#948 (7/5/23)

THE JEWELS

Above: A 1956 photo of The Jewels, (L-R) Rudy Jackson (tenor), Vernon Knight (baritone), Dee Hawkins (tenor), Willie Willingham (bass), and Johnny Torrence (tenor). This is their line-up for the Imperial sides included here, except that James Brown, not Willingham, was the bass singer. KFXM was an AM radio station located in San Bernardino, CA. The Jewels had four records on the Imperial label (1955-1956). Prior to that, they had three on the R and B label (1954). Click HERE for an article about THE JEWELS by Marv Goldberg. (Will open in a separate window)

Above Left: Label image for Imperial 5351, recorded on April 27, 1955 and released in April 1955. Rudy Jackson is lead singer on both sides and composer on this side. The flip-side was written by Johnny Torrence (as Torrance on the label). Above Right: CASH BOX, July 16, 1955. NOTE: This ad didn't take advantage of the title familiarity of the flip-side, "Hearts Can Be Broken", which was an answer to their hit record, "Hearts Of Stone". Same is true for the Billboard ad at right. CASH BOX, May 14, 1955: ....Eddie Ray, Imperial A&R rep., rushed out copies of The Jewel's "Angel In My Life" b/w "Hearts Can Be Broken" to deejays last week. Session was held on a Thursday and local deejays were playing the record the very next day. Flip side is a semi-R&B sequel to "Hearts of Stone" and Imperial toppers are going all out on both sides. They expect a sudden rush to cover the tunes will be made by both independents and majors. Eddie stated, "During my recent trips I have noted a definite change in R&B trends. We are striving to meet these changes with new styles, new arrangements, and potent new material." .... CASH BOX, May 21, 1955: ....The Jewels have been plenty busy guys these days with club dates and guest appearances on deejay shows to ballyhoo their latest Imperial slicing "Angel In My Life" and "Hearts Can Be Broken". They teamed up with Joe Houston, Marvin & Johnny, and Jesse Belvin for three week-end dates at the Five Four Ballroom May 13 thru 15. The troupe also doubled up for an early evening show at the Torrance Civic Auditorium on Sat., May 14..... CASH BOX, June 11, 1955: ....Chuck Higgins & The Jewels shared the spotlight at the Five Four Ballroom June 3rd thru 5th. The platter stars drew thunderous raves from their audiences when they played and sang tunes from their latest releases. The Jewels are now hitting the big-time with "Angel In My Life" on Imperial.... CASH BOX, June 18, 1955: ....Imperial Records is now one of the hottest labels in the country with such hits as Fats Domino's "Ain't It A Shame", The Jewels' "Angel In My Life", and Smiley Lewis' "Real Gone Lover"....

THE BILLBOARD — JUNE 11, 1955

LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Angel In My Life" - The Jewels - Imperial 5351 - 1955. 2. "Hearts Can Be Broken" - The Jewels - Imperial 5351 - 1955. BOTH SONGS played in sequence.

Above Left: Label image for Imperial 5362, recorded on July 11, 1955 and released in August 1955. Johnny Torrence is lead singer on "Please Return", while Rudy Jackson has the both the lead and composing honors on the flip-side. Co-composer "E. Ray" is Eddie Ray, Imperial a&r man. Above Right: CASH BOX, August 27, 1955. NOTE: Naturally, this "Ditty" is more "Natural" than the shortened title shows here. Cash Box Review (9/3/55): THE JEWELS — Imperial 5362 Please Return (B) The Jewels, in a slow swaying blues, beg "baby" to return and forgive. A good side by a good working group. Natural Natural Ditty (B+) The Jewels rock on this flipside. The boys, with a stronger piece of material, deliver a powerful etching that should draw attention to itself. It's a middle beat rocker and the group pitches the colorful lyric with great appeal. (NOTE: A rating of B was considered as "very good" and B+ as "excellent".) The Billboard Review (9/3/55): THE JEWELS — Imperial 5362 Natural Natural Ditty (77) The material has both swingy beat and clever, humorous lyrics to sell it. The group turns in one of its best performances to date. A good commercial disk. Please Return (74) A compelling reading of a cry-ballad. Leisurely paced, the lead gets ample opportunity to pull out all the stops. (NOTE: Ratings had a range of 0-100 with 70-79 considered as "good".) LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Please Return" - The Jewels - Imperial 5362 - 1955. 2. "Natural Natural Ditty" - The Jewels - Imperial 5362 - 1955. BOTH SONGS played in sequence.

THE BILLBOARD — SEPTEMBER 3, 1955

Above Left: Label image for Imperial 5362. Rudy Jackson is lead singer on "How", recorded on November 14, 1955, while Johnny Torrence does that job on the flip-side, "Rickety Rock", recorded on August 19, 1955. Torrence and Eddie Ray again collaborate in writing the song. The record was released in January 1956. Above Right: THE BILLBOARD, August 7, 1955. NOTE: As witnessed in previous parts of this Imperial Records article, "Red Hot" is a term that Imperial has consistently used in their advertising. At Right: THE BILLBOARD, February 11, 1956. Cash Box Review (1/21/56): THE JEWELS — Imperial 5377 Rickety Rock (B) The Jewels wax a hard hitting rocker with an infectious reading. The group, with a spiritual flavored lead, rocks the jump tune in a manner that will please the rock and roll trade. Good side. How (B+) The flip is really sent by the Jewels. Deck captures a great sound and excitement. Lead does a standout job. Like this for good action. Don't overlook this one. (NOTE: A rating of B was considered as "very good" and B+ as "excellent".) The Billboard Review (1/21/56): THE JEWELS — Imperial 5377 How? (71) Some pretty wild vocalistics come thru here with the general pitch of "How could you be so mean?" Solo voice nearly takes off in the high soprano type incantation. Rickety Rock (78) The group makes with the swinging rhythm sounds here, and the results add up to fine rock 'n' roll material. (NOTE: Ratings had a range of 0-100 with 70-79 considered as "good".) CASH BOX, February 4, 1955: ....Eddie Ray of Imperial Records says that "How" by the Jewels is hitting in several Eastern markets, and it looks like it will be getting pop coverage by the majors.... LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "How" - The Jewels - Imperial 5377 - 1955. 2. "Rickety Rock" - The Jewels - Imperial 5377 - 1955. BOTH SONGS played in sequence.

EXTRA RECORDS — THE JEWELS

Above: A mid-1954 photo of The Jewels. (L-R seen at microphones) Rudy Jackson (tenor), James Brown (bass), Johnny Torrence (tenor), and Dee Hawkins (tenor). After this photo and before recording "Hearts Of Stone", a fifth member, Vernon Knight (baritone), was added to the group.

