PJ PROBY-HOLD ON TO WHAT YOU'VE GOT-1965

[chuckdee121]

Now that was different.

[ENACODNOM]

You don't have the EP, of course, otherwise you would have spared us the sound of this take!

[ItsaLostArt]

P.J. Proby is being billed as Elvis's demo man on a UK tour with an Elvis impersonator. How many demos did he do for Elvis and what were they? Lots of songwriters wrote songs for Elvis and dozens of singers did the demos. Elvis didn't have his own demo man. There are YouTube uploads of Proby singing some Elvis hits like Love Me Tender and If I Can Dream. Are Proby and the promoters of that tour trying to pass him off as the demo artist for songs like those?

[DougPatton1]

P.J. a-preachin an a-pronouncin in sincere tribute to his fellah Texan geenyus Joe Tex penned & made classique - Hold On !

[Scanjoon]

It takes a special ear and the ability to see through a bad video to see and hear the fantastic talent of PJ Proby. He was amazing!

[tynertyner]

P.J. has the goods to imitate well, but rarely does he put his own stamp on cover tunes. Joe Tex was an original.

[rontenn]

@tynertyner Proby puts his own stamp on every song he sings!! if anyone is original it has to be him!

[oldtowntonight]

@rontenn You'll have to do better than that to convince anybody that Proby's an original. His covers sound like either exact copies or histrionic renderings of the originals. Describe something specific that's original and uniquely Proby about his version of this Joe Tex hit.

Maybe in the sixties there was a UK market for records by singing impressionists but not in the US. How many Brits bought this one?

[rontenn]

@oldtowntonight I don't have to convince anyone because anyone with a good knowledge of music knows Proby is unique. If one or two people think he mimics other artistes then I'm O.K. with that.......every singer is influenced by someone. Most pop music lovers know that Proby is special & apart from a handful of songs all of his recordings are original.

[oldtowntonight]

@rontenn Who do you think you're fooling? Most pop music lovers don't know PJ Proby at all. He did a handful of "firsts" and everything else was copies and near-copies. At one time he even talked about the Brits being unfamiliar with black American artists and bragged about how he used it to his advantage. I suppose that's a story he's not telling now that he's getting criticism for being a mimic.

[rontenn]

@oldtowntonight If Proby had mimicked Joe Tex on this song it would have been exactly as good.But being as Proby's is a much more superior version then talking about him copying anyone is of no importance! In my view you don't have to be black to have soul!!!! Proby proves that!

[oldtowntonight]

@rontenn In my view your opinion is of no importance! Joe Tex's version was a 1964 #1 R&B hit, a #5 pop hit and spent 11 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. It sold a million copies by 1966 and it's still selling. PJ Proby's version never went anywhere. People with real musical knowledge recognize it for exactly what it is, a tasteless caricature of Joe Tex. No wonder this Proby clip never aired!

[rontenn]

@oldtowntonight And your opinion is of no importance to me!! This clip did get aired in the U.K. & probably in other countries too. It was a pilot show that unfortunately was never followed up.  If Tex's version sold a million then Proby's even better version should have sold two million if released as a single but it was only an E.P track. This was an ideal song for P.J. to record!

[oldtowntonight]

@rontenn This video's description says it was unaired. If it was shown all over, why weren't millions of people racing to the record shops to buy it? At a time when LP's and EP's from other artists were moving like wildfire Proby's EP didn't sell? I guess record buyers didn't recognize his superiority, eh? Did you buy it?

[rontenn]

@oldtowntonight I know that! I can read!!! The video description is well intended but the description is not always 100% correct. This can of course happen. Why so many question marks in your reply by the way??

[oldtowntonight]

@rontenn You can read and count question marks but you can't answer questions. I guess that means you were like everybody else and didn't buy Proby's EP. But decades later you're saying how superior he was. I bet back in the 60's you weren't telling your pals how great you thought Gordon MacRae was either.

[rontenn]

@oldtowntonight I don't answer questions set by s*** stirrers with no manners! Proby is the greatest pop singer ever & Gordon MacRae the greatest actor/singer doing his kind of stuff! I thought that back in the 60's & I still do now.I'm not like you......changing direction with the wind! Everything Gordon & P.J. released I purchased & I told everyone, pals & even non pals!!

[oldtowntonight]

@rontenn Really? I've seen where you've posted you spent all your pocket money on Elvis' music and flicks back in the mid sixties and you completely missed PJ Proby the first time around. You should be more careful what you say on the internet because it doesn't go away.

