Oztalgian 3,218 Posted March 31, 2023 Report Share Posted March 31, 2023 Keith Reid has died aged 76. Do I hear you say who? Keith Reid wrote the words for the all-time classic hit A Whiter Shade of Pale. He also wrote an Australian smash it for Johnny Farnham, "You're the Voice" Sadly he won't be skipping the light fandango any more but thanks for the memories. Turn the volume up full and listen as the memories from a simpler time come flooding back. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mess 609 Posted March 31, 2023 Report Share Posted March 31, 2023 Thanks for this Oz, it lead me to read up a bit more on Keith. I didn't know he co-wrote “A Whiter Shade of Pale” with Gary Brooker. It's a haunting song with weird lyrics but it always whisks me back to 1967 when I hear it. I also liked the less well known follow up “Homberg.” In 1969 I borrowed their third album “A Salty Dog” from a girlfriend and liked it a lot. The wiki entry for Keith says he was Jewish and the son of a Holocaust survivor which he said was the reason for the dark tone of his lyrics. Very enlightening. RIP Keith Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jill Sparrow 10,267 Posted March 31, 2023 Report Share Posted March 31, 2023 Must admit, I've never heard of Keith Read but the song is said to make musical references to J S Bach's Wachet Auf and the Air on the G String. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Oztalgian 3,218 Posted April 1, 2023 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2023 15 hours ago, Mess said: It's a haunting song with weird lyrics but it always whisks me back to 1967 when I hear it. 14 hours ago, Jill Sparrow said: J S Bach's Wachet Auf and the Air on the G String. Yes, as soon as I hear the "J S Bach" intro it takes me back to playing the pinball machine in the back room of The Queens Head in Mansfield enjoying a couple of pints of Mansfield bitter. Alas the pub is no longer there and Mansfield bitter is no longer brewed in Mansfield and apparently is but a shadow of its former self. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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