Imperial Records

{{Short description|American record company founded in 1947}}
{{about|the label owned by [[Universal Music Group]]|the label established c. 1900|Imperial Records (1900)|the label established in 1920|Imperial Records (1920)|the Japanese label|Teichiku Records}}{{distinguish|Imperial Recordings}}
{{More citations needed|date=November 2010}}
{{Infobox record label <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Music -->
| bgcolor = #000000
| name        = {{color|white|Imperial Records}}
| image       = Imperial records 2006.png
| parent = {{Plainlist|
* [[Liberty Records]] {{small|(1963–1970)}}
* [[United Artists Records]] {{small|(1970–1979)}}
* [[Thorn EMI]] {{small|(1979–1996)}}
* [[EMI]] {{small|(1996–2012)}}
* [[Universal Music Group]] {{small|(2012–present)}}
}}
| founded     = {{start date|1947}}
| founder     = Lew Chudd
| distributor = [[Capitol Music Group]]
| genre       = Various (historic), urban (later)
| country     = U.S.
| location    = Hollywood, California
| url         = 
}}
'''Imperial Records''' is an American record company and [[record label|label]] started in 1947 by [[Lew Chudd]].<ref name="Larkin50">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Virgin Encyclopedia of Fifties Music]]|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=2002|edition=Third|isbn=1-85227-937-0|pages=213/4}}</ref> The label was reactivated in 2006 by [[EMI]], which owned the label and back catalogue at the time. Imperial is owned by [[Universal Music Group]].

==Early years to 1979==
When Imperial was founded in 1947, it concentrated on [[rhythm and blues]] (R&B) and [[country music]]: [[Fats Domino]], [[Frankie Ford]], [[Ricky Nelson]], and [[Slim Whitman]].<ref name="Larkin50"/> In the UK, Imperial was distributed by [[London Records]].<ref name="Larkin50"/>

During the 1950s and 1960s, Imperial released jazz albums by [[Sonny Criss]], [[Charlie Mariano]], [[Papa Celestin]], [[Erskine Hawkins]], and [[Harold Land]].<ref name="New Grove">{{cite book |last1=Gardner |first1=Mark |editor1-last=Kernfeld |editor1-first=Barry |title=The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz |date=2002 |publisher=Grove's Dictionaries |location=New York |isbn=1-56159-284-6 |page=172 |volume=2 |edition=2nd }}</ref>

Imperial bought [[Aladdin Records|Aladdin]] in 1960 and [[Minit Records]] in 1963, having distributed Minit since 1960.<ref name="Larkin50"/> During the 1950s, Imperial was one of the primary labels issuing a vast quantity of R&B from New Orleans through their involvement with producer and writer [[Dave Bartholomew]] and in the 1960s with their distribution (and purchase, a few years later) of Minit.<ref name="Larkin50"/>

In 1963, after Imperial lost Fats Domino and Ricky Nelson to rival record companies, Chudd sold the label to [[Liberty Records]].<ref name="buying">{{cite book |last=Zhito |first=Lee |title=Liberty Records Buying Imperial Label, Pub Firm |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VgsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 |access-date=4 January 2019 |date=24 August 1963 |publisher=Nielsen Business Media (Billboard) |page=1}}</ref>

Under Liberty's management, the label enjoyed success with [[Irma Thomas]], [[Johnny Rivers]], [[Jackie DeShannon]], [[Classics IV]], and [[Cher]].<ref name="Larkin50"/> During the [[British Invasion]], Liberty (whose recordings were distributed by EMI in the UK) licensed [[the Hollies]], [[Billy J. Kramer]], the [[The Dakotas (band)|Dakotas]], and the [[The Swinging Blue Jeans|Swinging Blue Jeans]] from EMI.<ref name="Larkin50"/> Recordings by the [[The Bonzo Dog Band|Bonzo Dog Band]] and [[Kim Fowley]] were issued in the U.S. by Imperial.

By 1970, the label had become part of Liberty's merger with [[United Artists Records]] but was phased out shortly after, with its roster transferred to United Artists. EMI acquired the Imperial Records catalogue with its acquisition of UA Records in 1979.<ref name="Larkin50"/>

==1990s to present==
Throughout the 1990s, EMI released CD compilations of Imperial artists that featured the original Imperial labels.

In June 2006, EMI re-activated the Imperial Records imprint and announced that it would be the urban music division of [[Caroline Distribution]], part of [[Virgin Records]], spearheaded by the urban music veteran [[Neil Levine]]. The first signing to the imprint was Raptivism Records. [[Fat Joe]] signed with Virgin Records and Imperial Records. Imperial provided resources for developing urban artists with EMI's major labels, including Capitol Records and Virgin Records, which were merged into the Capitol Music Group in January 2007. Universal Music Group acquired the Capitol Music Group as part of its acquisition of the majority of EMI's recorded music operations in 2012. After a few releases, Imperial became dormant again.