[rontenn]

@oldtowntonight What I said was true so I do not have to be careful about what I say! From mid '64 I was working so I could afford to buy much more than when I was existing on pocket money from Mom & Dad! I didn't completely miss Proby the first time around but Elvis was the one I gave most of my attention to. Later on I realised Proby was his equal!!! Now I realise P.J.'s even better!!! The older you get the wiser you become.You're an exception!! LOL!

[oldtowntonight]

@rontenn Do I need to post the whole thing? LOL

You either missed Proby the first time around or you didn't, so your older comments were lies or you're lying now. Amending your past words now doesn't change what you already said.

Everybody reading your posts knows your stories change depending on your purpose and who you think is looking. You change your direction with the slightest breeze! Other youtubers have caught you in lies before so this one is just more of the same.

[rontenn]

@oldtowntonight Well as I don't class nasty anti Proby scumbags as real YouTubers I don't have to justify anything I say to any of them & that includes the most famous You Tuber scum bag of all, you!! You are never honest & truthful so do not expect either of those 2 virtues in return. I love winding people like you up!!! Your little twisted minds are so vulnerable!

[oldtowntonight]

@rontenn So you've decided it's not wrong for you to lie when you're talking to someone you think is anti Proby. Do all Proby fans lie on youtube or is it just you? I don't know how the youtube community at large is supposed to know when you're lying and when you're not then - but I guess that's your problem.

[rontenn]

@oldtowntonight A few "porkies" for the cause never hurt anyone whereas you & your anti Proby creatures are pure evil & full of malice! I know who genuine You Tubers would choose out of the two! So that turns things around & definitely makes it your problem. I'm Churchill...you're Hitler!

[oldtowntonight]

@rontenn Everybody registered on youtube is a genuine member.

So you think the youtube public approves of you lying for the cause of PJ Proby. Does that mean they also approve of lies for the cause of other singers, or is it just Proby who's exempt from generally accepted codes of conduct?

Posting nonsense comments about Churchill and Hitler might be more likely to boost Proby's show attendance if he'd never said derogatory things about Jews in the entertainment business.

[rontenn]

@oldtowntonight You post non stop nonsense.Let us see P.J.'s comments about Jews! As for codes of conduct.....that's laughable coming from you. You can give it but you can't take it!! You're constantly lying for the cause of anti Proby nonsense. Do you think the public approves of that? Achtung! Schweinhund! Proby uber alles!!!

[oldtowntonight]

@rontenn Real cute. It sounds like you can't decide who you are. You call somebody a Nazi and then you pretend to be one yourself. You and Proby are a matched set - nothing but a lot of bull.

You and no one else on youtube will find any lies I've told on this or any other site. Criticizing an artist for things he's done or said isn't lying. It's a little late for you to deny all those racial and ethnic slurs Proby's been spouting for years.

[rontenn]

@oldtowntonight You have scandalised,criticised,told evil lies about Proby. You've also spread rumours about him,belittled him & called him a liar! Apart from that you're a thoroughly decent chap! Toodley pip old bean!

[oldtowntonight]

@rontenn Face it little boy, you got caught in a lie about your purchases in the 60's. If you and the other Proby fans think lying is OK if it helps Proby then you've exposed your little group for the kind of people they are. Calling me a liar doesn't change that.

[rontenn]

@oldtowntonight You always jump to conclusions! I remember now. LOL My parents got the Proby E.P for me as a birthday present. Now get your mouldy old teeth into that & tear it apart!! I've exposed nobody & nothing in my posts. I have exposed you for what you are & I'm proud of that! My description of you is for all to see in my previous message.I forgot to mention you are also a first class "saddo". I'll repeat what I've said many times...Elvis was great but Proby is better!

[DenimAllowed]

@rontenn You think Proby's being scandalized and belittled? It's hard to scandalize somebody who brags about his nymphet club for under-age girls. I guess repeating stories he's told like violating his Liberty contract and accepting hush money from Decca is your idea of spreading rumors. You're always saying Proby's a wild man so what makes him wild if his stories aren't true? There's nothing wild about a guy who was a demo singer, split his pants and copied R&B artists.

[rontenn]

@DenimAllowed And there's nothing clever about low-life like you coming on YouTube & whining on & on & on with the same old boring rubbish. You & a couple of other idiots have made yourselves look really stupid!  Proby's big toe is wilder & more interesting than you lot put together.......Goodnight,ZZZZZ­ZZZ!

