Probe Records (shop)
Encyclopedia
Probe Records is a small independent record shop, founded in 1971, that was once, most famously, on the corner of Button Street in Liverpool
, Before this it had "branches" in the basement of Silly Billies clothes shop and on Clarence Street (?), off Brownlow Hill. There was also a daily visit at lunchtime to the Guild of Undergraduates with three or four boxes of LPs. It became notable for its influence on the Liverpool Mathew Street
culture of the time, and acted as a major supporter of local independent bands and musicians. The business was set up and run by its founder, Geoff Davies, who by his own admission, was far more a music enthusiast than he was a businessman.
In order to supplement the takings in the shop itself, Davies also set up an independent wholesale arm of the business, through which he would promote up and coming talent. Many larger record retailers throughout the north-west of England such as HMV
, Virgin Records
and Our Price
bought most of their independent label stock from Probe. The business became successful enough to eventually set up its own record label. Initially called simply Probe Records
, it was re-branded Probe Plus
in order to avoid confusion between the retail shop and the record label. The decision of which bands and musicians to sign up to the label was a collaboration between Geoff Davies
and two friends, Bolton-born writer Andrew Kenyon-Smith and fellow Liverpudlian and DJ John Peel
.
Record Producer Julian Cope
, Dead or Alive
front man Pete Burns
, and Frankie Goes to Hollywood
vocalist/dancer Paul Rutherford
all spent a number of years working in the record shop between 1977 and 1984, whilst a number of the record label's signings shared a modicum of success in the independent record charts, perhaps most notably Half Man Half Biscuit
.
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, Before this it had "branches" in the basement of Silly Billies clothes shop and on Clarence Street (?), off Brownlow Hill. There was also a daily visit at lunchtime to the Guild of Undergraduates with three or four boxes of LPs. It became notable for its influence on the Liverpool Mathew Street
Mathew Street
Mathew Street is a street in Liverpool, England, best-known worldwide as the location of the Cavern Club, where The Beatles played on numerous occasions in their early career...
culture of the time, and acted as a major supporter of local independent bands and musicians. The business was set up and run by its founder, Geoff Davies, who by his own admission, was far more a music enthusiast than he was a businessman.
In order to supplement the takings in the shop itself, Davies also set up an independent wholesale arm of the business, through which he would promote up and coming talent. Many larger record retailers throughout the north-west of England such as HMV
HMV
His Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
, Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
and Our Price
Our Price
Our Price was a chain of record stores in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland from 1972 until 2004. Originally founded in 1972 by Gary Nesbitt, Edward Stollins and Mike Isaacs, early stores were branded "The Tape Revolution" and concentrated on the then-new compact cassette format.The name...
bought most of their independent label stock from Probe. The business became successful enough to eventually set up its own record label. Initially called simply Probe Records
Probe Records
Probe Records was a sub-label of ABC-Paramount Records. It was started in 1968 as their label for psychedelic rock and progressive rock.-Releases:Number - Title - Artist [Release Date]...
, it was re-branded Probe Plus
Probe plus
Probe Plus is a record label based in Liverpool, England. It was founded by Geoff Davies, an enthusiastic promoter of small, unsigned bands, who describes the label as "Music to drive you to drink"....
in order to avoid confusion between the retail shop and the record label. The decision of which bands and musicians to sign up to the label was a collaboration between Geoff Davies
Geoff Davies
Geoffrey Peter "Geoff" Davies is an English retired professional footballer who played in England and the United States as a midfielder.-Playing career:...
and two friends, Bolton-born writer Andrew Kenyon-Smith and fellow Liverpudlian and DJ John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
.
Record Producer Julian Cope
Julian Cope
Julian Cope is a British rock musician, author, antiquary, musicologist, poet and cultural commentator...
, Dead or Alive
Dead or Alive (band)
Dead or Alive were a British New Wave band from Wirral, England, United Kingdom, Europe. The band rose to fame in the 1980s with their number one single on the UK Singles Chart, "You Spin Me Round ". They were the first group to have a number one single under the production team Stock Aitken Waterman...
front man Pete Burns
Pete Burns
Pete Burns is an English singer-songwriter, author and television personality who founded the band Dead or Alive in 1980, for which he acted as the vocalist and songwriter, and which rose to mainstream success with their 1985 single "You Spin Me Round "...
, and Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Frankie Goes to Hollywood were a British dance-pop band popular in the mid-1980s. The group was fronted by Holly Johnson , with Paul Rutherford , Peter Gill , Mark O'Toole , and Brian Nash .The group's debut single "Relax" was banned by the BBC in 1984 while at number six in the charts and...
vocalist/dancer Paul Rutherford
Paul Rutherford
Paul Rutherford is the former backing vocalist, dancer and occasional keyboardist with 1980s pop band Frankie Goes to Hollywood , one of the group's two openly gay singers....
all spent a number of years working in the record shop between 1977 and 1984, whilst a number of the record label's signings shared a modicum of success in the independent record charts, perhaps most notably Half Man Half Biscuit
Half Man Half Biscuit
Half Man Half Biscuit, often "HMHB", are an English rock band from Birkenhead, Merseyside, active since the mid-1980s, known for satirical, sardonic, and sometimes surreal songs. The group comprises Nigel Blackwell , Neil Crossley , Ken Hancock , and Carl Henry...
.
Famous alumni
- Pete BurnsPete BurnsPete Burns is an English singer-songwriter, author and television personality who founded the band Dead or Alive in 1980, for which he acted as the vocalist and songwriter, and which rose to mainstream success with their 1985 single "You Spin Me Round "...
- singers - Julian CopeJulian CopeJulian Cope is a British rock musician, author, antiquary, musicologist, poet and cultural commentator...
- producer/performer - Andrew Kenyon-Smith - writer
- Paul RutherfordPaul RutherfordPaul Rutherford is the former backing vocalist, dancer and occasional keyboardist with 1980s pop band Frankie Goes to Hollywood , one of the group's two openly gay singers....
- dancer/singer