The label's first release was the self-titled debut album of the psychedelic band Rotary Connection, whose members Chess described as "the hottest, most avant garde rock guys in Chicago".

[3] Chess hoped the new albums would sell well among fans of psychedelic rock bands influenced by Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf.

[4] In place of Howlin' Wolf's regular musicians were Gene Barge, Pete Cosey, Roland Faulkner, Morris Jennings, Louis Satterfield, Charles Stepney and Phil Upchurch.

[6] Marshall Chess augmented the rhythm of Howlin Wolf's live band with the use of electronic organ and saxophone.

[7] According to guitarist Pete Cosey, during the recording sessions, Howlin' Wolf "looked at me and he said 'Why don't you take them wah-wahs and all that other shit and go throw it off in the lake – on your way to the barber shop?

'"[7] Marshall Chess referred to Howlin' Wolf's dislike of the arrangements on the album's cover.

[14] In 1998 The Wire included the album in a list of groundbreaking albums, where Sasha Frere-Jones wrote of how Chess' wish to put "the greatest shouter of all time" against an electric band to recut several of his early hits unusually resulted in a group that "was capable of outdoing both Funkadelic and The Meters at their own game, and unafraid to get very foreground and doubly black."

"[15] Titles, writer's credits, and running times are taken from the original Cadet LP record cover and may differ from other releases.