[DenimAllowed]

@rontenn You've posted about Proby's wild big toe on other youtube uploads. I've heard about people with a foot fetish but you're the first with a big toe fetish. Does everybody get to see Proby's big toe at his shows or are you special? Nobody else talks about it.

You haven't said what's wild about his toe but maybe he should cash in on it. Something like "Proby's Wild Toe Jam". Tasty gift idea. It couldn't sell any worse than his recent tracks have.

[rontenn]

@DenimAllowed I'll add that comment to all the other rubbish you post. When will you realise it's better to say nothing than to post absolute pointless trash as a reply?

[oldtowntonight]

@rontenn The same boring trash and rubbish is right! It's all Proby can ever talk about in his radio interviews. The same stories over and over again about beating up people in Hollywood, Elvis demos he can never remember the names of, Decca paying him half a million to keep his mouth shut, music industry bigwigs plotting against him and so on. Hasn't Proby done anything since the 60's that he can remember?

[rontenn]

@oldtowntonight I see you haven't realised it yet either ! You,oldfarttonight & DumbnessAllowed are both going round in circles. Hopefully you'll soon disappear forever up your own a** holes!

[oldtowntonight]

@rontenn Still trying to bury your lie about buying records back in the 60's? LOL You'll look really cute sitting here by yourself talking about Proby's big toe. Take heart. Maybe he'll give you a gold star for saying his cause is more important than honesty. He probably hoped you would think of something he's done since the 60's worth mentioning but nobody's perfect right? Besides, you're all that's left so he can't afford to be picky about your lack of credentials.

[rontenn]

@oldtowntonight Twisted words from a twisted mind! Hope you recover soon & find another hobby instead of YouTube!

[kendall156]

@rontenn PJ had a good voice in his day but to equate him to the British cause is a mockery. The man is a racist and has never had one whit of moral fibre. Churchill? Rubbish! You think like a member of the Hitler Youth.

[rontenn]

@kendall156 Danke Schoene!

[texasprobyan]

I'm with rontenn..... I want crystalcut786 to spill the beans about being engaged toPJ,too.Tell us more,please!

[lindagrace6969]

This is a vocal that can't easily be matched for range and effect. It's dated, well maybe, but beautiful.

[ModGirl1967]

A most trivial comment -- he had some great hair!

[luvureally]

This guy parrots every Black singer he has ever heard. Its almost like he is doing blackface, Amos & Andy.

[rontenn]

luvureally There's no black singer out there with the soul of P.J.Proby. So he's unique.....stunning looks & the voice to cry for!! Ron

[luvureally]

He can't even come close to matching the soul and talent of legendary soul singers of the past , like Sam Cooke (stunning looks, great voice, great SONGWRITER, smart businessman) Wilson Pickett(super sexy), Otis Redding (also songwriter), Marvin(handsome & talented songwriter)Gaye, Jackie Wilson, Levi Stubbs, etc., , Sam Moore, Ronald Isley, are still around and still sing circles around him. Young soul singers like Anthony Hamilton & Bilal also better soul singers than Proby.

[rontenn]

luvureally If black is beautiful in your opinion then that's fine. Don't expect everyone to agree!

[luvureally]

It is a fact that Proby does not sing soul music as well as those legends I mentioned. This falsetto part sounds like Mini Mouse! He might be better in another genre, but soul/r&b, hell no!

[rontenn]

luvureally I have never ever understood why it's only black singers that are supposed to have soul.Just the same as it's only blacks that supposedly can really dance. Black guys are supposed to have bigger dicks too!!! It's all a myth started by..you know who!

[luvureally]

Touchy huh? All folks have soul. This particular brand of soul evolved from the Black American church. 99.9% of soul singers started out in church. Soul is secular side of gospel. Substitute 'baby" for Jesus and there you have it - soul! The best soul singers came from that tradition. George Jones, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, etc. have/had soul, but different from soul singing. If a singer did not come up in that tradition he/she can only parrot what they have heard.

[luvureally]

Why wouldn't the people who created the music do it better than anyone else?! Best country & bluegrass singers have been southern whites, best reggae produced by Jamaicans, why wldn't that be the case with music genres created by Black Americans?! The penis myth created by whites, but I have heard that myths are always built on a kernel of truth.

[rontenn]

luvureally Ever thought of going into politics? You could be the spindoctor for Obama. I'm sure you could make him popular again. He's certainly the right colour in your eyes! That's a start. Wonder if his soul will get you out of the hole?

