SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY - PROCOL HARUM SONG HOLDS FOND MEMORIES FOR MCCARTNEY

PROCOL HARUM SONG HOLDS FOND MEMORIES FOR MCCARTNEY

The song at the centre of a recently resolved legal battle between the members of progressive rock act PROCUL HARUM holds special significance for SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY - because it always reminds him of his late wife LINDA.
The former Beatle admits he's tremendously fond of A Whiter Shade of Pale because the song was played on his first date with Linda.
MCCartney has opened up about his romance with the revered photographer and animal rights activist to mark the 10th anniversary of her death, and in an essay for Britain's Sunday Times newspaper, he recalls magical moments he spent with her.
In his article, he recalls the moment they first met at London's Bag O'Nails nightclub in May 1967 and the "corny" chat-up line he used to win her over.
He explains, "As she was leaving... I saw an obvious opportunity. I said: `My name's Paul. What's yours?' I think she probably recognised me. It was so corny, but I told the kids later that, had it not been for that moment, none of them would be here.
And he reveals how A Whiter Shade of Pale came to symbolise his close relationship with Linda after a date at London's Speakeasy club.
He writes, "I remember I heard Procol Harum's A Whiter Shade of Pale for the first time. It became our song."
Linda died of breast cancer in April 1998 and Procol Harum frontman Gary Brooker won back full royalty rights to the hit song last week (04Apr08), after a two year legal battle with former bandmate Matthew Fisher.