Imperial Records : part one
compiled by
JCMarion
Imperial Records was begun in Los Angeles by Lew Chudd in 1948 with
top assistant Max Freitag. The West Coast R & B independent label
became one of the giants of rock 'n roll music during the fifties.
Following is a selective discography of the label from late 1949
through 1956.
1949 releases by Imperial Records include :
5054 - Tommy Ridgely - "Shrewsbury Blues" / "Early Dawn Boogie"
5055 - Jewel King - "3 X 7 = 21" / "Don't Marry Too Soon"
5058 - Fats Domino - "The Fat Man" / "Detroit City Blues" -the first big record for the label
1950 releases by Imperial Records include :
5061 - Jewel King - "Broke My Mother's Rule" / "I'll Get It"
5062 - Country Jim - "Rainy Morning Blues" / "Avenue Breakdown"
5064 - Dave Bartholomew - "Carnival Day" / "That's How You Got Killed Before"
5065 - Fats Domino - "Boogie Woogie Baby" / "Little Bee"
5066 - Cecil Gant - "Where You Left Me" / "You'll Be Sorry"
5067 - Smiley Lewis - "Lowdown" / "Tee-Nah-Nah"
5068 - Archibald - "Stack - A - Lee" parts one and two
5069 - Dave Bartholomew - "Country Boy Goes Home" / "Ain't Gonna Do It"
5071 - T-Bone Walker - "Glamour Girl" / "Strollin With Bones"
5072 - Smiley Lewis - "Slide Me Down" / "Growing Old"
5074 - Tommy Ridgely - "Boogie Woogie mama" / "Lonely Man Blues"
5076 - Jewel King - "Keep Your Mouth Shut" / "Passion"
5077 - Fats Domino - "Hideaway Blues" / "She's My Baby"
5081 - T-Bone Walker - "The Hustle Is On"
5082 - Archibald - "Shake Shake Baby" / "Ballin With Archie"
5085 - Fats Domino - "Hey La Bas" / "Brand New Baby"
5086 - T-Bone Walker - "The Sun Went Down" / "You Don't Love Me"
5087 - Jewel King - "I Love A Fellow" / "Low Down Feeling"
5090 - Joe Turner - "Jumpin' Tonight" / "I Got A Story To Tell"
5094 - T-Bone Walker - "Evil Hearted Woman" / "Traveling Blues"
5097 - PeeWee Barnum - "Rockin' Rhythm" / "Two Timin' Woman"
5099 - Fats Domino - "Every Night About This Time" another big hit for Fats
5100 - Lil' Son Jackson - "Ticket Agent Blues"
5101 - Archibald - "My Gal" / "She's Scattered Everywhere"
5102 - Smiley Lewis - "Dirty People" / "If You Ever Loved A Woman"
5103 - T-Bone Walker - "Too Lazy" / "I Walked Away"
5104 - Mercy Dee - ""Empty Life" / "Homely Baby"
1951 releases for the label include :
5109 - Monroe Tucker - "Kinfolks" / "Ten Days of Agony"
5113 - Lil Son Jackson - "Rockin And Rollin" / "Peace Bringing People"
5114 - Fats Domino - "Tired Of Crying" / "What's The Matter Baby"
5115 - Big Jay McNeely - All The Wine Is Gone" / "Don't Cry baby" voc Jesse Belvin & 3 Dots & A Dash
5122 - Monte Easter - "Without Your Love" / "There Is Always Another Day"
5123 - Fats Domino - "Sometimes I Wonder" / "Don't Lie To Me"
5124 - Smiley Lewis - "My Baby Was Right" / "Bee's Boogie"
5131 - Lil Son Jackson - "Time Changes Things"
5132 - Ernie Andrews - "Pork Chops And Mustard Greens" / Forget About The Whole Affair"
5136 - Ray Lewis & The 4 Bars - "Jealous Blues" / "When You Were Mine"
5137 - Lil Son Jackson - "Wandering Blues" / "Restless Blues"
5138 - Fats Domino - "Right From Wrong" / "No No Baby"
5139 - Dan Grissom - "King Of Fools" / "Remember When"
5145 - Fats Domino - "Careless Love" / "Rockin' Chair"
5148 - Bill Johnson & The Star Cats - "Squeeze Me baby" / "Too Late"
5167 - Fats Domino - "Miss You" / "I Know"
5170 - Big Jay McNeely - "Blow Blow Blow"
1952 releases for Imperial Records in 1952 included :
5175 - Lil Son Jackson - "Big Gun Blues"
5179 - Cecil Shaw & The Union Spiritual Harmonizers "Jesus Be My Keeper" / "Pray On My Child" a first gospel record