Above Left: Label image for R and B RB-1301-B, released in September 1954. "Hearts Of Stone" was composed by Johnny Torrence and Edward Ray (Imperial a&r man). BMI agrees. The flip-side label for "Runnin'" credits "Jackson-Ray". There are 833 "Runnin'" titles listed at BMI.com, but none with either Jackson or Ray as composer. Above Right: Label image for R and B RB-1303B, released in October 1954. "A Fool In Paradise" is credited to "Torrence-Ray" on the label, but is not shown at BMI.com. The other side label for "Oh Yes I Know" shows "Jackson-Jackson" as composers. This is probably Rudy Jackson and his sister, Gladys Jackson, but this song doesn't show at BMI.com. It seems as though the R and B label didn't take the time to register some of their songs. Note that the above labels are the "B" sides of the two records. Rudy Jackson sings lead on all four sides. At Right: SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY SUN, November 24, 1954. NOTE: Perhaps a "FULL" supplied this song listing for The Jewels. Cash Box Review (9/25/54): THE JEWELS — R and B 1301 Hearts Of Stone (C+) The Jewels intro a new label with a bouncy romantic ditty and the initial entry may get the diskery off to an ok start. Runnin' (B) The Jewels etch the stronger side in "Runnin'". Lads come through with more punch and appeal on this deck. A middle tempo rhythmic bouncer with plenty of listening appeal. (NOTE: A rating of C+ was considered as "good" and B as "very good".) Cash Box Review (10/16/54): THE JEWELS — R and B 1303 Oh Yes I Know (B+) The Jewels come up with a good item in this plate. The calypso-ish treatment is off the beaten track and the lads blend in fine style. Lead is effectively good and we think this side will get a strong reception. A Fool In Paradise (B) A slow blues ballad tenderly etched. Boys have something on the ball. Deck falls slightly below "Oh Yes" in strength. (NOTE: A rating of C+ was considered as "good" and B as "very good".) CASH BOX, October 23, 1954: ....The Jewels' waxing of "Oh Yes I Know" on the R&B label started climbing fast this past week and already looks as though it will be bigger than their first clickeroo "Heart's Of Stone".... LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Hearts Of Stone" - The Jewels - R and B RB-1301-B - 1954. 2. "Runnin'" - The Jewels - R and B RB-1301-A - 1954. 3. "A Fool In Paradise" - The Jewels - R and B RB-1303B - 1954. 4. "Oh Yes I Know" - The Jewels - R and B RB-1303B - 1954. ALL FOUR SONGS played in sequence.

Above Left: CASH BOX, November 20, 1954. Above Right: CASH BOX, December 25, 1954.

ARTISTS WITH RECORDS ON IMPERIAL'S 5000 R&B SERIES (1958-1959) (NOTE: See previous parts of this "IMPERIAL RECORDS" article for the 1947 through 1957 listings.)

Ernie Freeman The Paris Sisters Chris Kenner Roy Brown Fats Domino Jimmy Maddin The Trinkets Chuck Maroni And His Preludes Bill Allen And His Backbeats Ricky Nelson Vic And Vicky The Burnette Brothers Bobby Mitchell

Carol & Connie Tony Allan (Tony Allen) Faye Adams Smiley Lewis Jimmie Haskell The DeVille Sisters Bobby Charles Bo Rhambo Combo Dave Bartholomew Dorsey Burnette Archibald The Lancers Ronnie Diamond

Percy Mayfield Johnny Fuller The Teddy Bears Petula Clark Grady Chapman (Of The Robins) The Two Tones Mike And The Coquettes The Spiders Jules Farmer Sandy Nelson Bobby Adamo Wee Willie Wayne April Stevens

ROOSEVELT SYKES

Above: Roosevelt Sykes, from St. Louis, was born Roosevelt Sykes Bey. He was a blues singer, piano player, and songwriter. He enjoyed a long recording career, on several record labels, starting in the 1920,s and going well into the 1960s. He used several aliases along the way, including Dobby Bragg, Easy Papa Johnson, St. Louis Johnny, The Blues Man, The Honey Dripper, and Willie Kelly. Roosevelt had two records released on the Imperial label, both in 1955.

Above Left: Label image for Imperial 5367, recorded on September 10, 1955 and released in 1955. Composers of this song are Sykes and Pearl King. Above Right: Photo of Roosevelt Sykes at the piano. LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Crazy Fox" - Roosevelt Sykes - Imperial 5367 - 1955. 2. "Hush Oh Hush" - Roosevelt Sykes - Imperial 5367 - 1955. BOTH SONGS played in sequence.

T-BONE WALKER (LEFT) AND ROOSEVELT SYKES

T-Bone Walker had twenty-five records on the Imperial label from 1950 to 1956. He is covered in detail in the Imperial Records - Part Two article.

Above Left: Label image for Regal 3306, recorded on September 10, 1955 and released in 1955. Above Right: Above Left: Label image for Regal 3324, recorded on September 10, 1955 and released in 1955. At Right: TOWN TALK (Alexandria, LA), January 6, 1954. CASH BOX, January 6, 1951: REGAL.... DEVELOPS STRONG BLUES ROSTER ....In a survey that Regal conducted early last year, it was disclosed that various sections of the country demand one type of blues disc. He cited the case of Roosevelt Sykes, a blues singer under contract to them, who sells tremendously in Memphis; Jackson (Miss.); and other parts of the "Deep South". In the large hep cities such as Chicago and New York, he hardly causes a ripple in music shops, while (Regal's Larry) Darnel records sell heavily there. Yet they both are styled as blues singers, one singing "low brow" and the other "high brow." ....In the blues field Regal's top sellers are Roosevelt Sykes, Teddy Rhodes, and John Lee Hooker. Cash Box Review (6/16/51): ROOSEVELT SYKES — Regal 3324 Green Onion Top/Wonderin' Blues Two different types of numbers are put forward on this platter by Roosevelt Sykes. First side is a very lively novelty while the second side is a ballad. Each gets a good working over from this artist and each side deserves ops' attention. The Billboard Review (6/30/51): ROOSEVELT SYKES — Regal 3324 Green Onion Top (67) The Southern shouter runs down a menu of favorite Dixie chow to a light rhythm accompaniment by tenor sax and rhythm section. Wonderin' Blues (64) Sykes chants a mediocre Southern blues to a medium-slow boogie backing. (NOTE: Ratings had a range of 0-100 with 60-69 considered as "satisfactory".) LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Winter Time Blues" - Roosevelt Sykes - Regal 3306 - 1951. 2. "Mail Box Blues" - Roosevelt Sykes - Regal 3306 - 1951. 3. "Wonderin' Blues" - Roosevelt Sykes - Regal 3324 - 1951. 3. "Green Onion Top" - Roosevelt Sykes - Regal 3324 - 1951. ALL FOUR SONGS played in sequence.

Above Left: Label image for United U-139, recorded on August 21, 1952 and released in 1952. The flip-side is an instrumental, "Too Hot To Hold". Above Right: CASH BOX, January 24, 1953. LISTEN (Windows Media Player): "Four O' Clock Blues" - Roosevelt Sykes And His Honeydrippers - United U-139 - 1952.

CASH BOX SLEEPER OF THE WEEK — FEBRUARY 14, 1953

ROOSEVELT SYKES AND BIG MAMA THORNTON

THE BARONS

Above: Photo of The Barons, who were from Tacoma, Washington. The members were William Gold (lead), Sterling "Stokey" Wilford (tenor), Carl Charles (baritone), and Malcolm Parks (bass). The Barons had five records on the Imperial Label (1955-1956). They did not record for any other label.

