Imperial Records

Imperial Records is a United States based label started in 1947 by Lewis Robert Chudd (1911–1998) and reactivated in 2006 by EMI which owned the label and back catalogue at that time. The current label owner is Universal Music Group.

The independent and Liberty Records years

Upon its formation in Los Angeles in 1947, Imperial focused on the release of rhythm & blues/R&B, country, and Mexican music including recordings by such R&B artists as Fats Domino, Frankie Ford, and Ricky Nelson as well as those by yodeling country singer Slim Whitman. In the United Kingdom, Imperial was distributed by London Records.

Imperial expanded its operations by purchasing Aladdin Records in 1960 and Minit Records in 1963 (having distributed Minit since 1960). Throughout the 1950s, Imperial was one of the primary labels issuing a vast quantity of R&B from New Orleans, though their involvement with producer, writer Dave Bartholomew, and later in the 1960s with their distribution and of the independent Minit Records (and purchase, a few years later).

Imperial Records (1920)

Imperial Records was the second United Kingdom-based label of that name, which went into business in 1920. Imperial was owned by the Crystalate Gramophone Record Manufacturing Company Ltd. of Tonbridge, Kent, England. The company's main recording studio was in London. Most Imperial issues were recorded by the company, but some issues from masters leased from other companies in Continental Europe and from the United States' Banner Records also appeared on Imperial.

Most Imperial recordings were of popular songs, music hall tunes, and dance music of the time. The label went out of business in February 1934.

A history of Imperial Records, together with a listing of known records issued by the label, is published by the CLPGS in their Reference Series of books.

See also

Imperial Records (1900)

The earliest Imperial Records was a short-lived United States based company of the 1900s (decade), producing single-sided lateral cut gramophone records. Issues included ragtime banjo music, operatic solos, and Hebrew songs. As the name implies, they seem to have been destined at least in part for the British market. The back of the records carried a paper label printed with a copyright statement.

See also