Probe Plus was a
record label
"Big Three" music labels
A record label or record company is a brand or trademark of Sound recording and reproduction, music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a Music publisher, ...
based in
Liverpool
Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
,
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
. It was founded by Geoff Davies, an enthusiastic promoter of small, unsigned bands, who described the label as "Music to drive you to drink".
[De Burgh, Simon (1991) 'Probe Plus Records', ''Spiral Scratch'', Issue 12, July 1991]
History
The label was started in May 1981, its first release being the self-titled debut EP by local electronic band Ex Post Facto.
For years the label was based in an office above the
Probe Records shop in Rainford Gardens. Due to a change in building ownership both the shop and label were forced to move and Davies set up office in his house. After marrying Anne in 1999, they moved house and he continued to run the label from there.
Probe Plus has a number of bands to their name including Kelso, Dead Poppies and Marlowe. In 1990, the label released "Colours", the first single by
No-Man, who later signed to
One Little Indian and Epic/Sony.
The label is perhaps best known for
Half Man Half Biscuit
Half Man Half Biscuit are an English rock band, formed in 1984 in Birkenhead, Merseyside. Known for their satirical, sardonic, and sometimes surreal songs, the band comprises lead singer and guitarist Nigel Blackwell, bassist and singer Neil Cr ...
, who were signed from 1985 until the end of the label. Davies signed the group on the basis of a tape they gave to him, saying "I thought that if the tape was half as good as the titles then I'd want to record this group".
The band's debut album sold over 50,000 copies, enabling Davies to plough money back into the label.
Probe Plus were later home to a number of
Welsh bands, including
Fflaps who released a Welsh-language album on the label.
Many of the label's releases were produced by Davies and Sam Davis
under the pseudonym 'The Bald Brothers'.
In 2021, Davies announced his retirement and the closure of the label with Half Man Half Biscuit announcing they will move to self-releasing
their future material.
Davies died aged 80 on 12 September 2023.
Probe Plus artists
Probe Plus have released records by artists including:
*
Attila the Stockbroker
*Betrayal
*Brenda and the Beachballs
*Cyclic Amp
*Dead Poppies
*Dog Flambé
*The Doonicans
*Ex Post Facto
*
The Farm
*
Fflaps
*Gone to Earth
*
Half Man Half Biscuit
Half Man Half Biscuit are an English rock band, formed in 1984 in Birkenhead, Merseyside. Known for their satirical, sardonic, and sometimes surreal songs, the band comprises lead singer and guitarist Nigel Blackwell, bassist and singer Neil Cr ...
*jd meatyard
*
Jegsy Dodd
*Levellers 5
*
Lovecraft
*The Magic Carpets
*Mel-O-Tones
*
No-Man
*
The Onset - featured Mike Badger and Paul Hemmings formerly of The La's
*
Ophiuchus
*
Poisoned Electrick Head
*Pressure Drop
*Public Disgrace
*
Revolutionary Army of the Infant Jesus
*Sik Lizards
*St. Vitus Dance
*
Surreal Estate (who included
Will Sergeant and
Les Pattinson of
Echo & the Bunnymen)
*
The Tansads
*The Tractors
*The Tunnel Frenzies
*
The Walking Seeds
See also
*
List of record labels
File:Alvinoreyguitarboogie.jpg
File:AmMusicBunk78.jpg
File:Bingola1011b.jpg
Lists of record labels cover record labels, brands or trademarks associated with marketing of music recordings and music videos. The lists are organized alphabetically, ...
References
External links
*
*
British record labels
Indie rock record labels
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