They Call Me the Fat Man: The Legendary Imperial Recordings

Domino, Antoine "Fats"

An Early Domino in the Game of Rock

Between 1955 and 1963, Fats Domino sent thirty-six songs onto Billboard's Top 40 singles chart. These include some of the enduring flames of early rock—"Blueberry Hill," from 1956, is the most famous, and alongside it are the timeless confections "Walking to New Orleans," "Whole Lotta Loving," "Ain't That a Shame," "I Hear You Knocking," "My Blue Heaven," and one of Domino's personal favorites, "Blue Monday." ("Anybody that works can appreciate the words in that song," he once said.)

The string of chart successes is remarkable—Domino was the top-selling African American rocker of the 1950s, and second only to Elvis Presley overall. But even more remarkable is this: During that same eight-year run, when the New Orleans pianist and singer was recording for Imperial Records and collaborating with arranger Dave Bartholomew, Domino created a stack of lesser-known works that are every bit as interesting as the singles. These are the reason to spring for the four-disc They Call Me the Fat Man over any single-disc hits collection: Here, it's possible to discover the Domino backstory, written in heady, hard-swinging jump blues, the core repertoire of New Orleans R&B ("Lil' Liza Jane," "Mardi Gras in New Orleans"), and a handful of ballads ("What Will I Tell My Heart") that display a sense of drama missing from some of the good-time radio songs.

Domino had the great fortune to fall in with Bartholomew, a trumpet player and arranger whose band was the Crescent City's swingingest post World War II. Those musicians—including the peerless drummer Earl Palmer and tenor saxophonist Alvin "Red" Tyler—followed Bartholomew into the recording studio. They established the multifaceted "Domino" sound, which blended parade-beat rhythms with the catcalling zaniness of jump blues. And they left just enough room for the unmistakable pounding of the man who helped make the piano a rock and roll instrument.

Genre: Rock
Released: 1991, EMI
Key Tracks: "If You Need Me," "My Blue Heaven," "Ain't That a Shame," "Lil' Liza Jane."
F.Y.I.: Blue Monday: Fats Domino and the Lost Dawn of Rock 'n' Roll, by Rick Coleman, is a compelling, comprehensive biography.
Next Stop: Huey "Piano" Smith: This Is Huey "Piano" Smith
After That: Professor Longhair: New Orleans Piano
Book Page: 231