[luvureally]

Damn! Your argument is so weak that you have to resort to penises and potshots at the president. Nothing to do with the subject of this video. Do yourself a favor, don't comment on something you have absolutely zero knowledge of.

[rontenn]

luvureally I think you'll find that you started all this nonsense by comparing P.J.Proby to Amos & Andy. You also gave me a list of average black singers who are Gods to you. If you can't handle confrontation then don't come on here criticising a Proby clip. If a certain singer holds no interest for me then I don't bother watching any of the clips....why would I? So what are you doing here painting Proby black? LOL!

[luvureally]

I am free to listen to, praise, criticize any video on YouTube. If you can't handle that don't respond. I came across it by accident because the song is a Joe Tex classic. Those "average" singers are in the R&R HOF. They set the standard for soul music. Parrot Proby would not have a career if they hadn't. Only way Proby gets in HOF is by buying a ticket like any other tourist. Paint Proby black? Why bother. He has already perfected blackface, a true minstrel artist.

[rontenn]

luvureally So now Proby's a parrot...well he is very colourful! He was actually around making records before a lot of those names on your list ever were! He is more versatile than any other vocalist around..he does black music better than blacks,he does opera style better than opera singers, blues,cajun,rock & pure pop,you name it. Go & accidentally find some more of his clips. He's still around recording & touring which is more than most on your list can manage!

[luvureally]

On my list Sam Moore & Ronald Isley are the only ones still alive. Moore still touring and recording. Isley in prison for tax evasion. The Isley Brothers have had chart success in every decade since the 50s. People on my list are legends in music. Between them they have recorded hundreds of classics. Proby is a jack of all trades and a master of none. Mediocre in all those genres. He is a parrot, never developed his own style. The Rich Little of music.

[rontenn]

luvureally I think you've exhausted the topic now, you're clutching at straws & if Sam & Ronald are legends in your opinion then it's obvious you've lost the plot. Over & Out!

[luvureally]

They are very influential, in HOF. Their music has been covered by many others. Who has covered Proby? Oh I forgot, that is his career, covers! A Vegas lounge act! Continue to enjoy Parrot Proby because we all like what we like! Nothing wrong with that!

[rontenn]

luvureally Any singer with any sense would never dare "cover" Proby. They know they could only finish up second best! When Elvis heard songs on demo records made for him by P.J. he copied them note for note in exactly the same way P.J. did them for release on RCA. To me that's the greatest praise & proof anyone needs about P.J.'s class & quality,The King copied the way he sang!

[luvureally]

Yawn! Elvis copied MANY singers note for note! Proby is copying Joe Tex note for note on this song. Proby copied Eugene Church note for note on "Pretty Pretty Girls"! So what else is new?

[rontenn]

EVEN BIGGER YAWN! Everybody copies everybody in your opinion! So Joe & Eugene,etc. more than likely did the same! It's an endless circle isn't it?

[luvureally]

Being influenced by someone is one thing, but copying note for note is another. Aretha Franklin & James Taylor have covered music by other artist but brought something totally new to the table with their interpretations. Entirely new arrangements. That is what creative people do.

[theBESTelvis]

@luvureally

PJ PROBY IS A TRUE LEGEND,

What the hell are you talking about with your parrot proby , YES..PJ can copy folks vocal styles but what about his amazing to eh ?? To be able to sound like many others is just another showcase of PJ's incredible voice,

WHO COULD EVER COPY PJ EH ?? NOBODY ................

[luvureally]

He found his niche in show business as a mimic.  No voice of his own. Legend!? LOL!!!!!!!

[theBESTelvis]

@rontenn

Can't believe this luvreally is putting the Isley brothers in the same sentence as PJ, even if they have done a couple of good tunes lol,

[rontenn]

theBESTelvis I suppose some people make a strange choice of who is an idol or a legend. We picked the right guy in P.J.P!  If Sam Moore or Ronald Isley rings their bell well best of luck to those losers!

[theBESTelvis]

@rontenn

Some odd folk don't know a great voice when they hear one, this guy needs his ears clearing out,

[rontenn]

theBESTelvis  I wasn't sure whether luvureally was man or woman actually ! Whatever it is it sure does ramble on & it loves name dropping!!

[luvureally]

Not name dropping. Providing a list of people who have actually ACCOMPLISHED something in music and who have left a lasting influence on music.

[rontenn]

luvureally All those names that you dropped.......please go & view their clips,maybe you can cause some trouble there.You are not welcome here,it's for positive Proby people!