Above Left: Label image for Imperial 5343, recorded on February 9, 1955 and released in February 1955. Above Right: Label image for Imperial 5383, recorded on January 6, 1956 and released in February 1956. Cash Box Review (3/26/55): THE BARONS — Imperial 5343 Eternally Yours (B) The Barons work together smoothly as they wax a slow tempo ballad blues pretty. Lead singer handles his chore effectively. Relaxing smoothie. Boom Boom (C+) The Barons chant their way through a jump item that comes off ok. (NOTE: A rating of C+ was considered as "good" and B as "very good".) NOTE: For whatever reason, Cash Box reviewd the same record a second time (see following). Cash Box Review (4/2/55): THE BARONS — Imperial 5343 Eternally Yours (B) The Barons glide through a slow blues ballad with feathery treatment. Pretty and restful. Boom Boom (B) The Barons change pace on the reverse side and jump through the middle beat effort with a zesty performance. (NOTE: A rating of B was considered as "very good".) CASH BOX, April 16, 1955: ....Imperial Records has a hit in "Eternally Yours" with The Barons. Tune is starting to click in both R&B and POP fields.... Cash Box Review (3/17/56): THE BARONS — Imperial 5383 Cryin' For You Baby (B) The Barons deliver a middle beat jump with a romantic lyric. Deck has a strong teen-age beat and a good lead to chant the story. Ok deck. So Long, My Darling (B) The Barons offer a slow paced romantic folk type ballad with a tender styling. Pretty, moving, and appealing. (NOTE: A rating of B was considered as "very good".) The Billboard Review (3/17/56): THE BARONS — Imperial 5383 So Long, My Darling (74) The Barons warble with heart and sock sincerity on a petty ballad. Cryin' For You Baby (73) Sock warbling by the group on a strong rhythm-weeper with a driving pace. (NOTE: Ratings had a range of 0-100 with 70-79 considered as "good".) LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Boom Boom" - The Barons - Imperial 5343 - 1955. 2. "Eternally Yours" - The Barons - Imperial 5343 - 1955. 3. "So Long, My Darling" - The Barons - Imperial 5383 - 1956. 4. "Cryin' For You Baby" - The Barons - Imperial 5383 - 1956. ALL FOUR SONGS played in sequence.

CASH BOX — MARCH 17, 1956

Above Left: CASH BOX, April 16, 1955. NOTE: Get with it! Imperial's slogan is "RED HOT!", not just "HOT!" Actually, this record never got more than warm. Above Right: CASH BOX, March 31, 1956. NOTE: The two sides of this record had very close ratings. This advertisement shows only one title. The one from March 17th further above shows only the other side's title.

THE HONEY BEES Disco-File does not give any member names for this female vocal group. The Honey Bees had two records on the Imperial label, both in 1956. The same group, under the name "The Gay Notes", previously had one record on Imperial's subsidiary label, Post, in 1955. As The Gay Notes, they had one record on the Aladdin label released in 1958.

Above: Label image for Imperial 5400, released in July 1956. "Endless" was recorded on June 18, 1956 and the flip-side, "Let's See What's Happening", on March 16, 1956. Per Disco-File, "Let's See What's Happening" was originally titled "Cuban Cat". It is one of Imperial's shortest sides, timing out at a brief one minute and forty seconds. Cash Box Review (7/21/56): THE HONEY BEES — Imperial 5400 Endless (B+) The Honey Bees, a fem group, blend on a middle beat rhythm piece with a cute sound. The gals turn in an effective performance that deserves attention. Let's See What's Happening (B) The "Bees" make it a quick beat jump on the flip for a cute novelty coupling. Delightful wax with a Latin flavor. (NOTE: A rating of B was considered as "very good" and B+ as "excellent".) The Billboard Review (7/21/56): THE HONEY BEES — Imperial 5400 Let's See What's Happening (75) The girls have an unusual piece of material here, where choruses with Latin-American beat alternate with rock and roll ones. This—plus the closely woven harmonies of the group—keeps interest high. Endless (70) Here the girls work with more conventional material; pretty, but not very original ballad. For their smooth performance, the Honey Bees still rate a fair commercial rating. (NOTE: Ratings had a range of 0-100 with 70-79 considered as "good".)

At Right Top: CASH BOX REVIEW, September 1, 1956. At Right Bottom: Label image for Coral 61703, "Endless" by The McGuire Sisters, released in 1956. The McGuires have a male vocal group backing them on this song. NOTE: The following audio is provided for comparison purposes. LISTEN (Windows Media Player): "Endless" - The McGuire Sisters - Coral 61703 - 1956. CASH BOX, July 21, 1956: ....Jim Ameche picked "Endless" by The Honey Bees on Imperial his record of the week. The disk has gotten immediate reaction and has already been covered by The McGuire Sisters on Coral.... (NOTE: Jim Ameche was a Los Angeles disk jockey and the younger brother of actor Don Ameche.) CASH BOX, August 4, 1956: ....Newest R&B hit to be covered in the pop field by the majors is "Endless" originally recorded by The Honey Bees on Imperial. The McGuire Sisters have been set to cover the tune for the Coral label.... CASH BOX, October 6, 1956: ....Imperial Records has another hit by Fats Domino in his latest record of "Please Don't Leave Me". The West Coast label's really hot with big ones riding for Smiley Lewis, Ernie Freeman, and the Honey Bees and three plants now pressing to keep up with the orders.... LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Endless" - The Honey Bees - Imperial 5400 - 1956. 2. "Let's See What's Happening" - The Honey Bees - Imperial 5400 - 1956. BOTH SONGS played in sequence.

Above Left: CASH BOX, July 28, 1956. Above Right: CASH BOX, August 18, 1956.

Above Left: Label image for Post 2006, recorded on September 21, 1955 and released in September 1955. Post was a subsidiary label of Imperial Records. "E. Tate" is shown as composer on the labels for both sides of this record, but nothing is listed at BMI.com. Was Tate a member of The Gay Notes/Honey Bees? The Gay Notes are the same group as The Honey Bees. Under the "Gay Notes" name, they had one more record, that on the Aladdin label, recorded in 1957 and released in 1958. The Billboard Review (10/15/55): THE GAY NOTES — Post 2006 Hear My Plea (74) The gals sock this one in fine fashion. and there's some solid sound from the ork backing 'em up. Crossroads (71) The melody and lyric on this have a distinct rural touch, and the Notes turn it out in okay, upbeat rock 'n' roll style. (NOTE: Ratings had a range of 0-100 with 70-79 considered as "good".) Cash Box Review (10/22/55): THE GAY NOTES — Post 2006 Crossroads (C+) The Gay Notes bounce melodically through a quick beat ditty. A cute, zippy flavored wax with a pop-western flavoring. Hear My Plea (B) The Gay Notes blend prettily on a slow, rhythmic blues-ballad. Smooth listening. (NOTE: A rating of C+ was considered as "good" and B as "very good".)

