Johnny Winter (1944–2014) was an American rock and blues musician. From 1959 to 1967, he recorded several singles for mostly small record companies in his native Texas. In 1968, Winter completed his first album, The Progressive Blues Experiment, and in 1969, he was signed to Columbia Records. With the label, Winter had his greatest success on the American record chart; Johnny Winter (1969), Second Winter (1969), Live Johnny Winter And (1971), and Still Alive and Well (1973) all reached the top forty on the Billboard 200 album chart. In 1974, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified Live Johnny Winter And gold, his only record to receive an award from the organization.
Beginning in 1973, Winter's music was issued by Blue Sky Records, a Columbia custom label. At Blue Sky, Winter also became a producer and was responsible for releases by Chicago blues pioneer Muddy Waters. He produced Hard Again (1977), which earned Waters a Grammy Award and helped re-establish his popularity. In the years after 1984, Winter changed record companies several times, never remaining with any one for more than three albums. These included Alligator Records, MCA Records' Voyager subsidiary, Pointblank Records, Virgin Records, and Megaforce Records. In 2007, he began producing a number of albums from his personal recordings, designated the "Live Bootleg Series". Winter's last studio album, Step Back, released shortly after his death in 2014, was his most successful in the record charts since his Columbia period. Several live albums and compilations have appeared on Billboard's "Blues Albums" specialty chart.
Throughout his career, Winter's recording catalogue was plagued by bootleg albums and unauthorized re-releases of singles from his early pre-Columbia Records days. These records competed with his official releases and some were doctored with later overdubs by other musicians. Royalties were not Winter's primary concern: "I just don't want that bullshit out... It's just bad music."
Albums Studio albums + Year Title Details ChartpeakBillboard 200 1968 The Progressive Blues Experiment Released: Fall 1968 Label: Sonobeat (R-S1002) Format: LP record, reel-to-reel audio tape, 8-track audio cartridge Note: Reissued with new album cover by Imperial in March 1969 40 1969 Johnny Winter Released: April 15, 1969 Label: Columbia (CS 9826) Format: LP, 8-track, reel-to-reel, audio cassette 24 Second Winter Released: November 1969 Label: Columbia (KCS 9947) Format: Double LP Note: Only 3 sides used (4th is blank) 55 1970 Johnny Winter And Released: September 1970 Label: Columbia (C 30221) Format: LP, 8-track 154 1973 Still Alive and Well Released: March 1973 Label: Columbia (KC 32188) Format: LP, 8-track, cassette 22 1974 Saints & Sinners Released: February 1974 Label: Columbia (PC 32715) Format: LP, 8-track, cassette 42 John Dawson Winter III Released: November 1974 Label: Blue Sky (PZ 33292) Format: LP, 8-track, cassette 78 1977 Nothin' but the Blues Released: July 1977 Label: Blue Sky (PZ 34813) Format: LP, 8-track, cassette 146 1978 White, Hot and Blue Released: July 1978 Label: Blue Sky (JZ 35475) Format: LP, cassette 141 1980 Raisin' Cain Released: March 1980 Label: Blue Sky (JZ 36343) Format: LP, cassette — 1984 Guitar Slinger Released: May 1984 Label: Alligator (AL 4735) Format: LP, compact audio disc (CD), cassette 183 1985 Serious Business Released: September 1985 Label: Alligator (AL 4742) Format: LP, CD, cassette 156 1986 Third Degree Released: November 1986 Label: Alligator (AL 4748) Format: LP, CD, cassette — 1988 The Winter of '88 Released: October 1988 Label: Voyager/MCA (MCA-42241) Format: LP, CD, cassette — 1991 Let Me In Released: July 1, 1991 Label: Pointblank/Virgin/Atlantic (91744-2) Format: LP, CD — 1992 Hey, Where's Your Brother? Released: November 2, 1992 Label: Pointblank/Virgin/EMI (V2-86512) Format: CD — 2004 I'm a Bluesman Released: June 15, 2004 Label: Virgin America (72435 90081 27) Format: CD — 2011 Roots Released: September 2011 Label: Megaforce (20286 16038) Format: LP, CD 163 2014 Step Back Released: August 2014 Label: Megaforce (20286 21696) Format: LP, CD 17 "—" denotes a release that did not chart
