Raisin’ Cain, Blue Sky, 1980
The Johnny Winter Story, CBS, 1980 (double L.P)
Raised on Rock, CBS, 1980 (double LP; same recording as above)
Guitar Slinger, Alligator, 1984
Serious Business, Alligator, 1985
Third Degree, Alligator, 1986
The Winter of ’88, MC:A/Voyager, 1988
Let Me In, Point Blank, 1991
“Hey, Where’s Your Brother?”, Point Blank, 1992
Scorchin’ Blues, Sony, 1992 (Columbia compilation)
A Rock N’ Roll Collection, Sony, 1994 (two-CD Columbia compilation)
Anthology, Sony, 1995
White Hot Blues, Sony, 1997
Live in NYC ’97, Virgin, 1998
Return of Johnny Guitar, Empire Music Collection, 2000
Deluxe Edition, Alligator, 2001
The Best of Johnny Winter, Sony Legacy, 2002
I’m a Bluesman, Virgin, 2004
Live Bootleg Series, Volume I, Friday Music, 2007
Live Bootleg Series, Volume 2, Friday Music, 2008
Live Bootleg Series, Volume 3, Friday Music, 2008
Live Bootleg Series, Volume 4, Friday Music, 2009
Live Bootleg Series, Volume 5, Friday Music, 2009
Johnny Winter: The Woodstock Experience, Sony Legacy, 2009
PRODUCED AND/OR PLAYED ON WITH MUDDY WATERS
Hard Again, Blue Sky, 1977
I’m Ready, Blue Sky, 1978
Muddy “Mississippi” Waters Live, Blue Sky, 1979
King Bee, Blue Sky, 1981
Breakin’ It Up & Breakin’ It Down, Sony Legacy, 2007
PRODUCED AND PLAYED ON WITH SONNY TERRY
Whoopin’, Alligator, 1984
AUTHORIZED RELEASES: SINGLES
“School Day Blues”/“You Know I Love You,” Dart Records, 1959
“Greepy”/“Oh My Darling,” KRCO, 1960
“Hey, Hey, Hey”/“One Night of Love,” KRCO, 1960
“Shed So Many Tears”/“That’s What Love Does,” Frolic Records, 1961
“Voodoo Twist”/“Ease My Pain,” Frolic Records, 1962
“Broke and Lonely”/“Crying in My Heart” (under the artist name “Texas Guitar Slim”), Diamond Records; then leased to Jin Records, 1963
“Roadrunner”/“The Guy You Left Behind,” Todd Records, 1963
“Gangster of Love”/“Eternally,” Frolic Records, 1963
“Eternally”/“You’ll Be the Death of Me,” Atlantic Records, 1964
“Gone for Bad” /“I Won’t Believe It,” Frolic Records; then leased to MGM, 1964
“Please Come Home for Christmas” /“Out of Sight” (under the artist name “Insight”), Cascade Records, 1966
“Birds Can’t Row Boats”/“Leavin’ Blues,” Pacemaker Records, 1967
“Comin’ Up Fast (Part 1) ”/“Comin’ Up Fast (Part 2)” (with the Great Believers), Cascade Records, 1967
“Tramp”/“Parchman Farm” (with the Traits), Universal, 1967
RELEASES BY OR WITH OTHER ARTISTS
GREGG ALLMAN
One More Try: An Anthology, Polygram, 1997. Johnny plays slide on “Wasted Words,” recorded at a jam in August 1972 that also included Buddy Miles and Berry Oakley.
ALLMAN BROTHERS
Welcome to Hollywood, Archivio, 1994. A bootleg of the Allman Brothers concert at the Hollywood Bowl on August 6, 1972. Johnny plays “Johnny B. Goode” during the encore, and jams with the band on Robert Johnson’s “Dust My Broom.”
The Allman Brothers Band Live at the Atlanta International Pop Festival—July 3 & 5, 1970, Epic/Legacy, 2003. Features Johnny on “Mountain Jam.”
MIKE BLOOMFIELD AND AL KOOPER
Fillmore East: The Lost Concert Tapes 12/13/68, Columbia/Legacy, 2003. Johnny makes his Fillmore East debut playing “It’s My Own Fault.”
LONNIE BROOKS
Wound Up Tight, Alligator, 1986. Johnny plays guitar on “Got Lucky Last Night” and “Wound Up Tight.”
CANNED HEAT, JOHN MAYALL, AND WALTER TROUT
The Secret Jam—Live at the Lone Star in New York City 10/12/83. Bootleg recording of the Tribute to Muddy show. Johnny plays guitar and sings with Canned Heat and Trout on “I’m Tired of Living,” “On the Road Again,” “Lovin’ With a Feeling,” “Baby, Please Don’t Go,” “Shake That Boogie,” and “I Can’t See the Justice.”
