[2018-06-29] Procol Harum "Grand Hotel", "Exotic Birds And Fruit", "Prodigal Stranger" Expanded Editions (Esoteric UK)

Linda · **Posted:** Fri Apr 20, 2018 10:04 pm

Grand Hotel

Description
Esoteric Recordings are pleased to announce the release of an expanded 2 disc edition of the acclaimed Procol Harum album “Grand Hotel”. Released in March 1973 the album was the first to feature a line-up of Gary Brooker (piano, vocals), Alan Cartwright (bass), Chris Copping (organ), Mick Grabham (guitars) and B.J. Wilson (drums) and was remarkable for its musical diversity and was hailed as “A masterpiece of musical perfection and lyricism” by the NME weekly music paper. From the sumptuously orchestrated title track, to compositions such as ‘For Liquorice John’, ‘Fires (Which Burnt Brightly)’, ‘Bringing Home The Bacon’, ‘Toujours L’Amour’ and ‘Robert’s Box’ – “Grand Hotel” defied classification but remains one of Procol Harum’s best loved and most admired works.

This expanded two disc edition includes five bonus tracks, (three previously unreleased), taken from the early recording sessions, along with a DVD (NTSC / Region Free) featuring a previously unreleased performance filmed for RTBF television in Belgium from November 1973. The release also features a replica of the book included with the original LP of “Grand Hotel” and a further lavishly illustrated booklet featuring material from Gary Brooker’s personal archive and an essay by Procol Harum authority Roland Clare featuring comments from Gary Brooker.

Tracklist
[CD]
1. Grand Hotel
2. Toujours L’amour
3. A Rum Tale
4. TV Ceasar
5. A Souvenir Of London
6. Bringing Home The Bacon
7. For Liquorice John
8. Fires (Which Burnt Brightly)
9. Robert’s Box
Bonus Tracks:
10. Grand Hotel (Without Orchestra)
11. Bringing Home The Bacon (Raw Track Featuring Dave Ball)
12. Toujours L’amour (Early Version) *
13. Fires (Which Burnt Brightly) (Early Version) *
14. Robert’s Box (Early Version) *

* Previously Unreleased

[DVD: “Procol Harum” RTBF TV, Belgium 25 November 1973 (NTSC – Region 0)]
1. Bringing Home The Bacon
2. Grand Hotel
3. Fires (Which Burnt Brightly)
4. A Salty Dog
5. A Rum Tale
6. Conquistador
7. For Liquorice John
8. Power Failure
9. A Souvenir Of London

Previously Unreleased

Amazon USA
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CLVXGKQ/?tag=imwan-20

Amazon UK
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07CLVXGKQ/?tag=imwan-21

Exotic Birds And Fruit

Description
Esoteric Recordings are pleased to announce the release of an expanded 3CD edition of the acclaimed Procol Harum album “Exotic Birds And Fruit”. Released in April 1974, the album was the product of a series of recording sessions beset by power cuts, the result of industrial strife during the winter of 1973. Despite having to work around these difficult conditions, “Exotic Birds and Fruit” would prove to be another fine collection of material written by Gary Brooker and lyricist Keith Reid, featuring such classic tracks as ‘Nothing But The Truth’, ‘As Strong As Samson’, ‘Beyond The Pale’, ‘Butterfly Boys’ and ‘The Idol’. The album would reveal the line-up of Gary Brooker, Alan Cartwright, Chris Copping, Mick Grabham and B.J. Wilson to be in fine, inspired form.

This new expanded three CD edition of “Exotic Birds And Fruit” includes the original album (with two bonus tracks), along with two additional discs featuring the band’s entire performance for BBC Radio One’s In Concert show from March 1974 and a previously unreleased 65 minute live set recorded at January Sound Studios in Dallas on July 5th 1974 for KZEW FM.

The release also includes a lavishly illustrated booklet featuring material from Gary Brooker’s personal archive and an essay by Procol Harum authority Roland Clare featuring comments from Gary Brooker.