Live albums + Year Title Details ChartpeakBillboard 200 1971 Live Johnny Winter And Recorded: Late 1970 Venue: Fillmore East, New York City; Pirates World, Dania Beach, Florida Released: March 1971 Label: Columbia (C 30475) Format: LP record, 8-track audio cartridge Note: Certified gold by RIAA in 1974 40 1976 Captured Live! Recorded: September 1975 Venue: Swing Auditorium, San Bernardino; San Diego Sports Arena; Oakland Coliseum (all in California). Released: March 1976 Label: Blue Sky (PZ 33944) Format: LP, 8-track, audio cassette 93 Together Venue: Swing Auditorium, San Bernardino, California; San Diego Sports Arena, California Released: June 1976 Label: Blue Sky (PZ 34033) Format: LP, 8-track, cassette Note: Listed as "Johnny and Edgar Winter" 86 1998 Live in NYC '97 Recorded: March 10, 1997 Venue: The Bottom Line, New York City Released: March 1998 Label: Pointblank/Virgin/EMI (45527) Format: Compact audio disc (CD) — 2009 The Woodstock Experience Recorded: August 17, 1969 Venue: Woodstock Music & Art Fair, Bethel, New York Released: 2009 Label: Columbia/Legacy (88697 48244 2) Format: Double CD Note: CD2 contains Winter's live Woodstock performance; CD1 is his 1969 Columbia debut album. — 2010 Live at the Fillmore East 10/3/70 Recorded: October 3, 1970 Venue: Fillmore East, New York City Released: 2010 Label: Collectors' Choice Live (6000) Format: CD — 2011 Rockpalast: Blues Rock Legends Vol. 3 Recorded: April 21, 1979 Venue: Grugahalle, Essen, Germany Released: 2011 Label: MIG (90362 CD) Format: Double CD Note: 6 tracks were released on a single LP, titled Live at Rockpalast (MVD Audio, 2011). — 2015 Live from Japan Recorded: April 15, 2011 Venue: Zepp, Tokyo Released: April 2015 Label: MVD Audio (6664A) Format: CD, double LP — 2018 The King of SlideReleased: April 21, 2018 Label: Friday Music (FRM 42018) Format: LP Note: Limited edition (1,000) for Record Store Day in 2018 — "—" denotes a release that did not chart
Live Bootleg Series albums The "Live Bootleg Series" are authorized, official releases produced by Winter for the Friday Music label. The CDs and LPs include the notice: "All master recordings are owned and controlled by Johnny Winter and are compiled from the authorized Johnny Winter archives". The recordings were not state-of-the-art for the time and many similar recordings had previously circulated as actual bootleg albums. The peak chart positions refer to Billboards "Blues Albums" chart (none appeared on the broader Billboard 200 album chart).
+ Year Title DetailsCatalogue no. & number of tracks ChartpeakBlues Albums 2007 Live Bootleg Series Vol. 1 FRM 1064 – 12 tracks 15 2008 Live Bootleg Series Vol. 2 FRM 1083 – 6 tracks 7 Live Bootleg Series Vol. 3 FRM 1085 – 7 tracks — 2009 Live Bootleg Series Vol. 4 FRM 1100 – 10 tracks 9 2009 Live Bootleg Series Vol. 5 FRM 1143 – 8 tracks 8 2010 Live Bootleg Series Vol. 6 FRM 1156 – 7 tracks 5 2011 Live Bootleg Series Vol. 7 FRM 1160 – 7 tracks 15 2012 Live Bootleg Series Vol. 8 FRM 1162 – 7 tracks — 2013 Live Bootleg Series Vol. 9 FRM 1163 – 7 tracks — Live Bootleg Series Vol. 10 FRM 1164 – 7 tracks — 2014 Live Bootleg Special Edition FRM 41914 (LP only) – 6 tracks 9 Live Bootleg Series Vol. 11 FRM 1165 – 7 tracks 15 2016 Live Bootleg Series Vol. 12 FRM 1167 – 7 tracks 10 Live Bootleg Series Vol. 13 FRM 1169 – 7 tracks — 2018 Live Bootleg Series Vol. 14: It's Johnny's Birthday FRM 22344 – 9 tracks — "—" denotes a release that did not chart
Compilation albums After Winter signed to Columbia Records in 1969, his former associates began licensing albums consisting of Winter's early singles and demos for various labels. These 40 or so songs continue to be re-packaged and re-released by numerous small record companies. In several interviews, Winter asserts that these were unauthorized and that some have been overdubbed with other musicians. For completeness, two of the more noteworthy compilations of pre-1968 recordings are included. The rest of those listed below contain songs that were recorded from 1968 on.
