Like the great Louis Armstrong before him, Fats Domino was a perfect ambassador for New Orleans music.
Even at the height of the mid-‘50s rock and roll explosion, when Elvis and Chuck Berry were scaring the bejeezus out of parents with their primal rhythms and suggestive stage antics, Fats was a cherubic presence when seated behind a piano with a sweet smile on his face and a fat horn section by his side. No wonder he was one of the era’s most prolific and universally accepted hitmakers; with trumpeter/bandleader Dave Bartholomew as his co-writer and producer, Domino unleashed an incredible run of hits on Imperial Records that were irresistible to teenagers and their parents alike. Fats always did the Crescent City proud.
Domino, who died at the age of 89 in his beloved home in Harvey, Jefferson Parrish in New Orleans, Louisiana, at night on the 24th of October 2017, had been ailing in recent years after surviving the wrath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 (he had to be rescued from his Ninth Ward home, which was utterly devastated). But prior to his health woes, Fats never stopped rocking like it was 1957 all over again, always fronting a rollicking band soaked in second-line rhythms and jabbing horns. Domino never seemed like he was just going through the motions; whenever he launched into his raucous set closer When The Saints Go Marching In, it was instant Mardi Gras time.
CD1
1. The Fat Man
2. Detroit City Blues
3. Hide Away Blues
4. She's My Baby
5. Brand New Baby
6. Little Bee
7. Boogie Woogie Baby
8. Hey! La Bas Boogie
9. Korea Blues
10. Every Night About This Time
11. Careless Love
12. Hey! Fat Man
13. Tired Of Crying
14. What's The Matter Baby
15. I've Got Eyes For You
16. Stay Away
17. Don't You Lie To Me
18. My Baby's Gone
19. Rockin' Chair
20. Sometimes I Wonder
21. Right From Wrong
22. You Know I Miss You
23. I'll Be Gone
24. No, No Baby
CD2
1. Reeling And Rocking
2. Goin' Home
3. The Fat Man's Hop
4. How Long
5. Long Lonesome Journey
6. Poor Poor Me
7. Trust In Me
8. Cheatin'
9. Mardi Gras In New Orleans
10. I Guess I'll Be On My Way
11. Nobody Loves Me
12. Dreaming
13. Going To The River
14. I Love Her
15. Second Line Jump
16. Goodbye
17. Swanee River Hop
18. Please Don't Leave Me
19. Domino Stomp
20. You Said You Love Me
21. Fats Domino Blues
22. The Girl I Love
CD3
1. Rose Mary
2. Ain't It Good
3. Don't Leave Me This Way
4. Something's Wrong
5. Fat's Frenzy
6. Goin' Back Home
7. You Left Me
8. Forty-Four
9. Barrel House
10. Little School Girl
11. If You Need Me
12. You Done Me Wrong
13. Thinking Of You
14. Baby Please
15. Where Did You Stay
16. You Can Pack Your Suitcase
17. I Lived My Life
18. Little Mama
19. I Know
20. Love Me
21. Don't You Hear Me Calling You
22. Don't You Know
23. Helping Hand
CD4
1. Ain't It A Shame
2. All By Myself
3. La-La
4. Blue Monday
5. Troubles Of My Own
6. Poor Me
7. I Can't Go On
8. I'm In Love Again
9. Bo Weevil
10. Don't Blame It On Me
11. So Long
12. My Blue Heaven
13. When My Dreamboat Comes Home
14. What's The Reason I'm Not Pleasing You
15. Blueberry Hill
16. Honey Chile
17. I'm Walkin'
18. What Will I Tell My Heart
19. I'm In The Mood For Love
20. My Happiness
21. The Rooster Song
22. As Time Goes By
23. It's You I Love
24. Valley Of Tears
25. Wait And See
26. The Big Beat
27. I Still Love You
CD5
1. What's Wrong
2. Help Me
3. Oh Ba-A-By
4. Howdy Podner
5. I Can't Go On This Way
6. Ida Jane
7. (The Twist) Set Me Free
8. Would You
9. Don't Deceive Me
10. Telling Lies
11. Town Talk
12. Twistin' The Spots
13. True Confession
14. Sailor Boy
15. It Must Be Love
16. Little Mary
17. Stack & Billy
18. When I See You
19. Oh Whee
20. My Love For Her
21. I Want You To Know
22. Yes, My Darling
23. Don't You Know I Love You
CD6
1. Sick And Tired
2. No, No
3. Prisoner's Song
4. One Of These Days
5. I'll Be Glad When You're Dead You Rascal You
6. Young School Girl
7. I'm Gonna Be A Wheel Some Day
8. How Can I Be Happy
9. Lazy Woman
10. Isle Of Capri
11. Coquette
12. Once In A While
13. Sheik Of Araby
14. Whole Lotta Loving
15. I Miss You So
16. I'll Always Be In Love With You
17. Hands Across The Table
18. So Glad
19. Darktown Strutter's Ball
20. Margie
21. My Heart Is Bleeding
22. I Hear You Knocking
23. Lil' Liza Jane
24. Every Night
25. When The Saints Go Marching In
26. Country Boy
CD7
1. I'm Ready
2. I Want To Walk You Home
