"Shine On Brightly" is the second studio album by English rock band Procol Harum, released in 1968 by Regal Zonophone and A&M. It is considered an early example of progressive rock.
The album's single, "Quite Rightly So," did not achieve the same level of success as Procol Harum's first two singles, "A Whiter Shade of Pale" and "Homburg." However, the album itself was commercially successful in the United States, outperforming their debut album, though it did not chart in the UK. In Canada, the album reached #26.
Shine On Brightly is credited as being produced solely by Denny Cordell, but in reality, he and Procol Harum parted ways roughly halfway through the recording process. One of the issues between them was Cordell's attempt to recruit drummer B.J. Wilson to join Joe Cocker's backing band. As a result, much of the production work was completed by Tony Visconti.
Lyricist Keith Reid acknowledges the significant role of the album's engineer, Glyn Johns, in assembling the track "In Held 'Twas in I." This track was developed in a fragmented manner; for instance, the spoken word introduction was recorded before the music was composed. Reid was inspired by a story he heard from an American writer he met at Baghdad House, a café on Fulham Road. Additionally, the "Grand Finale" section of the song was solely written by organist Matthew Fisher.
For the UK release of Shine On Brightly on Regal Zonophone, the cover art was commissioned by Procol Harum. In contrast, the cover art for the US release on A&M was created independently of the band's input. It features a deformed nude figure playing an upright piano in a Joshua tree desert, presented through a yellow-green filter.
The interior of the record sleeve includes a photograph of the band lit only by sparklers they are holding.