Above Right: Label image for Imperial 5416, recorded on September 19, 1956 and released in September 1956. BMI.com credits "Beverly Zanoline" as composer of both sides. Was she a member of The Gay Notes/Honey Bees? Cash Box Review (11/10/56): THE HONEY BEES — Imperial 5416 Just To Live Again (B+) The Honey Bees bounce lightly through an engaging bouncer. Good sound, infectious harmony, pleasing deck. Could take off. What's To Become Of Me (B+) The Bees skip through a middle beat love-weeper item. It is delightfully done and coming on top of "Endless" the gals may have another big one for their scrap book. Watch both sides carefully. (NOTE: A rating of B+ was considered as "excellent".) CASH BOX, November 10, 1956: ....Eddie Ray, National promotioner for Imperial, stopping thru long enough to report that Fats Domino is not the only artist making hits for the diskery. Claims Ray, The Honey Bees' "What's To Become Of Me" is buzzing right to the top....

LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Hear My Plea" - The Gay Notes - Post 2006 - 1955. 2. "Crossroads" - The Gay Notes - Post 2006 - 1955. 3. "Just To Live Again" - The Honey Bees - Imperial 5416 - 1956. 4. "What's To Become Of Me" - The Honey Bees - Imperial 5416 - 1956. ALL FOUR SONGS played in sequence.

ROY BROWN

Roy Brown, from New Orleans, was a singer, songwriter, and bandleader. He first recorded for DeLuxe Records in 1947, resulting in an immediate hit, "Good Rocking Tonight". When DeLuxe was acquired by King Records in early 1951, Roy moved over to the parent King label the following year, staying there until 1955. For Imperial Records, he had a total of seven records issued from 1956 to 1958. PITTSBURGH COURIER, October 30, 1948: CRESCENT CITY SHOUTER SINGS AS NEVER BEFORE NEW YORK—Talk around here these days is not all centered about who is going to be the next president or what is bebop, some of it (the talk) has been reserved for Roy Brown, a blues singing, composing youngster who came our way from New Orleans. Perhaps the most exciting singer of the down-hearted lyrics since the late Bessie Smith, Roy is creating somewhat of a stir in the theatrical profession. The first talked about artist to emerge out of the wax heap since the almost year old record ban went into effect, he is selling more DeLuxe pressings than ten other delineators of like calling in the country. The New Orleans singing-composer, whose current hits, "Lollipop Mama," "Good Rockin' Tonight" and "Long About Midnight" are as familiar to many ears as the ABC's, visited the big town for a short look-see last week. Having heard so much about him in recent weeks the writer took a look-see at him. We found him unlike most blues chirpers we have come to know and discovered a class about him that is usually foreign to this field of endeavor. Listening to and about him in the office of the DeLuxe Record Co., it was at first believed that here was a guy with a luck piece in his pocket. But when his records were played it was decided that he's just plain talented, with enough musical personality to sell by the pound. The hero of this story started singing the blues when he was twelve, but got his hide tanned well because he selected the church choir in which to jazz up the familiar spirituals. From then until he was eighteen he never sang the blues again, but did compose many such tunes which he kept in his back pocket on brown paper. Turning fighter for a while, the world almost lost a lad who just might be its most important purveyor of an old musical styling. Seeking an easier way to make a living, he left the ring to sing his way across the country. In Los Angeles he won an amateur contest, singing the blues the first time since the church incident, and became an over-night sensation. From then on the country took shape for him like a patch-work quilt and he covered many of them singing ballads and spirituals. The blues kept urging him on, but he kept them hidden away in his back pocket like a poor relative. It was left to the owner of a nitery in his home State to bring them out. Booked into the spot for two weeks he stayed six months. His next stop was in Texas. In the Lone Star State the blues within him kicked him in the shins and he just had to bring them out. It was at the Grenada where he was doing everything except washing dishes. One night the girl vocalist lost her voice and Roy just had to do something. Out of his back pocket came a brown piece of paper and "Lollipop Mama" and "Good Rockin' Tonight" were born along with a new blues sensation. The stray notes of this aged music as sung by Roy have at last wafted across the Mason Dixon Line and the lad who's page one news in the South seems headed for the high places along marquee lane all over the land. No wonder kids in the South aren't half as concerned about the November election as they are about the campaign to elect Mr. R. B. president of the Lively Jive Show, "Poppa Stoppa," over WJMR.

MIAMI TIMES — MARCH 25, 1950

Above Left: Photo of Roy Brown. Above Right: THE BILLBOARD, May 27, 1957. NOTE: "Let The Four Winds Blow" was Roy's biggest record for Imperial.

Above Left: Label image for Imperial 5439, recorded on January 22, 1957 and released in 1957. This side was composed by Dave Bartholomew and Fats Domino. It's another case of Imperial using one of Dave's songs multiple times. Versions of "Let The Four Winds Blow" were released two other times, one by each composer (see further below). Other examples of multiple usage of Dave's compositions are "Country Boy", "Blue Monday", "Ain't Gonna Do It", "I Live My Life", and "I Hear You Knocking". Above Right: Label image for Imperial 5469, released in 1957. The shown side was recorded on September 27, 1956 and the flip-side, "Slow Down Little Eva" in February 1957. Composers are the ubiquitous Dave Bartholomew and his wife, Pearl King. On the flip-side, it's Dave and Roy Brown. Cash Box Review (4/27/57): ROY BROWN — Imperial 5439 Let The Four Winds Blow (B+) Roy Brown sings a swingy up-tempo ballad with an easy vocal. Infectious ditty that is handled just right. Deck should meet the favor of Brown's fans and make him some new ones. Diddy-Y-Diddy-O (B) Roy Brown rocks and rolls on this side. It is a quick beat jump with an all out vocal by the hard hitting Brown. Good dance tempo. (NOTE: A rating of B was considered as "very Good" and B+ as "excellent".) The Billboard Review (4/27/57): ROY BROWN — Imperial 5439 Let The Four Winds Blow (74) Brown understates the lyrics here in appealing fashion against dynamic r&b. band work. If either side is going anywhere, this is the one. Diddy-Y-Diddy-O (64) Rock orking is more solid than the warbling on this brightly-paced item. Doesn't rate with the flip. (NOTE: Ratings had a range of 0-100 with 60-69 considered as "satisfactory" and 70-79 as "good".) The Billboard Review (10/14/57): ROY BROWN — Imperial 5469 The Tick Of The Clock (75) Mild rocker is strongly sold by Brown. Good backing features a honking tenor. Material is pop. Slow Down Little Eva (74) The artist, who scored with "Let The Four Winds Blow", could have a repeater with this rhumba-blues. Casual pace and strong vocal make side worth watching. (NOTE: Ratings had a range of 0-100 with 70-79 considered as "good".) CASH BOX, October 19, 1957: ....Roy Brown has a terrific follow-up to his hit of "Let The Four Winds Blow". Side features an unusual sound on the tune, "The Tick Of The Clock".... LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Let The Four Winds Blow" - Roy Brown - Imperial 5439 - 1957. 2. "The Tick Of The Clock" - Roy Brown - Imperial 5469 - 1957. 3. "Slow Down Little Eva" - Roy Brown - Imperial 5469 - 1957. ALL THREE SONGS played in sequence.

CASH BOX — JULY 20, 1957

CASH BOX SLEEPER OF THE WEEK - OCTOBER 12, 1957

EXTRA RECORDS — LET THE FOUR WINDS BLOW The song "Let The Four Winds Blow" was a collaboration between Dave Bartholomew and Fats Domino. It was first released by Dave as "Four Winds" in 1955. Fats' version of it came out in 1961. In between, Roy Brown had his shot at the song, in 1957 to be exact. That one is covered in the section just above here. The three releases encompassed three different Imperial label designs. New designs always encompassed the five star "logo", perhaps signifying a "five star" rating.

