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Juke In The BackThe Soul That Came Before Rock n' Roll Author: Matt The Cat
At the end of the Second World War, economics forced the big bands to trim their once great size and thus, the Jump Blues combo was born. Between 1946-1954, rhythm and blues laid the tracks for what was to become Rock n Roll. So how come, 75 years later, this vibrant and influential music is still so unknown to so many? Matt The Cat is going to change that with the radio program, Juke In The Back. These were the records that you couldnt hear on the jukebox in the front of the establishment. To hear all this great 1950s rhythm & blues, you had to go to Juke In The Back. Language: en-us Genres: Music, Music Commentary, Music History Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Episode #832 – Imperial Records, Pt. 5 – 1954
Sunday, 12 April, 2026
Air Week: April 13-19, 2026 Imperial Records, Pt. 5 – 1954 Imperial Records was a major player among the indie labels of the late 1940s and the entirety of the 1950s. Started in Los Angels in 1946 by Lew Chudd, a Canadian raised in Harlem, Imperial began filling the ethnic and cultural voids left by the majors at the time. Chudd knew there was a large market for Latino Music in America, so he headed to Mexico City and recorded some Mexican jump bands that sold very well. He then included square dance records which also racked up sales as now square dances could be held without callers. He began recording Rhythm & Blues in 1947 and by ’49, he had hired Dave Bartholomew to scout talent in fertile New Orleans. The Braun Brother had beat him to The Crescent City by recording Paul Gayten and Annie Laurie first, but with Bartholomew’s help, Chudd was able to sign Fats Domino, Smiley Lewis, Archibald and Jewel King, dominating the New Orleans R&B scene. This week, we continue our Imperial series with part five, focusing on Imperial’s R&B releases from 1954. Fats Domino is still Imperial’s biggest star, but he only scores 2 charting records in ’54, while a new vocal group out of New Orleans, The Spiders, rack up 3. Their debut single, “I Didn’t Want To Do It,” establishes them as the most successful vocal group on Imperial. Pee Wee Crayton joins the roster, filling out an already stacked list of blues greats that includes T-Bone Walker. We’ll hear 14 year old future great, James Booker as Little Booker making his debut on Imperial and some great vocal group records from Bobby Mitchell & The Toppers, The Hawks and The Bees. Matt The Cat keeps those records spinning as he features part five of the Imperial Records Story on this week’s “Juke In The Back.” LISTEN BELOW
