOUR SOUL
11. IN HELD TWAS IN
Ie. GRAND FINALE
CD3:
01. MONSIEUR ARMAND (MONO)
02. SEEM TO HAVE THE BLUES (MOST ALL THE TIME) (MONO)
03. MAGDELEINE (MY REGAL ZONOPHONE) (1967 MONO VERSION)
04. SHINE ON BRIGHTLY (1967 MONO VERSION)
05. IN THE WEE SMALL HOURS OF SIXPENCE (STEREO MIX)
06. MONSIEUR ARMAND (STEREO BACKING TRACK)
07. A ROBE OF SILK (STEREO BACKING TRACK)
08. MCGREGOR
09. THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO… (WISH ME WELL)
10. SKIP SOFTLY (MY MOONBEAMS)
11. QUITE RIGHTLY SO
12. RAMBLIN’ ON
13. SHINE ON BRIGHTLY
BBC RADIO ONE SESSION 14th FEBRUARY 1968 PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
14. SKIP SOFTLY MY MOONBEAMS
15. WISH ME WELL
16. LONG GONE GEEK“TOP GEAR” BBC RADIO ONE SESSION 19th AUGUST 1968 PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
17. IN HELD ‘TWAS IN I (LOOK TO YOUR SOUL /FINALE) “TOP GEAR” BBC RADIO ONE SESSION 6th OCTOBER 1968 PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
Esoteric is also releasing the first Procol as well in a two disc special edition.
There will also be a 2-CD Deluxe Edition of the self-titled first album coming out on the same day as well. The pre-order links are already up at both Amazon and Amazon U.K.
On the same day, Esoteric will also release a 2-CD expanded edition of the group’s self-titled 1967 debut album.
But, you’ll also note(in looking at the track listings for Esoteric’s forthcoming 2-CD edition of “Procol Harum” & the 3-CD edition of “Shine On Brightly”), that, basically, the BBC tracks are the only previously unreleased tracks, and, also, that the compiler contrives to omit 1 or 2 selections from each of the “Westside” and “Salvo” label CD editions, probably so that used CD shops won’t be flooded with used “Salvo” & “Westside” CD’s. As an example, the “In The Wee Small Hours of Sixpence” alternate backing track(from the “Salvo” CD of “Shine On Brightly”) doesn’t get reissued in the “Esoteric” 3-CD set, though there was plenty of space to include it. Yuck.
And the “A Whiter Shade of Pale” backing track(for T.V. appearances) is the one of two tracks from Westside’s 3-CD “30th Anniversary Anthology” that won’t get reissued by “Esoteric”. And three of the selections from Westside’s stereo remix disc “Pandora’s Box” don’t get reissued either.
“Bucks Music”(owner of the first 4 “Procol Harum” albums & the first 3 albums by “The Move”) will never permit definitive versions, as long as there’s a chance to license the albums to another reissue label every 4 to 5 years. These albums are the only properties of significant value that “Bucks Music” owns. Milk that cash cow!
As for the BBC tracks, Procol Harum’s very first(and never bootlegged) BBC session doesn’t get included either.
Bucks Music has the session multitracks from the rejected first attempt to record the debut album(with early guitarist Ray Royer & early drummer Bobby Harrison), but they’ve only ever permitted one selection from those sessions to be released. But, undoubtedly, the reason is because Gary Brooker is opposed, and Bucks Music complies with his wishes.
I just wish they’d do something similar with the 1967 self-titled debut album. :)
Mark,
Read the other comments; there WILL be an expanded (2-CD) edition of the debut album released on the same day(June 29)
I was just trying to make a joke there. I did read the comments, and three of them said essentially the same thing. I need to find a way to make the smiley face bigger, I guess. Oh well. I’ll just get my coat now.
I caught it!
[#8230;] that literally stare us in our faces. For me, it was my recent post of the Esoteric reissue of Shine On Brightly. In that post, I forget (even though I knew) that the first Procol Harum album was also planned for [#8230;]