Above Left: Label image for Imperial 5350, released in 1955. Above Middle: Photo of Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew. Above Right: Label image for Imperial X5764, released in 1961. MONTREAL STAR, July 29, 1961: FATS DOMINO'S STYLE ALWAYS POPULAR What can be said about Fats Domino that's new and original? The Fat Man probably has more hits to his credit than anyone else in the rhythm 'n' blues and rock 'n' roll field. It seems that just about every disc he puts out is a double-sided hit, and this has been going on for so long and and so consistently that it seems almost pointless to review his records. The strange thing is that he has never changed his style one bit during all the phases of pop music for many, many years, and his records keep right on selling. In a business which demands new ideas, sounds, and gimmicks almost daily, he is a real phenomenon. The first of his two newest sides is "Let The Four Winds Blow". It's quite fast, very solid-rhythm guitars and the rhythm section take care of the beat, and it features a couple of sax solos. The second side ("Good Hearted Man") is pure rhythm 'n' blues and is also very steady. Fats' own piano is very prevalent on this side DAILY NEWS LEADER (Staunton, Virginia), August 31, 1961: ....Fats Domino reached the Top Ten this week with his recording of "Let The Four Winds Blow" (Imperial).... LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Four Winds" - Dave Bartholomew - Imperial 5350 - 1955. 2. "Let The Four Winds Blow" - Fats Domino - Imperial X5764 - 1961. BOTH SONGS played in sequence.

CASH BOX — AUGUST 5, 1961

EXTRA RECORDS — ROY BROWN

Above Left: Label image for DeLuxe 1093 A, released in October 1947. The lyrics to this song include "I'm a mighty mighty man." After it became a hit, Roy Brown named his band "His Mighty Mighty Men". Above Right: Photo of Roy Brown. CASH BOX, December 6, 1947: ....Keep your eyes peeled for "Good Rockin' Tonight" on DeLuxe Records. New Orleans operators report the ditty going mad.... At Direct Right: In March 1948, Wynonie Harris released Brown's song "Good Rockin' Tonight" on King Records. It reached #1 Best Selling Race Record in June 1948 and stayed in the top 15 into November 1948. Others to record the song include Elvis Presley (1954), The Treniers (1956), Ricky Nelson (LP, 1958), Carl Perkins (LP, 1958), Jimmy Witherspoon (LP, 1958), and Jimmy Rushing (LP, 1959). At Far Right: Photo of Wynonie Harris. LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Good Rocking Tonight" - Roy Brown - DeLuxe 1093 A - 1947. 2. "Good Rockin' Tonight" - Wynonie Harris - King 4210-A - 1948. BOTH SONGS played in sequence.

Above Left: Label image for De-Luxe 3311-AA, released in 1951. Above Right: DeLuxe publicity photo of Roy Brown. DeLuxe... subsidiary label of King Records Inc. Cash Box Review (1/20/51): ROY BROWN — De-Luxe 3311 Double Crossin' Woman/Teen Age Jamboree Roy Brown and his mighty men go to work here on a slow blues number which sounds mighty good. Roy turns in a first rate vocal while the rest of the band comes along on some terrific instrumentals. The lower half is a cute thing with a good idea. This one should go over in the machines. LISTEN (Windows Media Player): "Double Crossin' Woman" - Roy Brown And His Mighty-Mighty Men - De-Luxe 3311-AA - 1951.

1952 POSTER - ROY BROWN AND HIS MIGHTY MIGHTY MEN

OMAHA STAR — NOVEMBER 5, 1954

RICKY NELSON

CHICAGO TRIBUNE, July 7, 1957: SUDDENLY HE SINGS... IF THERE WERE a teen-age crush derby, the front runners would surely include Elvis Presley, Pat Boone, Tab Hunter, and Tommy Sands. But there's a dark horse coming up fast that might well pass them all in the stretch. His name is Eric Hilliard Nelson, better known as Ricky Nelson. As a singer, his professional reputation has been made largely on the phenomenal success of his waxing of "I'm Walkin'", a typical rock 'n' roll number. But actually he sings better on the other side, "Teenagers' Romance", a ballad. Both of these songs were introduced on separate episodes of the Nelsons' TV show, which includes this 17 year old boy's older brother, David, coming up 21, and his parents, Ozzie and Harriet. Ricky Nelson is a genuinely gifted and versatile boy. He already is a seasoned actor, with a flair for comedy. He's a handsome lad as he pushes toward the 6 foot mark. He has a likable, engaging, outgiving personality. And he's a triple threat. He can sing, play the guitar, and his dexterity on the drums has been showcased several times on their TV shows.... Despite their fame and fortune, the Nelson kids have been going along living normal lives, thanks to the good sense of their parents.... (Ricky has earned and saved more than $250,000 thru his radio-TV work.) He has the same sort of allowances and privileges that other kids of his age do. Last winter a turning point came for Ricky. His parents heard a boy's voice singing to a record coming from his room. "That can't be Ricky," said Ozzie. "He doesn't have that good a voice." "Well, there's no one else up there," put in Harriet. Well, it was Ricky. And they decided to put him on the show singing, as well as dancing and drumming. They had two sides recorded and the disk went on sale the morning after "I'm Walkin'" was introduced on TV. Ricky collided head-on with the super-charged teen-age adulation a few days later when he made a personal appearance at Los Angeles Hamilton High school. "I just stood there," he recalls. "It seemed like an hour, but I guess it was only a few minutes until the shrieks and noise stopped. I think the first 15 rows were filled with girls, but it was great, just great." Since he made the first record, Ricky's fan mail is counted in thousands per week; fan clubs are everywhere.... The future? Well, it's very bright but not too definite at the moment. His father is considering major recording contracts for him. Movie offers are being weighed. (He has played in "Here Come the Nelsons" with the rest of the family and in "Three Love Stories".) ....

RICKY NELSON — VERVE RECORDS

THE BILLBOARD, April 27, 1957: RICKY NELSON INKED TO VERVE DISK PACT Verve Records goes the TV route shortly, with the label inking teenager Ricky Nelson to a term recording contract. Sixteen-year-old son of Ozzie and Harriet Nelson aired his first release, "I'm Walkin," on the ABC-TV network on April 10 in an "Ozzie and Harriet" telefilm stanza. NOTE: Ricky's first record, "I'm Walkin'" on Verve Records, was a big hit for him. Interestingly, this song, composed by Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew, was a number one hit for Fats Domino earlier in the year on the Imperial label.

Above Left And Right: Photos of Ricky Nelson. Above Middle: Label image for Verve V-10070 A, released in July 1957. Ricky is backed by a vocal group on this one. The flip-side, "Honey Rock", is an instrumental. This is the second and last record for Ricky on Verve. That same month, Verve issued an EP with the four released sides. LISTEN (Windows Media Player): "You're My One And Only Love" - Ricky Nelson (With Vocal Group) - Verve V-10070 A - 1957.

