A writ-er shade of pale

We suspect that Justice Blackburne has been unfairly accused of not being with in the court report in today's Daily Mirror. Covering the first day of evidence into claims by Matthew Fisher, Procul Harum organist, that he should have got more cash from his contribution to the tune, Fisher's barrister Ian Purvis checked that the judge knew his Procul from his Prolapse:

"The issue before you concerns the ownership of musical copyright in the work A Whiter Shade of Pale.

"In these type of cases, one always risks a 'What are the Beatles' moment but I hazard a guess that your Lordship remembers."

The judge's response was a put-upon "I am of an age, yes." But he gave a hard stare to the next gambit:

Mr Purvis reminded the judge that this year the song was "given a name check in the number one single I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (with flowers in my hair) by Sandi Thom".

The court erupted in laughter as the judge remained silent and fixed Mr Purvis with a blank stare.

We're not so sure that that stare would have been blank. After all, the judge was a music student, so it's possible the mention of Thom's confused attempts to merge Chairman Mao's Little Red, and the Smash Hits Year, Books created a sense of hostility in his belly, represented by a warning stare. Or, maybe he - like the rest of the world - fails to see why the song got a mention in another song influences the case at all. Either the deal cut for Fisher was fair, or it was not fair. The fairness is unaffected by the success of the track, although the sense of biterness may be inflated as a result.

The case continues.

music procol harum justice blackburne