Tracklist
[CD1: Exotic Birds And Fruit]
1. Nothing But The Truth
2. Beyond The Pale
3. As Strong As Samson
4. The Idol
5. The Thin End Of The Wedge
6. Monsieur Armand
7. Fresh Fruit
8. Butterfly Boys
9. New Lamps For Old
Bonus Tracks:
10. Drunk Again (B-Side Of Single)
11. As Strong As Samson (Alternative Mix In Db)

[CD2: BBC Radio One “In Concert” March 1974]
1. Conquistador
2. Bringing Home The Bacon
3. Whaling Stories
4. New Lamps For Old
5. Beyond The Pale
6. As Strong As Samson
7. Simple Sister
8. The Idol
9. Grand Hotel
10. Butterfly Boys
11. Nothing But The Truth

[CD3: Live At January Sound Studios, Dallas Texas For KZEW FM July 1974]
1. Conquistador
2. Bringing Home The Bacon
3. Long Gone Geek
4. Homburg
5. Cerdes (Outside The Gates Of)
6. Beyond The Pale
7. Power Failure
8. As Strong As Samson
9. The Idol
10. Butterfly Boys
11. Mabel
12. Nothing But The Truth
13. New Lamps For Old

Amazon USA
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CN4MWNN/?tag=imwan-20

Amazon UK
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07CN4MWNN/?tag=imwan-21

The Prodigal Stranger

Description
Esoteric Recordings are pleased to announce the release of a re-mastered and expanded edition of the album “The Prodigal Stranger” by Procol Harum.

The album was released in August 1991 following a fourteen year hiatus by the band and saw a reunion of Gary Brooker, lyricist Keith Reid, organist Matthew Fisher and guitarist Robin Trower. With assistance from Dave Bronze (bass) and Mark Brzezicki (drums), “The Prodigal Stranger” was a welcome return by Procol Harum and a strong collection of songs.

This new expanded edition of “The Prodigal Stranger” has been newly re-mastered and includes three previously unreleased bonus tracks; two demos from 1990 and a live recording of ‘Holding On’ for SWR Radio in Germany in 2003.

The release also includes an illustrated booklet featuring material from Gary Brooker’s personal archive and an essay by Procol Harum authority Roland Clare featuring comments from Gary Brooker.

Tracklist
1. The Truth Won’t Fade Away
2. Holding On
3. Man With A Mission
4. (You Can’t) Turn Back The Page
5. One More Time
6. A Dream In Ev’ry Home
7. The Hand That Rocks The Cradle
8. The King Of Hearts
9. All Our Dreams Are Sold
10. Perpetual Motion
11. Learn To Fly
12. The Pursuit Of Happiness
Bonus Tracks:
13. Into The Flood (Demo)
14. A Real Attitude (Demo)
15. Holding On (Live At SWR Radio, Germany 2003)

Amazon USA
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CLRGHHZ/?tag=imwan-20

Amazon UK
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07CLRGHHZ/?tag=imwan-21

eelkiller · **Joined:** 10 Dec 2006 **Posts:** 1681

Awesome, Grand Hotel is one of my favourite albums by them

Rick A · 23 Jul 2006

eelkiller wrote:

Awesome, Grand Hotel is one of my favourite albums by them

+1!

I must own at least 4 versions by now, but of course this will be bought as well. I can see Renny now going "Oh No". :facepalm:

It's OK Renny, I doing that myself as well. :wink:

eelkiller · **Joined:** 10 Dec 2006 **Posts:** 1681

Rick A wrote:

eelkiller wrote:

Awesome, Grand Hotel is one of my favourite albums by them

+1!

I must own at least 4 versions by now, but of course this will be bought as well. I can see Renny now going "Oh No". :facepalm:

It's OK Renny, I doing that myself as well. :wink:

Yeah but some of the early versions are not good, Esoteric's PH reissues have been excellent so I am optimistic these will be my play copies.

Rick A · 23 Jul 2006

eelkiller wrote:

Rick A wrote:

eelkiller wrote:

Awesome, Grand Hotel is one of my favourite albums by them

+1!

I must own at least 4 versions by now, but of course this will be bought as well. I can see Renny now going "Oh No". :facepalm:

It's OK Renny, I doing that myself as well. :wink:

Yeah but some of the early versions are not good, Esoteric's PH reissues have been excellent so I am optimistic these will be my play copies.

Agree which is why I will get 'Grand Hotel" and Exotic Birds & Fruit" (again).

Invisible Pedestrian · **Joined:** 24 Sep 2006 **Posts:** 26163

Very odd that they skipped over Procol's Ninth and Something Magic.

Maybe later.

Prodigal Stranger has never been remastered, so that's cool.

I have all the Salvo remasters and the sound was OK.

I'm betting these are better, but it will be a long time before I invest...again.

Linda · **Posted:** Wed Apr 25, 2018 2:08 pm

Bump: The pre-order links in the first post are now active.

Larry · **Joined:** 10 Feb 2008 **Posts:** 5099

Thanks Linda!

Linda · **Posted:** Sun Jun 10, 2018 5:18 am

We now have the packshots for all three Expanded Editions in the first post.

[2018-06-29] Procol Harum "Grand Hotel", "Exotic Birds And Fruit", "Prodigal Stranger" Expanded Editions (Esoteric UK)

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