THE BILLBOARD — JULY 29, 1957

RICKY NELSON — IMPERIAL RECORDS

During the reign of Elvis Presley, the major labels would have loved to find someone who could give him a run for his money. It took independent Imperial Records to accomplish this feat in 1957. Ricky Nelson is Lew Chudd's second superlative acquisition of talent as the owner of Imperial Records. The first, of course, was Fats Domino in 1949.

RICKY NELSON

ELVIS PRESLEY

CASH BOX, August 21, 1957: RICKY NELSON SIGNS WITH IMPERIAL LOS ANGELES — Ricky Nelson, whose first recording of "I'm Walkin'" and "Teen Age Romance" sold heavily, has been signed to an exclusive term contract by Imperial Records, it was disclosed by label prexy Lew Chudd. Chudd, who finalized the deal last week with Ricky and his parents Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, of TV fame, cut the 17 year old singer in his first session last weekend and will release the initial single disc soon. All of Imperial's distributors were informed of the acquisition by Chudd, and based on phone orders, Chudd says he will ship 500,000 on the first release. Imperial's entire staff of field men have been geared to launch the single, and a special photo record sleeve, ads, and in-store promotion material are currently being prepared. "We are extremely pleased to have Ricky with us," says Chudd, "and expect him to develop into one of the really important record sellers in the industry." CASH BOX, September 7, 1957: (See also the picture at direct right) HOLLYWOOD—Imperial Records added one of the hottest teenage singing sensations in the country to its roster two weeks ago when Ricky Nelson was signed. At right, Lew Chudd (L), Imperial President, and Ricky look over one of the tunes during Nelson's recent recording session for Imperial. Chudd will release the first single by the seventeen year old crooner in ten days and plans to launch the disk with an intensive trade and consumer campaign. CASH BOX, October 5, 1957: (See also the picture at far right) BEVERLY HILLS—Chudd discusses Ricky Nelson's first Imperial release (with Ozzie Nelson and Ricky). Both sides showed amazing strength this week. "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You" broke into the #22 spot on The Cash Box Top 60 list and the flip, "Be-Bop Baby", jumped into the #26 spot....

Above Left: Label image for Imperial 5463, released in August 1957. This side has a vocal group backing Ricky. The flip-side is "Be-Bop Baby". This is Ricky's first record on the Imperial label. In 1957, Ricky had two releases on Imperial, in 1958 he had three, and in 1959, another three. They certainly didn't flood the market with him. Above Right: Lew Chudd and Ricky Nelson holding one of Ricky's gold records. Ricky had earned nine gold records by the age of twenty-one (1957-1961). LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You" - Ricky Nelson - Imperial 5463 - 1957. 2. "Be-Bop Baby" - Ricky Nelson - Imperial 5463 - 1957. BOTH SONGS played in sequence. WATCH the VIDEO of Ricky Nelson singing "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You" from the October 2, 1957 episode of "The Adventures Of Ozzie And Harriet" TV show (in MP4 format). (Will open in a new window) WATCH the VIDEO of Ricky Nelson singing "Be-Bop Baby" from the October 9, 1957 episode of "The Adventures Of Ozzie And Harriet" TV show (in MP4 format). (Will open in a new window) NOTE: The vocal group shown backing Ricky on the "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You" video is The Four Preps. They had been students at Hollywood High, the same high school as Ricky attended. CASH BOX, September 7, 1957: FOUR-COLOR PHOTO SLEEVE TO INTRO NEW RICKY NELSON DISK BEVERLY HILLS, CAL. — To help launch the initial Imperial release of teenage singing star Ricky Nelson, Imperial Records will package his up-coming single 45 rpm disk in a special four color photograph sleeve at an extra added cost of $10,000, announced label prexy Lew Chudd. The sleeve, with a portrait of Nelson, is comparable in cost to an LP album jacket, adds Chudd, but he deems it essential because of its eye appeal on dealer racks and a natural for display. Mammoth blow-ups of the sleeve will be supplied to dealers too, and Imperial salesmen will push for in-store and window displays of the single. "This type of packaging serves another purpose," says Chudd. "The record buyer will have a beautiful keepsake picture of Ricky which is even suitable for framing. This also answers early dealer and distributor queries for free counter pictures of him." Chudd feels that packaging eye appeal for single records will increase sales the way it has on albums. He explains: "Youngsters are more susceptible to colorful packaging than grown-ups. Since the single market is primarily teenagers, I plan to appeal to their eyes as well as their ears."

THE BILLBOARD, August 19, 1957: NELSON INKED BY IMPERIAL HOLLYWOOD—Teen-age disk star Ricky Nelson signed a term contract last week with Lew Chudd's Imperial Records. Pact represents something of a coup for Imperial, in as much as Nelson is considered a hot property.... Nelson was free and clear when Chudd signed him, ostensibly recording for Verve without a contract.... Cash Box Review (9/21/57): RICKY NELSON — Imperial 5463 Be-Bop Baby/Have I Told You Lately That I Love You Young Ricky Nelson, TV's popular teenager of the "Ozzie & Harriet" Show who has developed into a sensation in the record business with two consecutive hits—"A Teenager's Romance" and his current hit "You're My One And Only Love", offers his first coupling on the Imperial label. And from the sound of this new release, we can expect to see Nelson high up on the charts with another hit. One half is a terrific rock-a-billy item dubbed "Be-Bop Baby". A hard-hitting dance deck with a commercial lyric and a sensational guitar-pause gimmick that'll have the kids' toes tappin'. Watch this one go. The companion deck is a solid rock and roll revival of a wonderful oldie "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?" Good ballad the teenagers will also greatly enjoy. Potent coupling to watch closely. CASH BOX, December 2, 1957: "BE-BOP BABY" PASSES MILLION SAYS CHUDD BEVERLY HILLS, CAL.—Ricky Nelson's first single on Imperial Records, "Be-Bop Baby", last week has passed the million mark in sales, it was announced by label prexy Lew Chudd. The disk, which has been on the charts for several weeks and is high on the charts nationally, is still selling briskly, and Chudd predicts the sale will hit 1,500,000. Plans are being finalized now to present Ricky with a gold record during a special dinner in his honor at Romanoff's Restaurant in Beverly Hills. Ricky, one of the hottest artists in the record industry, has just had his first album release, titled, "Ricky". The album, out just three weeks, hit the charts in its second week and is already near the top of the LP best seller list currently. Chudd says that only Fats Domino has had as fast a record sale as Ricky in the twelve-year history of Imperial. The seventeen-year-old artist recorded his next single release last week, and Chudd plans to release the disk the first week in December....

