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.
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 arrangent 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.
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 and continued their 600 Jazz series and the 4000 Blues series.
Catalog numberTitleArtist
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
LP-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

GRT consolidated Chess/Cadet album discography (1971-1975)

In 1971 Chess Records was purchased by General Recorded Tape, a.k.a. GRT Corporation, which consolidated both the Chess and Cadet labels into a single labeling number sequence.
Catalog numberTitleArtist
Chess CH-50001Another Dimension
Chess CH-50002Message to the YoungHowlin' Wolf
Cadet CA-50004Freedom Means
Cadet CH-50005Great Female Soul VocalistsVarious Artists
Cadet Concept CC-50006Hey LoveThe New Rotary Connection
Cadet CA-50007Occasional Rain
Chess CH-50008San Francisco Dues
Cadet CA-50009Mystical Lady
Cadet Concept CC-50010Oh What a Lovely War
Cadet CA-50011Swahili Strut Sextet
Chess CH-50012Live at Mr. Kelly'sMuddy Waters
Chess CH-50013Greatest HitsLittle Milton
Chess CH-50014Power and LightPower & Light
Chess CH-50015Live and CookinHowlin' Wolf
Chess CH-50016Where it All Began
Cadet CA-50017The Dells Sing Dionne Warwick's Greatest Hits
Chess CH-50018Basic Soul
Cadet CA-50019What Color Is Love
Cadet CA-50020The Groover
Cadet CA-50021Sweet as Funk Can Be
Cadet 2CA-50022The Best of the Soulful Strings
Chess CH-50023Can't Get No GrindinMuddy Waters
Cadet CA-50024Check This Out
Cadet CA-50025Lean on Me
Cadet CA-50026Mr. Bojangles
Chess 2CH-50027This Is My Story
Chess CH-50029The London Bo Diddley Sessions
Chess 2CH-50030The Golden Age of Rhythm and BluesVarious Artists
Chess CH-50031Love More Than Pride
Chess CH-50032Ghettos of the MindBama the Village Poet
Chess 2CH-50033Fathers and SonsMuddy Waters
Cadet CA-50034Teardrops in the Rain
Cadet 2CA-50035Inspiration
Cadet CA-50036Superstition
Cadet CA-50037Give Your Baby a Standing Ovation
Cadet 2CA-50038It Was a Very Good Year
Cadet 2CA-50039I Cover the Waterfront
Chess CH-50040Come and Get Me
Cadet CA-50041I Just Can't Help Myself
Chess CH-50042Etta James a.k.a. Only a Fool
Chess CH-50043Bio
Cadet CA-50044Songs for Ageing Children
Chess CH-50045The Back Door WolfHowlin' Wolf
Cadet CA-50046The Dells
Chess CH-50047Big Bad Bo
Cadet CA-50048While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Cadet CA-50049Atlantis
Cadet CA-50051The Fourth Dimension
Cadet CA-50052In the Cut
Chess CH-50053You Can All Join In
Cadet 2CA-50058Solid Ivory
Cadet CH-50059Cross My Heart
Cadet CA-50060Satan
Chess 2CH-60000Laugh Time and Pigmeat Markham
Cadet CA-60001Back to the Roots
Cadet 2CA-60002Charlie Parker Memorial ConcertVarious Artists
Cadet 2CA-60003Rock BottomVarious Artists
Chess 2CH-60004Peaches
Chess 2CH-60005Got My Own Bag of Tricks
Chess 2CH-60006McKinley Morganfield A.K.A. Muddy WatersMuddy Waters
Cadet 2CA-60007Ha' Mercy
Chess CH-60008The London Howlin' Wolf SessionsHowlin' Wolf
Chess 2CH-60009Moms and Pigmeat and Pigmeat Markham
Cadet 2CA-60010Everything 'Bout Sax and Flute
Chess 2CH-60011Mad Man's Blues
Chess 2CH-60012Chicago Blues AnthologyVarious Artists
Chess CH-60013The London Muddy Waters SessionsMuddy Waters
Chess 2CH-60014Boss Blues HarmonicaLittle Walter
Chess 2CH-60015Blues Rock Cookbook: Montreux FestivalVarious Artists
Chess 2CH-60016Chester Burnette A.K.A. Howlin' WolfHowlin' Wolf
Cadet 2CA-60017The Heatin' System
Cadet 2CA-60018Inside
Cadet 2CA-60019Cool Cookin'
Chess CH-60020The London Chuck Berry Sessions
Cadet CA-6002112 X 6 The Hard WayVarious Artists
Cadet CA-6002212 X 6 The Easy WayVarious Artists
Chess 2CH-60023Chuck Berry's Golden Decade Volume 2Chuck Berry
Cadet CA-6002412 X 6 Volume 3Various Artists
Cadet CA-6002512 X 6 Volume 4Various Artists
Chess 2CH-60026London RevisitedHowlin' Wolf / Muddy Waters
Cadet CA-60027The Dells vs. The Dramatics / The Dramatics
Chess 2CH-60028Chuck Berry's Golden Decade, Volume 3
Chess CH-60029Come a Little Closer
Cadet CA-60030The Mighty, Mighty Dells
Chess CH-60031"Unk" in FunkMuddy Waters
Chess CH-60032Chuck Berry
Cadet CA-60033Got to Get Your Own
Chess CH-60034American GypsyAmerican Gypsy
Chess CH-60035The Muddy Waters Woodstock AlbumMuddy Waters
Chess CH-60036The Dells Greatest Hits, Volume 2
Chess CH-60037Black Caucus ConcertVarious Artists
Cadet 2CA-60038Early Visions
Cadet CA-60039Magnetic Feel
Cadet CA-60040Never Can Say GoodbyeSonny Stitt
Chess CH-60042Music to Make Love By
Cadet CA-60044We Got to Get Our Thing Together