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 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. Singles were published on both 45 and 78 rpm speed formats.
Federal issued such classics as the Dominoes' "Sixty Minute Man", and "Have Mercy Baby" as well as Hank Ballard & the Midnighters' "Work with Me, Annie" which was opposed immediately by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) but went on to be an enormous hit.
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.
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.
Selected discography
Singles +Catalog No.Release dateUSUS R&BSingle (A-side, B-side)Artist12001Dec 19506"Do Something For Me" b/w "Chicken Blues"The Dominoes10003Mar 1951"Rockin’ and Rollin'" b/w "You Done Me Wrong"Tommy Scott12022May 1951171"Sixty Minute Man" b/w "I Can't Escape From You"The Dominoes12055Dec 19518"Ring-A-Ding-Doo" b/w "The Crying Blues"Little Esther and Mel with the J. And O. Orchestra1206819521"Have Mercy Baby" b/w "Deep Sea Blues"The Dominoes120701952"Drill Daddy Drill" b/w "Must Go Out and Play"Dorothy Ellis12114Dec 19523"The Bells"Billy Ward & His Dominoes4"Pedal Pushin' Papa"12169Apr 19541"Work with Me Annie" b/w "Until I Die"The Midnighters12195Aug 19541"Annie Had A Baby" b/w "She's The One"The Midnighters12200Oct 195410Annie's Aunt Fannie b/w "Crazy Loving (Stay With Me)"The Midnighters12265Apr 1956"I'm Tore Up" b/w "If I Never Had Known You"Billy Gayles with Ike Turner's Rhythm Rockers12258Mar 19566"Please, Please, Please" b/w "Why Do You Do Me"James Brown with the Famous Flames12283Oct 1956"What Can It Be" b/w "Gonna Wait For My Chance"Jackie Brenston with Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm12284Nov 1956"Flaming Love" b/w "My Baby's Tops"The Gardenias12297May 1957"Do You Mean It" b/w "She Made My Blood Run Cold"Ike Turner & His Orchestra12337Oct 1958481"Try Me" b/w "Tell Me What I Did Wrong"James Brown and the Famous Flames12370May 1960337"Think"James Brown and the Famous Flames8614"You've Got the Power"12401Jan 1961295"Hide Away" b/w "I Love the Woman"Freddie King12524Jul 1964"Uncle Willie's Got A Thing Goin' On" b/w "Our Kind Of Love"Willie Dixon and the Big Wheels
See also List of record labels
References
External links King/Federal/DeLuxe Story by David Edwards and Mike Callahan Federal Records on the Internet Archive's Great 78 Project