“I imagined playing in San Francisco. I didn’t even know where it was! But within a few months, there we were”: In a world of smiling 60s beat bands, Procol Harum were serious – and it paid off

The proto-prog debut album that followed blockbuster single A Whiter Shade Of Pale contained an 18-minute suite and challenging lyrics. It was everything the late Gary Brooker wanted it to be – almost