JAMES COTTON
Taking Care of Business, capital, 1970. Johnny plays acoustic slide on “She Moves Me,” and joins Michael Bloomfield on guitar on “Georgia Swing.”
RICK DERRINGER
Spring Fever, Blue Sky, 1975. Johnny plays slide guitar.
BOB DYLAN
30th Anniversary Concert Celebration, Sony, 1993. Johnny plays his fiery rendition of “Highway 61 Revisited” at the Madison Square Garden tribute show to Bob Dylan.
BUDDY GUY
Messin’ with the Blues, VSP (Italy), 1994. Live shows with Buddy Guy recorded at the Cubby Bear (March 23) and Vic Theater (December) in Chicago in 1991.
BUGS HENDERSON
American Music, Bingo Pajama Records, 1988; Flat Canyon Records, 1993. Johnny plays a guitar solo on an eight-minute version of “Honky Tonky” during a jam with Henderson, Jimmy Vaughan, Willie Nelson, and other Texas guitarists.
Legendary Jams—1976 to 1980, Taxim Records, 1997. Jams include Henderson, Roy Buchanan, Freddie King, Ted Nugent, and Johnny Winter. Johnny sings and plays guitar on “Talk to Your Daughter” and “It’s My Own Fault,” both recorded live at the Palladium in Dallas, Texas in 1979.
JIMI HENDRIX
Lifelines: The Jimi Hendrix Story, Reprise, 1990. Johnny plays on “Things I Used to Do,” recorded at a late night jam at the Record Plant.
ROCKY HILL (late guitarist and brother of ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill)
Texas Shuffle, Tomato Records, 1982. Johnny added guitar and vocals to “Hootchie Cootchie Man” [sic], “Bad Girl Blues,” and “Red Rooster Jam.”
JOHN LEE HOOKER
Mr. Lucky, Virgin, 1991. Johnny and his band—bassist Jeff Ganz and drummer Tom Compton—accompany Hooker on “Susie.”
Face to Face, Eagle Records, 2003. Johnny and Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna bassist Jack Casady accompany Hooker on “Face to Face.”
ROBERT PALMER
Ridin’ High, EMI/Capital, 1992. Johnny sings and plays guitar on “Hard Head.”
OTIS RUSH
Take a Look Behind, Weeping Goat label. Audience recording of the July 4, 1978 Village Vanguard show. Johnny plays with Rush and his band on “Every Day I Have the Blues” and “Take a Look Behind.” Cover photo is of Otis Rush; the back photo is a shot of Johnny and Luther Allison.
ERIC SARDINAS
Treat Me Right, Evidence, 1999. Johnny sings and plays guitar on “Tired of Tryin’.”
JEREMY STEIG
Temple at Birth, columbia, 1975. Steig played on Still Alive and Well in 1973, and Johnny returns the favor. He played acoustic and electric guitar with the improvisational jazz flutist on “King Tut Strut,” “Ouanga,” and “Mountain Dew Blues.”
ISAAC PAYTON SWEAT (IKEY Sweat)— unauthorized releases by Roy Ames after Sweat’s death
Texas Honky Tonk Dreams, Collectables, 1994.
Cotton Eyed Joe, M. I. L. Multimedia, 1997. Photo of Johnny and Ikey on cover with promo “featuring Johnny Winter.”
UNCLE JOHN TURNER
Johnny Winter and Uncle John Turner, Thunderbolt Records, 1989; released as Back in Boaumont on the Magnum label in 1990. Johnny plays lead guitar and harp in the 1981 sessions as a favor to his former drummer. Both were upset when it was released with Johnny’s photo on the cover.
BRUCE WILLIS
If It Don’t Kill You, It Just Makes You Stronger, Motown Records, 1989. Johnny plays slide guitar on “Here Comes Trouble Again.”
EDGAR WINTER
Entrance, Epic, 1970. Edgar and Johnny co-wrote eight songs; Edgar wrote the music and Johnny wrote the lyrics. Johnny plays guitar on “Tobacco
Road,” and harmonica on several cuts.
Edgar Winter’s White Trash, Epic, 1971. Johnny plays slide on “I’ve Got News for You.”
Roadwork, Epic, 1972. Johnny plays guitar on “Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo.”
Johnny and Edgar Winter Discussing Together, Blue Sky Records, 1976. Winter Blues, Rhino/WEA, 1999. Johnny plays slide guitar on “On the Tip of My Tongue.”
