The Fats Domino Story Volume 2 - Ain't That A Shame

Side 1:
01. Please Don't Leave Me
02. You Said You Love Me
03. Don't Leave Me This Way
04. Fat's Frenzy
05. Goin' Back Home
06. '44'
07. If You Need Me
08. Where Did You Stay?

Side 2:
01. Don't You Hear Me Calling You
02. Love Me
03. Little Mama
04. Don't You Know
05. I Know
06. All By Myself
07. La La
08. Ain't It A Shame

The Fats Domino Story Volume 2 (Mega)

The Fats Domino Story Volume 2 (Zippy)

I bought this one a few years ago in a second hand record shop (now deceased) in Shawlands in the South Side of Glasgow, not far from Be Bop Wino HQ. In fact I picked up three volumes of the Fats Domino story - 2, 3 and 4, covering the years 1953 - 1958. Sorry, folks, no volume 1, so no "Fat Man" and the very early R&B hits.

Volume 2 finds Fats on the cusp of becoming a Rock 'n' Roll superstar. The final track, which was originally titled "Ain't It A Shame" was covered by Pat Boone whose version (titled "Ain't That A Shame") reached number one in the Billboard Hot Hundred. Fats' original version reached number ten in the same chart and number one in the R&B chart, becoming the second biggest R&B seller of 1955, behind "Only You" by The Platters.

As you can see from the cover scan, this LP was probably a record library disc. The record itself was in reasonable shape so it scrubs up fairly well in its digitised form. The tracks are a selection from Fats' output on Imperial from mid-1953 to mid-1955, beginning with one of the great rockers, "Please Don't Leave Me." As usual, you can find full details of the tracks below.

Fax On The Trax

Some sources list Cosimo Matassa's J & M Studio in New Orleans as the recording location of all the sides on this compilation, but Rick Coleman, author of "Blue Monday: Fats Domino and the Lost Dawn of Rock 'n' Roll" and annotator of the Ace 5 CD collection of Fats Domino's Imperial singles 1950 - 1965, is certain that the "Please Don't Leave Me" and "Ain't It A Shame" sessions were recorded in Los Angeles while Fats and his band were on tour, "Please Don't Leave Me" being recorded at Radio Recorders and "Ain't It A Shame" being recorded at Master Recorders. There is also uncertainty regarding who exactly played on some of the sessions, so what follows below should be regarded as an approximation.

Please Don't Leave Me and You Said You Love Me recorded on the 18th April, 1953. Personnel: Fats Domino (vocal, piano) with - Wendell Duconge, Robert "Buddy" Hagans, Herb Hardesty (saxes); Walter Nelson (guitar); Frank Fields (bass); Cornelius Coleman (drums).

Please Don't Leave Me / The Girl I Love - released on Imperial 5240 in June 1953. Number 3 R&B.

Rose Mary / You Said You Love Me - released on Imperial 5251 in September 1953. Number 10 R&B.

Don't Leave Me This Way and Fat's Frenzy recorded on the 2nd September, 1953. Personnel as for 18th April 1953 session.

Something's Wrong / Don't Leave Me This Way - released on Imperial 5262 in November 1953. Number 6 R&B.

Fat's Frenzy - released on EP IMP-143 "Fats Domino Rock And Rollin' Vol. 3" in August 1956. Also on Imperial LP 9009 "Fats Domino Rock And Rollin'" in August 1956.

Goin' Back Home and "44" recorded on September 19th, 1953. Personnel as for 2nd September session, although Lee Allen possibly replaces Herb Hardesty.

"44" - released on Imperial LP 9055 "The Fabulous Mr D" in 1958.

Goin' Back Home - released on Imperial LP 9227 "Walking To New Orleans" in January 1963.

If You Need Me recorded on the 27th October, 1953. Personnel - same as previous session.

If You Need Me - released on EP IMP-143 "Fats Domino Rock And Rollin' Vol. 3" in August 1956. Also on Imperial LP 9009 "Fats Domino Rock And Rollin'" in August 1956.

Where Did You Stay recorded on the 14th March, 1954. Personnel - Fats Domino (vocal, piano) with Dave Bartholomew (trumpet); Lee Allen and Herb Hardesty (saxes); Walter Nelson (guitar); Frank Fields (bass); Cornelius Coleman (drums).

Where Did You Stay / Baby Please - released on Imperial 5283 in May 1954.

Little Mama and I Know recorded on the 10th July, 1954. Personnel - similar to previous session but Wendel Duconge and Buddy Hagans replace Lee Allen and Herb Hardesty on saxes.

Thinking Of You / I Know - released on Imperial 5323 in December 1954, Number 14 R&B.

Little Mama - released on Imperial LP 9227 "Walking To New Orleans" in January 1963.

Love Me and Don't You Hear Me Calling You recorded on the 13th August 1954. Personnel as in previous session but Lee Allen and Herb Hardesty replace Wendel Duconge and Buddy Hagans on saxes.

Love Me / Don't You Hear Me Calling You - released on Imperial 5313 in October 1954.

Don't You Know recorded on the 27th January, 1955. Personnel as on 13th August session.

Don't You Know /Helping Hand - released on Imperial 5340 in February 1955. Number 7 R&B.


All By Myself and Ain't It A Shame recorded on the 15th March, 1955. Personnel: similar to above.

La-La recorded on the 30th March, 1955. Personnel probably similar to above.

Ain't It A Shame / La-La - released on Imperial 5348 in April 1955. Number 1 R&B. Number 10 in Billboard Hot 100.

All By Myself / Troubles Of My Own - released on Imperial 5357 in August 1955. Number 1 R&B.

Further Listening

As with Little Richard, the back catalogue of Fats Domino has remained in print in one form or another over the decades. In the UK you can buy public domain CD collections of both the Imperial singles and LPs at what sometimes seems to be almost giveaway prices. For example Not Now Music has a 3CD set "The Imperial Singles Collection" which has 75 tracks and which you may be able to pick up for £5.

Fats fans who hanker after every single he released on Imperial will want the 5 CD series released on Ace Uk. I've got the first 3 volumes and can recommend them most highly.

And that still wouldn't be the complete Fats output on Imperial as some tracks were only released on LP.

Recommended reading - "Blue Monday: Fats Domino and the Lost Dawn of Rock 'n' Roll" by Rick Coleman. Da Capo Press, 2007.

More Fats to be digitised soon ...