5180 - Fats Domino - "Going Home" / "Reelin' And Rockin"
5181 - T-Bone Walker - "I Got The Blues Again" / "Get These Blues Off Me"
5182 - Herb Fisher - "Ride Ride Ride" / "I'll Wait For You"
5183 - Joe Houston - "Jump The Blues" / "Ace Of Clubs"
5184 - Silver Light Quintet - "Unfair Deeds" / "Jesus Lend Me A Helping hand"
5185 - Cecil Shaw & Union Spiritual Harmonizers - "Jesus gave Me Life" / "See My Jesus"
5187 - Smilin' Joe - "Misery" / "I Won't Settle Down"
5188 - Alonzo Stewart - "Tell Me Mother" / "For The First Time"
5190 - John Tripp - "Nobody's Woman" / "Letter Letter Letter"
5192 - Lil Son Jackson - "Traveling Alone" / "Young Woman Blues"
5193 - T-Bone Walker - "Lollie Lou" / "I Got The Blues"
5194 - Smiley Lewis - "The Bells Are Ringing" / "Lillie Mae"
5195 - Lee Williams - "I Want My baby Back" / "All Through My Dreams"
5196 - Joe Houston - "Hurricane" / "Bobby Sox Ramble"
5197 - Fats Domino - "Poor Poor Me" / "Trust In Me"
5198 - Tommy Ridgely - "Lavinia" / "I Live My Life"
5199 - Blazer Boy - "Joe's Kid Sister" / "Morning Train"
5201 - Joe Houston - "Earthquake"
5203 - Tommy Ridgely - "Looped"
5204 - Lil' Son Jackson - "Rockin And Rollin #2"
5208 - Smiley Lewis - "Gumbo Blues" / "It's So Peaceful In The Country" big hit for Lewis
5209 - Fats Domino - "How Long" / "Dreaming"
5210 - Dave Bartholomew - "Who Drank My Beer" / "The Rest Of my Life"
5211 - Fat Man Matthews & The Four Kittens - "When Boy Meets Girl" / "Later Baby"
5212 - Archibald - "Early Morning Blues" / "Great Big Eyes"
In 1953 the following were among Imperial releases :
5216 - T-Bone Walker - "Blue Mood" / "Got No Use For You"
5218 - Lil' Son Jackson - "Black And Brown" / "Sad Letter Blues"
5220 - Fats Domino - "Nobody Loves Me" / "Cheatin'"
5231 - Fats Domino - "Mardi Gras In New Orleans" / "Going To The River"
5234 - Smiley Lewis - "Big Mamou" / "Playgirl"
5235 - Fats Matthews - "Down The Line" / "You Know It"
5236 - Bobby Mitchell - "I'm Crying"
5237 - Lil Son Jackson_"All Alone" / "Spending Money Blues"
5238 - Little Bubber - "Runnin' Round" / "Never Trust A Woman"
5239 - T-Bone Walker - "Party Girl" / "Here In The Dark"
5240 - Fats Domino - "The Girl I Love" / "Please Don't Leave"
5241 - Smiley Lewis - "Caldonia's Party" / "Oh Baby"
5242 - Brother Cecil Shaw - "On My Way Home" / "In Heaven I'll Rest"
5243 - Rose Mitchell - "Slippin' In" / "I'm Searching"
5244 - Blazer Boy - "Waitin' For My baby" / "Surprise Blues"
5245 - J.D. Edwards - "Hobo Blues" / "Crying"
5246 - Herb Fisher - "Crying In My Sleep" / "You Don't Live But Once"
5247 - T-Bone Walker - "Tell Me What's The Reason" / "Everytime"
5248 - Lil Son Jackson - "Moving To The Country" / "Confessin'"
5249 - Dave Bartholomew - "No More Black Nights" / "Air Tight"
5250 - Billy Mitchell & The Toppers - "One Friday Morning" / "44"
5251 - Fats Domino - "Rosemary" / "You Said You Loved Me" big 2 sided hit
5252 - Smiley Lewis - "Little Fernandez" / "It's Music"
5253 - Brother Cecil Shaw - "I Got Jesus In My Heart" / "Heaven's Bells"
5254 - Love Notes - "Get On My Train" / "Surrender My Heart"
5255 - Cesta Ayres - "Love Is So Low Down" / "You Got Time"
5256 - Jesse Allen & Audrey Walker - "Gonna Tell My Mama" / "Gonna Call That Number"
5257 - Boogie Bill Webb - "Bad Dog" / "I Ain't For It"
5259 - Lil Son Jackson - "Little Girl" / "Dirty Work"
5261 - T-Bone Walker - "I'm About to Lose My Mind" / "I Miss You Baby"
5262 - Fats Domino - "Don't Leave Me This Way" / "Something's Wrong"