[luvureally]

oh please! What are you? YouTube hall monitor?!

[rontenn]

luvunotatall you're hilarious!  YouTube hall monitor

[luvureally]

cute wordplay on my name rottenn!

[rontenn]

luvureally How old are you? THREE?!

[luvureally]

Old enough to know much more about TRUE soul music than you.

[rontenn]

luvureally Ass-soul music more like!

[luvureally]

How old are you? This comments makes you sound like you're In your 2nd childhood, A drooling poop in your pants 63 year old in the advanced stage of Alzheimer's.

[rontenn]

luvureally Oooh! you do have a lovely way with words! You must have been very well educated & come from classy parents!NOT! If I had Alzheimer's it would have one advantage.....I could wipe you from my mind. One last point: Stop asking me identical questions to ones I've already asked you. Makes you sound like an old tired parrot !

[luvureally]

So you're in the early stages of Alzheimer's? That would explain your ignorance of R&R history and awful taste in music.

[rontenn]

luvureally Read the comments better! I said IF I had Alzheimer's.  Whilst we are on that subject please show people with that disease a bit more respect by not bringing them into the conversation. This is about you hating Proby & me sticking up for him.

[luvureally]

My batty grandmother has it so I understand it and deal with it all the time. Don't hate you or

Proby, no reason to. You both could be the greatest humanitarians for all I know. This is about the awful music on these videos.

[rontenn]

luvureally Awful music in YOUR opinion! You're on your own on that subject.

[luvureally]

Yep awful. And don't get me started on the video with him "dancing"!

[rontenn]

luvureally  I WON'T !!!!

[luvureally]

smart decision.

[luvureally]

I can't believe you put Parrot Proby up there with anybody! Isley Bros are in R&R HOF, they have 15 gold albums, 10 platinum albums, 3 multi platinum albums. Their music has been covered by Beatles, The Who, Rod Stewart, Whitney Houston, Lulu, etc., Classic songs like, Shout, Twist & Shout, This Old Heart of Mine, Its Your Thang, For The Love Of YOu, Work To Do, Harvest For The World, Fight The Power, Footsteps In The Dark. Compare that to Parrot Proby with his blackface minstrel act.

[luvureally]

I just saw your homepage, all I can say is - LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL! Is that you doing that, er, I guess you can call it singing?!

[theBESTelvis]

@luvureally

Like i really value your opinion LMAO, a worthless tosser, But from your comments on this page guess thats all we expect eh, lol.

THE LEGEND AND WORLDS GREATEST EVER SINGER ...PJ PROBY LIKE'S MY VOICE VERY MUCH !! Screw you , the laughs on me Ha Ha Ha ...PUSSY ,

[luvureally]

If squealing like a stuck pig makes a great singer, I guess he is the best ever! I'm sure you and Parrot Proby make great karaoke partners. And yes, literally, the laugh is on you! Do you dance as well as the Parrot? I did a little research and saw that great footage of him hopping around like a peg leg chicken! LOL

[theBESTelvis]

@luvureally

Never even heard of Joe Tex,

[luvureally]

This is his song. look it up.

[luvureally]

P.S. in fact when it comes to soul singing, nothing is more beautiful than Black. Black has done it better than anyone else. You brought it up.

[mndandy]

He does an incredible Joe Tex!

Love the double tracking, especially the scream before the last chorus. Also the lines "while he's gone to woik" and "his hod oined pay" just crack me up every time. Proby rules!

[annrlean]

Sounds great and he looks so..o..o good, who cares if the 2 don't go together. MMmm.

Annie

[pjfanfanfan]

one two three

i love you p.j.

[sherilyn1977]

The old Joe Tex song as sung by P.J. Proby. He sounds just like a black man.

FANTASTIC

[crystalcut786]

i woz engeged to him!

[rontenn]

crystalcut786 Come on darling.......don't keep us in suspense,spill the beans please! RON

[grabar20]

good song,shame about the tit singing it eh,ha ha ha ha ha...........

[theBESTelvis]

fantastic as always. love this song from PJ.

[paul2554]

A real pleasure

[pj123fan]

its working now&its GREAT THANKS

[probyland]

I have been a proby fan for years and I would like to thank you for the uploads that you have done.THANKS.

[pj123fan]

this looks good,but wish it would play properly

[jimproby]

I'm sorry but my friends did a lot of work to try and restore this old copyright footage VHS and this is the best that could be done. Hope its still enjoyable-Regards Steve.