CASH BOX — SEPTEMBER 21, 1957

Above Left: Label image for Imperial 5483, released in December 1957. This side has a vocal group backing Ricky. The flip-side is "Be-Bop Baby". The two sides shown above were composed by the Burnette brothers, Jimmy and Dorsey. The Burnette Brothers had one record on Imperial (1958) and Dorsey Burnette had two records on the label (1958-1959). Above Right: Label image for Imperial 5503, released in March 1958. Someone wanted to keep Ricky's songs short. His first six released sides average 2:01 in length. Cash Box Review (12/14/57): RICKY NELSON — Imperial 5483 Stood Up/Waitin' In School Young Ricky Nelson, who's developing into quite a star with top sellers in the album department and his current single, "Be-Bop Baby", riding high, comes thru with another terrific single that should follow in "Be-Bop's" footsteps. It's a torrid teen tune tagged "Stood Up". Ricky sings the tune smoothly against a strong dance beat and excellent group accompaniment. Lyrics should also have wide appeal among the younger generation. The beat stays the same on the companion piece, "Waitin' In School", another item aimed directly at the teen audience. Top portion should lead the way. AT RIGHT: 'Rick' Nelson backed by (L-R) James Kirkland (bass fiddle) and James Burton (guitar). Burton's first song as lead guitar player for Ricky is "Believe What You Say". This song has a completely different sound than Ricky's previous records. Burton stayed with Ricky until 1966. In 1969, he joined Elvis Presley and stayed until Elvis' death in 1977. WATCH the VIDEO of Ricky Nelson singing "I Got A Feeling". Backing Ricky is Kirkland and Burton. It's from the October 1, 1958 episode of "The Adventures Of Ozzie And Harriet" TV show (in MP4 format). This song was issued on Imperial 5545 in 1958. (Will open in a new window) LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Waitin' In School" - Ricky Nelson - Imperial 5483 - 1957. 2. "Stood Up" - Ricky Nelson - Imperial 5483 - 1957. 3. "Believe What You Say" - Ricky Nelson - Imperial 5503 - 1958. 4. "My Bucket's Got A Hole In It" - Ricky Nelson - Imperial 5503 - 1958. ALL FOUR SONGS played in sequence.

CASH BOX DISK OF THE WEEK — MARCH 22, 1958

CASH BOX — MARCH 22, 1958

Above Left: Photo of Ricky Nelson, who was an accomplished guitarist and drummer. Above Right: Label image for Imperial 5528, released in June 1958. This side has a vocal group backing Ricky. The flip-side is "Don't Leave Me This Way". Cash Box Review (6/28/58): RICKY NELSON — Imperial 5528 Poor Little Fool/Don't Leave Me This Way "Poor Little Fool", a tune Ricky Nelson cut for his latest LP, has been in such demand that the EP in which the tune is featured has been selling like a single. Imperial is now making the number available on a single. Beautiful rock-a-ballad that should jump into the winner's circle in short order. Flip is also from the LP. LISTEN (Windows Media Player): "Poor Little Fool" - Ricky Nelson - Imperial 5528 - 1958.

Above Left: CASH BOX, July 5, 1958. NOTE: Do you think they might have been pushing the "Poor Little Fool" side? Above Right: CASH BOX COVER, August 16, 1958.

CAPTION: One of the most phenominal record sellers of the past year has been young Ricky Nelson. Lew Chudd, president of Imperial Records, happily presents Ricky with his fourth gold record for the millionth sale of his current smash hit "Poor Little Fool".

TWO MORE LABELS AFFILIATED WITH IMPERIAL RECORDS

Above Left: Label image for Colony C109, released in 1951. The female singer on this side is not identified on the label. However, it is Geraldine "Jerry" Carter, composer and singer. The flip-side is an instrumental. Colony was affiliated with Imperial Records. The label's output was derived from masters recorded by Imperial. Note Imperial's "Commodore Music Corp" publishing company and the "IM-" Imperial matrix number shown on the label. Colony was located at 135 North Western Avenue in Los Angeles. At the time, Imperial's offices were at 137-139 North Western Avenue. Above Middle: Label image for Knight X2001, recorded on August 7, 1958 and released in September 1958. Note the "IM-1708" Imperial matrix number on the label. The Robins had one other record on the Knight label, that released in November 1958. Above Right: The Robins from 1956 (L-R) Ty Terrell, H. B. Barnum, Billy Richard, Roy Richard, and Grady Chapman. Not sure if this is the line-up for 1958's "A Quarter To Twelve". At Direct Right: Photo of Lloyd Glenn. CASH BOX, November 3, 1951: ....Had us a call from Swingtime's general sales mgr., Franklin Kort, to effect that, any old masters on other labels notwithstanding, Lloyd Glenn is very much under exclusive recording contract at present to Swingtime. In fact Glenn just signed a five year renewal and continues as the label's musical director.... CASH BOX, September 15, 1958: IMPERIAL BOWS KNIGHT SUBSIDIARY HOLLYWOOD—Imperial Records will unveil its subsidiary label, Knight Records, on Wednesday. Initial release will consist of two singles, the Robins doing "A Quarter To Twelve" backed with "Pretty Little Dolly", and the Popsicles recording "Thumb Print" backed by "This Is the End". Lew Cudd, Imperial prexy, told The Billboard that a separate artists' stable is being built for the new label with no interchanging of artists between the two disk firms contemplated. THE BILLBOARD, October 13, 1958: ....Knight Records, Imperial's new subsidiary, has a sleeper in "A Quarter to Twelve" by the Robins.... LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "Stranger" - Lloyd Glenn And His Orchestra - Colony C109 - 1951. 2. "A Quarter To Twelve" - The Robins - Knight X2001 - 1958. BOTH SONGS played in sequence.

IMPERIAL GOSPEL Imperial Records did delve into gospel singing, but to a somewhat limited extent. They entered the gospel field in 1947 with two records by Lord Colquith's Instrumental Choir. The next gospel releases were two by the Sunny South Singers in 1949. Their last 1950s gospel release was in early 1954 by Dorothy Simmons And the Simmons-Akers Gospel Singers. Gospel record numbering was included in the rhythm and blues 5000 series.

IMPERIAL RECORDS GOSPEL ARTISTS (1949-1954):

Lord Colquith's Instrumental Choir Sunny South Singers Silvertone Gospel Singers Prophet B. W. West Florida Gospel Singers Ethel Davenport

Brother Cecil L. Shaw Union Spiritual Harmonizers Rev. G. W. Killens Silverlight Quartet New Orleans Humming Four

Christian Johnson Family Sister Z. J. Rodgers Rev. Percy Simpson Jr. Dorothy Simmons Simmons-Akers Gospel Singers

Above Left: Label image for Imperial 5133, released in 1951. Above Right: Label image for Imperial 5271, released in 1954. At the time, The Simmons-Akers Gospel Singers consisted of Dorothy Simmons, Doris Akers, Christine Kittrell, and Ruth Black.

Above Left: MACON NEWS, October 5, 1952. NOTE: Ethel Davenport, from Jacksonville, FL., sang with the Gospel Train, a gospel radio program and traveling show. Above Right: THE GAZETTE (Cedar Rapids, Iowa), December 11, 1955. NOTE: (L-R) Dorothy Simmons and Doris Akers.

LISTEN (Windows Media Player): 1. "A Good Mother To Pray For You" - Ethel Davenport - Imperial 5133 - 1951. 2. "Meet Me In The Glory Land" - Dorothy Simmons - The Simmons-Akers Gospel Singers - Imperial 5271 - 1954. BOTH SONGS played in sequence.