3. When I Was Young
4. Easter Parade
5. I've Been Around
6. Be My Guest
7. Tell Me That You Love Me
8. Before I Grow To Old
9. Walking To New Orleans
10. Don't Come Knockin'
11. Put Your Arms Around Me
12. Three Nights A Week
13. Shu Rah
14. Rising Sun
15. My Girl Josephine
16. You Always Hurt The One You Love
17. Magic Isles
18. Natural Born Lover
19. Am I Blue
20. It's The Talk Of The Town
21. It Keeps Rainin'
22. What A Price
23. Ain't That Just Like A Woman
24. Fell In Love On Monday
25. Trouble In Mind
26. Hold Hands
27. Bad Luck And Trouble
28. I've Been Calling
CD8
1. I Just Cry
2. Ain't Gonna Do It
3. Won't You Come On Back
4. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
5. I'm Alone Because I Love You
6. Good Hearted Man
7. In A Shanty In Old Shanty Town
8. Along The Navajo Trail
9. One Night
10. Trouble Blues
11. You Win Again
12. Your Cheatin' Heart
13. Let The Four Winds Blow
14. What A Party
15. Rockin' Bicycle
16. Did You Ever Seen A Dream Walking
17. Birds And Bees
18. Wishing Ring
19. Jambalaya (On The Bayou)
20. Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans
21. South Of The Border
22. Teen Age Love
23. Stop The Clock
24. My Real Name
25. Hum Diddy Doo
26. Those Eyes
27. I Want To Go Home
28. Dance With Mr. Domino
29. Nothing New (Same Old Thing)
CD9
1. Ain't It A Shame (original key)
2. Bo Weevil (original key)
3. I'm In Love Again (original key)
4. My Blue Heaven (original key)
5. When My Dreamboat Comes Home (original key)
6. Blueberry Hill (original key)
7. Blue Monday (original key)
8. I'm Walkin' (original key)
9. It's You I Love (original key)
10. Wait And See (original key)
11. The Big Beat (original key)
12. Bo Weevil (unedited)
13. You Always Hurt The One You Love (unedited)
14. Natural Born Lover (unedited)
15. I Can't Go On This Way (undubbed)
16. Valley Of Tears (undubbed)
17. It's You I Love (undubbed)
18. I'm Ready (undubbed)
19. When I Was Young (undubbed)
20. Don't Come Knockin' (undubbed)
21. Fell In Love On Monday (undubbed)
22. Walking To New Orleans (undubbed)
23. I'm Gonna B A Wheel Someday (backing track)
24. Young School Girl (backing track)
25. Lloyd Price - Lawdy Miss Clawdy
26. Lloyd Price - Oo-Eee Baby
27. Joe Turner - Oke-She-Moke-She-Pop
28. Joe Turner - Crawdad Hole
29. Smiley Lewis - Show Me The Way
30. Smiley Lewis - The Rocks
31. Dave Bartholomew - Good News
CD10
1. Tired Of Crying (alt)
2. How Long (alt)
3. Long Lonesome Journey (alt)
4. Poor Poor Me (alt)
5. Rose Marie
6. You Left Me (alt)
7. Set Me Free (Don't Know What's Wrong)
8. Margie (IM 1762)
9. Margie (IM 1808-9)
10. The Sheik Of Araby (IM 1809)
11. Hands Across The Table (alt)
12. I Hear You Knocking (alt)
13. Country Boy (alt)
14. Let The Four Winds Blow (IM 3030)
15. Let The Four Winds Blow (IM 3035)
16. La-La (overdub)
17. Telling Lies (overdub)
18. When I See You (overdub)
19. Every Night About This Time (overdub)
20. Trouble In Mind (overdub)
21. Along The Navajo Trail (overdub)
22. Ain't It A Shame (overdub)
23. Jimmy Beasley - My Happiness
24. Bobby Charles - Put Your Arms Around Me
25. Charles 'Frogman' Henry - Lonely Tramp
26. James 'Sugar Boy' Crawford - Morning Star
27. Joe Barry - I'm A Fool To Care
28. Smiley Lewis - I Hear You Knockin'
CD11
1. I've Got A Right To Cry
2. There Goes My Heart Again
3. Can't Go On Without You
4. Nobody Needs You Like Me
5. Bye Baby Bye Bye
6. Just A Lonely Man
7. When I'm Walking (Let Me Walk)
8. Forever, Forever
9. Song For Rosemary
10. Red Sails In The Sunset
11. Tell Me The Truth, Baby
12. Land Of A Thousand Dances
13. I'm Living Right
14. Who Cares (For Me)
15. Something You Got Baby
16. The Land Of Make-Believe
17. Old Man Trouble
18. Mary Oh Mary
19. If You Don't Know What Love Is
20. Fats' Shuffle
21. Gotta Get A Job
22. Fats On Fire
CD12
1. Love Me
2. Packin' Up
3. Valley Of Tears
4. You Know I Miss You
5. Lazy Lady
6. I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire
7. (All Of My Life) For You
8. Sally Was A Good Girl
9. A Whole Lot Of Trouble
10. That Certain Someone
11. Kansas City
12. Hearbreak Hill
13. I Met The Girl I'm Gonna Marry
14. Ballin' The Jack
15. Trouble In Mind
16. Monkey Business
17. Reelin' And Rockin'
18. Why Don't You Do Right
19. Man That's All
20. Wigs
21. On A Slow Boat To China
22. When My Dreamboat Comes Home
23. Let Me Call You Sweetheart
24. Goodnight Sweetheart