Kenneth Rice on Diplomat

Diplomat 62

8539 ~ I Feel Blue (D-700)
8540 ~ Carol (D-701)

Both sides of Diplomat 62 were compiled by Stomper Time Records (Fernwood Rhythm 'n' Blues, STCD 17).

According to Dave Travis, author of the booklet notes, "Kenneth Rice came from Hattiesburg, Mississippi and, from correspondance in the Fernwood files, it is clear that he pitched tapes of his songs to Slim Wallace [owner of Fernwood Records] on several occasions. Finally Slim picked up on the two songs featured here, but, for some reason, lost in the mists of time, licensed the single to Eddie Bond's Diplomat label. This would seem to be Kenneth's only release."

Diplomat 63
9599 - I Want You To Be My Baby D-702
9600 – Cry Myself To Sleep D-703

Kenneth Rice (not to be confused with the RnB drummer also known as Spider Webb) had actually a second release on the same label, which may have been or may have not been the Diplomat label owned by Eddie Bond.

My opinion is that Diplomat was a custom (and different) label owned by Kenneth produced by Fernwood Records.

The second record belongs, like his first, to the "teen" genre, not to Rhythm and Blues genre, like the inclusion in the Stomper Time CD could tend to suggest.