One of the most enduring pop songs ever made in Britain has been the centre of a High Court row with Procol Harum member Matthew Fisher named as the co-writer of ‘A Whiter Shade Of Pale’.

As the sun shone and the hippies emerged, one track ruled the airwaves in Britain. Procol Harum’s ‘A White Shade Of Pale’ was a massive hit in the summer of 1967, when the nation began to grow its hair and chill out, man.

A huge commercial success the song went on to become a global hit, reaching the upper echelons of the charts in the United States. A perennial oldie it was recently named the most played song on British radio, equal with Queen’s titanic anthem ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’.

However the single has become the centre of a legal row after organ player Matthew Fisher argued that he was entitled to royalties from the song.

Written by frontman Gary Brooker and lyricist Keith Reid, the song’s organ line is one of the most distinctive elements. However Fisher was left out of the royalties, until he made a claim for 40% royalties in 2006.

The case has swing back and forth ever since. The High Court ruled in 2006 that Fisher had proved his case, however the Court Of Appeal then argued that the organ player had waited too long to make his claim.

Appealing the verdict again, Matthew Fisher has prevailed. The Law Lords have come down on the organ player’s side, with Lord Neuberger claiming that Fisher had repeatedly asked Brooker and Reid if he could have a share in the rights to the record, only to be “rebuffed or ignored”.

According to legal experts, the case marks the first time the Law Lords have been asked to rule on a copyright dispute involving a song, reports the BBC.

Watch the band in action below…