Brooker grew up in the seaside resort of Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England, as did most of the other founding members of Procol Harum.
He founded The Paramounts in 1962 with his guitarist friend Robin Trower. The band gained respect within the burgeoning 1960s British R 'n' B scene, which yielded The Beatles, The Animals, The Spencer Davis Group, The Rolling Stones, and many others. The Stones, in particular, were Paramounts fans, giving them guest billing on several memorable shows in the early 1960s.
In 1966, Brooker founded Procol Harum. "A Whiter Shade of Pale" is the worldwide hit that Procol Harum is best known for, but Brooker's melancholy vocals and emotive, eclectic piano playing were a key part of Procol's musical mix for the entire course of the band's career. In the early years Brooker, Hammond organist Matthew Fisher, and Trower were the guiding musical forces behind the band, but after disparities in style became too much and Fisher and Trower left, Brooker was the clear leader until the band broke up in 1977.
Brooker sang lead vocal on the Alan Parsons song "Limelight", on their 1985 album, Stereotomy.
A new incarnation of the Procol Harum, led by Brooker, and including Fisher for most of the tours from 1991 through 2003, has continued touring the world. Brooker also toured with Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band in 1997 and 1999, and he was also a member of Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings for several years, appearing on three of their albums and touring with the band.
In November 2002 he was among musicians and singers participating in the George Harrison tribute concert, Concert for George, at which he took vocals on their version of "Old Brown Shoe".
Brooker died from cancer at his home on 19 February 2022, at the age of 76.
Pilot
Gary Brooker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If we just won't go too far.
And we always seem to come home late
Isn't that funny
Well your family is so afraid
Cause our love keeps growing stronger
And they really don't want us to carry on
Oh Savannah
You've taken my heart
We can make a new start now
This situation is tearing us apart
Oh Savannah you know we can't wait
Cause it might be too late
If we wait any longer
You call me on the phone
And you tell me how you're so lonely
And your Daddy won't let you leave home
On account of me.
Well you know,
You know we've talked this over before
Where can we go
We can run away, we can run away
Savannah, oh you've taken my heart
We can make a new start now
This situation is tearing us apart
Oh Savannah you know we can't wait
Cause it might be too late
If we wait any longer
The song "Pilot" by Gary Brooker is about a young couple, Savannah and the singer, whose love is being threatened by their families' disapproval. The first verse sets the scene of the couple borrowing a car from Savannah's father, with conditions attached that they shouldn't go too far and come home early. The irony is highlighted when they always seem to come home late, indicating that their love is making them break the rules. In the second verse, the families are becoming more aware of the couple's strong emotions, and they disapprove of their relationship. The families don't want the couple to carry on any longer, which means they want them to break up. The couple feels that they are torn apart by the situation, and Savannah has taken the singer's heart.
The chorus emphasizes that Savannah has taken the singer's heart, and they can still make a new start despite their families' disapproval. The situation is becoming unbearable for them, and they can't wait any longer to be together. In the last verse, Savannah calls the singer, telling him how lonely she feels, and that her father has stopped her from leaving home because of their relationship. The singer suggests that they've discussed their options before and that they can run away together. The chorus repeats its message, urging them to make a new start quickly because waiting longer could make it too late.
Overall, the song shows the struggles of a young couple in love who faces societal pressure and familial disapproval. However, they remain steadfast and committed to each other, taking drastic measures to be together.
Line by Line Meaning
Well your father lends us a car,
Your father helps us with a car, but he hopes we don't take it too far.
If we just won't go too far.
In exchange for the car, he only wants us to be careful with it.
And we always seem to come home late
But despite our efforts, we consistently return late.
Isn't that funny
It seems almost ironic that we struggle to keep to our curfew despite having a car to use.
Well your family is so afraid
Your family is scared for us and our relationship.
Cause our love keeps growing stronger
They fear that our love for each other will only continue to get stronger and more difficult to control.
And they really don't want us to carry on
They believe it would be better if we ended our relationship.
Any longer.
They don't want us to continue this way for any more time.
Oh Savannah
I address you by your name to express the depth of my emotions.
You've taken my heart
You've captured my heart completely.
We can make a new start now
We have the opportunity to begin anew.
This situation is tearing us apart
Our situation is breaking us up emotionally.
Oh Savannah you know we can't wait
We need to act on our feelings quickly.
Cause it might be too late
Delaying our decision could mean losing our chance completely.
If we wait any longer
Waiting longer to decide could be a mistake.
You call me on the phone
You reach out to me using the telephone.
And you tell me how you're so lonely
You express to me that you feel alone.
And your Daddy won't let you leave home
Your father forbids you from leaving the house.
On account of me.
He believes that I am the reason for your unhappiness.
Well you know,
We have discussed this situation before.
You know we've talked this over before
We are aware of the situation and have discussed it previously.
Where can we go
We need to decide on a safe place to be together.
We can run away, we can run away
One option is to run away together.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@coldeb1957
Love this song
@1952lunacat
I found this LP in a throw away pile at a radio station I worked at and was like,this is a great record! This really says how I feel over a break up.
@fmtfniuprog8029
Great songs on this album! I have the Portuguese edition of this album.
@Giuliana1962
Υπέροχο κομμάτι!!!! όπως και όλες οι μουσικές επιλογές σου. Σε ευχαριστώ που στολίζεις τα μονοπάτια της ψυχής μου.
@BigDave0908
Gary Brooker has one of those voices ...
@punditpete
sounds like peter Gabriel