Collaboration recording with band Screw Loose
The band recently took on an exciting collaboration, recording with band Screw Loose. Collaborating with a local band was something new for us. The chosen piece: Procol Harum’s ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’.
We practised it a lot at rehearsals and recorded it with Screw Loose in two parts. First we focused on the sound at one of our Thursday evening rehearsals in October. Then a week later we recorded part of the video at a hotel in Bournemouth. After lots of hard work from Screw Loose to put the two together, the 7-minute piece is ready for all to hear. In this blog, Joff from Screw Loose tells all about the experience, but first, enjoy the video…
So, this might seem a little unusual, as I’m not in the band, but I’ve been asked to write something for the blog.
You see, it was my idea to ask, beg, persuade and coerce a band to work with us. Just a little old covers band based in Poole, on a track that we love.
I’ve always wanted to re-kindle the adventure of music at school, more instruments than talent, but with that big sound. Now, of course, Screw Loose can make a big sound with big speakers, but there are only four of us.
The tale begins
After a good number of emails – some without response, some with a negative response, some even got to the point of having a conversation with “sorry, that’s not really our thing” – one of the heroes of our little story enters, stage left. I dropped an email to BDCB having seen a video pop up on social media, and got a lovely response from Sue.
“That sounds like an interesting idea” she said, “I’ll ask the committee.” Another brush off, I thought, BUT NO! A few days later I get another email, opened with trepidation, to say that they would love to be involved!
I’m now jumping around my private apartments at Screw Loose Headquarters, thrilled, but knowing we have a LONG way to go.
Kicking off the collab
The next stage was a chat with the illustrious Simon Nicholls. As a conductor he’s already got me on the back foot and nervous as he clearly knows his stuff, and I am, after all, just a drummer in a covers band with ideas above his station. But Simon was lovely. He listened, and offered help, and really got behind the idea from that one phone chat. He suggested I, or as many of my band as required, pop along to rehearsal to see them working and discuss options and logistics.
Hence myself and the lead singer, who happens to be my lovely wife Vicki (Maddison as she’s known in singing circles), rock up (pun intended) to a school hall in Bournemouth. We are gradually, as we approach the doors, hypnotised by melody and harmony and the beauty of music from a cast of around 70 people who love what they do.
Meeting the band for the first time
We stood back from where we could be seen for a few minutes, just to listen. It’s a rehearsal night so it’s not all flowing and loveliness, it’s work. There are stops and starts and it’s not all perfect. That’s the idea of rehearsal time, but it’s just an amazing sound.
Vicki and I sheepishly open doors, adorned in our Screw Loose hoodies so they know who we are. We wait to be spotted through those semi-glazed doors you only get in schools and offices. A lovely lady puts down her clarinet (see my high-flying musical knowledge) and comes to greet us – it’s Sue!
We chat and are invited to join them and come and listen. Vicki knows I am praying to all that are holy they will like us. I am nervous as a prom date and hoping these astonishing musicians will not see through me and my lack of written down musical knowledge drawn from playing drums and making it up as I go along.
In all honesty, I need not have had any worries. The band breaks for coffee, and the chaos ensues in the short break. I think there is cake for someone’s birthday, and there is not much you can’t sort out over coffee and cake in my opinion!
Making plans
We’re invited to chat with Simon. Now we know what he looks like, he’s the chap at the front on a box with a stick, facing the wrong way from everyone else. He brings along Adam who “does their arranging”! We have a good chat about ideas and what we, as the band, are looking for. We chat about some technical stuff that (thankfully) Vicki understood, and we have a minor plan – a major step forward! (Yes, bad musical jokes I know, but also relevant to the next part)!
We’ve been chatting a while and Adam lets slip that he is ex-military, as is Simon (thank you both for your service to our country). He (Adam) heads back to rejoin his colleagues and his saxophone and we take a big deep breath and sigh of relief and go and listen to some more of the band.
Discussing the details
It’s after rehearsal when we’re just finalising some details that I’m taken to one side by another lovely chap who has packed away to be told that both Adam and Simon really were very well respected in their different military bands. Adam worked on Queen Elizabeth II funeral music, but they are too humble to have dropped that in, straight away at least!
I can feel the colour drain from my face. I’ve been telling Adam what “I” want from this in terms of construction and structure and use of the different instruments and really should have been cleaning his instrument. Maybe that sounds a bit wrong – polishing his sax, not much better, but you get my drift.
But this amazing group of people are unfazed! We’ve been very lucky to ask nicely and find some utterly honourable and terrifically talented people to collaborate with over a good few years. A choir, other musicians and singers, dancers, people who have let us film daft Christmas videos at their locations etc etc.
And this highly talented, professional, wonderful band, human beings, musicians have just “got on with the job” for us over months of work and other commitments.
We’ve told them, so we’ll tell you, I, we, are truly humbled. It’s an emotional song, and it’s been despatched brilliantly by a wonderful group of people.
Recording ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’
The rest of the story really is just about effort and time, and playing the song over and over and over to get it right. Then over and over and over again to record it in one night (BDCB that is, my little band recorded our bits separately so our technical bass player John’s head didn’t explode). We then played the piece over and over and over again in the lovely East Cliff Hotel who let us use their ballroom. Matt from MH Photography worked his magic with cameras under some severe time pressure. We also took a trip out to Lake Pier to get some texture to the video, and a nod to the original work of Procul Harum.
It’s been a lot of laughs, some beer has been consumed, there were a couple of bumps in the road, but we got there. And we’re proud of what we’ve achieved.
The final recording
For us this track is fairly long, and rightly so. There is a lot of great musicianship to fit in. And start to finish it’s 7 minutes through to the credits. But really, for you, that’s just 7 minutes of your time while the kettle boils, or the rice cooks, or you walk the dog etc. to listen to it in full. Or maybe a warm down from some sort of exercise routine that we would love you to spend with us, as Screw Loose, and more with the whole wonderful crew at BDCB who have taken us to their hearts and won ours over forever.
Personally, from me, if you remember that far back in this tale, it’s been amazing and emotional. I’ve had to check that I’m not dreaming many times. When given the chance to address the whole band from the conductor’s position, it’s been extremely hard not to be in tears. The commitment of the band, and my brilliant band mates, is humbling. Like every good book, play, film, there is a minor twist!
It’s all been done for free. It’s not our song, we’ve just borrowed it from Procul Harum and, shall we say, twisted it a bit. You can watch or listen as many times as you want, forever, on YouTube, but if you want to support either BDCB or us, just get in touch.
We’ll be at BDCB’s Wimborne Minster Christmas concert
You see, before we popped this track out, we were asked if we would like to perform the song at the BDCB Christmas Concert at Wimborne Minster on 20 December 2025. What an honour!
So, dear reader, fellow story traveller, lover of tales of music and growing friendship… have a listen to ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’. Thank you Procul Harum for such an astonishing track to cover.
Thank you Bournemouth and District Concert Band, you are forever in our hearts, and forever part of the Screw Loose family.
By Joff Gilbert, Drummer with Screw Loose and all round very nice chap!
Want to see more about the recording with band Screw Loose? Check out our BDCB Facebook page.