+ Year Title Details ChartpeakBillboard 200 1969 The Johnny Winter Story Recorded: 1961–1964 for various single labels Released: August 1969 Label: GRT (GRT-10010) Format: LP record, 8-track audio cartridge Note: Repackaged with different titles & cover art by many labels 111 1992 Scorchin' Blues Recorded: 1968–1978 for Columbia & Blue Sky Label: Legacy (ZK 52466) Format: Compact audio disc (CD), audio cassette — 1994 A Rock n' Roll Collection Recorded: 1969–1979 for Columbia & Blue Sky Label: Legacy (C2K 46985) Format: 2-CD — 1996 The Return of Johnny Guitar (The Best of Johnny Winter 1984–86) Recorded: 1984–1986 for Alligator Label: Music Club (MCCD 270) Format: CD — 1997 White Hot Blues Recorded: 1969–1980 for Columbia & Blue Sky Label: Legacy (CK 65213) Format: CD — 2001 Deluxe Edition Recorded: 1984–1986 for Alligator Label: Alligator Format: CD — 2002 The Best of Johnny Winter Recorded: 1969–1979 for Columbia & Blue Sky Label: Legacy (CK 85926) Format: CD — 2003 Winter Essentials 1960–1967 Recorded: Prior to 1968 for various single labels Label: Fuel 2000 (302 061 309 2) Format: 2-CD Note: Contains nearly all of Winter's pre-1968 singles, plus additional demos from the same period; re-released as Beginnings: 1960–1967 (2010) — 2009 The Johnny Winter Anthology Recorded: 1968–1997 for various labels Label: Shout! Factory (82663-11328) Format: 2-CD — 2011 Playlist: The Very Best of Johnny Winter Live Recorded: 1969–1977 for Columbia & Blue Sky Label: Legacy (88697 86946 2) Format: CD Note: Released in Europe with some different tracks as Setlist: The Very Best of Johnny Winter (2011, Legacy) — 2014 The Essential Johnny Winter Recorded: 1969–1980 for Columbia & Blue Sky Label: Legacy (88883704942) Format: 2-CD — 2014 True to the Blues: The Johnny Winter Story Recorded: 1968–2011 for various labels Label: Legacy (88883740852) Format: 4-CD box set — 2015 Remembrance Vol. 1 Recorded: Live recordings released as part of "Live Bootleg Series" Label: Friday Music (FRM 1166) Format: 3-CDs — It's My Life, Baby Released: April 18, 2015 Label: Alligator Format: LP Note: Initially released on Record Store Day in 2015 — 2017 Remembrance Vol. 2 Recorded: Live recordings released as part of "Live Bootleg Series" Label: Friday Music (FRM 1177) Format: 3-CDs — "—" denotes a release that did not chart
Singles + Year TitleA-side / B-side Details ChartpeakHot 100 1959 "School Day Blues" / "You Know I Love You" Label: Dart (131) Note: The Winter brothers are listed on the single as 'Johnny and the Jammers' — 1960 "Creepy" / "Oh My Darling" Label: KRCo (106) — "One Night of Love" / "Hey, Hey, Hey" Label: KRCo (107) Note: As 'Johnny Winter and the Crystaliers' — 1961 "Shed So Many Tears" / "That's What Love Does" Label: Frolic (45-501) — 1962 "Voodoo Twist" / "Ease My Pain" Label: Frolic (45-503) — 1963 "Crying in My Heart" / "Broke and Lonely" Label: Diamond Jim (204) Note: As 'Texas Guitar Slim' — "Road Runner" / "The Guy You Left Behind" Label: Todd (45-1084) — "Gangster of Love" / "Eternally" Label: Frolic (509) — 1964 "Eternally" / "You'll Be the Death of Me" Label: Atlantic (45-2248) — "Gone For Bad" / "I Won´t Believe It" Label: MGM (K 13380) Note: Originally released by Frolic (512) — 1966 "Please Come Home for Christmas" / "Out of Sight" Label: Cascade (364) Note: The Winter brothers are listed as 'The Insight' — 1967 "Birds Can't Row Boats" / "Leavin' Blues" Recorded: 1966 Label: Pacemaker (PM-243) — "Tramp" / "Parchman Farm" Label: Universal (U-30496) Note: As 'The Traits' (Johnny leading Roy Head's former backup band) — 1968 "Rollin' and Tumblin'" / "Mean Town Blues" Label: Sonobeat (R-S107)