John Lennon‘s son, Julian Lennon, was asked to name the first music he remembered hearing. Shockingly, the tune in question was not a Beatles song. However, Julian compared the track to one of The Beatles’ biggest hits.
John Lennon’s son has strong memories of hearing a psychedelic rock song
During a 2023 interview with Esquire, Julian named the first piece of music he remembered hearing. “‘Whiter Shade of Pale,’” Julian said. “A Whiter Shade of Pale” is the signature song of the psychedelic rock band Procol Harum. The tune typifies the British music of the 1960s, with its unusual lyrics, its classical music elements, and its full-throated vocal performance by Gary Brooker.
Julian recalled what it was like hearing “A Whiter Shade of Pale” for the first time. “I was three, I think,” he said. “I remember going, ‘I kind of like this.’ Songs bring you back to the time and the place.”
He compared Procol Harum’s ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’ to The Beatles’ ‘Hey Jude’
Julian said “A Whiter Shade of Pale” wasn’t the only song that brought memories flooding back to him. “It’s true with ‘Hey Jude,’” he said. “The weird thing with the audience is they think it’s cute sometimes, quoting ‘Hey Jude’ to me, but I don’t think they realize there’s a lot of pain behind what happened.
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Julian said “A Whiter Shade of Pale” wasn’t the only song that brought memories flooding back to him. “It’s true with ‘Hey Jude,’” he said. “The weird thing with the audience is they think it’s cute sometimes, quoting ‘Hey Jude’ to me, but I don’t think they realize there’s a lot of pain behind what happened.
“Every time you quote that, it reminds me of my mother being separated from my father, the love that was lost, the fact that I rarely saw my father again ever,” Julian added. “I saw him maybe a couple of times before he died. A lot of people don’t quite get how intense, how emotional, and how personal that is. It’s not just a ‘Pick yourself up and dust yourself off and be happy.’ There’s deep emotional pain. I can celebrate it — but also it’s something that’ll always be dark to me.” It’s incredible that a widely beloved self-empowerment anthem is such a double-edged sword for Julian.
How Procol Harum’s ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’ and its parent album performed on the charts
Procol Harum’s “A Whiter Shade of Pale” was a decent-sized hit in the United States. The song reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for 12 weeks. It was the band’s only top-10 single in the U.S. “A Whiter Shade of Pale” appeared on some editions of the album Procol Harum. That record reached No. 47 on the Billboard 200, remaining on the Billboard 200 for 16 weeks.
The Official Charts Company reports “A Whiter Shade of Pale” was far more popular in the United Kingdom. The song topped the U.K. chart for six weeks. It was a hit for 15 weeks altogether. In 1972, “A Whiter Shade of Pale” peaked at No. 13 and became a hit again for another 13 weeks. Oddly enough, the album Procol Harum never charted in the U.K.
“A Whiter Shade of Pale” was a phenomenon in the U.K. and it brings back memories for Julian.
