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8 This set contains every available track that Fats Domino recorded for I MPERIAL and ABC P ARAMOUNT . We have also included some bonus tracks that deepen our appreciation of Fats' career. To help organize the music in this collection, we have created the following categories. T H E F A T M A N These are recordings that were originally released just as they sounded in the studio. Every pre- Ain't It A Shame track appears here as it was originally released, i.e. not speeded-up and not over- dubbed. These are presented in chronological order of recording date on Discs 1-3. Overdubbing and speeding up happened later and we'll tell you where and when. T H E F A S T M A N For a few years, beginning with Ain't It A Shame in March 1955, many of Fats' tracks were issued in speeded-up form. That period extended through recordings made in August 1957. We present these speeded-up versions in chronological order of recording date on Disc 4. R E T U R N O F T H E F A T M A N Even in the two years after Ain't It A Shame , many of Fats's tracks were not sped up. These tracks, along with the post-1957 tracks (none of which were sped up) appear on discs 5-8 in chronological order of recording date T H E R E S T O R E D M A N Here we present for the first time versions of Fats's speeded- up hits as they were originally performed and recorded. These tracks may sound vaguely unfamiliar to you. You may actually pre- fer them to the familiar speeded-up versions. In any case, this is what you would have heard if you had been standing in the studio during the session. These appear on Disc 9, Tracks 1-11 in chrono- logical order of recording date. T H E U N E D I T E D M A N In several cases, Fats's records were edited down from longer versions he actually recorded. On Disc 9, Tracks 12-14 we present the unedited originals in chronological order of recording date. T H E U N D U B B E D M A N Some of Fats' records (like Valley Of Tears ) were originally issued with strings and vocal choruses overdubbed. On Disc 9 Tracks 15- 22 we present, in chronological order of recording date, what Fats and the band played without the overdubbed additions. T H E M I S S I N G M A N As Fats' touring schedule became increasingly busy, Dave Bartholomew began to record instrumental backing tracks on which Fats could overdub his vocals when time permitted. They did this as early as June 1957, although the practice became more fre- W H A T T H I S S E T C O N T A I N S