Customer Reviews

The Imperial Sessions (Complete Imperial Recordings)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I wanted the song 'Didn't wanna do it' because it's a solid, fun, bouncy rocker....a great song!! I was kind of bummed out that I had to spend 40 bucks to buy a 2 disc collection of a group that I didn't know a whole heck of a lot about....just to get one song! I'm sure glad I did. This is an excellent set. It's so good that it gets a 5-star rating, mainly becuase I was surprised that there were as many good songs as there were. If you like the 50's vocal R&B sound, you need to grab this one.

Btw, I'm really glad to finally be spinning 'Didn't wanna do it'!

great songs and the new orleans style & sound.my best songs #1 I DIDN'T WANT TO DO IT . #2 YOU'RE THE ONE .#3BELLS IN MY HEART #4 WITCHCRAFT .#5 THAT'S MY DESIRE(BIG HIT IN NO) #6POOR BOY .#7 YOU'RE THE ONE.ALLTHE LOCAL D J'S PLAYED ALL THESE SONGS POPPA STOPPA SHERRY STOPPA JIVIN GENE SHELLY POPE LARRY & FRANK THIS MUSICE IS A STEAL AT THIS PRICE. I AM BUYING IT.DIAMONDHEAD DENNIS

Ask a R&B fan to name the top black vocal groups of 1954/55 and you'll definitely get names of mega-hit groups like The Clovers, Dominoes, Drifters, Moonglows, and Midnighters ,,, and maybe some will mention The Five Keys, The "5" Royales, The Cardinals, The Cadets/Jacks, The Robins, The Spaniels, and The Charms. Seldom, if ever, will anyone mention The Spiders.

Which is kind of sad because, with the exception of the mega-hit groups mentioned above, these five guys - brothers Hayward & Leonard Carbo, Joe Maxon, Oliver Howard, and Mathew West - put five songs into the Top 10 of R&B in those two years - more than some of the other groups mentioned.

Their first was the double-sided hit I Didn't Want To Do It [# 3] and You're The One [# 8] in the early spring of 1954. Later that summer I'm Slippin' In [b/w I'm Searching] reached # 6, and in January 1955 they were back with "21" which, b/w She Keeps Me Wondering, peaked at # 9. Their last charter then came in December 1955/January 1956 when Witchcraft topped out at # 5 b/w Is It True?

Why the hits did not continue - at least on into 1956 - is anyone's guess. After all, they had the backing of a powerful label in Imperial and the band of the great Dave Bartholomew. Another mystery is why none of their hits crossed over to the pop charts, particularly I Didn't Want To Do It.

The only drawback to this CD is the fact that they expect you to buy a 2-CD set with 47 selections by a group that had limited commercial chart success. A nice 16-selection set which includes all their hits, plus the B-sides, and a few selected non-charters would be much more preferable. And easier on the pocketbook.