P.J. Proby launches new official website

The legendary singer has launched his own OFFICIAL website @ www.pjproby.net.

Remember for more information on the 2008 EMI CD which I produced you can also visit my mini website at www.ukwebwonders.com/proby.

Download EMI's "Best of" album on iTunes....

Great news you can now download "The Best of the EMI Years" collection of hits and rarities on iTunes.

Just click HERE to buy the entire album or specific songs from it. Do also post your own reviews for this album on the iTunes website.

THE CD WAS ALSO RELEASED IN AUSTRALIA ON 3 AUGUST 2008.

Share your verdict on the new CD!

On Monday, 16 June 2008, EMI (UK) release their first new Proby compilation for 10 years.

If you approve of what we have done do share your views with other music lovers on some of the biggest and best online stores. Help encourage others to support this release by posting a review on the CD at HMV.com, amazon.co.uk and amazon.com.

An iTunes release will be coming soon. So stay tuned for that!

Another price drop for the Proby CD...

Retailer amazon.co.uk has dropped its price to match the deal offered by HMV.com. The CD now sells at their store for £4.98.

Don't worry if you had already ordered your copy from amazon.co.uk they have a "Pre-order Price Guarantee". This means if the Amazon.co.uk price decreases between the time you place your order and the release date, you'll be charged the lowest price.

EMI Australia to release the NEW CD!

The good news is EMI Australia have just confirmed that they will be pressing the new CD locally for an Australian release on 2 August 2008. The expected retail down-under will be no more than $10AUSD.

NEW CD sells for £4.99 with FREE UK delivery!

After lots of polite requests HMV.com have finally agreed to stock the new CD. The best part is for a limited time you can order it from their website for just £4.99 with FREE UK delivery!

Click the logo below to buy the CD and support the work I have done:

New website to help promote the CD!

To help promote the new CD I have created a dedicated website that provides information such as track listing & soundclips. Please help me now spread the word and encourage advance sales for the CD by linking to this page on your own websites, forums and absolutely anyone else online who you can think of contacting! ;)

www.ukwebwonders.com/proby

Advance Order the new CD now!

Please support my work in getting this CD released by advance ordering it here from amazon.co.uk or amazon.com. The release date is 16 June 2008 and the CD should retail around £6.99/$15USD.

A 5 year project comes to a close!

Well the last few days has been quite manic as I have been frantically finishing off the packaging side of the CD with EMI. Lots of proofing and tweaking to hopefully make everything look as good as we can within the constraints of a budget CD release.

Just so you know the booklet is 12-pages and contains extensive sleeve notes (inclusive of a mini biography and song by song anecdotes). There are also a few rare shots from the EMI photo archives and a wonderful message to you all from Proby.

Anyhow as of today the project is complete as far as I am concerned. Next step is for it to be manufactured by EMI!

The CD's artwork revealed!

Here it is hot off the press the CD cover artwork for The Best of the EMI Years: 1961-1972. More details to be announced in the next 7 days.

Oh dear, the stereo version is faulty...

As mentioned previously I now have the entire CD and it sounds wonderful! Proby fans do have a lot to be excited about!!

One slight disappointment is the stereo masters for "Give Me Time" - one of my all-time favourite Proby songs are faulty. So, it has been replaced with a mono version. It is not the end of the world but truthfully you do get a better feel for the orchestra that accompanies Proby in the stereo cut. Two previously unreleased songs of a very Dylan-esque Proby have also been specially mastered by Abbey Road for their world-wide debut.

Finished CD just arrived...

Wow. I now have the remastered CD of songs. Just playing through it now. Amazing to hear songs like "Just Like Him" and "And the Sun Will Shine" cleaned up and sounding sensational!

Abbey Road hunt for the CD's songs

The latest news is Abbey Road are currently hunting for the master tapes for all the songs that are to feature on the new CD. I am also waiting to see proofs of the booklet/packaging. I am now feeling a tad nervous as I do want everything to go well!

Check back in the next few weeks as I plan to provide song clips, full track listing, bio, artwork and links to buy the CD!

Just sent EMI my finished liner notes...

