Cadet Records


Cadet Records was an American record label that began as Argo Records in 1955 as the jazz subsidiary of Chess Records. Argo changed its name in 1965 to Cadet to avoid confusion with the similarly named label in the UK. Cadet stopped releasing records around 1974, when its artists were moved to Chess.
Over its nearly 20-year lifespan, Cadet released more than 500 albums, establishing itself as a major force in soul-jazz and jazz-funk. The label's commercial peak came during 1965-1969, when pianist Ramsey Lewis became its most successful artist with hits like "Wade in the Water", while key producers and arrangers such as Esmond Edwards, Richard Evans, and Charles Stepney shaped its distinctive sound
There was also Cadet Concept Records, for rock and more adventurous music, such as the Rotary Connection, and the experimental psychedelic Electric Mud album by Muddy Waters. The label had a Top 20 hit in 1968 with the single "Pictures of Matchstick Men" by the British band Status Quo through a licensing arrangement with Pye Records in London. A St. Louis band known as The Truth a.k.a. The Acid Sette were signed and recorded for this label under the guidance of Abner Spector.
Notable Cadet releases included Dorothy Ashby's influential harp-jazz album Afro-Harping, Etta James' Tell Mama, and Terry Callier's soul-folk recordings Occasional Rain and What Color Is Love. The label's parent company Chess Records was sold to GRT Corporation in 1969, which led to Cadet's gradual decline and eventual closure
The masters are now owned by Universal Music.

Discography (1965–1975)

Continuation of the Argo 600 Jazz Series

Cadet was established in 1965 following a name change of the Argo label. When the name was changed, a new logo of a chessman's horse was introduced to replace the previous chess piece logo. Cadet continued the Argo 600 Jazz series and the 4000 Blues series.
Catalog numberTitleArtist
LPS-628But Not For MeAhmad Jamal Trio
LPS-637Jug Turn From OverbrookJames Moody
LPS-646Jamal At The PenthouseAhmad Jamal
LPS-679Moody With StringsJames Moody
LPS-687Sound Of ChristmasRamsey Lewis Trio
LPS-693Sound Of SpringRamsey Lewis Trio
LPS-722The Message
LPS-723Barefoot Sunday BluesRamsey Lewis Trio
LPS-741At The Bohemian CavernsRamsey Lewis Trio
LPS-745More Sounds Of ChristmasRamsey Lewis Trio
LPS-754Spectrum
LPS-755Choice! The Best of the Ramsey Lewis Trio Trio
LPS-756Cookin' the Blues
LPS-757The In Crowd Trio
LPS-758Extensions
LPS-759Musty Rusty
LPS-760Inter-Action and Zoot Sims
LPS-761Hang On Ramsey! Trio
LPS-762The Knack
LPS-763Smoking with Willis
LPS-764Rhapsody with Strings
LPS-765The Wailer
LPS-766Playin' for Keeps
LPS-767Gotta Travel On Trio
LPS-768Rough House Blues
LPS-769Man at Work - Reissue of Argo LP-655
LPS-770Soul in the Night and Bunky Green
LPS-771Swingin' - Reissue of Argo LP-611. Trio
LPS-772The Tender Gender
LPS-773Go Power!
LPS-774Wade in the Water
LPS-775Raising the Roof and the Organ-izers
LPS-776Paint It Black
LPS-777Heat Wave
LPS-778Lonesome Traveler
LPS-779Have Yourself a Soulful Little Christmas
LPS-780The Latinization of Bunky Green
LPS-781Slow Freight
LPS-782The Movie Album
LPS-783Gene Ammons Makes it Happen - Reissue Of Chess LP 1442
LPS-784Mood to Be WooedVarious Artists
LPS-785Jug and Sonny - Edited Reissue Of Chess LP 1445 and Sonny Stitt
LPS-786Standard Eyes
LPS-787Goin' Down Home
LPS-788Mellow Yellow and the Organ-izers
LPS-789Blowing in the Wind
LPS-790Goin' Latin
LPS-791Feature Spot and Red Holt
LPS-792Cry Young with Voices
LPS-793The Ray Bryant Touch
LPS-794Dancing in the Street
LPS-795Ain't Doing Too B-A-D, Bad
LPS-796Groovin' with the Soulful Strings
LPS-797Involvement Quartet
LPS-798Ode to 52nd Street
LPS-799Up Pops Ramsey Lewis
LPS-800Ducky and the Organ-izers
LPS-801Take a Bryant Step
LPS-802Tell Mama
LPS-803Out of Different Bags
LPS-804There Is
LPS-805Another Exposure
LPS-806Brand New Morning
LPS-807The Bright, the Blue and the Beautiful with Voices
LPS-808And We Were Lovers Quartet with Strings
LPS-809Afro-Harping
LPS-810Her Point of View
LPS-811Maiden Voyage
LPS-812The Natural Thing
LPS-813The Peace-Maker Quintet
LPS-814The Magic of Christmas
LPS-815Lou Donaldson at His Best
LPS-816Yusef Lateef - Reissue of Argo LP 634
LPS-817Getting Our Thing Together
LPS-818Up Above the Rock
LPS-819Light My Fire
LPS-820Back By Demand: The Soulful Strings in Concert
LPS-821Mother Nature's Son
LPS-822The Dells Musical Menu: Always Together
LPS-823Odell Brown Plays Otis Redding
LPS-824The Dells' Greatest Hits
LPS-825Dorothy's Harp
LPS-826Upchurch
LPS-827Another Voyage Trio
LPS-828The Third Cup
LPS-829Love Is Blue
LPS-830Sound Ray
LPS-831Gin and Orange
LPS-832Etta James Sings Funk
LPS-833The Spice Of Life
LPS-834String Fever
LPS-835Heavy Exposure
LPS-836The Piano Player
LPS-837Like It Is, Like It Was
LPS-838Free Delivery
LPS-839The Best of Ramsey Lewis
LPS-840The Way I Feel
LPS-841The Rubaiyat of Dorothy Ashby
LPS-842Fried Buzzard
LPS-843S.O.B.Shades of Brown
LPS-844Them Changes
LPS-845Woody
LPS-846Soulful Strings Play Gamble and Huff
LPS-847Losers Weepers
LPS-848Eddie Fisher & the Next Hundred Years

Continuation of the Argo 4000 Blues Series

Cadet Concept

Cadet Concept was established by Marshall Chess in 1967 with the first album by Rotary Connection and issued five albums by the group out of the 18 albums released on the label up until 1970 as well as featuring British band Status Quo, saxophonist John Klemmer and blues legends Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf.
Catalog No.AlbumArtist
LPS-312Rotary ConnectionRotary Connection
LPS-314Electric MudMuddy Waters
LPS-315Messages from the Status QuoStatus Quo
LPS-316Salloom, Sinclair and the Mother BearSalloom & Sinclair
LPS-317AladdinRotary Connection
LPS-318PeaceRotary Connection
LPS-319The Howlin' Wolf AlbumHowlin' Wolf
LPS-320After the RainMuddy Waters
LPS-321Blowin' Gold
LPS-322SongsRotary Connection
LPS-323In Due Time...Aesop's Fables
LPS-325What I Did on My Vacation
LPS-326All the Children Cried
LPS-327Salloom and SinclairSalloom & Sinclair
LPS-328Dinner MusicRotary Connection
LPS-329Archie Whitewater
LPS-330Eruptions
LPS-331Aesop's FablesAesop's Fables