Probe 10 - There is a Universe. 1975 USA-Pennsylvania

Wow. Where did this come from? After some research, I think Probe 10 were (are?) an alien cult who dabbled in time travel. Let's start with the date. Is someone trying to tell me this is from 1975? No friggin way! Yet on the album they thank Return to Forever, giving credibility to the date, not to mention my theory given the name Return to Forever - think about it ("Damn, Furious is deep man, deep"). Let me put it this way, so that I'm entirely clear here: Listening to this album will not make you think of Return to Forever. Hey, I like RTF as much as the next guy. But don't be thinking incredible chops with a perfect production. No, you better be thinking a low budget garage psych production circa 1968/1969. But this isn't three chord basement rock, but rather a highly complex and creative masterpiece. I'd heard about this album for years, from psych collectors praising its virtues. Now that's hardly unusual of course. But Probe 10 possess two qualities that psych collectors absolutely abhor: It's "Progressive rock" and it has trumpet! Horns on a psych album is like banjo and harmonica on a Genesis album. And no psych collector is going on and on about Return to Forever let me assure you of that.

So what the hell is going on here? If you look at the cover, it's pretty obvious they have a clear idea of what American Science Fiction is all about - circa 1936. Dude, closely look at that cover! They can go back in time and they can go forward. As of yet, I really haven't addressed the music, and it's truly something to behold. Trumpet is a dominating instrument here - almost in a Herb Alpert and Tijuana Brass meets Maynard Ferguson sort of way (and we know psych collectors love that! not). I'm reminded of that other anachronistic wonder Oz Knozz, though this dabbling in horn rock only existed on a couple of choice cuts - not all the way through! I guess CA Quintet always got a pass, and apparently so does Probe 10. Let's get serious and talk about the electric guitar - which is completely compressed and fuzzed to the maximum. Are you kidding me? If you've heard the Plastic Cloud album, or just about any album coming out of psychedelic France, then you know what to expect. and just for good measure they decided to give the same treatment to bass. I'm talking to you, Hugh Hopper (rest in peace). The female vocals have that pure innocence vibe, as if they're fresh recruits for the Holy Shree Baba Yaba Krishna Probe Ten Guru. It's the same sweet soul sound one hears on the multitude of Christian (coincidence?) prog rock albums, especially of the German variety (Eden, Credemus, Werwolf, Rebekka, etc...). Or maybe those perfumed gardens of the English countryside, where we find Ithaca, Agincourt, and Stone Angel. And don't forget the jazzy flute over the chaotic drums. 1975?

Early on, there's a drum piece trying to mask a radio signal, which is obviously trying to reach their home planet. And when the radio broadcast from their home planet starts buzzing back through, you realize this isn't the Twilight Zone anymore, but something very real. It should scare you. I'm scared. This isn't on CBS, NBC, Fox or ABC. It exists. Any careful scientific study should reveal that There is a Universe was recorded in 1975 by people from 1968. They then released the album and went back to 1969 excited to see how much their album would sell six years later. It didn't. Had they released it in 2035, then it's audience may be found. Of course they already know that. Do you?

Ownership: LP: 1975 Blue Universe. Single sleeve. Acquired from a good friend (2013)

CD: 2014 Lion Productions. Papersleeve edition with a full history from Jim McGee and fellow band member Buzz Bachman. There are also five short bonus tracks that are similar in style.

Where to even start? I first heard about this album from a rarities catalog in the late 1980s, and it wouldn't be until about 2007 or so until I finally heard a copy via cd-r. It was rare in 1988, and it never became an affordable item. Almost all ebay auctions to date have netted between $500 and $800 for an original (some sealed). I featured this album extensively on the CDRWL and I wrote a rather "outside" review of it in 2007, which is captured above. Despite what it might read like, I wrote it sober as a judge during my lunch break at work (can't say that about all my reviews :-) ). It was this review that got me in touch with band leader Jim McGee, and that lead to virtual introductions to Vincent at Lion. And from there, those guys did all the heavy lifting that lead to the wonderful reissue. 

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Credits:

# James McGee: Electric Bass, Electric Guitar, Flute, Twelve String Guitar, Remix, Producer, Arrangements
# Jeff Saussier: Trumpet, Coronet
# Bill Jones: Electric Guitar
# Barry L. Bachman: Percussives
# Tom Nicholson: Rhodes Piano
# Brian Gerhab: Flute
# Diane DuBois: Flute, Cover Design
# Samuel Creyer: Flute, Alto Flute
# Mason Profit: Recorders
# Linda Kistler: Violins
# Susan Rudelitch: Vocal
# David Robert Scheirer: Vocal, Babbling Brook, Remix, Producer
# Stirling E. Woodin: Engineer, Remix

"Probe 10 was a group of high school students in the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania. Two schools in particular that I am sure of are Emmaus and Parkland. When the album was released back in 1975, my best friend at the time (Steve Kroninger – now an artist in NYC) was attending Lehigh County Vo-Tech as an art student with either Jim McGee or a friend of Jim’s (Kim). Anyway, it was and still is a great album. This one certainly has passed the test of time. I don’t think any of the people on this album went on to do much more professionally in the music industry. That is a great injustice."

Special thanks to Tigger2 on ebay for all this great info!

11/21/07; 6/24/09 (CDRWL); 10/29/10 (new entry); 11/10/14