In 2021, the [[Republic Records]] unit of Universal Music Group revived the Imperial name with the formation of Imperial Music.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2021/09/14/universal-music-group-launches-imperial-music/ | title=Universal Music Group Announces Launch of Indie-Focused Imperial Music | date=14 September 2021 }}</ref>

==Label variations==
*Early 1950s to 1954: Blue label with "IMPERIAL" in script letters at the top; 78-RPM counterparts have red labels)
*1954–1955: Red label with "IMPERIAL" in script (also silver block) letters at the top
*1955–1957: Maroon label with "IMPERIAL" in silver block letters at the top
*1957–1963: Black label with colored rays and "IMPERIAL" in white block letters at the top; stereo album counterparts have black labels with silver lettering
*1964–1966: Black, white and magenta label with I-R logo in a black box on the left side, "IMPERIAL" under the logo, and "A SUBSIDIARY OF LIBERTY RECORDS" at the bottom
*1966–1969: Black and lime green label with I-R logo in a red box on the left side, "IMPERIAL" under the logo, "A PRODUCT OF LIBERTY RECORDS" under "IMPERIAL" and "A DIVISION OF LIBERTY RECORDS"
*1970: Black and lime green label with I-R logo in a red box on the left side, "IMPERIAL" (in slightly larger letters than the previous label) under the logo, and "LIBERTY/UA, INC"

==Imperial Records artists (1947–1970)==
{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-break}}
*[[Doris Akers]] (1953) (IM-694)
*[[Jeff Alexander]]
*Zane Ashton (Bill Aken)
*[[Ross Bagdasarian Sr.]]
*[[Dave Bartholomew]]
*Lee Bedford, Jr.
*[[Elmer Bernstein]]
*Joe Bill (DeAngelo)
*[[The Bonzo Dog Band]]
*[[James Booker]]<ref>[https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/james-booker-the-black-liberace-celebrated-in-new-doc-20130321 Katie Van Syckle, James Booker, the 'Black Liberace,' Celebrated in New Doc] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171001214630/http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/james-booker-the-black-liberace-celebrated-in-new-doc-20130321 |date=2017-10-01 }}  Rolling Stone, Retrieved 29 October 2021</ref>
*[[Billy Briggs]]
*[[Mel Carter]]
*[[Papa Celestin]]
*[[Paul Chambers]]
*[[Cher]]
*[[Petula Clark]]
*[[Classics IV]]
*[[Clay Cole]]
*[[Albert Collins]]
*[[Kenneth Copeland]]
*[[Sugar Boy Crawford]]
*[[Sonny Criss]]
*[[Sonny Curtis]]
*[[Wild Bill Davis]]
*[[Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich]]
*[[Jackie DeShannon]]
{{Col-break}}
*[[Fats Domino]]
*[[Dukes of Dixieland]]
*[[Georgie Fame]]
*[[The Fantastic Baggys]]
*[[Freddy Fender]]
*[[The Fender IV]]
*[[Ralph Flanagan]]
*[[Frankie Ford]]
*[[Pete Fountain]]
*[[Kim Fowley]]
*[[Ernie Freeman]]
*[[George Girard]]
*[[Bob Harrington]]
*[[Peppermint Harris]]
*Ray Harrison Orchestra
*[[Duke Henderson]]
*[[Adolph Hofner]]
*[[The Hollies]]
*The Irresistibles
*Betty Kay
*[[Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas]]
*[[Smiley Lewis]]
*[[George Liberace]]
*[[Bob Luman]]
*Harley Luse and His Orchestra
*The Majors
*[[Wingy Manone]]
*[[Warne Marsh]]
*Reginald G. Marshall
* [[Punch Miller]]
*The Misfits
*[[Garnet Mimms]]
*Bill Mooney and his Cactus Twisters
*Carl Myles
*[[Ozzie Nelson]]
*[[Ricky Nelson]]
*[[Sandy Nelson]]
*[[The O'Jays]]
{{Col-break}}
*[[Don Ralke]]
*[[Bo Rhambo]]
*[[Johnny Rivers]]
*[[Weldon Rogers]]
*[[Leonard Rosenman]]
*[[Santo & Johnny]]
*[[Sheriff John]]
*Dorothy Simmons (1953) (IM-693)
*[[Huey "Piano" Smith]]
*Johnny Spencer & The Kona Koasters (1959) (LP-9076)
*[[The Spiders (American band)|The Spiders]]
*[[April Stevens]]
*[[The Sunshine Company]]
*[[The Swinging Blue Jeans]]
*[[The Teddy Bears]]
*[[Irma Thomas]]
*Al Toft and His Orchestra
*[[T-Bone Walker]]
*[[Slim Whitman]]
*[[Tim Whitsett]]
*[[Lester Williams (musician)|Lester Williams]]<ref name="AMG">{{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p138453|pure_url=yes}} |title=Lester Williams |author=Ankeny, Jason |publisher=[[Allmusic]] |access-date=November 17, 2011}}</ref>
*[[Lew Williams]]
*[[Warren Zevon]]
{{Col-end}}

==Later artists==
*[[Fat Joe]]
*[[MC Jin]]
*[[Rasheeda]]
*[[Julian Park]]
*[[The Score (band)|The Score]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Imperial Records| ]]
[[Category:American record labels]]
[[Category:Jazz record labels]]
[[Category:Rhythm and blues record labels]]
[[Category:Rock and roll record labels]]
[[Category:Hip hop record labels]]
[[Category:Record labels based in California]]
[[Category:Companies based in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Universal Music Group]]
[[Category:EMI]]
[[Category:Record labels established in 1947]]
[[Category:Record labels disestablished in 1970]]
[[Category:Record labels established in 2006]]
[[Category:1947 establishments in California]]
[[Category:1970 disestablishments in California]]
[[Category:2006 establishments in California]]
[[Category:Re-established companies]]