I just handed in my liner notes for the CD. What I have done is written a mini biography and anecdotes for each included song. I hope EMI and PJ likes it all. I must again pay tribute to the Probyans who have helped me along the way. They are some of the nicest people I have met whilst working on a project like this. Full of great ideas and constructive comments. "Thank you" - you all know who you are!

One final thing, this weekend I got a CD of photos from my visit on the 10 April to EMI's archives. I think from what I have now seen we have found the perfect cover and back sleeve. Above is the EMI owned shot I'd like to see used on the back of the CD. Hope you all like it!

Track listing ready to roll

Great news. EMI have today confirmed that the proposed track listing has been approved. This is yet another step closer to the CD release becoming a reality!

Picking photographs for the CD packaging

Well today I met with my contact at EMI Records (UK) and we went through their batch of original promotional photographs, negatives and slides. Although I had done this five years ago I was pleased this time around to find a lot of shots that I simply can not recall having seen before. My aim was to focus on finding images of Proby that were taken during his beard and moustache phase (like the one shown in my blog of the 26 March 2008). This look is said to be Proby's favourite from this era.

The good news is my visit was productive as we did find a nice batch of very tasteful b&w and colour shots. I sincerely think these will really please fans but most importantly do the great man justice. The next step will be for EMI's art department to scan hi-res images that can be reviewed before packaging is finalised.

Whilst there I also got to show EMI my draft booklet notes. They asked me to edit these as we only have a 12-page booklet to play around with. So, I am now working hard to reduce my text!

Facts & interesting articles about the songs

Now you know the songs that I hope will be on the new CD (listed in my post of the 26 March) do you have any articles or information about them?

I am finalising my notes this week and have already researched quite a bit but you never know you may tell me something I didn't know. Especially as I was born after the songs and albums they came from were all originally released!

To the guy who works for EMI USA do please email me urgently.

Track listing revealed

Well it has been a long time coming but I thought I'd share the songs that I have sequenced into what I believe to be a lovely new CD collection.

The idea was always to pick songs that appeal to a wide variety of people from casual music lovers to longterm fans. So yes we have some of the hits and songs from each of Proby's albums from this period but we also have a nice handful of rarities. EMI are now in the process of sorting the legalities of using these songs. Touch wood everything will be okay. More news as it breaks.

PROVISIONAL TRACK LISTING:
01. MARIA (Stereo)
02. GIVE ME TIME (Stereo)
03. JUST LIKE HIM (Mono) +
04. MY PRAYER (Stereo)
05. ANSWER ME (Mono)
06. HOLD ME (Mono)
07. TRY TO FORGET HER (Mono)
08. SOMEWHERE (Mono)
09. MISSION BELL (Stereo Version) +
10. MAMA TOLD ME NOT TO COME (Stereo)
11. I'M COMING HOME (Stereo)
12. I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT ANYMORE (Mono) +
13. QUANDO TORNERA (Mono) +
14. CUTTIN' IN (Stereo)
15. TODAY I KILLED A MAN (Stereo)
16. I CAN'T MAKE IT ALONE (Double Vocal Harmony) (Mono)
17. WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND (Mono) +
18. IF I LOVED YOU (Stereo)
19. CLOWN SHOES (Stereo) +
20. AND THE SUN WILL SHINE (Stereo) +
21. NIKI HOEKY (Stereo)
22. DADDY'S HOME (Stereo)
23. WE'LL MEET AGAIN (Stereo) +

+ Debut on CD format

TWO BONUS TRACKS T.B.C

Mr. Proby writes a message!

I was thrilled today that Mr. Proby contributed a rather poetic and fitting message for the CD project. My liner notes are also progressing and everything looks on track for a release this June. I would love to think that EMI world-wide will release this CD regionally as it will feature international hits and will be a wonderful tribute to the great P.J. Proby!

Does anyone have any articles on Proby?

I am drafting liner notes at the moment for my CD project...

As you all know the CD is focusing on Proby's signing to Liberty Records (1961-71). Does anyone out there in cyber space have any articles about Proby from this era? What I am looking for are any reviews of his albums, articles that discuss his music...really anything about this time of his singing career.

If you can help I would be grateful if you can scan and email me anything you think would be of interest. Please do get in touch if you can assist.