Imperial Records

Imperial Records
Company type	Record label
Industry	Music industry
Founded	1947
Founder	Lew Chudd
Defunct	1970 (original incarnation)
Fate	Absorbed into Liberty Records in 1970; brand revived in 2006 and again in 2021
Headquarters	Los Angeles, United States
Area served	United States, United Kingdom (distribution by London Records)
Owner	Universal Music Group
Parent	Republic Records (as of 2021 revival)

Imperial Records is a United States-based record label established in 1947 by Lew Chudd. The brand was revived in 2006 by EMI, which then held ownership of the label and its archives. Presently, Imperial is under the ownership of Universal Music Group.

Early years to 1979

Initially, Imperial concentrated on rhythm and blues (R&B) and country music, showcasing talents such as Fats Domino, Frankie Ford, Ricky Nelson, and Slim Whitman. In the United Kingdom, distribution was managed by London Records.

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Imperial issued jazz records featuring artists including Sonny Criss, Charlie Mariano, Papa Celestin, Erskine Hawkins, and Harold Land.

The label expanded its reach through acquisitions, purchasing Aladdin in 1961 and acquiring Minit Records in 1963, having been the distributor for Minit since 1960. Imperial played a significant role in releasing New Orleans R&B during the 1950s, largely through producer and songwriter Dave Bartholomew and subsequently via Minit’s distribution channels.

After losing prominent acts like Fats Domino and Ricky Nelson to rivals ABC Records and Decca Records in 1963, Chudd sold Imperial to Liberty Records. Under Liberty’s management, Imperial found success with artists such as Irma Thomas, Johnny Rivers, Jackie DeShannon, Classics IV, and Cher. During the British Invasion era, Liberty licensed British groups including the Hollies, Billy J. Kramer, the Dakotas, and the Swinging Blue Jeans from EMI for U.S. distribution on Imperial. The label also released works from the Bonzo Dog Band and Kim Fowley within the American market.

By 1970, Imperial was absorbed into Liberty’s merger with United Artists Records but was soon discontinued as a separate entity, with its artist roster moving to United Artists. EMI came to own the Imperial catalogue following its acquisition of UA Records in 1979.

1990s to present

During the 1990s, EMI issued CD collections that retained the original Imperial branding. In June 2006, EMI reactivated Imperial Records as an urban music division within Caroline Distribution, a part of Virgin Records, directed by urban music expert Neil Levine. The first signing under this revival was Raptivism Records, bringing artists like Fat Joe into Virgin and Imperial’s fold. Imperial played a supportive role in developing urban artists alongside EMI’s major labels such as Capitol Records and Virgin Records, which consolidated into Capitol Music Group in 2007. When Universal Music Group acquired Capitol Music Group in 2012 as part of purchasing most of EMI’s recorded music assets, Imperial saw limited activity before becoming inactive once more.

In 2021, Universal Music Group’s subsidiary, Republic Records, reinstated the Imperial brand by launching Imperial Music, focusing on independent musicians.

Label variations

Early 1950s to 1954: Blue label featuring "IMPERIAL" in script; red labels for 78-RPM versions
1954–1955: Red label with "IMPERIAL" scripted alongside silver block lettering
1955–1957: Maroon-colored label with silver block "IMPERIAL"
1957–1963: Black label adorned with colored rays and white block "IMPERIAL"; stereo albums displayed black labels with silver text
1964–1966: Black, white, and magenta label incorporating I-R logo and "A SUBSIDIARY OF LIBERTY RECORDS"
1966–1969: Black and lime green label featuring I-R logo within a red box, plus "A PRODUCT OF LIBERTY RECORDS" and "A DIVISION OF LIBERTY RECORDS" inscriptions
1970: Black and lime green label with I-R logo inside a red box, enlarged "IMPERIAL," along with "LIBERTY/UA, INC" text

Imperial Records artists (1947–1970)

Ray Harrison Orchestra

The Irresistibles Betty Kay

Harley Luse and His Orchestra The Majors

Reginald G. Marshall

[ [Punch Miller]]
Garnet Mimms

The Misfits

Bill Mooney and his Cactus Twisters Carl Myles

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 ]]
[ [Lew Williams ]]
[ [Warren Zevon ]]

Later artists