MISCELLANEOUS

THE BILLBOARD, March 16, 1957: ....Imperial Records has added Faye Adams and Nellie Lutcher to their artists' roster.... OTTAWA CITIZEN, March 28, 1957: ....Royalties to Royalty. Grace Kelly has been offered a recording contract by Lew Chudd of Imperial Records that would net the princess more than a million dollars during the next ten years.... CASH BOX, October 5, 1957: IMPERIAL'S FUTURE PLANS HOLLYWOOD—....Imperial's entrance in the tape field will see packages on almost all of its artists made available. Chudd has been covering all of his sessions for the past two years with stereophonic tape. The tape market is growing so rapidly, that Chudd predicts that within four years, 25% of an artist's royalties will come from tape sales.... To accommodate Imperial's rapid growth, Chudd will build new home offices in Hollywood next year, complete with recording studio. CASH BOX, November 9, 1957: IMPERIAL OPENS NEW YORK OFFICE BEVERLY HILLS, CAL.—In line with Imperial Records' current expansion plans, label prexy Lew Chudd this week announced the opening of Imperial's New York office, effective May 1, with Jay Mayer set as head.... Chudd also announced that he is finalizing plans to buy land on Vine Street, in Hollywood, to build home offices for Imperial, and expects to break ground this year. CASH BOX, November 9, 1957: ....Imperial Records have one of the fastest breaking hits of the year in Ernie Freeman's instrumental recording, "Raunchy". Jim Warren of Central Record Sales reported 15,000 sold in five days and Eddie Ray of Imperial says that the same action is going on throughout the country.... CASH BOX, February 5, 1958: CHUDD DENIES IMPERIAL SALE BEVERLY HILLS, CAL.—Lewis R. Chudd, president of Imperial Records, denied categorically last week that Columbia Pictures had purchased his company. "Although there were discussions with Abe Schneider, executive vice-president of Columbia Pictures, no papers were ever signed," Chudd averred. "Imperial is having the biggest grosses in its history," Chudd added, "and purchase feelers have been made to me by every major studio that doesn't have a record company already. Imperial, however, is not sold, and still wants to retain its position as a leading independent record label." THE BILLBOARD, June 9, 1958: PORTABLE TAPE RECORDER HAS 4-HOUR PLAY HOLLYWOOD—U. S. rights to a Cennan-made portable tape machine capable of playing up to four hours of recorded fare by using a tape magazine were acquired last week by Lew Chudd, president of Imperial Records. The unit, known as the Aieda, will he assembled in the U. S. The parts are to be manufactured at Hamburg, Germany. To equip it for stereo tapes. Chudd is asking the manufacturer to add a second speaker to the unit in place of the radio it now contains. It will be priced between $100 and $125 and is light enough to be carried by a child. It will be ready for marketing this fall. CASH BOX, July 12, 1958: ....Lew Chudd enthusiastic about Tony Allen's first release for Imperial Records, "Call My Name" and "Strange Talk".... THE BILLBOARD, August 8, 1960: LEW CHUDD IN NEW VENTURE HOLLYWOOD - Lew Chudd, Imperial Records prexy, has formed Entertainment Corporation Of America, a Delaware corporation, whose purpose will be to acquire radio and TV stations and other major properties allied to the various facets of the entertainment industry. Chudd is ECA prexy. Other officers, unidentified at press time, are understood to be Eastern industrialists and financiers.

EPILOGUE

THE BILLBOARD, AUGUST 24, 1963: LIBERTY RECORDS BUYING IMPERIAL LABEL, PUB FIRM HOLLYWOOD—Liberty Records last week acquired Lew Chudd's Imperial label and subsidiary publishing firms. Imperial was purchased by Avnet Electronics Corporation, Liberty's parent firm. Assets include the Imperial name, more than 2,200 masters, and 6,000 music copyrights. Imperial will retain its label identity under the new ownership. The company will be headed by Liberty President Al Bennett, and operated by Liberty's management staff. The complete Imperial staff will be retained by Liberty. Under the new set-up, Imperial will retain its existing distributors, here and abroad. As part of the purchase, Liberty also acquires Imperial's wholly owned music publishing firms, including Post Music (ASCAP), and Travis, Commodore, and Reeve (all BMI). Imperial's masters include a substantial number of recordings by Rick Nelson, Fats Domino, Slim Whitman, and Sandy Nelson, among others. Chudd founded Imperial in March, 1946, and started in the Spanish and folk dance field. He later branched into the rhythm and blues and pop fields. He built the firm into one of the strongest independent labels in the field.... Chudd told Billboard he plans to enter the broadcasting field now that he has left the disk manufacturers' ranks. In past years, Chudd sought to buy into several radio station properties. His acquisition of a station property will mark his return to broadcasting, the field he left in the mid-1940's when he entered the disk realm.... Purchase price of Imperial was not revealed but was estimated to be in excess of $2 million. THE BILLBOARD, JULY 4, 1998: Lew Chudd, 87, died of heart failure, June 15 in Los Angeles. As founder and president of Imperial Records, Lew launched the career of Fats Domino and produced many top 10 hits in the '50s. Before selling Imperial to Liberty Records in 1963, he had hits with Ricky Nelson, Slim Whitman, and Lightnin' Hopkins. He is survived by two sons, Andre and Reeve; two granddaughters; and a great-granddaughter....

CASH BOX — OCTOBER 5, 1957 (Lew Chudd And George Liberace)

PART FIVE CONCLUDES THIS SERIES OF "IMPERIAL RECORDS" ARTICLES. LEW CHUDD BEGAN HIS RECORD COMPANY IN 1946 WITH A $10,000 INVESTMENT. HE SUCCESSFULLY SPECIALIZED IN LATIN MUSIC AND SQUARE DANCE RECORDS. THEN, IN 1947, CHUDD TURNED TO RHYTHM AND BLUES AND SIGNED FATS DOMINO IN 1949. AND WHEN FATS WAS STILL PRODUCING MILLION SELLERS IN 1957, CHUDD SCORED BIG-TIME AGAIN WITH RICKY NELSON. ALONG THE WAY, THERE WERE MANY EXCELLENT BLUES SINGERS AND VOCAL GROUPS WHO RECORDED FOR IMPERIAL AND ITS SUBSIDIARY LABELS.

IMPERIAL RECORDS - PART ONE FEATURES LALO GUERRERO, DICK LEWIS AND HIS HARLEM RHYTHM BOYS, "POISON" GARDNER, "FAT MAN" HAMILTON, CHARLIE "BOOGIE WOOGIE" DAVIS, KING (JAKE) PORTER, DOROTHY ELLIS, STASH CARTER, JOE TURNER, ARCHIBALD, AND FATS DOMINO. IMPERIAL RECORDS - PART TWO FEATURES FATS DOMINO, CECIL GANT, LIL' SON JACKSON, T-BONE WALKER, SMILEY LEWIS, MARY WALLACE, BIG JAY McNEELEY, JOE HOUSTON, AND TOMMY RIDGLEY. IMPERIAL RECORDS - PART THREE FEATURES SMILEY LEWIS, SLIM WHITMAN, FATS DOMINO, BOBBY MITCHELL AND THE TOPPERS, DAVE BARTHOLOMEW, THE LOVE NOTES, ROSE MITCHELL, JESSE ALLEN, AUDREY WALKER, AND GUITAR SLIM. IMPERIAL RECORDS - PART FOUR FEATURES FATS DOMINO, GENE GILMORE, LITTLE BOOKER, PEE WEE CRAYTON, THE SPIDERS, THE HAWKS, THE PELICANS, AND THE KIDDS.

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