IMPERIAL US Labels and Company Sleeves 1951-1970
..®
No address
..®
No address
© Imperial Records, Inc.
Hollywood U.S.A.
® Imperial Records, Inc.
Hollywood U.S.A.
5167 - 1952
to
5457 - 1957
5463 - 1957
to
5999 - mid 1963
5577 - 1959
to
5719 - 1960
Occasionally
5685 - 1960
to
5805 - 1962
Occasionally
Imperial Records was formed by Lew Chudd in 1946 in Los Angeles, California. In 1947, Lew Chudd started a popular record series consisting of rhythm and blues recordings. Imperial was famous for recordings of rhythm & blues and early rock & roll artists like Fats Domino and Ricky Nelson. In 1962 Chudd bought Aladdin Records and Minit Records was acquired in 1963. Imperial was sold to Liberty Records in 1964.
In 1968, Transamerica Corporation, who owned United Artists, bought the Liberty / Imperial Labels and merged them with UA.
The artists signed after 1967 were weak chart performers and In 1970, most of the Imperial artists were transferred to Liberty, and by 1971 Imperial Records had ceased to exist.
Imperial was licensed to London Records in the UK. 
5348 - 1955
5369 - 1955
A Subsidiary of Liberty
A Subsidiary of Liberty
A Division of Liberty
Liberty/UA Inc.
66000 - mid 1963
to
66005 - 1963
66003 - 1963
to
66145 - 1965
66153 - 1966
to
66383 - 1969
66385 - 1969
to
66453 - 1970
Label discontinued
The Golden Series
Reissues
The Golden Series
Reissues
001
to
020
014
to
070
X 3001 - 1951
to
X 3003 - 1951
8104 - 1951
to
8223 - early 1954
8236 - 1954
to
8308 -1956
8316 - 1958
to
8329 - 1960
Range
Front
Back
Details
No 1
1951
to
.
Imperial Record Co.
Los Angeles, Calif.
 Cut notch  Glued bottom/left  
No 2
.
to
.
Imperial Records
Hollywood California
   Cut notch  Glued bottom/right  
No 3
.
to
.
Imperial Records
Hollywood California
   Curved top  Inside glued  
No 4
.
to 
1957
Imperial Records
Hollywood California
.  Cut straight/notch  Glued left/right  
No 5
1957
to
.
Imperial Records, Inc.
Hollywood, Calif., U.S.A.
.  Cut straight  Inside glued  
No 6
.
to
1961
Imperial Records, Inc.
Hollywood, Calif., U.S.A.
   Slightly curved top  Inside glued  
No 7
1961
to
.
Albums from 1960-1961
Identifed albums (all):
9107 - 1960
9112 - 1960
9116 - 1960
9117 - 1961
9121 - 1960
9122 - 1960
9124 - 1961
9125 - 1961
9127 - 1960
9130 - 1960
9133 - 1960
9135 - 1960
9136 - 1961
9137 - 1961
9138 - 1961
9144 - 1961
   Cut straight/notch   Inside glued   
No 8
.
to
.
Albums from 1960-1961
Identifed albums (all):
9107 - 1960
9112 - 1960
9116 - 1960
9117 - 1961
9121 - 1960
9122 - 1960
9124 - 1961
9125 - 1961
9127 - 1960
9130 - 1960
9133 - 1960
9135 - 1960
9136 - 1961
9137 - 1961
9138 - 1961
9144 - 1961
   Cut straight  Inside glued   
No 9
.
to
.
Albums from 1961-1962
Identifed albums (all):
9152 - 1961
9153 - 1961
9157 - 1962
9159 - 1961
9161 - 1961
9162 - 1961
9163 - 1961
9164 - 1961
9166 - 1962
9167 - 1962
9168 - 1962
9169 - 1962
9170 - 1962
9171 - 1962
9172 - 1962
9186 - 1962
   Cut straight/notch  Inside glued  
No 10
.
to
5999 - mid 1963
Albums from 1961-1962
Identifed albums (all):
9152 - 1961
9153 - 1961
9157 - 1962
9159 - 1961
9161 - 1961
9162 - 1961
9163 - 1961
9164 - 1961
9166 - 1962
9167 - 1962
9168 - 1962
9169 - 1962
9170 - 1962
9171 - 1962
9172 - 1962
9186 - 1962
   Cut straight  Inside glued   
No 11
66000 - mid 1963
to 
.
Grey print
Green circle
"Printed in U.S.A." low
   Cut notch  Inside glued  
No 12
.
to 
.
Black print
Green circle
"Printed in U.S.A." low
   Curved top  Inside glued   
No 13
.
to 
66144 - 1965
Purple print
Green circle
"Printed in U.S.A." low
.  Curved top  Inside glued   
No 14
66153 - 1966
to
66247 - may 1967
Brown circle
"Printed in U.S.A."
high - far right
.  Curved top  Inside glued   
No 15
May 1967
to
.
Golden circle
"Printed in U.S.A."
above "C" in INC
   Cut straight/notch  Glued left/right  
No 16
.
to
.
Golden circle
"Printed in U.S.A."
above "C" in INC
   Curved top   Inside glued  
No 17
.
to
66448 - 1970
Golden circle
"Printed in U.S.A."
above "C" in INC
   Curved top   Inside glued  
No 18
.
to
66453 - 1970
Entertainment From Transamerica
Corporation
   Curved top  Inside glued  
Reissues
R 1
...
   Curved top  Inside glued