The BtP Store

'The Waiter Brought a Tray' : book by George Lovell

An unusual rock memoir, now available in a revised and expanded edition, from the globe-trotting geographer who weaves a hypnotic tale of his quest for music, occasionally laced with his poignant search for a lost first love. George Lovell's prose style infectiously conveys the excitement and enduring reward of being a Procol Harum fan; amusing insights, personal contacts, lots of humanity, and a prose style shot-through with wittily-deployed quotations from Keith Reid lyrics. The book's contents are as follows:

Preface: Rambling On
1 The Opening Act
2 A Prodigal Return
3 Bhoona with Brooker
4 Millennial Fireworks
5 Croydon Reprised
6 An East Coast Pilgrimage
7 A West Coast Sojourn
8 Summer in the Soul
Epilogue: A Souvenir of London

There is also an appendix ('Lofty Peaks') charting the twenty-seven concerts on which the memoir is based.

c. A5 paperback book
First edition July 2007 [sold out]
Second edition December 2007 [revised and expanded: now 100+ pages]
Published by Artful Codger Press, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

ISBN 978-0-9782782762-2-5

Two souvenir concert programmes

Two souvenir concert-programmes

The Web Festival, Stoke Park, Guildford: 17 September 2000
This was Procol Harum's resurrection for the new millennium, and they took to the stage with two guitarists and a saxophonist, a choir and the New London Sinfonia. 18-page black-and-white programme about the festival on good paper, with stiff cover in colour; A4 format. Contains specially-written page about the new Procol Harum, 'Into Something Rich and Strange'.

The Gary Brooker Ensemble, Guildford Cathedral, UK: 16 April 2005
Gary Brooker's fundraising show for Tsunami-victims' relief. 8-page black-and-white programme, with stiff cover in colour; A4 format. Contains four pages of specially-written interviews (illustrated) with the Ensemble's five players, choral/orchestral conductor, and celebrity organist: 'Gary Brooker and the University of Rock'; four more pages constitute an authoritative Brooker album discography (illustrated) with selected lyric-quotations and analytical commentary.

'A Salty Dog' tee-shirt

Sand-coloured cotton tee-shirt with the famous Procol 'lifebelt' motif in full colour on the front, and Italian tour-dates from 2002 on the back in black

Available now in only two sizes: Medium and Large

'The Well's on Fire' tee-shirt

Black cotton tee-shirt with discreet, 'breast-pocket' motif in red / orange / yellow depicting the globe image from the 'Well's on Fire' CD (2003).

Ideal for wearing in the more formal situation where a full-chest Procol logo would be unduly ostentatious.

Available in only one size: Large.

'One More Time' Procol Harum

Fabulous live album on 'Gazza', Gary Brooker's own label.

Recorded 13 February 1992, and mixed by Matthew Fisher; the line-up is Brooker / Bronze / Brzezicki / Fisher / Whitehorn.

Bringing Home the Bacon / Shine On Brightly / Homburg / One More Time / Grand Hotel / Man with a Mission / The Devil Came from Kansas / Whisky Train / The King of Hearts / A Salty Dog / Whaling Stories / All Our Dreams are Sold / Repent Walpurgis

Jonas Söderström writes,
"I've been listening to the Utrecht CD a few times by now - and I must say, it's very, very good. The sound is clear and powerful, the players are excellent. Mark B sounds far better here than on 'Prodigal Stranger' ... and for Geoff - well, I think he fits in very well with the band. He has two very different qualities, seldom heard in the same guitarist: both the heavy axe-in-the-head chords stuff, and the ability to deliver surprisingly melodic and lyrical - almost romantic - solos or short passages. I'm starting to think that this maybe is the great, lost Procol live rock album that we've been craving. Go get it!"

'Broken Barricades' Procol Harum

CD re-release of 'Broken Barricades' on Gary Brooker's own 'Gazza' label, limited edition. The CD is the original tracks only, no extras.

Simple Sister / Broken Barricades / Memorial Drive / Luskus Delph / Power Failure / Song For a Dreamer / Playmate of The Mouth / Poor Mohammed

Christine Ayre has designed some new, totally different artwork; a purple metallic cover, very plain and exclusive-looking.

The ideal present for any Procol Harum fan of course!

