The Injustice Makes me Pale

I just heard tonight about the Procol Harum keyboardist being awarded future royalties to A Whiter Shade of Pale. You often hear about rock and roll artists saying they did not receive royalties to their earlier works--ask many people who dealt with Colonel Tom Parker--so it's nice to hear that even though the past 40 years, and all the plays on the radio, are not counted, Matthew Fisher will get royalties going forward.

Matthew Fisher (right) in the days of Procol Harum, 1967.

Matthew Fisher, according to The Vancouver Sun, I'm not sure when.

Matthew Fisher today.

Fisher claims it's not about money--it never is--but about the recognition. Good lord--the man was 20 when the song was released, and I certainly did not have my wits about me at that age. It's entirely understandable that discussions about songwriting credit never happened. (And I'm not sure that my wits are all that much with me now! Plus, I hope no one does an age progression on me, if I ever achieve fame or notoriety!)

The recognition is certainly important, but the money is too. For all those songwriters who--whether ignorantly or through financial necessity--signed away their publishing rights, this is a victory. For those who were misled by bandmates on the niceties of songwriting credit, this too is an important step. Congratulations to Matthew Fisher on this legal victory. Justice delayed is not justice denied, after all!

To bring this up to the present day, this is a song that this band has considered doing. If we can get Ed to agree to do the keyboards, and more importantly, if we can work out financial arrangements in advance, perhaps you'll see it at a Wannabes show in the near future!

Patriotic rocker passes away--when else?--July 4th

I haven't been on this in a while, so it's a little like I'm the one who's passed away. But no, another rocker bites the dust. I missed at least one important one along the way--Sky Saxon of the Seeds, who "passed over to be with YaHoWha" on June 25. Today I read about the loss of the rocking guitarist for Paul Revere and the Raiders, Drake Levin.

I knew he was rocking, because those smooth pop records had a pretty wild guitar sound for mainstream radio in 1965 (Just Like Me got to number 11 nationally). But I could not have told you the name of the person scorching that fretboard and smokin' them amplifiers!

We do a pretty fair impression of this tune, so come down and see us sometime. In the meantime, bone up on your Paul Revere history with this NY Times obit.