Role Songwriter Name Keith Reid | Years active 1967–present Music group Procol Harum | |
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Birth name Keith Stuart Brian Reid Born 19 October 1946 (age 77) ( 1946-10-19 ) Albums Procol Harum, A Salty Dog, Procol Harum – In Concert, The Best of Procol Harum, Shine On Brightly Similar People Gary Brooker, Matthew Fisher, B J Wilson, Mick Grabham, Chris Copping | ||
A Whiter Shade of Pale
Keith Stuart Brian Reid (born 19 October 1946 in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, England) is a songwriter who wrote the lyrics of every Procol Harum song that is not instrumental or a cover with the exception of their most recent album Novum.
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Biography
Reid grew up in London. He left school at an early age to pursue a song writing career. He met Gary Brooker, lead singer with Procol Harum, with whom he co-wrote most of the band's songs (some music was written by organist Matthew Fisher and by guitarist Robin Trower), in 1966. They soon began collaborating, and their composition "A Whiter Shade of Pale", Procol Harum's first single, was released in 1967. It reached the top of the UK Singles Chart and sold over six million copies worldwide. Reid continued to write lyrics for the band until they disbanded in 1977.
He also wrote the lyrics for two songs by the French singer Michel Polnareff in 1966 ("You'll Be On My Mind" and "Time Will Tell"), and was co-writer for the John Farnham hit "You're the Voice" (1986).
Reid moved to New York and founded a management company in 1986. He reunited with Brooker and Procol Harum for the albums The Prodigal Stranger (1991) and The Well's on Fire (2003).
In August 2008 a new album, The Common Thread, was issued under The Keith Reid Project banner. Reid wrote the lyrics for the songs, which were performed by a variety of musicians, including Southside Johnny, Chris Thompson, John Waite and Michael Saxell.