BJ Wilson sew-on patch

This excellent little woven 'Whaling Stories' sew-on patch is a must for the jeans, jacket or gig-bag of any Procol Harum fan.

It's 3 inches in diameter, or 75mm, and manufactured to the highest standard on original Wuppertal weaving machines.

The design is based on a painting by Sigrid Marie Bader, and depicts Barrie Wilson in a variation of the famous Salty Dog artwork. Thanks to Michael Ackermann for making the patches available to us.

Procol Harum 'crew' tee-shirt

Good quality tee-shirt in an olive-green cotton. Front features a yellow panel with the words 'Procol Harum', back is printed with the word 'CREW'. Visit the webpage (click below) for more information.

Limited quantities available.

On the front:
DR Slotskoncerter 2006
Procol Harum
Svantes Viser
DR RadioUnderholdningsOrkestret

On the back
(Post Denmark etc)
CREW

'Privateer' Tim Renwick

New (2007) solo instrumental album from the Procol / Floyd / Mechanics guitar ace: all music by Tim Renwick

Nighthawk / Cornish Patsy / Gridlock / Polly's Song / Bertholletia Excelsa / Texas Nexus / Rolling / Slideaway / Open Road / Blue Monday / Strumtastic / Rockabilly Jo / Bertholletia Excelsa (Acoustic Reprise)

Performers: Tim Renwick (everything); Guy Pratt (bass); Paul Harris (keys); Henry Spinetti and Steve Jackson (drums); Frank Ricotti (percussion); Willie Wilson (tambourine); Alan Glen (harmonica); Steve Turner (National guitar); Martin Bell (fiddle).

Geoff Who? (2002)

Update of the 1990 solo CD album by Procol Harum's guitar maestro: all tracks self-written except where indicated:

Shakuhacki Boy / Ninetyonogy / Theme: Escape from New York (Carpenter / Howarth) / The Doodle / STD / Beef or Mutton / Latin Echoes / Marvid / Crusadin' / E.J Blues / Mercy, Mercy, Mercy (Zawinul) / Wanna Buy a Synth, Boy?

Bonus tracks
Eightyonavee / Without Annette

Palers' Project tee-shirt

Palers' Project tee-shirt

Specially designed by US artist Ruthie Bosch, the wood-block style illustration shows Procol's original 'Salty Dog' with 'a monkey riding on his back'; it names the three Palers' Project 2CD albums, namechecks Procol Harum, Brooker, Fisher, Trower and Reid.

Also featured is the enigmatic curly Palers' Project logo, based on a petroglyph carved in Scotland by an early Neolithic artist.

Printed in two colours on a Premium Grade teeshirt (205 gsm). This is a limited-edition.

Choose your size according to chest measurement: 3537" small; 4749" XXL. Three sizes are now sold-out: 3840" medium; 4143" large, 4446" XL.

This unique shirt is an attractive addition to your Procol wardrobe as well as being a must-have for the hundreds of musicians who have appeared on the Palers' Project albums.

Big in Gravesend (Geoff Whitehorn)

1993-94 solo CD album by Procol Harum's guitar maestro: tracks mostly self-written except as indicated:

The Report / Whiskey & What? / This Way Up / Virginia Avenue A Tale of Two Widdlers / The Widdler's Rap / Turn it Up Loud / El Ballet / The Thrill is Gone (Hawkins) / Beats Working / Be Mine or Die / PG Tips / Never the Twain

'I'm Coming Home' : The Paramounts live in Southend, 2005

Sixties RnB legends The Paramounts in their original line-up of Gary Brooker (voice and piano), 'Little Mick' Brownlee (drums), Chris Copping (bass, all the way from Australia) and Robin Trower (guitar) came together at Christmas 2005 for one glorious nights reunion in Southend. Brooker, Copping and Trower had last played together, in Procol Harum, in the early 1970s of course.

Their home crowd (reinforced by an international following) gave them a rapturous welcome. The sold-out show played in front of the original painted cartoon that hung in The Shades club was filmed off-the-cuff as a memento for the players: but music and atmosphere of this calibre cry out to be shared with fans worldwide! The BtP team has worked closely with Mick and Gary to bring this about.