SELECTED BOOTLEG RELEASES
This is a sampling of unauthorized CDs. When I went over the list with Johnny, he was shocked by the number of bootlegs. He knew that Ken Ritter, his manager from 1960 to 1964, and Roy Ames, who managed him from 1966 to 1968, had released numerous bootlegs of the singles they had produced for him. But he had no idea there were so many. The song lists were even more surprising. Most consist of a selection from twenty to thirty of Johnny’s early singles, listed in varying order, packaged with different cover photography, and released under different names on a variety of labels. Johnny’s Houston shows with Willie Dixon and the Chicago All Stars, and with Jimmy Reed, were also released by Ames under a number of titles.
39-32-29 Blues, Go label, 2002
About Blues, Janus, 1970
Austin, Texas, United Artists, 1974; Phantom, date unknown (reissue of Progressive Blues Experiment)
Back in Beaumont, Thunderbolt, 1996, 2000 (Winter and Uncle John Turner)
Before the Storm, Janus, 1971
Best of Live, Thunderbolt, 2000
Birds Can’t Row Boats, Relix, 1991 (original release date: 1988)
Black Cat Bone, Thunderbolt, 1999
Blue Suede Shoes, Thunderbolt, 1996
Blues in a Box, M. I. L. Multimedia, 1998 (poor-quality box set)
Blues to the Bone, Relix, 1995
Blues to the Bone, Collectables, 1996; also released as Raw to the Bone, Thunderbolt, 2002 (recorded with Calvin “Loudmouth” Johnson)
Broke and Lonely, Magnum, 1996; Thunderbolt, 2001
Can’t Loose the Blues [sic], Not Guilty (bootleg of 1991 live show at Ventura Concert Theater), date unknown
Collectors Box Set, Past & Present, 2003 (four discs; original release date: 2000)
Crying the Blues: Late ’60s Concert at Liberty Hall—Houston, Texas, Collectables, 1996 (Johnny and Willie Dixon)
Crying the Blues: Live in Concert, Thunderbolt, 1996 (Johnny and Willie Dixon)
Early Heat, Special Music, 1995 (original release date: 1990)
Early Times, Janus, 1970
Early Winter, Griffin Records, 1996; President Records, 2003 (original release date: 1977)
Early Winter/Johnny Winter, President Records, 2003
Ease My Pain, Sundazed, 1997 (original release date: March 12, 1996)
Electric Blues Man, Magnum, 1996
Electric Man Blues, Thunderbolt, 1996, 1999 (two discs)
Eternally/The Johnny Winter Story, Volume 2, P-Vine (Japan), date unknown (photo of Johnny and Ikey Sweat on cover)
First Winter/The Original Album, Disky, 1991
Five After Four AM, TWO Magnum Midline, 2002
Gangster of Love, Collectables, 1992
Golden Days of Rock and Roll, Pulsar, 1992 (’70s and ’80s material)
Hard at Work, Phantom, 2000
History of the Blues, Rock Dreams, 1978; also released as Live at the Texas Opry House on Thunderbolt, in 2002
Hits You Remember, Madacy Records, 2000 (two-disc CD set—one Johnny and one Edgar)
Hot, Pigs Eye, date unknown (August 1. 1969 show at the Hollywood Bowl)
Houston Sessions, Catfish (UK), 2002
An Introduction to Johnny Winter, Fuel, 2006
Jack Daniels Kind of Day, Thunderbolt, 1996
Johnny B. Goode—18 Electrifying Songs, Disky, 1997
Johnny Winter, Phantom, 2001 (UK budget-priced compilation)
Johnny Winter Box Set, Relix, 2000 (three studio discs and a live disc)
The Johnny Winter Story, GRT, 1969
The Johnny Winter Story, P-Vine (Japan), date unknown
Leavin’ Blues, Music Mirror, date unknown
Liberty Hall Sessions, Magnum, 1996
Liberty Hall Sessions Live, TKO Magnum Midline, 2002 (Johnny and Jimmy Reed)
Liberty Hall Sessions/Live at the Texas Opry House, Thunderbolt, 2001 (two discs)
Live at Liberty Hall 1972, Last Call Records, 2002
Live at the Texas Opry House, Thunderbolt, 2002
Live in Houston/Busted in Austin, Thunderbolt, 1991, 1996
Live in Houston/No Time to Live, Thunderbolt, 2002 (two discs)
Livin’ the Blues, Phantom, 1996 (Danish budget-priced compilation)
Living in the Blues, Thunderbolt, 1996; Sundazed, 1997; Disky, 1998
A Lone Star Kind of Day, Relix, 1991
