Federal Records

Federal Records was an American record label founded in 1950 as a subsidiary of Syd Nathan's King Records and based in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was run by famed record producer Ralph Bass and was mainly devoted to Rhythm & Blues releases. The company also released hillbilly and rockabilly recordings from 1951 onward, e.g., "Rockin' and Rollin" by Ramblin' Tommy Scott on Federal 10003.[1] Singles were published on both 45 and 78 rpm speed formats.

Federal Records
Founded1950
Country of originUnited States

Federal issued such classics as The Dominoes' "Sixty Minute Man", and "Have Mercy Baby"[2] as well as Hank Ballard & The Midnighters' "Work With Me, Annie"[3] which was opposed immediately by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) but went on to be an enormous hit.[4]

James Brown was touring with The Famous Flames when they were signed to Federal in 1956. The group's first Federal single, "Please, Please, Please," was a regional hit and eventually sold a million copies.[5]

Between 1962 and 1965 Freddie King, one of the three Blues "kings" (Freddie, B.B. and Albert), released a series of albums, mostly instrumentals, for Federal.

Johnny "Guitar" Watson was another artist on Federal Records.[6]

Selected discography

Singles
Catalog No. Release

date

 US US

R&B

 Single (A-side, B-side) Artist
12001[7] Dec 1950 6 "Do Something For Me"

b/w "Chicken Blues"

 The Dominoes
10003 Mar 1951 "Rockin’ and Rollin'"

b/w "You Done Me Wrong"

 Tommy Scott
12022[8] May 1951 17 1 "Sixty Minute Man"

b/w "I Can't Escape From You"

 The Dominoes
12055[9] Dec 1951 8 "Ring-A-Ding-Doo"

b/w "The Crying Blues"

 Little Esther and Mel with the J. And O. Orchestra
12068 1952 1 "Have Mercy Baby"

b/w "Deep Sea Blues"

 The Dominoes
12070[10] 1952 "Drill Daddy Drill"

b/w "Must Go Out and Play"

 Dorothy Ellis
12114 Dec 1952 3 "The Bells" Billy Ward & His Dominoes
4 "Pedal Pushin' Papa"
12169 Apr 1954 1 "Work With Me Annie"

b/w "Until I Die"

 The Midnighters
12195 Aug 1954 1 "Annie Had A Baby"

b/w "She's The One"

 The Midnighters
12200 Oct 1954 10 Annie's Aunt Fannie

b/w "Crazy Loving (Stay With Me)"

 The Midnighters
12265[11] Apr 1956 "I'm Tore Up"

b/w "If I Never Had Known You"

 Billy Gayles with Ike Turner's Rhythm Rockers
12258 Mar 1956 6 "Please, Please, Please"

b/w "Why Do You Do Me"

 James Brown with the Famous Flames
12283[12] Oct 1956 "What Can It Be"

b/w "Gonna Wait For My Chance"

 Jackie Brenston with Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm
12284[13] Nov 1956 "Flaming Love"

b/w "My Baby's Tops"

 The Gardenias
12297[14] May 1957 "Do You Mean It"

b/w "She Made My Blood Run Cold"

 Ike Turner & His Orchestra
12337 Oct 1958 48 1 "Try Me"

b/w "Tell Me What I Did Wrong"

 James Brown and the Famous Flames
12370 May 1960 33 7 "Think" James Brown and the Famous Flames
86 14 "You've Got the Power"
12401 Jan 1961 29 5 "Hide Away"

b/w "I Love the Woman"

 Freddie King
12524 Jul 1964 "Uncle Willie's Got A Thing Goin' On"

b/w "Our Kind Of Love"

 Willie Dixon and the Big Wheels

See also

References
  1. "Federal". Rockin' Country Style. Archived from the original on 2013-02-01. Retrieved 2008-12-31.
  2. Jim Dawson, & Steve Propes (1992). What Was the First Rock'n'Roll Record. Boston & London: Faber & Faber. pp. 21–25. ISBN 0-571-12939-0.
  3. "Ralph Bass". rockhall of fame. Archived from the original on 2006-10-17. Retrieved 2006-11-08.
  4. Jim Dawson, & Steve Propes (1992). What Was the First Rock'n'Roll Record. Boston & London: Faber & Faber. pp. 76–79. ISBN 0-571-12939-0.
  5. "James Brown". history-of-rock. Retrieved 2006-11-08.
  6. Edwards, David; Mike Callahan (1998-01-10). "King/Federal/DeLuxe Story". Both Sides Now Pubs. Retrieved 2009-08-02.
  7. "Federal Records ad" (PDF). Billboard. December 16, 1950. p. 39.
  8. "Federal Records ad" (PDF). Billboard. May 12, 1951. p. 31.
  9. "R&B Records to Watch" (PDF). Billboard. December 8, 1951. p. 43.
  10. "45 discography for Federal Records". Globaldogproductions.info. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  11. "Reviews of New R&B Records" (PDF). Billboard. April 23, 1956. p. 60.
  12. "Reviews of New R&B Records" (PDF). Billboard. November 3, 1956. p. 50.
  13. "Reviews of New R&B Records" (PDF). Billboard. November 10, 1956. p. 136.
  14. "Reviews of New R&B Records" (PDF). Billboard. May 20, 1957. p. 150.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.