Gary, Mick, Chris and Robin have authorised a limited-edition release of what is, effectively, their own home-movie, their souvenir of this unique musical event. The modest price reflects the fact that it's not professionally filmed, but there were two cameras on the job, so close-ups alternate with long-shots, and Dave Bronze has worked on the phonic side of things so that while it's not Dolby 5.1 etc it does sound really good.

If you were there on the night you'll know how fantastic the playing was; if you weren't, the atmosphere on this excellent recording will make you feel as if you were. The running time is about 74 minutes; the show was recorded live at Club Riga, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, UK on 17 December 2005. The DVD is available in Region 2 PAL (European TV system) or Region 1 NTSC (US TV system) formats (choose carefully!)

This is what The Paramounts played: Old Black Joe (Stephen Foster) Rock Me Baby (BB King) Youngblood (Jerry Leiber / Mike Stoller) Stay (Maurice Williams) Blackjack (Ray Charles) Poison Ivy (Jerry Leiber / Mike Stoller) Ooh Poo Pah Doo (Jessie Hill) Walking to New Orleans (Dave Bartholomew / Fats Domino / Pearl King) Whatd I Say (Ray Charles) Saint James Infirmary (Joe Primrose) Draw Me Closer (Doris Payne / Greg Carroll) Breathless (Otis Blackwell) Lucille (Al Collins / Richard Penniman) Santa Claus is Back in Town (Jerry Leiber / Mike Stoller).

On the DVD you will also find the usual banter and backchat between band and audience, and it's clear that everyone is richly enjoying themselves and the unique occasion.

Trace of a Feeling

The Palers' Project is a loose international collective of musical admirers of Procol Harum who record the songs of Gary Brooker, Matthew Fisher, Robin Trower and Keith Reid; live, they recently (July 2007) opened for Gary Brooker at a London gig.

"The Palers' Project certainly proved something I'd never dared to dream ... it's been compulsive listening" (Gary Brooker)

Further info from www.myspace.com/thepalersproject and from www.palersproject.com

40th Anniversary Procol Harum badge

This neat little 25 mm badge ('pin' or 'button' to some) was issued to mark Procol Harum's 40th anniversary in London in July 2007.

Brooker / Reid tee-shirt

Unique design, commissioned by 'Beyond the Pale' from Christine Ayre in London, for the unique 'Procol Rarum' concert on 21 July 2007

The shirt proclaims Procol Harum's prime songwriting duo,
Gary Brooker and Keith Reid

To ensure precision, the images are printed with four screens
on a royal blue heavy-weight ultra-cotton tee-shirt.

The perfect garment for the true Procoholic

Order now with confidence limited edition when they're gone, they're gone!

A customer writes: The Brooker/Reid T-shirt is just plain cool,with those 'Home'-era photos of Gary and Keith recalling an earlier daguerrotype ... depicting our Rimbaud/Baudelairian duo assessing their misanthropic travails and surreal gothic tales of horror through an absinthe-stained dinner napkin.

From Shadow to Shadow

"The Palers' Project certainly proved something I'd never dared to dream ... it's been compulsive listening" (Gary Brooker)

Further info from www.myspace.com/thepalersproject and from www.palersproject.com

Lost in the Looking-Glass

"The Palers' Project certainly proved something I'd never dared to dream ... it's been compulsive listening" (Gary Brooker)

Further info from www.myspace.com/thepalersproject and from www.palersproject.com

The BtP Store

'The Waiter Brought a Tray' : book by George Lovell

Two souvenir concert programmes

'A Salty Dog' tee-shirt

'The Well's on Fire' tee-shirt

'One More Time'  Procol Harum

'Broken Barricades'  Procol Harum

BJ Wilson sew-on patch

Procol Harum 'crew' tee-shirt

'Privateer'  Tim Renwick

Geoff Who? (2002)

Palers' Project tee-shirt

Big in Gravesend (Geoff Whitehorn)

'I'm Coming Home' : The Paramounts live in Southend, 2005

Trace of a Feeling

40th Anniversary Procol Harum badge

Brooker / Reid tee-shirt

From Shadow to Shadow

Lost in the Looking-Glass

'One More Time' Procol Harum

'Broken Barricades' Procol Harum

'Privateer' Tim Renwick