Lone Star Shootout, Varese Records, 2001 (compilation of ’60s and ’70s live shows without recording dates or locations; includes Jimmy Reed on “Big Boss Man” and Willie Dixon on “Spoonful”)
Masters, Eagle, 1998
Nightrider, Relix, 1991 (original release date: 1974)
No Time to Live, Magnum Midline, 2001; Thunderbolt, 2002
Original Winter: The Sixties Sessions, Thunderbolt, 2001
Platinum Series, D-3 Entertainment, 2000
Raised on Rock, Prestige, Elite, 2002
Ready for Winter, Accord Records, 1994
Relix Records Best of Blues, Volume 2, Relix, 1997
Relix Records Best of Blues, Volume 3, Relix, 1997
Roadrunner, Babylon, 1992
Rock & Pop Legends, Disky, 1995
Rock & Roll, KRB Music Companies, 1999
Rock N Roll Hoochie Coo, Phantom, 2000
Rock N’ Roll People, Silver Star, 2001
School Day Blues, Collectables, 1996
Sideman, Collectables, 1996 (a bootleg CD of songs that Ames produced and Johnny played on as a sideman)
Still Alive and Well/Captured Live!, BGO (Beat Goes On), 2002
Stranger in Your Eye + 1, Phantom, 2002; also released as Before the Storm in 1971
Suicide Won’t Satisfy, Phantom, 1988
Suicide Won’t Satisfy, Thunderbolt, 1998
Suicide Won’t Satisfy/Black Cat Bone, Thunderbolt, 2002 (two discs)
Texas Blues, Recall Records, 1998 (two discs)
Texas Tornado, Charly Records (UK), 1993; Charly Budget (UK), 1994; Griffin Records, 1995
Ultimate Collection (Slim Package), Madacy Records, 2002 (two-disc CD set-one Johnny and one Edgar)
Walking by Myself (Live), Relix, 1992 (1977 concert in Hempstead, New York)
White Heat, M. I. L. Multimedia, 1998
White Lightning, Magnum, 1996; Thunderbolt, 1996
White Lightning/Broke & Lonely, Thunderbolt, 2000 (two discs)
Winter Blues, Castle Communications, 1997
Winter Essentials 1960-1967 (Original Recording Remastered), Fuel Records, 2003
Winter Heat (Extra Tracks), M. I. L. Multimedia, 1998
Winter’s Scene, Pair, 1990 (original release date: 1972)
Special thanks to Jim Geuther, webmaster of http://www.yee.ch/winter, for his meticulous research on Johnny’s recordings.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Aledort, Andy. Liner notes. Second Winter, Sony/Legacy, 2004.
Brown, Thomas F. “Deep Politics in Jefferson County During the Mid-Twentieth Century,” paper presented at meeting of the Beaumont Historical Society, January 2006.
“Champagne Breakfast with Muddy.” Creem, June 1977.
“Chicken-Soup Freak.” Time, February 28, 1969.
Dann, Laurel. “A Winter’s Tale.” Rock, August 27, 1973.
Dolgikh, Eugene. “Bruce Iglauer: Alligator Forever.” http://home.nestor.minsk.by/jazz/articles/2005/05/0027.html. June14, 2005.
Flippo, Chet. “Just Act Like I’m a Person, Dammit!” Rolling Stone, July 6, 1972.
Friedman, Josh Alan. “The Beautiful Loser.” Dallas Observer, 1996.
Guerra, Tom. “Thoughts on Johnny Winter: Luther Nallie.” Vintag
e Guitar, November 2001.
__ “Rick Derringer—Thoughts on Johnny Winter.” Vintage Guitar, November 2001.
Hickey, Dennis. “The Complete Illustrated List of Vulcan Gas Company Posters and Handbills.” http://www.faculty.missouristate.edu/d/dvh804f/vulcan.htm.
Hodenfield, Jan. “Steve Paul Splits the Scene.” Rolling Stone, September 6, 1969.
“Hot Prospect: Columbia’s Bid Bags Johnny Winter.” Rolling Stone, March 1, 1969.
“An Interview with Johnny Winter and Rick Derringer. Creem, August 1970.
Jacobson, Nels. “The Maverick Tradition: Postering in Austin, Texas.” OFFtheWALL, 1991/Volume No. 1/Issue No. 2; 1992/Volume No. 1/ Issue No. 3.
Jahn, Mike. “Chicago, Winter at Fillmore East.” New York Times, November 16, 1969.
Johnny and Edgar Winter Discussing Together, Blue Sky Records, ASZ 242, 1976.
“Johnny Winter: It’s Just Bad Music.” Rolling Stone, April 16, 1970.
“Johnny Winter: Still Alive and Well,” Play:Back, published by Columbia, Epic, and Columbia Custom Labels, 1973.
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