THE PROBERS: Providence, RI - Premier all original 80s band~

[BOBM1654]

Joe Mendez had given me a tape of about 6 songs. Wish it had survived. I remember "Tell Me " was on it and a tune called " Black Leather Jacket (shove it)" that Manny was key in... and more. That stuff needs to be posted for posterity.

[RanetkiFan]

@BOBM1654 ALL THOSE SONGS YOU MENTIONED are in another PROBERS video I posted! Just fish down my list! PEACE

[BOBM1654]

I was friends with Joe and Markus.. went to N.Y. in my green van... gimpy says hello...

[RanetkiFan]

Well Didlodono-- opps lol After looking at your channel with no posts, no videos, no followers, I really don't think your opinion is worth sh*t in handbag on here................ so therefore, as they say in STARTREK land, you will evaporate off this forum-- I wish you luck in your endeavors and in life.... but as the Probers said, Its over, its over!!  good riddance! POOF, there u go

[danodono]

@RanetkiFan why so hostile? I merely suggested that there were better bands from RI in the 80s (and none of them became dreadful cover bands after a tenure as cheesy new wave combos).

[51farrelli]

@RanetkiFan The Probers were a great band-always a guaranteed good time. In late 1980 Rick and Manny both dyed their hair blonde and declared themselves as 'Sweed-a gees'. They were regulars at Center Stage and did great business for us. After Center Stage closed, we shot an episode of 'Off The Record',a show done with Channel 12, at The Living Room. I mixed the show live in the back of a Ryder truck out in the courtyard. Does anyone out there have a copy of that show ??

[danodono]

please....the proletariat, throwing muses, coat of arms, neutral nation and verbal assault all crushed these new wave weenies under their collective heels (and human sexual response made these guys look downright silly)

[RanetkiFan]

@danodono Oh come now, maybe the ONLY act that was better than them, was HSR

[danodono]

@RanetkiFan sorry, dude - this was some cheeseball new wave shit

[RanetkiFan]

@danodono You are not even close with your comments. You are waaaaaaay off base I followed the band for years. They were like Gods back then. No one in Rhode Island could touch them. They packing fu**iing cover clubs!! UNHEARD OF back then. They opened for the Dead Kennedys, who were in orbit back then and the Kennedys loved them. They also opened up for THE TUBES at the Providence Civic Center for 15,000 screaming fans--- not bad for a cheeseball band eh dude? You

[danodono]

@RanetkiFan I never questioned their popularity, dude - i simply gave my opinion of their cheesy new wave music. I didn't like it. Not one bit. I don't care who they opened for or if Jello Biafra liked them - I think they sucked.

[karlgin]

I, too saw this incredible band about 1,000,000 times when they were an original band and wore the make up. Was sorry to see them go cover band and without makeup. Man they were exciting. My favorite was probably "Nuclear Apartment " and the choreography to "swimming pools, tennis courts, ping pong, and a nuclear landlord." Man, what a decade for local original music.

[SuperTransitguy]

I have the original album with all the songs except for these 2, I will try to get them burned and post them, try playing the drums to this stuff! great drummer you are Steve!

[MisticWizzard]

wendy and robin, they book the probers

[LevesquePaul]

Hey Steve its Paul... Did somebody say the spoke to JD thats great if they talk to him tell him Paul Levesque said hello I was the sound man after Tommy Woodcock. Loved all the new songs on the site. Cindy I have your number at your shop will give you a call...

[mollyXDpop]

My dad is the guitar player in the probers! :D <3

[RanetkiFan]

@mollyXDpop wow, he was great!! How cool is that? What is he doing now? Still playing?

[mollyXDpop]

@RanetkiFan Hes working now in pawtucket. But he still plays a lot. Hes teaching me how to play guitar. :) Hes totally amazing :)

[bobdkie]

Wow..... I loved the Probers! I had their record and my favorite songs were "Tell Me", "Mad at the World", " And Violets are Blue" . Actually pretty much every song on it I loved! It would be great if someone could post these songs to hear again.

[13paulieg]

Someone needs to post the rest of these songs, i cannot find my records and the album!

[13paulieg]

Cinfulnails56 are you asking me to call you? funny ilived in Cranston until about 89 years ago

[RanetkiFan]

wow, cool!! The first time I saw the Probers was at His and Hers in Woonsocket. They totally blew me away! What band were u in? I probably booked u. I was and still am a band agent.

[telecasterbear]

i was in a cover band that used to open for the probers for a short time. frat house, his and hers/woonsocket, once at the living room. I'm 50 now and just found this. very cool.

[007sasherman]

Wow, my nephew just found this and sent me the link... Although I didn't play on this single I played the song a lot, live and drummed on the album. They were my favorite local band before I joined them and rode it to the end. I Skype with JD Porro (Japan) and am still good friends w/Cindy... The Joan Jett tour, the Tubes, the civic center date with the Tubes, etc, etc, etc...Awesome! -Steven Sherman

[RanetkiFan]

@007sasherman Good deal man! U were lucky to have played drums in this act. I probably know u as I went to see them like 83930 times! I never liked them as a cover band however...they did covers superbly but It was just a let down from the great original stuff

[TheOakland117]

I didn't think I would ever see this, I would kill for their first album..... especially the song "Tell Me". My name is Mike and I was part of the original road crew along with my buddies Ricky, Bill his brother John and sometimes Scubby! aka No-Pockets!

