American. Probe started out a 'progressive' subsidiary of ABC/Dunhill Records. It lasted from October 1968 to the middle of 1970 in the USA; in the UK it made its debut a year later than it did in the States and it survived for a couple of years longer, thanks to a change of its purpose partway through. 'Record Retailer' of the 13th September 1969 revealed that ABC intended to launch Probe here the following month, with a batch of three albums. Seven more followed over the course of a year, but there were no singles. Singles must have been expected: a company sleeve with the 1969-70 logo exists (7) and for some reason it could be found on copies of at least one single from 1971, 'Don't Pull Your Love' b/w 'Funk-In-Wagnal' by Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds (PRO-530; 6/71) - thanks to Robert Bowes for that scan. Although it issued some interesting material, including the second LP by the Soft Machine, this first incarnation of Probe failed to make much of an impression.
At that time ABC/Dunhill's more mainstream product was issued on EMI's Stateside or Stateside Dunhill labels (q.v. both), the former handling material originating from ABC, the latter material from Dunhill. When the licensing agreement with EMI was renewed, in August 1970, the opportunity was taken to bring all the material together under one banner. Probe's original function as a Rock label was set aside, and it became instead the outlet for all of ABC/Dunhill's records ('Music Week', 22nd of August 1970). A new logo and a new pink label were adopted (1), presumably to mark the fresh start, and Probe at last began to issue singles. The renewed venture wasn't immediately successful, and 'MW' of the 11th of September 1971 reported that sales of records on Probe had been disappointing: a spokesman for the company is quoted as saying that efforts had been devoted to "Trying to establish a specific label image, when the message should have been 'The label is one of good Pop music with successful acts playing hit material'." An article in 'MW' of the 22nd of September 1973 said the company was looking to expand into record production, but this seems to have borne fruit only with the advent of the ABC/Dunhill-funded Anchor label (q.v.) the following year, not with records originating in the UK appearing on Probe. When current Probe managing director Dave Chapman left, in the spring of 1974, Anchor's Ian Ralfini took over responsibility for the Probe label ('MW', 30th March); the plan was for Anchor, Probe and a new label, ABC, to be administered jointly when the contract with EMI expired, which it did in September 1974. By that time, however, Probe had ceased to exist: the advent of the ABC label in the summer of that year had made it redundant, and its artists had been transferred across to the newcomer.
The first Probe label was black with silver printing and a boxed logo; it never featured on a single, but, as stated above, company sleeves bearing the logo exist (7). Singles on the renewed Probe kept the same basic label design throughout the time that they were issued, but they went through two different colour schemes: an early pink one (1, 8) and a late creamy-fawn one (2, 9), the change-over coming in May 1973 at around PRO-591. The perimeter text changed slightly in September of that same year, a reference to 'The Gramophone Co.' at 10 o'clock being replaced by one to 'EMI Records' (3); PRO-603 was the first single to have the changed text. Demos were marked in the usual EMI fashion (4, 5), and sometimes 'Factory Sample' stickers were applied (6). Numbering for Probe singles was in the PRO-500s, which eventually evolved into the 600s. The label enjoyed four British Chart successes: Three Dog Night's, 'Joy To The World' b/w 'I Can Hear You Calling' (PRO-523; 4/71) got into the Top Thirty, as did the Four Tops, twice, with 'Keeper Of The Castle' b/w 'Jubilee With Soul' (PRO-575; 11/72) and 'Sweet Understanding Love' b/w 'Main Street People' (PRO-604; 10/73), but its biggest hit was a reissue of a vintage Soul single from 1964, 'Hey Girl Don't Bother Me' b/w 'Take Away', by The Tams (PRO-532; 7/71), which gave it its only No.1. Probe had a short-lived 'Golden Oldies' label, Probe Goldies (q.v.). Thanks to Bob Mayhead for his help in compiling the discography below.
Copyright 2006 Robert Lyons.