RPM Records was Modern's third label, founded after the parent imprint and the short-lived Colonial Records. It was set up to get more airplay of the company s masters from radio programmers who were reluctant to play too many records from the same label, and to achieve more orders from distributors. The artists who were assigned to RPM were as potent as any of those who were appearing on Modern. From the label's very early days these included such R&B titans as B.B. King, Lightnin Hopkins, Howling Wolf and Rosco Gordon....... The 52 tracks that make up this overview of RPM's early years cover 1950-53. A second collection will follow later in the year to tell the rest of the story. More than half are new to CD in these versions. Almost all have been remastered from the original acetates, even if they have been out on Ace CD before. These tracks will never have sounded as good as they do here. Every major name on RPM is featured at least once, plus a bunch of lesser-knowns whose careers did not progress beyond their RPM tenures........

Disc: 1
1. Alabamy Bound (Composite Master) - Clyde Hurley & His Orchestra, Vocal By Adele Francis
2. Happy Pay Day (Take 1) - Austin Mccoy
3. Mama Oh Mama (Take 1) - Luke Jones & His Orchestra
4. B B Boogie (Take 2) - B.B. King
5. Good Time Woman (Take 1) - Memphis Eddie
6. The Other Night Blues (Take 1) - B.B. King
7. Big Fat Mama (Take 1) - Gene Phillips & His Rhythm Aces
8. Found Me A Sugar Daddy (Take 3) - The Nic Nacs
9. Whiskey Head Woman - Junior Brooks
10. Good For Nothin Man (Take 1) - Mickey Champion
11. Rosco's Boogie (Take 2) - Rosco Gordon
12. She's Dynamite (Master) - B.B. King
13. Saddled The Cow (And Milked The Horse) (Master) - Rosco Gordon
14. T-99 Blues (Take 1) - Jimmy Nelson & The Peter Rabbit Trio
15. If I Lose You, Woman (Take 3) - Alexander Moore
16. Try Me One More Time (Take 2) - Willie Nix
17. Fine Little Honey Dripper (Master) - Jimmy Nelson
18. Riding In The Moonlight (Take Unknown) - Howlin Wolf
19. Bad Luck And Trouble - Lightnin Hopkins
20. Black Girl (Master) - Mumbles
21. 3 O'Clock Blues (Master) - B.B. King
22. Gonna Have A Merry Christmas (Take 1) - The Nic Nacs
23. Booted - Rosco Gordon
24. Jake Head Boogie - Lightnin Hopkins
25. I Want Your Picture - Howlin Wolf
26. Fine Looking Woman (Take 1) - B.B. King
Disc: 2
1. No More Doggin - Rosco Gordon
2. Last Affair - Lightnin Hopkins
3. Glad To Be Back Home - Sunny Blair
4. Shake It Up And Go - B.B. King
5. Trouble And Heartaches - Ike Turner With The Ben Burton Orchestra
6. Stripped Gears - Jay Franks & His Orchestra
7. New Orleans Wimmen (Take 2)- Rosco Gordon
8. My Heart Belongs To You - Bonnie & Ike Turner
9. Superintendent Blues - Houston Boines
10. She's My Baby - Jimmy Huff
11. It's Time - Little Eddie Kirkland With John Lee Hooker
12. Sweetest Little Girl- Jimmy Nelson
13. Aching And Crying - Gene Forrest & His Orchestra
14. Another Fool In Town - Lightnin Hopkins
15. Just In From Texas - Rosco Gordon
16. Woke Up This Morning - B.B. King
17. Vaccinate Me Baby - King Perry & His Orchestra
18. I'll Be There - Melvin Daniels With The King Curtis Orchestra
19. We're All Loaded - Rosco Gordon
20. Meet Me With Your Black Dress On - Jimmy Nelson
21. Please Love Me - B.B. King
22. Don't You Know - Jimmy Huff
23. Welcome Home Baby - King Perry & His Orchestra, (Vocal By Dell St John)
24. Chains Of Love Have Disappeared- Little Caesar
25. False Love - Frankie Irvin & His Orchestra
26. Cry Hard Luck - Jimmy Nelson