Please contact Mike Waterman on Facebook if you have any of the Probers MP3's to share

[RanetkiFan]

@TheOakland117 I have the 2 songs in MP3 form, just send me your mail though the SEND MAIL systm here and I can upload them to u.

I only have this 45, never knew there was an album! Once they went to covers, I wetn to see them once, but it wasn't the same, so I never saw them again, even though they did covers excellent.

[TheOakland117]

@TheOakland117 .. Thanks RanetkiFan!!! pardon my ignorance but I don't see a Send Mail feature anywhere.....I'm at mwaterman@charter.net yes there was an album.... Tell Me was the single after the 45 with it's Over and I saw you Lookin..... WBRU was all over it.

[RanetkiFan]

@TheOakland117 I didn't think I would every post this, but I found a cassette in boxes sealed away since about 1983 and went went through hoops to figure out how I can get it in MP3 form, which was about a 3 step process, as I did some EQ too. Will try and post more soon! Check out my HI BEAMS posting also. To me, they were equally as good as The Probers & Schemers.

[TheOakland117]

I didn't think I would ever see this, I would kill for their first album..... especially the song "Tell Me". My name is Mike and I was part of the original road crew along with my buddies Ricky, Bill his brother John and sometimes Scubby! aka No-Pockets!

If you have any of their songs in MP3'S format please contact me on facebook! (Mike Waterman) Thanks!!!! I still talk about these days!!

[13paulieg]

OMG these are great, I was in a cover band and we played these 2 songs. We snuck into Center Stage one time to see them, we loved them and still do!

our band was Rouzer and Mike from R.I. Rocks was in it along with Doug A, Rick L, Chris B. I have the album with all the songs on it, Roses Are Red, Take It Like A Man and i cannot remember the others. I will dig it out and post them. These songs are not easy to play! Great stuff!

[RanetkiFan]

@13paulieg Wow-- Center Stage, that brings up so many good memores, oike HI-BEAMS, HUMAN SEXUAL RESPONSE, GARY NUMAN, THE FURS, PAT BENATAR, JOAN JETT, etc!! GLAD U ENJOYED it, I followed The Probers from like day 1

[KelliMalone1]

Hi Paul and Cindy and Everyone! Jeez its been forever! I hope you are well. I just happened to be talking with a friend of mine in RI and we were chatting about Lupos and the Living Room and The Probers--ahh the memories. I was so sad to hear about Rick. If any of you are ever in Ireland, look me up! xxx Kelli Malone (The Rock Report and some lighting)

[LevesquePaul]

Hey this is great .. this is Paul I worked for the Probers when they were an original act and a cover band. Cindy hi I would to talk to you .. the last time I saw you was at the Tubes show at twin rivers ... I would love to get some copies of the old stuff. Al was going to put something together for me but I never got anything from him. By the way Cassandra your father was a great man and is missed by all who knew him I am sure RIP Rick LOL Paul

[Cinfulnails56]

@LevesquePaul Paul you can contact me at my salon . Salon Lux in Cranston 401-467-5656. I have the album 45 and a bunch of things! "Tell me" was written for me on Chrismas night at Jimmy the bass players house. I think I still have the paper Rick wrote it on.

[Cassielynn2103]

Wow! Its hard to believe thats my father in those videos! We have tons of videos and pictures.. and this just brought back all the memories! I can't belive its almost been 6 years since he passed! But he was larger than life, and he will never be forgotten! My mom, brother, and I miss him so much! RIP RICK Mendes, Daddy.. xoxo - Cassandra Mendes

[RanetkiFan]

Cassandra, you dad was a great guy! We used to follow the original Probers everywhere, long before they did "cover" stuff. The photos in the video clip were from the Frat House on Smith St, North Providence, around 1982. I think the most unforgetable experience, was when they opened up for the Dead kennedy's at Simon's Downtown in Pawtucket. Even the D. Kennedy's were blown away. They were a tough act to follow. Glad he has a great daughter like you to keep his name and character alive! RIP R

[Cassielynn2103]

That's awesome! We have a ton of old pics and videos from the probers ..me and my dad went through a lot of them years ago and even he laughed at some! Its great his memory lives on! I wish I could have seen him perform! Some of the videos are pretty wild..

[RanetkiFan]

Maybe, u can reformat these videos and post them on youtube!! You'd make a lot of his fans very happy and help bring back some great memories! Rich

[Cinfulnails56]

Hey, my daughter found this video...I am Cindy the girl in the video and she is Samamtha Mendes...Rick's daughter. We were married in the 80's. I have lots of pictures and scrapbooked the Prober's era!

[RanetkiFan]

CINDY so glad u found this!! CHECK your youtube mail, I sent u a letter. By the way, the photos were taken by me at the Frat house in North Providence-- Rich

[annashouse]

Thanks so much for posting this. They were great, though I never got to see them live, I was just a year or two too young. Rick's cousin gave me a 3 song demo tape that I used to listen to all the time when I was 15 years old.  Please post more songs if you have them.

[RanetkiFan]

Thanks Anna, I don't have anymore Probers songs sorry! Even though they were a great cover band , I went to see them play one time, when they went that route and it wasn't the same. I vowed never to see them again and didn't! They were a great original act- one of best RI has ever seen

[fullcircleri]

RIP Rick Mendes

[TarjaTurunen1Fan]

cool